Diary of a Fickle White Woman

This is how I feel

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

About going back to school tomorrow:

57 days until spring break. Fifty. Seven. Days.

Have a good week, y'all. I have clinical orientation 7:30-12 tomorrow, Wednesday class 7:50-1:50, then clinical 3-8 an hour away, and then clinical 6am-4pm Thursday at the same hospital as Wednesday. Welcome back.

New Year, New Goals

2012-01-03T10:54:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that 2011 is over already. The year went so fast and seems like a bit of a blur. Of course, the biggest event that happened to me in 2011 was getting accepted to and starting nursing school. Actually, that's really the only noteworthy thing that happened in 2011 haha. Here's to hoping 2012 is a little bit more memorable!

Goals for 2012:

Graduate nursing school
Pass NCLEX on the first try and become an RN
Get a job, preferably in peds
Start paying off my student loans
Take a trip with some friends (sometime after October, ideally for NYE)
Get healthy. This is something I'm sick of saying I'll do but fail at. I need to lose a good amount of weight so I am better physically and mentally.
Get myself out into the dating world. Although I say that and at the same time, I don't want a reason to stay in Indy any longer than I have to haha.
Start saving money for my future.
Not have a quarter life crisis. I am reallllllly struggling with the fact that I turn 25 in less than 5 months.

I graduate in August and plan to take an NCLEX prep class right after, with the hopes of being ready for NCLEX by the end of September. My original plan was to move back to my parents' house in August and stay for a few months, until I get on my feet, then move out after the first of the year. After some thinking though, I now plan on staying at my parents' until the end of 2013. My plan since before I got into school was to work for a year and then work as a travel nurse for a year, so at the start of 2014 I'd like to start my first stint in a new city. While I am more than eager to be out on my own sooner rather than later, living at home for the year that I plan on working in Indy will allow me to save a lot of money and pay off some of my debts. Plus, it doesn't make sense to move home in August, move out in January, then move my stuff again a year later. And then move it again a year after that. Travel nurses work with an agency to get signed on for a 13-week contract in a city the nurse chooses. Ideally, I'd do contracts in Hawaii, NYC, and LA, but that's two years away, so who knows what will happen. But that's today's plan, which I'm sure God is up there hearing and laughing at.

So that's what I hope happens in the next 362 days, which seems pretty realistic to me. What are some of your hopes and goals for the new year?

7 weeks in review

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, hello, again. Remember me? I've come to terms with the fact that blogging while in class just really does not work. There is minimal downtime, and the downtime I do have, I usually want nothing to do with my computer. I am currently off until January 10, so I do hope to blog more during the next 3 weeks, but after that, I'll be MIA for another 7 weeks.

Let's catch y'all up to speed, shall we?

This past term I was in Pharmacology, Maternal-Newborn (aka, OB), and Nursing Care of Children (aka, Peds). It was, hands down, the hardest term thus far. I don't know if the content was harder or if there was just a lot more work, but it was intense (and unfortunately seemed to move at a snails pace). I have no completed 3/8 terms and have only 7 months left until graduation! SO CRAZY!

I did really well this term, but there were a lot of frustrations. Unfortunately, I'm 95% sure someone from the school I go to has discovered my blog and I don't want to deal with the repercussions of venting my frustrations at this point, so I'm just going to give an overview of the courses and save my true opinion for August.

Pharmacology-- finished the course with an A- (93%). We took 6 exams in 7 weeks. Do you know how insane that is, especially when you're learning the in's and out's of a wide variety of drugs? It was a doozy. Fortunately, we were allowed to have a "cheat sheet" for each exam. Unfortunately, I spent 7 hours on each sheet, only to look at them 3 or 4 times while taking the exam. It totally sucked, but I still did really well on every exam, so obviously I didn't need the cheat sheets after all. The final for this class was easily the hardest exam I have ever taken in all my years of schooling. I only needed to answer 30 questions correctly to pass the course, but I had my doubts after I walked out of there. I pulled an 88 on the final, which I was thrilled with.

