Friday, December 31, 2010

Stethoscope Help Needed


UGGGGGHHHHH!  I received paper work in the mail yesterday to inform me of our January orientation which will include buying a stethoscope.  I have this paper showing all the possibilities but I have NO clue which to choose.  Why is Littmann so great?  Are these prices fair or should I be competitive shopping on the Internet elsewhere?  Or my hubby's idea would be to check with the hospital and see if I can buy a discounted one. 

Humm there are so many to choose like 3M Littmann Master Cardiology for $196.50, down to 3M Littmann Lightweight II SE for $45.50.  Then there are the ones I highlighted that are combined in a "Nurse Kit" which include the stethoscope, nylon pocket organizer, scissors, chart pen, and disposable pen light with a 3 year warranty (seems like the best deal) for only $86.00.

What do you guys think?  What should I be looking for?  I don't want to get suckered because I don't know any better.  Thanks ahead of time for anyone who can help me.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Possible New Year Resolution, most likely not.

Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile, I prefer to read and write my blogs when I'm alone but recently my hubby and I have vacation time we're using up until Monday when it's time for the kids to go back to school, but I have a few good blogs I'm working on and will try after Monday to get them out.  In the meantime I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk about steep incline walking, read further to know what I'm talking about.
While on vacation recently, I was reading a magazine article in Shape Magazine which featured an interview with Brooke Burke and her fitness secrets among other things.  In this article she mentioned besides taking 3 Pilates classes per week, that what helps her get fit is to get on the treadmill and walk at a 3.5 mph, at an incline (get this) of 15.  WHAT? 
This sparked my interest so much that when I got back home I grabbed my hubby by the hand and drove up to the local workout facility where we are members and challenged him to see who could keep up at a 3.5 pace at the steepest incline between the two of us.  Now before I could get my mph hour figured out on the treadmill I chose, I decided to increase the incline to its max. just to make sure it could go up to 15.  The two machines my hubby and I chose did indeed get up to 15 but that was the max highest it could go.  So we started off light, we got our speed up to 3.5, and slowly we increased our incline from 2.0 all the way up for me was about 6.0, and my hubby had to one up me to 7.0.  This was not an easy feat, I felt like I was climbing a mountain.  Afterward on the car ride back home I told my hubby that I didn't think I'd ever get to an incline of 15, which my hubby just looked at me and said "well Brooke Burke has been doing this her whole life, it's not like you could have just gotten on the treadmill and had been able to accomplish the same thing right off the bat" then he went on to say, "don't worry, you'll get there, you just have to take it one little incline at a time and you can get to 15".  So call it my New Year's resolution or whatever, but I plan to work my way up to 15 at 3.5 mph and see if I can really do what Brooke can do.  (I bet she only does it at 5 minutes intervals, it's not like you could work at that incline for very long... hummm...)

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Final Grades Reported

So I wasn't too far off from my predictions on my previous post refresh button.
Communications:  A
Existentialism:  A
Gym:  A-
Sociology:  B+
Statistics:  C+
Lets just say that Statistics sucked!!  I was able to get the grade needed to pass the class and I'll take the advice from my other nursing co-student "take the C+ and run and never look back", so I will.
Amen thank you Lord for another semester in the history books.

We're visiting in-laws in Indiana enjoying my time letting my mind not be bothered by stress from school.  Hope you all are having a great Christmas season.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Nursing FB Group

Who's blog did I read that said they were going to start up a nursing page on Facebook?  Anyone remember seeing that somewhere, because I'd like to join?

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

FB

Awww Facebook I've missed you!  I know I'll only be on fb until Jan. classes start again, but gosh darn it all, I'm excited for this break!

Done with finals 2010

I am done with my finals finally.  I finished my Statistics final this afternoon and I think it went horribly, but I think I'm still sitting okay with my overall grade.  I'm just glad its over with!!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Refresh Button

Uggh, how many times can my finger keep hitting tapping the refresh button on my school's website that shows the grades from the classes I took this semester? 
I'm annoyed with the fact that I keep doing it, but I want to know so badly how I did.  I mainly want to know how I did on my Soc final from last Friday, but no grades are posted yet.  I figure even though the professor may have finals today and tomorrow for other classes he teaches and even though according to the school the teachers have one full week to post their students' final grades, I still can't help but think this teacher is different than the rest and probably came in on the weekend just to post our classes grades.  (yea right, in my dreams)

Here's how I think my final grades will pan out being:

Gym : A- (well the teacher walked by on Friday as I was in the hall and he does the double guns hand gesture and points at me and says " A-" then winks and walks off.{c-mon people don't think anything, he's like 80 and needs to retire, either way it was nice to hear my grade.})

Communications: A (She totally loved me in her class; full participation credit and I will be rocking that one with an A confidently.)

