Just a boring update

I am only in my second week of school and I am ready to melt down. I don't know what possessed me to take Physiology and Anatomy together. I think I lost my mind. They are really hard. For example, I took a quiz this week in Physiology and scored a whopping 2 out of 5. Luckily, it was for extra credit only. I can't believe how poorly I did. I don't think it was a good idea to take a trip last weekend to California. At least we had a good time!

Our washing machine is still broken. I don't know when I am going to be able to get to the laundry mat this weekend. I have so much studying to do! Even the thought of it brings me to tears. We are looking to buy a used washer to replace it for now, but are not having much luck. I don't know why people want to hang on to the ones they have. Don't they want better? ;) I also think if someone lists something on Craigslist, they should respond with some kind of answer when emailed.

And to top it all off? I am seriously considering NOT doing nursing. I just don't know right now. It might be the stress playing tricks on me, but it is not a desirable thought right now to be a nurse. I am really leaning towards Biology in general. Even though the classes are really hard, I really enjoy them. I wish I didn't seem so wishy washy.

I hope you all are doing better than I am right now! Tell me something good!

Update: First Day Back to School

It went great and I absolutely love my schedule, right now! By chance, I got into the class I was trying to get into. At the very last moment a spot opened up! I was so relieved. I am now taking the same teacher for Anatomy and Physiology and he supposed to be the absolute best teacher in these subjects. I am hoping he teaches the material together a little bit, but probably not.

In Physiology he said multiple times this class is going to be a "bitch" and don't plan on having a life for the next four months. In Anatomy it was a bit different. We will be coloring a lot and he didn't use the term "bitch" at all when talking about the class.

My 8 am Anatomy lab was canceled yesterday morning which ended up great. When faced with the decision of what to do to kill the next 2 hours I decided to go to the bookstore and buy my books. I am so glad I did. Because I was there so early, there was no line. I was in and out in 20 minutes (and $500 poorer). If I had waited until the afternoon like I almost had to do, I would have been there at least an hour, if not more.

Tonight, I have my Physiology lab which I am nervous about, only because the lecture is going to be so hard. I know this lab will be just as hard.

So, once again, I will miss you all! My head will be buried in books (really big books) for the next 4 months. I promise to come up for air once in a while!

First Day Back to School

Well, today is my first day back to school. Hopefully, all will go well as I am still trying to add a class that has been completely full for a month!

All I can say is Let the craziness begin!

The Bad, The Good, The Grotesque?

You know that job interview I had? Well, I don't think I got it. The manager said I should hear from them by this past Monday and I have heard nothing. Nada. Zip. Maybe it's a sign and it's just not meant to be. I will admit that I am a bit disappointed. Luckily, I already have a job--which I like. But, there is this idea in my head of wanting to work in a hospital. I am sure it won't be anything like what I think, but the desire is still there. Especially, the desire to learn and what is a better place to learn in than in a hospital?

On a good note: The Hubby got a job. He starts today. It's minimum wage with minimal tips, but it's a job. I wouldn't say we are "excited" but we are feeling a little relieved.

I know I said I wouldn't talk about it for awhile, but my school starts back in 2 weeks! I am so nervous and excited. I can't wait to take Anatomy and Physiology. Did you know we get to work with actual Cadavers in anatomy?! I can't wait. Let's hope I remember my Bio class information ;).

This and That and Gooey Chex Mix

I got my final grades today and I did much better than I ever have in school! School has never been my "thing." I have always struggled with school....Did I mention I dropped out of high school in the 9th grade? (I did take something similar to the GED and passed the first time).

So, here is the final tally:

Biology: B

History: A-

Communications/Speech: A-

English Literature: A- (I got an A on that 8-page paper I was writing)

I am so proud of myself!

_________

Yesterday, I made a whole bunch of some of the best Chex mix I have ever made for all the residents I help take care of--all 37 of them. They really liked it and it was fun. (recipe at the bottom). I had two of the ladies ask me for the recipe because they want to make it for their families. Yeah, umm, these ladies don't have a kitchen... But, I obliged and gave it to them anyway. Maybe they can convince their families to make it.

I am also giving out my pomegranate jelly to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. So far, everyone who has gotten one is really excited. Most have not tried it before, but are so excited to try it. I love seeing how happy everyone looks when they get one!