Maternal/Newborn-- finished the course with an A- also (93%). Hated the class, enjoyed the material, usually enjoyed clinical. In clinical, I performed postpartum assessments, newborn assessment, vitals, etc. I loved the time I spent in the newborn nursery and working with the most incredible doctor I have ever met. If anyone is in the Ft. Wayne area, Mark Adams, pediatrician, is so awesome. He was such a great educator for us student nurses and I learned more from him in 20 minutes than I did in class 8 hours a week. I also got to stand in on a c-section, which was the coolest experience ever. I was at the foot of the bed with a great view of everything. My instructor was worried I would get queasy because apparently the girls usually don't handle it too well, but I just kept saying, "THAT'S SO AWESOME!" (like when they pulled the uterus out and plop it on the woman's stomach and massage it to prevent hemorrhaging. Amazing.) I never thought I could be an OR nurse, but it may not be so bad after all.

Nursing Care of Children-- Not much to say about the class, finished with a B+ (90%). Clinical made me realize pediatric care is the area for me. I always said peds or nicu was where I would like to work, but peds won be over. Don't get me wrong, I love the babies and would be perfectly fine working in NICU, but I love the interaction I get to have with kids. I think my love for kids and ability to relate was obvious to everyone who observed me, and made the kids more at ease with me. Over Thanksgiving break, I shadowed a nurse at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indy for an entire 12 hour nigh shift and was exposed to pediatric oncology. I strongly feel pediatric oncology is my calling and am really curious to see if that is where I end up (I'll talk about that at a later point).

Overall, it was a good term and my cumulative GPA is now a 3.6. I'm OK with that; I'd rather it be higher, but it's certainly not something to piss and moan over.

Next term I will be in nutrition, adult health II, and research. I have no clue where I will be doing clinicals or what unit I will be on, but I'm just hoping I get to do more than check vitals all day haha.

So that's that. I hope everyone is doing well and having a beautiful holiday season. I'll be back with another post either Friday or next week, and a giveaway. WOOOO!

I wish you a very Merry Christmas filled with laughter and love.

5+ weeks later

2011-10-22T19:52:00.006-04:00

To say I am behind on blogging would be a gross understatement. I have about 6 books to do a review on (from August. Ha, like I have time to read for pleasure during school), and I have an entire post to write about the latest happenings with creepy neighbor.

But I'll catch you up to speed on school for now, because apparently that's all I'm really capable of talking about.

I had finals this past week, putting an end to term 2. WOOOOOO!!! I'm 25% finished with nursing school!!!!!

This past term was just kind of eh, for me. I really didn't find it overly interesting or exciting. I finished up learning all of my skills (I learned the first half in July) and can now give an enema, clean a wound, give shots, pass meds, administer and read a TB test, insert an NG tube, suction, etc. Basically all the skills one learns as a licensed practical nurse. I did find all of that to be interesting, because obviously it will be applied to my everyday life, and I like being hands on. But the course portion of that class was definitely night a highlight of my week. Ever.

I also wasn't a huge fan of my adult health 1 course, and physical assessment just gave me a panic attack every single week. Literally, by Sunday, I felt fine about the course. Come Monday morning, by 8:30 am, I was panicking again. There was SO much information thrown our way in a very short amount of time, and it really was very overwhelming. For that class, in addition to a written final exam, we also had to perform a final head-to-toe physical assessment (click the link if you want to watch a video of a majority of the process). For those who don't know what that is, it's basically performing what you have done at an annual physical. But what we were required to learn was waaaaaaay more in depth than any physical I've ever had. Anyhow, we had to bring in a patient not in the class and perform the physical in 50 minutes or less, while reciting our findings. I was the very last person to go, which kind of stunk, but was nice to know that everyone else did well, so surely I'd do fine, too. I had 7 minutes to spare and received a 98.75, so I'd say I did great :)

Grades for the term:

Advanced Principle of Intervention- probably a B, maybe a B+, depends on if she rounds it up 1/2 a point.