Philosophy: A (Now this one class has been a difficult journey as far as putting my own personal viewpoints aside for the sake of learning and I think I did pretty well in his class.  At midterm I got an A-, but I think this last paper will put me over the edge into the A range.  {He liked our whole Existentialism class so much, he's invited us to his house tomorrow night for dinner...humm this is where I get my chance to ask him where he really stands with his faith...I look forward to it and can't wait.  No topic is going to be off limits!})

Sociology:  B- (the class wasn't difficult but the exams kicked my butt.  I super suck at multiple choice and always go with what I think is the right answer and then I shoot myself in the foot, because I end up picking the wrong answer.  Uggh, will I ever grow past that way of testing??)

Statistics:  B- (however I figured with all my homework assignments and testing to date, if I get 70 or higher on my final exam {which trust me will be hard work) I could walk out of that class with a B, so let’s get to praying I can prove, I know more than I think I do on this cumulative final.  :-)})

I'll keep you all posted.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Person one and person two

How is it that after person one gains sobriety coming up on three years next month and still being okay with person two occasionally having a few cocktails once in awhile, that person two could leave out an empty bottle of person one's favorite vice while being an addict? 

Person one realizes tis the season for person two to be happy, but at the expense of possibly person ones sobriety? 

While this doesn't happen often, person one feels tempted to lick the inside of the empty bottle, but instead chooses to write a detailed explanation of the carelessness with leaving these types of bottles out by person two, also explaining this action can only cause harm towards both persons one and two on multiple levels. 

Perhaps after person two sobers up in the morning, will happen to notice said explanation taped to the empty bottle, sitting on the dashboard in person twos vehicle.

Merry Relaxing Christmas to all and to all a good night!

As my shift continues on through the day today I can't help but allow my mind to totally space out drift off into vacation mode.  I just am soooooo excited for my much needed break to this semester and "finals" period.  Tuesday is my last final for Statistics and cannot come fast enough. 
As my hubby and I were shopping for mass amounts of Christmas gifts last night, I made sure to pick up three of my favorite magazines (Shape, Self, and of course Cosmo) to be read on the car ride out of town Friday evening to the in-laws house a mere few states away.  I will happily be sitting in the passenger seat, reading my mags. catching up on my leisurely reading on the Kindle (What? What's reading for pleasure like again? haha), cranking up my favorite tunes on the radio including some Christmas songs that I'm going to belt out on the top of my lungs with the kids' help of course, pluck any last few stragglers of eyebrow hairs to make my look complete, over indulge on my diet dew addiction, and totally, utterly, and adamantly just not worry about any school work, or 9-5 work, or let anything rain on my parade of complete serene enjoyment! 
Merry Christmas to you all and hoping you all find a way to relax and take some time for yourselves this holiday season.
 
Please don't forget the reason for the season through your busy lives and whining and crankiness over relatives and disagreements, or burned food, or nasty cold temperatures, or unwanted gifts.

I love this passage from a Guideposts greeting Christmas card I got: 
In the quiet of a Christmas night so many years ago came a miracle... A Savior, Our Hope and Promise.
This was also on the inside of the card:
God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith;
The warmth of Christmas, which is love;
The radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
The righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
The belief in Christmas, which is truth;
The all of Christmas, which is Christ.
-Wilda English
Amen, hope you all enjoy your family and friends and loved ones this Christmas season!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Book Manufacturers new editions are awfully expensive

Over a year ago my original plan for the future regarding nursing school was to get my ADN through a tech school here in town so that I could move along in the program at a faster rate.  Unfortunately by the time I finished my required classes so I could start the nursing program, there was a waiting list (Spring 2012). 
So after much contemplating and discussing with my husband I chose the route of getting my BSN and working on my required classes for their program, just so I could start the nursing program ahead of the time expected through the tech school's waiting list by one year (Spring 2011). 
While I was in the tech school I had a friend who was graduating and willing to donate all of her nursing books to me last spring (March 2010).  Now somewhere along the road of stupidity crossing over with dim-wittedness I accepted this offer of books thinking I would someday need them.  After realizing that I wasn't going through the program at the tech school, I still thought these books would be needed in my university classes.
This past week I realized the curriculum followed by the university and the tech school are completely different and this collection of books that were given to me would be useless for my schooling (as far as needed text books for classes).
Yesterday I stopped at the tech school, with a wagon to hold all of these books in hopes of returning them to the buyback program, only to find out that the majority of the books are all off by one edition and the current program won't use them, and they didn’t need any of the books I walked in there with.  OH MY GOODNESS, really people???
How can one individual pay hundreds of dollars for books one semester and within moments those books are no longer "good" anymore? 
I've gotta say that I wasn't in that good of mood.  I was hoping for a little extra spending money for my next set of books that I need to purchase. 
Anyone have any suggestions of what I'm to do with all these books?