What do you give out for Christmas?

_________

Did you guys realize Christmas is in 3 Days?! I can't believe how close it is. We still haven't decorated the tree or done anything Christmasy. So, we are going to cram a whole bunch of stuff into the next 3 days.

Today: Decorate 1 Christmas tree (and clean the house).

Tomorrow: Bake cookies and decorate them (and possibly make a run to the laundry room).

Christmas eve: Big Dinner and look at lights.

_________

Gooey Sweet Chex Mix

Into one really big bowl:

6 Cups Honey Grahams

6 Cups any Chex Cereal

1 Cup Slivered Almonds

1 Cup Shredded Coconut

Into a medium sized sauce pan on medium heat:

1 Cup Butter and let it melt and then add

1 Cup Light Corn Syrup

1 Cup Sugar

Let the mixture come to a boil. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. It will start to turn a light tan color, this is good.

Here is the best method I have found for mixing this: Drizzle some of the hot mixture over the cereal mix and stir. Pour more of the hot mix over the cereal and then stir. REPEAT until all the sugar mix is incorporated into the cereal mix. (I tried to dump it all on top the first time I made it and the sugar mixture cooled down way to fast and it was hard to evenly coat the cereal.)

Next, lay it all out on parchment paper. Try and spread it out. Let it cool completely.

Enjoy!

Day 1: A little lost

Today is the first day that I don't have to worry about school.

I don't know what to do with my self right now. I am actually feeling kind of lost without the pressure of something due.

I have checked my grades online twice already this morning and I have only been up for 2 hours (I am still waiting for my other three classes to post my final grade-they have until Monday but I think it's a form of torture).

Laundry is done.....No, the washer isn't fixed. On Wednesday the hubby and I took EVERY single dirty cloth like item to the laundry mat. We got EVERYTHING clean. And it only cost us over $60. Painful. Lucky for us we had a bunch of books to sell back to the bookstore and that was just enough to cover the laundry. The wonderful part is ALL the laundry is done right now.

Did you know Christmas is a week away?!? I don't know how that got here so fast but I think it should wait another month so I have time to prepare....Oh wait, I will never be prepared.

I think I will teach myself Medical Terminology so I am ready for my classes next semester. Did I mention I changed my schedule? I have decided to take Anatomy and Physiology (which our college teaches separately) at the same time. I have been told countless times that these are really hard classes. I have also been told by countless people that one of the teachers I have to take is HORRIBLE. Only one person has said something positive about this teacher. So, I am really nervous about next semester.

The best part about doing them both at the same time: It makes it possible for me to apply to the extremely competitive nursing program in March. If I get in, I would start the program in the fall.

I also get to apply for my Associate of Science in January. Hopefully, I enough elective credits to receive it. I have all the core general ed. requirements for sure.

I will tell you: it is really nice to be at a point where there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Done! Done! Done!

I am done! I finished my last final tonight.

I got an A on my eight page research paper in my English Literature class.

The only final grade I know is Biology which is a B. (That's what I was hoping for.)

Now, I get to wait and see what the rest of my grades are. My goal was a B in each class. Let's hope I did it.

3 down, 1 to go

As of right now, three of my finals are done and I have one more to go.

Tonight, I am drinking a couple glasses of wine and relaxing. Tomorrow, I get to start studying again.

The washer is still broken and we are quickly running out of clothes. I think I am going to have to take some clothes to laundry room tomorrow. Yuck. I will take my books and study while waiting. The best part about having big kids? They will get to help fold the clothes when I bring them home.

If it's not one thing, it's another.

Well, today is the official start of finals week. My first one is tonight. I then have two tomorrow and my last one Thursday night. It's nice to think I will get a couple of weeks off.

Our washer broke this weekend. I am not quite sure what we are going to do about that right now. We need clothes washed badly, but the laundry mat is pretty expensive. The Hubby took the machine apart yesterday and cleaned out the pump. We thought that would do it. But, no. It still doesn't work. Now I have to find time to take the clothes down to the Laundry mat and the time. If only the machine had waited one more week-that would have been a little more convenient for me.

I hope you all are having a better start to your week!

Getting there...Almost.

• Eight page paper done-I got all assignments done last week!