Physical Assessment- A-

Adult Health 1- B+.

I'm happy with the grades and I passed clinical. My clinical instructor is awesome and I'm so thrilled I'll have her again for my OB clinical, which starts a week from Tuesday. During my final evaluation she said that I will be an incredible and dynamic nurse, and that I should consider working in the ER because I don't take anything from anyone and I'm a take charge kind of person. That definitely made me feel really good.

Speaking of clinical, I actually enjoyed working on the neurology/med surg unit. It isn't an area I'd want to do for a living, but I saw some really cool things and definitely a wide variety. One guy had non-stop drainage of cerebrospinal fluid coming out of his back post-op. The doctor came in to check it and when he removed the dressing, fluid shot out like Ole Faithful. Obviously, it's not supposed to do that, but it was pretty freakin' sweet.

Monday I start term three, which I CANNOT wait for!!! Maternal/Newborn nursing and Peds are what's on the schedule, so right up my alley. I really, really, really hope I witness a vaginal birth, ideally I'll also see a C-section. My instructor also said we can spend a day in the NICU, if we want, which I requested to do, and, otherwise, we'll probably be feeding and rocking the babies. Heaven.

Peds I'm really bummed about. We were originally told we would all be at Riley Hospital for Children, which is world-renowned and would be incredible exposure to pediatric care. Since peds is an area I'm highly considering, I was looking forward to being in such an environment, and hoped I could maybe even get exposure to pediatric oncology, to see if I like it as much as I think I would. Unfortunately, at the last minute, there were issues with clinical instructors, and my clinical group was switched from Riley to a hospital right down the road from campus. The plus side? I now don't have to drive to Indianapolis for clinical, which would be a good 90 minute commute one way, (although I would have just stayed at my parent's the night before, cutting the commute to 35 minutes one way), and I also don't have clinical on Saturday. The downside is that there won't be nearly as much exposure to the various areas of pediatric care. C'est la vie. But I'm hoping to find a pediatric oncology nurse to shadow on my own time. If anyone is in the Indianapolis area and knows someone who works in pediatric oncology, PLEASE let me know!!

Here's my schedule for this term, which ends in 7 weeks, then sweet, sweet freedom for a month!!!

Monday: NUR 257- Nursing Care of Children 10am-12pm

NUR 250- Pharmacology 12:30pm-2:30pm

NUR 253- Maternal/Newborn 2:40pm-4:40pm

Tuesday: OB Clinical in Ft. Wayne for 5 weeks

Wednesday: Same as Monday

Thursday: Peds Clinical in Marion for 6 weeks

Friday: NUR 250- Pharmacology 12:30pm-2:30pm

I think that's all that's been going on for the past 5 weeks. I'm going to try and write a few posts tomorrow to get somewhat caught up.

Hope everyone is doing well, sorry for being so MIA.

Back to School

2011-09-20T08:00:00.003-04:00

Classes started two weeks ago and a part of me just died inside at the realization that it has only been two weeks. Seriously, I could have sworn it had been at least three. Things are going well so far, I'm only in 8 credit hours, so it's totally manageable, considering in undergrad I took 15-18 every semester. Here's some bulleted updates of the past two weeks (OK seriously, it's killing me every time I write that).

~Creepy neighbor asked my landlord if I died and if she could come into my apartment and check on me. You see, I went home for the month of August to work since I didn't have school. Apparently my absence "worried" him and he wanted reassurance that there wasn't a corpse in the apartment above his. My landlady knew I was home, so she told him to let her know if it started to smell haha. Then he said to her, "Maybe she has a boyfriend and has just been with him a lot." God bless that woman for telling him that was indeed the case.

~Speaking of the creep, I caught him staring in my windows the other day. I hate artificial light, so I try to have my blinds wide open as much as possible. The other day I had my front blinds and windows all the way open and he was just out in the front lawn staring up into my windows. As soon as he realized I noticed, he hopped on his bike and rode off. I'm weird, so I appreciate people's differences, but this man is on a totally different playing field.