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Interpersonal Communication - Excellent - 150/150

Feedback

This is excellent.  I'd like to use it as an example for future classes if that's alright with you.

Application Paper 3
I've never been very confident with my writing, and close to the beginning of this semester I was humbled in how much I didn't know, so I've grown with each comment and constructive criticism.  I was so pleased to get this feedback on my last paper in my Interpersonal Communication class.  Woo hoo!  ;~) 
I think this is what the gen. ed classes are all about, getting us students familiar with writing and learning our own style.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Dect the Halls

This video was on my schools website.  It is too funny.  Don't forget to turn up the sound on your computers when listening.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

1st semester books part 1

I have three classes my first semester for the nursing program that starts on Jan. 24th.  I wrote earlier that my girlfriend A is graduating and offered to sell me her books that were current and being used this next semester for a reasonable dollar amount.  I thought great, seeing as though the total amount of books will be 12, with one i-clicker, and a supply pack if purchased through the bookstore would be over $700, and approx. $500 or so from Amazon, will only cost me around $350.

Here is the list of my books that I bought from my friend:
Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis

Taber's Cyclopedic Med Dict Index

Understand Nursing Process-w/ Pocketbook

Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses

Drug Calculations w/CD

Physical Exam +Health Assessment w/CD

Clinical Nursing Skills-Basic to Advanced w/CD

i-Clicker
List of books that I need to purchase:
Essentials of Nursing Research w/CD  ISBN:9780781781534
Professional Nursing  (This one is a rental and I can get for free at the bookstore)
APA 6th Edition for paper writing ISBN 9781433805615
Physical Exam + Health Lab Manual ISBN 9781416038535
Pharmacology textbook and workbook package ISBN 9781437706055
and last but not least:
Student Medical Supply Kit (but I heard this consists of some sterile gloves, a pen light, and paper tape measure, I was told to buy each item separate from Walgreen's and it will be much cheaper than the bookstore price)
Oh and also I got a lab coat, here is a picture of it:
If you couldn't tell...I can not wait to START!!! AHHH!
I will update you all on the remainder of the books after I purchase them.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Nursing Tamale Christmas Lunch

I got my lab coat, and a butt load of school books about 6 of them so far and that's half of what I'm going to need for my first semester alone!  I will blog about all that later.

BUT, I just thought I'd cut out some of my studying time to tell you all how my Christmas party luncheon went yesterday at my nursing school.
It started out well; I met my friend (and fellow co-student) at the school right on time for the start of the lunch at 10:30am.  The school was serving tamales (I wasn't sure how it tasted because I was too nervous to eat something heavy) with sides of sour cream, diced tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, black olives, but I chose to eat just a few baby carrots with an M&M cookie and some holiday punch.
We sat at this huge rectangle table in the "conference/break room" and I was just in awe of everyone around me.  These students all looked comfortably dressed, relaxed with easy banter and laughter rang throughout the room.  I have to say I was intimidated because while my friend and I were given invitations to this party we were the only two that showed up from our future class coming into the program for next semester.  No one else came but us, and a few times we got some weird looks from the other students. 
I saw another girlfriend of mine that is graduating the program this semester and she spots me from across the room and shouts out "Hey, why are you here?"  Now this came across totally friendly but in the back of my mind I'm thinking why did you just say that in front of all these people??  So in a friendly way I shout back out to her, "Because I was invited."  That answer got her to smiling big and she came over to me and we chit chatted for a while.  I tried my best to "network" with her friends and to see what their future plans were and the techniques they're using to get noticed for possible jobs, but everyone kept shoving their faces with food.  So the moment was passed up by their busy schedules needing to rush off to other engagements. 
My friend and I continued eating quietly and then from out of nowhere in a southern drawl quite loudly a lady approached us saying "now where are y'all from, I haven't seen you two before, you don't look familiar."
We introduced ourselves and she told us she was one of our instructors for our Nrsg-240 (7 credit) class.  Yikes, I kept thinking "gotta make a good impression, gotta make a good impression", then I thought I wonder how long she's been eyeing us and what all has she heard us talking about?  She was totally nice and easy going and the other students seemed to like her.  So if that was the only impression I made that day, I'm glad I went, oh and the M&M cookie was scrumptious. 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Hunker down