• Four finals to study for-I have a final on Monday Night, two on Tuesday and one more on Thursday night.

• Three loads of laundry washed.

Now, I just need to find time to study this weekend. I work all weekend, so hopefully, I will be able to get it all done.

English Literature

My English Lit. professor is driving me insane! I am not sure if he really our papers before editing them or if he doesn't know what in the heck he is doing. I am currently in the process of writing an 8 page research paper on a book called "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. Yesterday I got back my rough draft with some insane edits on it.

For instance:

• I wrote: "It could bring major destruction, huge change, and even death. When we don't live in the moment, these things can destroy us and/or our belief system."

• His edit: He circled "these things" and asked "What things?"

REALLY? Didn't the sentence just before say what things?

and then:

• I wrote: "Meursault doesn't look for justification for his own actions."

• His edit: "Whose actions?"

Ummmm....starting to feel a bit insane here...

• I wrote: "always honest, extremely carnal, and he only knows how to exist in the moment he is in."

• His edit: "explain-expand on this."

The rest of my rough draft is expanding on that.

Again, I feel insane.

I am going to just write my paper, ignoring his ignorant editing, and tomorrow go talk to him (nicely of course, he still has control over my grade) and ask him to explain himself.

Good times.

Stress is good, right?

English Literature: Eight page research paper on a book that is only 123 pages long, due next Thursday. Four of the pages are due tomorrow. I still have to reread the book and find sources.

Biology: Test Friday.

History: Need to read ten chapters in my history book over the next week and a half. Each chapter is 25 pages long.

Communication (a.k.a. Speech): A five minute persuasive speech due on Tuesday. Have to do this with a group. We each have to do five minutes. There are three of us which means we need to give a 15 minute speech.

Finals in two weeks.

And then I get a three week break! I can do it.

I. Can. Do. It.

I hope.

This is the post about me trying really hard to not be in a panic.

We are coming up to the end of the semester. I currently have 3 big finals to study for and 1 medium one. The medium one is my American History class. The professor has decided not to make the final comprehensive and I love him for it.

My communications class is driving me INSANE! The instructor is extremely disorganized. So much so that we still have two speeches to present and only two classes times left to do it and we are not scheduled to do them next week. Which means they are both going to have to be given on the same night. He has run his whole class this way and I shouldn't be surprised.

My Biology class is going pretty good. I have set up a study group with a couple of other ladies to study for the final. I hope this helps. I just got back the best test grade I have gotten yet in Bio.- a B! I was really happy.

My English Lit. class has an 8 page paper due in a week and a half. It has to be on The Stranger by Albert Camus or Fences by August Wilson. Both of these stories are really no longer than 8 pages themselves. I don't know how I am going to get 8 pages of bullshit critical analysis out of them.

So, there you have it. My stressful next two and a 1/2 weeks.

Last night I couldn't sleep. I woke up three times with all this going through my head. I had to turn the t.v. on all three times to distract my thoughts.

The great thing, and only thing, keeping me sane? When I am done in December I will have all the requirements done for my Associates of Science. I talked to the advisor yesterday and he told me to come back in January and have my transcripts audited so I can apply for the degree.

See, it just might all be worthwhile (or so I keep telling myself).

Registration Time....Again

I get to register for my next semester classes today. I love getting my schedule figured out. I like knowing and preparing myself ahead of time of what it's going to be like each semester. After a lot of conversations, I think (I hope) we finally have it all figured out (I wish).

I am going to take:

Anatomy and it's lab

Phlebotomy

Medical Terminology

and Sociology

13 credits total.

I also figured out that I now have ALL my general education requirements for an Associate's degree. I just need elective credits...I think. I am going trying to get an appointment with an advisor to help me figure this all out. I am feeling a bit burnt out right now because it seems like I just keep taking classes and I have nothing to really show for it but a bunch of credits I may not be able to use. I will keep you updated after I talk to the advisor.

A. Pain. In. The. Ass.

Each semester, about two weeks before it is time to register for our new classes, The Hubby torments me with what classes and schedule he should take. I am not talking about thinking over two or three different options. I am talking about him changing his schedule 2 or 3 times a day!

What really sucks? I can't settle on mine until his is picked. Lucky for me, I only have two options. So, he has to sort of work around that in all his craziness, but I still have to listen to him change it so often. And when I quit responding? He get upset because I'm not listening or giving him the feedback he wants.