~I started clinical last Tuesday and am on a Neuro unit, but it also gets some overflow from Med/Surg. Of course, the unit would be on a floor that connects to the Children's hospital's wing of NICU and peds, so, naturally, I wanted to high tail it over there, but c'est la vie. My clinical site is an hour away... I have to be there at 6:30am... do you know what time that means I get up?! An ungodly hour, that's what time. Out of bed by 4:45 am, to be exact. I was terrified about oversleeping, so of course I woke up every 45 minutes the night before and never got out of the stage of sleep where you are dreaming, but still hear all the noises around you. The first day I was so nervous that, during computer training, it took every fiber of my being not to pass out or lose my breakfast. By time we got on the floor at 10, I realized how ridiculous I was being. I saw three patients, one had Parkinson's, with a history of seizures, and had fallen. Another was a very elderly woman who was sharp as a tack and hilarious. She was in for cardiac arrhythmia, so I'm not sure why she was on the neuro floor, but she cracked me up. The other patient was a 2o-something male who survived a single car crash but suffered a good amount of head trauma.

We were only on the floor for an hour, just enough so we could get oriented and practice our communication skills. It was nice to talk to the patients and their families because that's really my cup of tea, as I love getting to know people and hear their stories. I have a feeling that will be the majority of this clinical experience because there is very little we are capable of doing. I have several different skills I can do, and of course vital signs, but I can't do a physical assessment yet, and I can't administer medication, so I think these next 5 weeks will really just be about getting comfortable walking into patient rooms and learning how to communicate with them.

I joked that I'd consider my clinical day a success so long as no one cried and no one died. Fortunately, it was a success, and I even made a patient (who I thought was sound asleep) laugh. Hopefully today is a little more active and interactive.

~I really, really love nursing school. I truly do. I hope student's in other nursing programs enjoy it as much as I do. And I am so thrilled that I have the reassurance that this is my calling that I so desperately hoped to get upon starting school. I'm also relieved that school has (so far, knock on wood) been a lot less hectic and overwhelming than I had anticipated. Yea, it's work, but I'm not wanting to put my head in the oven at the end of the day, and I still get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, so, God-willing, this trend continues for another 10 months.

To all my friends who have recently started school, I hope your journey is going as well as mine is! Just take it one day at a time and you'll be fine. Thousands of people have done this before us and we can do it, too.

Hugs to all of you. Unless you are still having warm weather. In which case, I envy you.

Remember 2 months ago

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

when I said I'd post updated pics of my apartment? Well, I've finally gotten around to it. Poor blog has had to take the back seat in an 18 passenger van during this current phase of my life. Anyway, I still like my apartment and living alone, but I look forward to the day that I can fully decorate a place that I won't have to pack up in a year. A place where I can make a house a home... and have the funds to decorate it how I really want it to look. But, for the next 10ish months, this place will do just fine.

Office

Dining area looking into kitchen (I changed the flowers on the table, added that little red table, and hung the posters.)

Another view of the dining area (added place mats, the black table in the corner, and changed the poster).

Cute little kitchen

Changed the wall behind the couch- the prints are orchids

The other side of the living area (I added the M and clock). Also, behind the door in the right corner is my washer and dryer aka best part about my place.

The boudoir (I added the headboard and moved the prints from another wall to behind the bed). The bedding color photographs horribly, but it's an iridescent-ish light blue with chocolate brown.

And finally my front entrance (my door is to the left, the welcome mat won't fit under the screen door). My landlady showed up with this little bistro set one afternoon and I love it. Obviously it stays when I go, but it's still nice to have for now!

The only thing that really drives me up a wall is the posters not being in frames, but even plastic poster frames are stupid expensive. But, like I said, I like it and it serves its purpose for now.