It's the last two weeks of school and I'm up to my neck with work and studying.  I'd like to finish this semester with a bang, so I'll not be posting until my winter break has started.  Aww I can't wait to sit on the couch and fall asleep during the middle of the day for a few days in a row.  Relaxation time will be mine, I can feel it.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Carmel-Fudge Turtle Cookies

Oh how I love baking during the holidays.  My kitchen is so warm and the aroma smells delightful, then there's the excitement of watching the snow falling outside the house.  LOVE IT!  Besides the gooey cake cookies we made for Thanksgiving following Paula Deen's recipe, these are our second cookies we've made so far for the Christmas season.

Here is the Betty Crocker recipe for Carmel-Fudge Turtle Cookies.  My daughter baked the cookies, I dipped them in the carmel and plopped the hot fudge on top while my son put the finishing touch of the pecan on their tops.  Mine didn't turn out as pretty as Betty's but plenty of TLC wrapped into each one.  :-)


Caramel-Fudge Turtle Cookies

1
pouch Betty Crocker® Sugar Cookie Mix
Butter and egg called for on cookie mix pouch
2
tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
12
caramels, unwrapped
1
tablespoon milk
1
cup hot fudge topping
36
Pecan halves
1.  Make cookie dough as directed on package, stirring in flour. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F 11 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; place cookies on cooling rack.
2.  Microwave caramels and milk uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring once, until caramels are melted. Dip one side of each cookie at an angle into caramel mixture to coat top half; spread if necessary. If caramel thickens, add up to 1 teaspoon additional milk and reheat.
3.  Spread about 1 teaspoon fudge topping on top of each cookie. Place pecan half on topping. Let stand about 15 minutes until toppings are set.




First I started with just plain sugar cookies



Then I dipped them in the carmels


Then came the plop of hot fudge and pecans




Not too pretty but, not bad for our first time trying this recipe


Thursday, December 2, 2010

Nursing class schedule for January

Starting January 24th my nursing class schedule will be the following:
(3 credit class)  Nursing: Intro to the Profession
(7 credit class)  Foundations of Nursing Practice; includes lab, lecture and clinical
(2 credit class)  Nursing: Intro to Pharmacology
12 credits total which qualify me for financial aid and I'm not interested in taking any other gen. ed. classes that I need to finish up eventually.  I thought I'd concentrate on working hard and studying this first semester on just nursing. 

I've decided to finish my paperwork regarding the Honor's program and just pull the trigger on it already.  I always seem to have self doubt about important steps like these but when all is said and done, I usually pull through just fine.  So why not take the opportunity and see what I'm made of and see if I can really accomplish the work needed to stay at the level of Honors. 

Also I was included on a massive email for an end of semester holiday party with my nursing school buddies.  I don't really think I should go because I haven't actually taken any nursing classes this semester (just gen. ed.'s), but I still am considered a nursing student, so why not right?  I was given the invite via email, so maybe I will.  Maybe it will be a good chance to get to know my other co-nursing students.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

So close yet so far.

20 days until Christmas vacation at the in-laws house in Indiana.
20 days until the end of this semester.
54 days until my first day of the next semester.
54 days until my first day for nursing classes.
I can't wait to get the long list of books needed for the next 2.5 years of school. 
I just have so many things to look forward to and I don't know if I'll be able to focus on these last two weeks of school.  Nursing school is so close and yet so far at the same time, will it ever come?

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Win a Silhouette Digital Cutting Tool

Silhouette Digital Cutting Tool, win it!

