[

Current Mood

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contemplative

]

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausage at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

[	Current Mood	|	aggravated	]
[	Current Music	|	singing crickets! (among the last before winter)	]

The regular semester began about a week ago, and its been busy. Clinicals started right in one day two, and by the third clinical I had already done my first urinary catheterization. THAT was a bit nerve wracking, but it went fine. I do have one bullshit class (aka "the easy A") this semester because I needed to pick up an entry level nursing course to help complete the curriculum, but the other two should actually be challenging for a change. I'm looking forward to them.

Well, I've got to run out the door to work. Things are a bit crazed between juggling classes, work, and spending time with my family, but so far they are flowing relatively smoothly. As soon as I replace my death-trap of a car things will be much more comfortable.

[	Current Mood	|	bitchy	]
[	Current Music	|	utter silence	]

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[	Current Mood	|	chipper	]
[	Current Music	|	lawnmovers and weedwhackers	]

Now for the truly stupendous news: you may recall that I was turned down for a Freeman Scholarship--a $7500 annual renewable scholarship for nursing students. Well, it seems someone did not want theirs and I got it!!!! This is amazing news because without it I wouldn't have been able to finish more than one semester, and in all likelihood may not have been able to get my BSN in any sort of timely fashion. I really need that degree, because it is my ticket out of crushing poverty. I am so tired of living hand to mouth, and wondering what shut-off notice will arrive next. As a nurse, I'll have a very livable income, and it is very likely that I will have a job lined up before I graduate. Each semester feels like an accomplishment because it brings me closer to my goal.

Other news is that our Section 8 grant was approved, and we are currently waiting to see if our apt will pass inspection. I hate that place, but if it passes, I won't lose the certificate and can continue to look for something better. The problem is that it is difficult to find a large enough place, and then I need to convince the prospective new landlord that the cat will not be a problem. Vermin is family though, so if she can't come, I won't even consider an apt.

Oops...gotta dash. Miko is whining to use the computer. She has been playing Age of Empires, and is eager to get back to her game. :)

[	Current Mood	|	giddy	]
[	Current Music	|	Tallis Mass (running through my head as I just rehearsed it)	]

Needless to say, its time for heart-felt thank you cards and an extra offering of thanks to the Goddess. I am so happy about things coming together that I could just burst. Now I can register for next semester and see about a summer class to help fill in the gaps for the degree...four more semesters left to complete, then the NCLEX-RN exams to sit for and I'll be financially secure for the first time in my life. Once that does occur, I will establish a scholarship of my own and pass on the blessings.

[	Current Mood	|	cold	]
[	Current Music	|	my teeth chattering...	]

which "monty python and the holy grail" character are you?

this quiz was made by colleen

I just love Monty Python! *grin*

The kids and I spent a night in a hotel last night--since we have not had heat for nigh unto a week now and its about 40 degrees in the apt, we took a "tropical vacation" enjoying heat, hot showers, a hot-tub, the sauna (notice a theme here?) and *gasp* TV!It was worth every penny. Luckily, its quite a bit warmer tonight, in the 30's rather than the high single digits, so snuggling with blankets is a lot more comfortable. Hopefully we find a new place quickly, so we can live in the 21st century rather than the 17th!
Bathtime sucks when the bathroom is 40 degrees and all you get are about 2.5 inches of water in the tub--water it took ages to boil on the stove. The alternative is heating a bog pot of water ont eh stove and then washing bird-bath style over the pot (which is placed in the middle of the kitchen floor).

[	Current Mood	|	exhausted	]
[	Current Music	|	my bed calling me!	]

The pharm exam was HARD, but I think I did well. I had enough time to go over all my answers again, and I found one which would have been wrong.

Off to bed now...I'm not going to wrangle with the printer tonight--Ill just email my care plan to the clinical instructor.

[	Current Mood	|	amused	]
[	Current Music	|	the Saturday morning cartoons	]

Its officially spring here now, and we promptly got frigid weather and two good sized snow storms back to back. I was ready for warm finally! I can't really complain though, because the winter was relatively mild and we need the water desperately.

[	Current Mood	|	energetic	]
[	Current Music	|	Bach's Brandenburg Concertos	]

They were fine until I started telling them about the colonoscopy I saw--it was fascinating and I did get to see an example of one type of polyp. Thanks to the wonderful patients who let me observe! I lost the kids when I explained was a colonoscopy was: a long flexible tube with lights, camera, and action that is used to examine the intestines. Eeeeeeeeeew mom!

I also observed cataract removal and lens implantation, a cortisone injection to a knee, and part of another colonoscopy.

On other fronts, Caramel the rat is doing much better now, with only occasional sneezes. She has two playmates now, and they keep her busy--me too! The little buggers have gnawed through the cage lid so I have had to invert a clear plastic box over it to keep them contained. As far as they are concerned, its a little ratty condo. I hadn't intended to add two more rats, but I took in a pair that was supposed to go to a new mommy...well, she wanted them but her daughter didn't and as a result we now have more rats. Luckily all are girls so the population won't explode. It does mean I have to borrow a drill and make that new (chew-proof) cage in a hurry.

Oops...my youngest is sound asleep on my bed--time to go move her so I can do a bit more studying for my anatomy exam tomorrow.