On Growing Up

2011-08-30T08:30:00.001-04:00

Growing up is funny. When we're kids, all we want is to be a grown up; and when we're grown up, all we want to know is what the hell was so appealing about being older when we were kids.

Apparently I'm an adult. In 9 months, I'll be 25. A quarter of a century. And I'm already starting to freak out. Not because it means I'm that much closer to being 30.

Ok, maybe a little because it means I'm that much closer to being 30.

And not because 25 used to seem so old when I was kid.

Even though it did.

But because I feel so... unaccomplished.

Which I'm sure sounds entirely ridiculous to some of you. Yes, I am working on my second bachelor's degree and yes I am less than a year away from being a nurse, but that's it.

I am a planner. I have had my life planned since I knew what "the future" meant. Of course, said plans have had to be tailored quite often because, you know what the proverbial they say, "We plan, God laughs." But it has still been hard dealing with what my reality has become.

Ten years ago I was 14 and a freshman in high school. I had grand plans of dating a number of boys, making my friends for life, having a stellar social life, then I'd go off to college and major in Spanish, become an interpreter, find my husband, get married at 22, and kids at 23, 25, 27, and 29. I'd, of course, keep in touch with all my bff's from high school for ever and ever.

HA. None of that crap happened.

Obviously I'm not a Spanish interpreter... or a special ed teacher... or a journalist (the latter two being my initial major and eventual degree, respectively). And I clearly am not married or on my way to having child number 2.

Which is perfectly fine (because holy cow, I am so not ready to be married. And I do kind of have baby fever, but I still love sleeping until 11 am, so I'm glad I don't have kids yet) and I know God has a different path for me, but it has still been hard.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think at 24 I would still be in school, unemployed, heavily reliant on my parent's, and still single.

Every day I log onto facebook and somebody new from high school or college is engaged, or married, or expecting a baby. People talk about office life, trips with their girlfriends, finishing grad school, and moving to somewhere new and exciting. I know it's not right to compare myself to others, and in many ways I don't, but it really can bring a girl down to see where I could be and where I actually am.

So in 10 years, who knows where I'll be. I assume I'll be an RN and working in NICU or peds. God willing, I'll (ideally) be married and definitely have at least one child. Hopefully I'll be living in Florida/California/somewhere warm and hopefully, by that point, I will have everything I ever dreamed of, which really isn't much.

Whatever God has in store for me, I'm sure it's bound to be great and I'm sure I'll learn to be happy, as I have learned to be (as) happy (as I can be) with my current situation.

I just hope those plans include don't include a major quarter-life crisis.

And fewer bills would also be nice.

Fall Schedule

2011-08-18T14:09:00.003-04:00

I received my schedule for the fall, which will be broken down into two 7-week sessions. The first seven weeks I will be in class MWF, clinical at a hospital in Ft. Wayne, and a "free" day Thursdays.

MW- 7:50am-9:50am Physical Assessment

MWF- 10am-12pm Adult Health I

M- 1:15pm-3:05pm Physical Assesment Lab

T- Clinical in Ft. Wayne for 5 weeks, 7am-3pm. Ft. Wayne is over an hour drive from campus, so I'll have to wake up at 5. Have I ever mentioned how I am so NOT a morning person. And I don't drink coffee, tea, or energy drinks. Anyone have suggestions for waking up the mind & body that early in the morning?

W- 1:15pm-3:05pm Advanced Principles of Intervention

F- 2:15pm-4:05pm Advanced Principles of Intervention Lab.

The second 7-week session I'm not sure where my clinical will be or what day, but here is my class schedule. I'm really excited for these classes:

MWF- 10am-11:20am Nursing Care of Children

MWF- 12:30pm-2:30pm Pharmacology

MW- 2:40pm-4:40pm Maternal/Newborn Nursing

After those 14 weeks, I get another month off! Hopefully this semester goes as fast and I manage to do just as well as I have done so far.