Does anyone own a Silhouette? I really want to win this one, so I can gift it to my girlfriend who would drool all over the place if she had one.   Check out all it can do here.  You can enter to win a Silhouette today over here at Thrifty Decor Chick.  My collection of crafting isn't very big, but I do make a few handmade cards from time to time, and think it's a great way to show someone you care and love them by selecting a perfect card just for them.  If I won this Silhouette, I would ask the friend I would gift it to, to let me come over to her house and make a few cards before giving it to her completely.  Does that make me a terrible gifter??  Either way head on over to Thrifty Decor Chick today and enter before 8pm tonight.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Max Lucado: Fearless Parenting

I found this article in a magazine called Thriving Family, it's a Focus on the Family publication and the article was an excerpt from a book of Max Lucado called Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear . 
This was encouraging because of what Max writes for parents is something I can relate to. 
Enjoy:
 
Giving Our Kids to God
            Jairus isn’t the only parent to run onto Gospel pages on behalf of a child.
            The Canaanite mother.  The father of the epileptic boy.  Jairus.  These three parents form an unwitting New Testament society: struggling parents of stricken children.  They held the end of their rope in one hand and reached toward Christ with the other.  In each case, Jesus responded.  Deliberately.  Quickly.  Decisively.
            Note to all panicking parents:  Jesus never turned one away.  In the story of Jairus, Jesus made the father’s prayer his top priority.  He heeded the concern in the parent’s heart.
            He will do the same for ours.  After all, our kids were His kids first.  “Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?  The fruit of the womb his generous legacy?” (Psalm 127:3, The message, a paraphrase).  When you look at your children, you look at God’s most generous endowment.  They upstage any divine grace he give.  Before they were yours, they were His.  Even as they are yours, they are still His.
            We tend to forget this fact, regarding our children as “our” children, as through we have the final say in their health and welfare.  We don’t.  All people are God’s people, including the small people who sit at our tables.  Wise are the parents who regularly give their children back to God.
            Parents, we can do this.  We can be loyal advocates, stubborn intercessors.  We can take our parenting fears to Christ.  In fact, if we don’t, we’ll take our fears out on our kids.  Fear turns some parents into paranoid prison guards who monitor every minute, check the background of every friend.  They stifle growth and communicate distrust.  A family with no breathing room suffocates a child.
            On the other hand, fear can create permissive parents.  For fear that their child will feel too confined or fenced in, they lower all boundaries.  High on hugs and low on discipline.  They don’t realize that appropriate discipline is an expression of love.  Permissive parents.  Paranoid parents.  How can we avoid the extremes?  We pray.
            Prayer is the saucer into which parental fears are poured to cool.  Jesus says so little about parenting-no comments about spanking, breastfeeding, sibling rivalry or schooling.  Yes his actions speak volumes about prayer.  Each time a parent prays, Christ responds.  His big message to moms and dad?  Bring your children to Me.  Raise them in a greenhouse of prayer.
            When you send them off for the day, do so with a blessing.  When you tell them goodnight, cover them in prayer.  Pray that your children have a profound sense of place in this world and a heavenly place in the next.
            Parents, we can’t protect children from every threat in life, but we can take them to the Source of life.  We can entrust our kids to Christ.  Even then, however, our shoreline appeals might be followed by a difficult choice.
           
            How Jesus Responds
            As Jairus led Jesus through the crowded streets, “someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ he said.  ‘Don’t bother the teacher any more.’  Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed’” (Luke 8:49-50).
            The hard reality of parenting reads something like this: You can do your best and still stand where Jairus stood.  We need to know what Jesus will do when we entrust our kids to Him.  He unites the household.  Jesus includes the mother.  Up until this point, she has been, for whatever reason, out of the picture.  But here, Christ unites them.  He wants Mom and Dad to stand together in the struggle.
            And He banishes unbelief: “Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said ’Do not weep; She is not dead, but sleeping.’  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside” (Luke 8:52-54, NKJV).
            God has a heart for the hurting parents.  Should we be surprised?  After all, God himself is a father.  What parental emotion has He not felt?  Do you find yourself wanting to spare your child from all the hurt in the world?  God did.  And yet, He “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all thing?” (Romans 8:32).
            “All things” must include courage and hope.
            Some of you find the story of Jairus difficult to hear.  You prayed the same prayer he did; yet, you found yourself in a cemetery facing every parent’s darkest night.  What hope does the story of Jairus offer to you?  Jesus resurrected his child; why didn’t He save yours?
            God understand your question.  He buried a child, too.  Death wasn’t a part of His plan, and He hates it more than you do.  God resurrected His precious one and will do the same with yours.  Your child may not be in your arms, but your child is safely in His.
            Others of you have been standing where Jairus stood for a long time.  You’ve long since left the water’s edge of offered prayer, yet haven’t arrived at the household of answered prayer.  At times you’ve felt like a breakthrough was nearing, that Christ was following you to your house.  But you’re not so sure anymore.  You find yourself alone on the path, wondering if Christ has forgotten you and your child.
            He hasn’t.  He never dismissed a parent’s prayer.  Keep giving your child to God, and in the right time and the right way, God will give your child back to you.