Sigh....

At least we register next week.

A bit stressed out right now.

I have a biology test this week, a history test, and homework due for my communications class. The biggest issue I am having is finding the time to study. So, instead, I am sitting here waiting for my oatmeal to be done writing on my blog.

Study time is my hardest time to find. With working on the weekends, I want to spend the time I am home with the kids. During the week, I am homeschooling L and M (because she has to do what big brother is doing), running kids around, making meals, trying to keep the house up, etc.

I am also waiting to hear back from a job I applied for. I sure hope they call. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the place I work now. But, the new place has benefits and hours to work that would work better around my schedule.

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday a bit more.

Exams

I had two exams over the last week. I got one of the results back on Monday and the other back yesterday.

American History: B

Principles of Biology: C

I am really happy about the History grade. I almost dropped the class on Monday because of being so overwhelmed. Kind of glad I didn't.

The Biology grade is really ticking me off. I thought I did better than that. I don't know why I am having such a hard time with Biology.

If anyone has any good study techniques, PLEASE let me know.

Here is one for you: I found this site a couple of weeks ago and it is really neat. It is Quizlet.com. You can make flashcards on the site and then you can play games with those terms and it will generate practice tests. I am going to start using it a lot.

English Literature

One of the classes I am taking is English Literature. I thought I was going to find this class really boring and find it hard to want to read the stories. So far, I LOVE it. The stories are weird. The discussions in class are fun. The teacher is different.

We have read 6 stories up to now.

The two I have enjoyed the most because they got my brain juices flowing are:

• The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway (I had to read this one a couple of times to really figure out the meaning of it.)

The others are:

• The Things They Carried by Tim O'brien (It's too new to give you the actual text. This an interesting one. No real brain juices flowing, nothing to really figure out.)
• What You Pawn I Will Redeem by Sherman Alexie (This was a fun quick read. But, again, it's all given to you. No real juices going.)
• Araby by James Joyce (sorry to any literature experts, but this was lame. Supposedly, a great work of literature. Umm, ok.)
• The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (Again, sorry to any literature people: Guy turns into a bug and dies. Woohoo. Yes, I know there is supposed to be more to it.

If any of you out there ready any of these, I would love to hear what you think of them. If you understand Araby, please explain it to me.

Next Semester

I think I have my schedule for the next semester planned:

1. Retaking Biology (Since I got a B in the lab last semester, I don't have to take the lab again just the class.)

2. Financial Accounting (I took this about 10 years ago, so hopefully it is still in the dark recesses of my brain.)

3. Economics (My Hubby took this over the summer. Which means, he can help me....Sucker.)

4. Communications (in other words: I get to make four speeches in front of a class over the next 4 months. Yuck.)

I do love school. Well, maybe not school but I love learning. I also love starting a new class. It's new and exciting. And then the second week of school comes and you realize you have probably made a mistake in taking so many. :)

By the way, school doesn't actually start for me until the end of August, Thank God. So, I have a little more time to play with the kids. 

Long over due.

I have to retake Biology. I ended up with a D+ in the class. I was so mad. The least I could have done was fail it utterly and completely. But a D+?! That's almost a C. Luckily, I don't have to redo the Lab that went with the class, which will save me about 5 hours a week. The summer class is already closed, but I am going to talk to the professor about adding it on anyway. Usually they say yes. 

I am also going to take a class on Quickbooks during the summer. I know Quickbooks is supposed to be soooo easy, but I am one of those retarded people that makes a mountain out of a mole hill. I think this class will help me with running our business here at home. (We own a small business out of the house that deals with commercial cleaning.) 

This week is a very busy week. Our kids have their last day of school on Friday. Which means a whole lot of last minute activities at their school that I have to help with (I don't really mind, I actually miss helping out at their school), including one very special 8th grade graduation dinner and ceremony, you know C thinks he is no longer a child because he is starting high school next year. 

The kids are very excited for summer break. I am too. I can't wait to have them home so we can sleep in, go to the pool, sleep in, go on little day trips, sleep in, and just be. It will be a nice break. And then week two will pass and I will realize they are driving me crazy and that they won't be going back for two more months...