Book Review: Under the Banner of Heaven

2011-08-14T12:27:00.000-04:00

I started this several months ago, read the majority of it, and have yet to finish it. At this point, I'll probably start it over in a few years and hopefully be more successful in getting through it.

If you've ever wanted to know an insane amount of information regarding the history of the Mormon church, then this is the book for you. Not that it wasn't interesting, because I actually do find the Mormon faith to be incredibly fascinating, but it was just really, really heavy with detail and opinion. Then it talks heavily about the fundamentalist Mormons and that's exactly where I got lost. I am intrigued by the FLDS and polygamy, but I'd prefer to hear true accounts of this life-style, not the history of their beliefs. For me, I was hoping "Under the Banner of Heaven" would be the true story of two brother's who killed their sister-in-law and niece as an alleged atonement of their faith, because that's exactly what I thought the book sleeve said the book was about.

Anyway, all the 300+ pages I managed to read did for me was confirm what an interesting, for lack of a better word, Mormonism is. I'm not trying to offend anyone, it's just a faith that I cannot understand and I found the history of the Church to be completely far-fetched and cult-like (but then again, aren't most religions?). I literally kept asking myself, "How are there so many people who fall for this crap?" But hey, I'm Catholic and I'm sure plenty of people out there think we're all a little cuckoo for believing a virgin gave birth to a Son who saved us all from eternal damnation by sacrificing His life and rising from the dead. That's the beauty of faith, right?

So, if you want an incredibly detailed account of how Mormonism came about and the sub-groups that broke off from the Mormon church, with a few random chapters about a crime of atonement, you'll probably like this book. If you want a (disturbing) book about a crime of atonement with a dash of fundamentalist Mormonism, I highly recommend, "Prophet of Death: The Mormon Blood Atonement Killings."

Also, reviews online give this book 4/5 stars, so maybe I'm the wrong person to be reviewing this book and you can take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Book Review: The Help

2011-08-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

I started this draft a month ago and am finally getting around to writing it. Whoops.

If you haven't heard of The Help by now, I'd be really, really surprised. But maybe you aren't a pop culture lover like me. Whatever the case, I highly suggest you run to the nearest book retailer, buy this book, and get lost in it's 400+ pages. And then, when all is said and done, you can go and watch the movie, which was just released and I hear is pretty fabulous (of course, movies are never as good as the book though, in my opinion).

Confession: I was, without a doubt, born in the wrong era. I love everything about the way of the life in the 40s, 50s, and 60s and wish I could travel back in time and be in my late teens/early 20s during each decade. Since I have such a strong love for the simpler way of life that presented itself 40-60 years ago, I tend to gravitate toward books that focus on this time period.

The Help is set in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, and is the story of four very different women who form an unlikely bond. Without saying too much, two of the women are white women, two are the black hired help that take care of the house duties. A lot of circumstances leads one of the women, Skeeter, to write a book about the help's experiences working for white people, in their own words.

While the author, Kathryn Stockett, did grow up in Jackson and did have hired help while growing up, the novel is fictitious-- but you would never guess it. Granted I can't say from experience, but the novel encompasses all that I imagined life in the south for a black person would have been like in the 60s. It's so wonderfully written and, honestly, in the hundreds of books I have read, it is probably my favorite book of all time.

1 down, 7 to go!

2011-08-08T13:18:00.004-04:00

Terms, that is! Last week was a crazy busy week for school- I had an exam, three quizzes, a skills competency, two projects, three comprehensive final exams, and a final skills competency- but it's all over and I am FREE until September 6th, when I start my second term.

In pathophysiology, I got a 99/100 on my final, a 96 for the term.

In foundations of nursing, I earned a 97.5/100 on the final, a 95 for the term.

In principles of intervention, I received an 83/100 on the final, which was a pleasant surprise considering we all had less than nice things to say about the exam and my professor. On my comps, I received 87/90 points for the term, and my overall grade for the course was an 88.

Two A's and a B+! I'm thrilled & hopeful that the seven remaining terms go just as well.