Taken from Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado

Friday, November 26, 2010

Statistics Exam 2 - Results are in

Measly 69/100, goodness gracious.  The class average was 70.  Does not this say something about the exam or professor?  I am not thrilled, my average in the class is teetering right below a B more like a B-
Shoot man, I studied for this exam and this is still all I was able to get, a dinking 69... a 69! 
What on earth am I going to do when the cumulative final comes around in a few weeks??  I'll keep you guys posted.

On the flip side, I got an A on my in-class facilitation for Communications and an A on the paper I wrote in that class. 

I'm still doing well in Existentialism, we just got done reading about Sartre's short story called No Exit about 3 people stuck in Hell.  Yikes... can't wait to start that paper due on Tuesday.

Lastly I'm waiting for my result of the Soc. test I took last week, there is a 2-litter of Diet Dew on the line between a co-student and myself.  If I get a higher score I get the Dew, likewise if he gets a higher score than, I have to buy him a Dew.  It started out just a bet for a 20-oz, but the last test we tied getting the same test score, so this test we bumped it up to a 2-litter.  Now if we tie again, we already agreed on bumping it up to a 12-pk for the last test.  Nice huh?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thank you

My blog was just mentioned as one of the

50 Up and Coming Nursing Blogs Worth Reading

How completely cool is that??  Does this mean I'm famous?  Probably not, but very neat just the same.

Thank you to:  http://www.accreditednursepractitionerprograms.com/50-up-and-coming-nursing-blogs-worth-reading.html  for posting all of the up and coming blogs worth reading.

Woot woot!

Thanksgiving part 1

Our Thanksgiving feast started last night cooking different meals in the oven before today even started.  By the time I went to bed, my back was aching.  This am the kids got up first to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, my hubby shot up shortly there after dancing around the bedroom like a child on the morning of Christmas (this is my hubby's favorite holiday!), I was trying to sleep in because I never get to sleep in.

Kinda bittersweet today, because I had to work at 4p, and I don't get to share this holiday with my parents or sisters, but I was trying to stay positive with the excitement my family was giving off.  Between my hubby and myself we slaved over the stove all am.  The windows in the kitchen were fogged up with the oven being on as long as it was today.  Usually we don't have family over at our house but this year we did.  My hubby's aunt and one of his buddies.

Ultimately I didn't eat much for fear that I'd fall asleep during my shift at work.  Maybe I'll heat up another plate of food later after 8p when my shift if done.  I can't wait to get off work, thankful to be with my family again.  Overall this day was a great one. 

When I get home, the kids and I will scour the Black Friday ads and get our game plan for tomorrow am. 
I'll post later tonight with all the pictures of the food we cooked.  Aww the pictures, what a bunch I have.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Statistics Exam 2 ...done!

After a week of eating, breathing, sleeping, and dreaming Statistics I have finally taken the second exam of the semester covering five chapters.  I think I will pass the exam... but boy oh boy I was worried that I would forget everything I was studying.  It was a difficult exam and if our professor would've just lectured or written the exam in a way that I could have understood it, I probably would be feeling more confident right about now.  My brain felt like mush right afterwards, so when I stopped at the bank and the teller asked me for my acct. number and I literally stopped and had to rack my brain to think of the numbers that I normally know like the back of my hand.  Yikes, there is something to be said about using all of your brain power and not being able to feel like you can function after doing something so exhausting like taking a crazy stressing exam.
I thought the best way to overcome my lower brain function would be to take my study buddy out to lunch at Culvers!  Yumm, best choice ever, and followed it up with some chocolate frozen custard with marshmallow topping!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

New Couch, Curtains, and Wall Color

A few months back we had ordered a new couch set for our front room.  A few weeks ago it came in and was delivered to our house.  The night before we painted our a new color on the walls called Apple Crunch, our new front room was becoming warm and inviting and we were thrilled to have our couch delivered.  Here are a few pictures of the couch and wall color together. 
This is the chaise lounge that is my new favorite spot.

You can kinda see the Apple Crunch wall color, it's kinda peachy cream but definitely warm.

Just the right size for my laptop and school work.  I'm in love.

Lastly we were needing window treatments and after much debate I went and purchased some panels I thought would compliment the pillow colors of the couch.  Unfortunately even after the sale the curtains were terribly expensive because they can't just sell affordable curtain panels but instead they charge an arm and a leg for just one panel per package racking up my bill to more than I wanted to spend.  Not to forget to mention I had to buy the curtain rods and tie backs.  But enough of my whining, if we ever move, after I graduate nursing school, I can only hope it'll help the prospective buyers to think that they could live in this warm atmosphere too.  Here are the pictures of the curtains:
Please excuse the wrinkles.
Two gold panels and two striped panels per window in the front room.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Stats., Soc., and Com. to do lists. - Update

My Stats professor, changed what will be covered on the exam this coming week from six chapters to five chapters, both homework assignments are due Friday.  Our exam study group will be Monday through the noon hour and exam will be administered Tuesday at 11am.  I'm biting my nails as I speak.

My Soc. class is still on target as far as the exam is on Friday, covering two chapters.

And my Comm. paper is finished as of this am and I uploaded it to our on-line writing lab to make sure it looks complete and that I didn't miss anything and I'll be turning that in tomorrow before 4pm.

As far as today goes, I have to come up with a motivating question regarding Sartre the Existentialist Philosopher.

Tootles and TTFN.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Stats., Soc., and Com. to do lists.


Mainly rental books

Please excuse my messy handwriting.












I'm freaking out a bit people.  My Stats professor was a little off track according to the syllabus and now wants the rest of us to pay for it.  Our next exam is due by 11/23 and he wants to cover 6 chapters worth of information.  Seems kinda dense especially when the first exam only covered roughly 4 chapters and they were the beginning chapter where less difficult information is covered.  This week alone he claimed last Thursday that we would have 3 chapter homework assignments all due by possibly Wednesday of this week so we could have them all graded and back to us by Thursday so we can review for the exam.  This schedule this week frightens me because that seems like a lot to me.  We only have his class Tuesday's and Thursday's so I won't have an update for that class until tomorrow, but goodness gracious.

Then our Soc. class has an exam due Friday, but again this professor originally on his syllabus had us scheduled to take this exam after Thanksgiving, but because he too got off track and behind, he's pushing the date of his exam up too.  However untimely this is, I appreciate his tactic better, because he's only making the exam cover two chapters, less work but due sooner.  Ugg.

Lastly my Comm. professor is right on track, but I must have forgotten that the 17th was this week, (ever have that problem where you see a date in your mind and think it's a lot further off than it really is??) so I have a 5 page paper to write before Wednesday which shouldn't be a problem, because I like writing for her, she has an outlined that is strict and hard to screw up.  So I just get a feeling of dread and being overwhelmed. 


My Phil. professor has pushed all papers back til after Thanksgiving thank goodness!  And gym, well gym is gym, nothing that I foresee being due before the holiday, but it would be like that professor to push something on us as well, besides just being active.

Gotta hunker down and not post for a while or chit chat with my family on the phone or watch tv or hang with my family just to get past this week will be a miracle. **whine, whine** 

Friday, November 12, 2010

Counselor Meeting - Explained

After I went to my  counselor meeting I found out that I only have 12 general education credits left to complete along with my nursing classes for the next 2-1/2 years.  6 credits of humanities and 6 credits of Foreign Culture.  I also found out that there are classes that fulfill both of these requirements at the same time, so in essence instead of taking 4 (3 credit) classes I may be able to take 2 (3 credit) classes that fulfill both requirements.  And since I have 2.5 years to get those two classes done, I'm taking this summer off from classes and I will concentrate on volunteering at the hospital in town.  Yay!!!!  One less thing to worry about.  I'm excited.

Nurse dream

Last night I had a dream that I was at my nephew's birthday party and I had already become a nurse.  As odd of a dream it was, I was asked to weld a bracelet for one of my cousins, and cut the cake to serve to all the relatives at the same time.  Then out of nowhere my grandmother (who's dead) was there and coded, then all eyes turned to me as though I should know what to do, because I was the nurse.  I didn't know what to do, so I started crying and asking my uncle to help move the body out of sight from the relatives so they could continue with the party.  The body was on a table next to my welding work bench and through tears I finished welding my cousins bracelet.  (I don't even know how to weld)
What could this dream mean?

Statistic homework problem, yuck.

Heights of male students.  To estimate the mean height (mew) of male students on your campus, you will measure an SRS of students.  You know from government data that the standard deviation of the heights of young men is about 2.8 inches.  How large an SRS must you take to reduce the standard deviation of the sample mean to one-half inch?  Use the four-step process to outline your work.