Between now and next August, I have two 7-week terms this fall (followed by 3 weeks off for Christmas), two 7-week terms in the spring (with a week-long spring break), a May term, and two 5-week summer sessions. I'm finished with school August 3rd and graduate August 11. So in 368 days, I will be graduating from nursing school and officially two bachelor's degrees under my belt!

Things planned for my month off include: enjoying the (hot!) weather by my pool, going out with nursing school friends (have I mentioned how much I LOVE my cohort?), dinner dates with a couple old friends, babysitting a little bit, and (hopefully) catch up on the ole' blog.

Have a great week!

Hey Look! A blog post!

2011-07-27T17:12:00.004-04:00

I'm not promising a good one, but it's a post.

Still here. Still surviving. School has actually been significantly less difficult than I had anticipated, but I know that all could change next term. I have a few quizzes, skills tests, project and paper due between now and next Friday, then take a final next Thursday and two next Friday and I'm off until September 7. I'm not in dire need of a break, but it will be nice to be able to enjoy the summer weather again... and babysit to make some money!

Some random ramblings:

~I can't take instructors seriously if they continually mispronounce medical terms. Unfortunately, two out of my three do this daily.

~I've always been basically 100% certain that I'd never do adult care. Let me just say, after focusing solely on skills pertaining to adult care for the past 4 weeks, I will NEVER do adult care. Bathing the adult client and urinary catheterization was the final straw haha. Babies and kids is what I love and where I need to be, that's for sure.

~I've only encountered the creepy neighbor once since I officially moved in. He tried to talk my ear off, but I was on my way out. Speaking of him, he has a fondness of playing video games late at night with the TV cranked up. If I wasn't so exhausted and comatose the moment my head hits the pillow, it would probably make me a lot more mad than it does. But still, if you're over the age of 30 (read: 21), you shouldn't be playing video games.

~My brother turns 26 on Sunday and my Grams turns 90 on Monday, so we're having a cookout & pool party birthday celebration for her with my dad's entire family on Saturday. Can't wait to see my whole fam and celebrate such an awesome woman.

~My sassy-ness is taken to a whole new level when I'm tired or irritated. Like yesterday. Fortunately, everyone around me thought I was hilarious, but still. I was on a war path though and no one was safe (but everyone survived ;)).

~Hopefully in August I can do a little more blogging than I have been as of late. And at some point I'll add updated pics of my apartment, but free time is a thing of the past right now.

Hope everyone is having a great summer and enjoying the weather!!

(ps: I have some new followers & emails from new readers. Welcome! And thanks!! I promise to get back to you and check out your blogs as soon as time permits.)

In Case you Missed It

2011-07-11T07:33:00.003-04:00

I know most people don't log into blogger on the weekends, but that will probably be my only time to log in, so if you're curious about my first week of nursing school, you can read that post here.

Have a great week!

The First Week

2011-07-09T17:56:00.002-04:00

Obviously since I'm writing this, I (somehow) survived the first week of nursing school. I have no doubt in my mind that this will be the hardest 11 months of my life, but I am not regretting my decision to become a nurse. Sure, I've already asked myself a billion times, "Lord, what have I gotten myself into?" or "Can I handle this?" but you know what, I'm just taking it one day at time and have confidence that God won't give me any more than I can handle.

And did you notice I said 11 months? Yea, that's right. I'm doing a four year program in eleven months. The school says the program is 14 months, but I'm not sure where they get that for the cohorts that start in summer, because we all start in July and graduate the following August, so that's 13 months. And I just found out that we also have the month of August off (down time between the universities end of summer sessions and start of fall) and mid-December to mid-January off for Christmas. So the program is really 11 months of work. Ay yi yi.

Last Friday was orientation and I woke up with a sinus infection, obviously induced by stress, and I've been battling that all week (thank goodness for antibiotics!). At orientation, I was totally overwhelmed and freaked out. I went home terrified that I'm going to flunk out and all these other irrational fears. I'm still scared about not succeeding, but the fear is back to a more normal level, like the level I'm at whenever I'm in any kind of schooling.