I've already answered this problem, but it was a real doozey to figure out how to word the 4 steps it takes to answer it.  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed on actually understanding the idea behind Confidence Intervals.
We have our second exam that will be covering 6 chapters in a little more than a week and I'm not ready.  I'm going to take time off my studies from other subjects and concentrate on just my Statistics, that way I'll be doing problems in my head, over and over and over every night until the testing day. 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Veterans Day--Thank you to my Pop

They Did Their Share  By Joanna Fuchs

 
On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.



Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years;



In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.



Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.



No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.



Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.



We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say "thank you" to every wearer.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Counselor Meeting

I have scheduled a meeting with my counselor at school this Thursday, to determine how many more gen. ed. class credits I need to fulfill prior to graduating in May of 2013.  I'm kinda scared, because for the past two summers I've taken classes and was hoping to take this summer off from classes and maybe becoming a volunteer at the hospital here in town.  If my counselor suggests taking classes this summer, I think I'm going to cry. 


I'm getting fried as far as school goes.  Having 2-3 weeks off between semesters is one thing, but oh how nice it would be to have a couple months off especially in the summer.  Where all I have to worry about is putting in my 24 hours of work each week and then come home and really enjoy my family and my off time.  A girl can dream can't she??

Monday, November 8, 2010

Hell explained

This was given to me via email, but I thought it was great that I chose to share it on my blog... haha
HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid term. The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :
Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities:
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell,then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.' THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Advice from Nursing Students

I have a few girlfriends who have started the nursing program this semester.  So what do you think I've been doing...pumping them with questions.  haha.  So far I'm told that there are lots of quizzes and tons of reading and due to our location being a satellite program there is un-organization with the "mother" campus.  I've been told that in the computer lab the students have access to the computers and the printers and even the ink in those printers but no paper. 
Yup you heard right, our tuition dollars don't pay for the school to supply the students with paper for the printer in the computer lab.  My fellow co-students are telling me that if we want to print off the powerpoint slides that make up most of the class lectures that we'll have to tote around a ream of paper so we can successfully print them off at school.  Otherwise we'll have to print them off on our own time, elsewhere. 
Now there are lockers at the school (that we have to provide our own locks) that we can store our ream of paper in, but they're a whole floor lower than our computer lab.  I realize our economy is suffering and cutbacks are a must, but printer paper...jeepers that's a big section to cut out for the students.
I look forward to starting in January so I can see for myself these little adjustments I'll be in for.
Another graduating co-student that I take my philosophy class with gave me advice telling me that I should read, read, read the chapter before I hear lecture on it.  Also to make flashcards if I do better learning with them, and to take instructors that challenge the student more because the student ends up learning more that way.  I think I'm going my co-student friend and see if she'll pass on her locker to me after she graduates this December.  haha, anything to get some leverage there.  You know what I'm sayin', you know what I'm sayin!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

5BD

I've told you all in the past that I lost 31 #"s through Weight Watcher's BUT it took 2 years to do.  I have approximately 10 #'s left to lose to get back to goal weight.  I have come across a diet that sounds appealing called The 5 Bite Diet by Dr. Alwin Lewis basically where you get results similar to gastric bypass patients without the surgery.  You just limit your food intake to the same as a gastric bypass patient so for example you have to follow the following rules:
  • Do not eat breakfast.
  • Do not snack.
  • Eat five bites of food for lunch.
  • Eat five bites of food for dinner.
  • Eat at least one bite of protein a day.
  • Take a multivitamin every day.
  • Drink only water, diet soda, no-calorie drinks, black coffee, or black tea.
This sounds doable and genius and I'm reading his book right now called Why Weight Around? 

Dr. Lewis brings up a good debate on why or why not this plan should be followed.  He thinks for my height which is 5'8" that my ideal body weight should be 140, but not to go lower than a BMI of 18.5 which would put me at around 122.  He claims that the diet isn't for life, but just a tool for people to lose weight quickly to get back to where they want to be and then to start introducing bite by bite until you begin maintaining this loss of weight.  He claims it only takes about 3 days for your hungerstat to shrink and the shakiness of hunger signals to subside. 

I'm going to give it a whirl and I'll check back in with you all after I see results.  Dr. Lewis claims you can lose an average of 13#'s the first week.  Of course I'll still be working out and running to stay tight and tone, but I gotta say this sounds like a magic bullet!