From July 5- August 5, I'm enrolled in 8 credit hours. Basically, we're doing three 16-week courses in a month. It's pretty intense and whenever I'm not in class or the lab practicing my skills, I'm at home studying. Monday, Wednesday, Friday I have class from 8-11 & 12-3. The 8-11 class really would have been better suited as an intro course that we were required to take online in June. It's a bunch of busy work, the instructor just read the slides, and all of us would be better off with those three extra hours of work/study time, but what can I do about it? Tuesday & Thursday I have class from 8-11 and my skills competency exams at 12:30. The skills comps are our tests where we have to perform the skill we've learned for the week (Thursday was hand hygiene, this Tuesday is vital signs). We have to practice those on our own for one hour prior to taking the exam, and the lab is only open T/TH, so basically I'm on campus 8-3 everyday.

My first comp and class quiz were both on Thursday and I got a 10/10 on my hand hygiene comp, which is more than just going in and washing my hands haha, and a 28/30 on my infection control quiz. Definitely a great way to start the program and I'm more than hopeful that I can keep up the A's & B's. Talking to students in the cohorts ahead of us, I had to laugh. They were all saying how stressful and disappointing it is to give up maintaining straight A's, but it's virtually impossible to not get less than an A. I looked at them like they were crazy. Duh it's going to be next to impossible to get straight A's throughout the program, but I've always been an A/B student and I'm perfectly OK with that if it means I've maintained my sanity.

There are 21 in my cohort and everyone is incredibly nice and friendly. Five males, 16 females, 4 are 50+ (one is a 62-year-old great-grandma. Are you kidding me?! At 62, the only place I want to be is traveling or with my butt planted firmly on a beach.), 4 I can't tell how old they are, and 13 are between 22-26. I've already developed good friendships with two girls, but I really do enjoy being around every single one of them. My professors are also very, very nice. That has to be the best thing about the school I'm at: EVERY ONE is so kind, gracious, outgoing, and eager to help in any way possible. The school is an evangelical Christian school & I really think this has a lot to do with the friendliness of everyone.

Life on my own and in my apartment is going well so far, especially since my creepy neighbor has been out of town all week (which I thought he just hadn't left the house or was dead, until my landlady told me yesterday he was gone haha). I have a funny story she told me about him, which I'll have to share in another post. I definitely feel like he will be a good source of entertainment. I also have updated pics of my apartment, but I came home for the weekend for a cookout at my neighbors & to enjoy the pool (because reading 6 chapters of pathophysiology and another billion pages of foundations of nursing is slightly less painful when poolside) and left my camera cord at school, so I'll have to upload them next time.

So all in all, things are going well. Is it hard? Yes, but I knew it would be. Is it impossible? No. At least not yet, anyway. I'm really thankful that I don't have any outside distractions, though, like commuting (not enough money in the world could get me to make that drive 2x/day, 5x/wk), children, a job, or a boyfriend/husband. The only thing I need to figure out is how to incorporate a workout routine into my schedule so that I have a positive stress reliever.

I'm sure the blog posts will be even more infrequent than they've been the last few months, but I'm going to try and write as often and soon as I can, even if that means dedicating a couple hours on the weekend to writing several posts and scheduling them to go up. Thanks again for all of your support and well-wishes, hope everyone is doing great and enjoying their summer!

I'm Fairly Certain

2011-06-28T23:04:00.002-04:00

There are three things that will get me through nursing school:

1. Prayer

2. The encouragement of family & friends, including all of you. Especially those who are in nursing school and can totally relate.

3. A well-stocked liquor cabinet.

The more blog posts I read by fellow nursing students, the more I get freaked out. I KNOW this journey is NOT going to be a walk in the park, but the more I read, the more I feel like I'm totally unprepared and this is going to be even more difficult than I could even imagine. And I met with a friend yesterday who told me that one of our mutual friends is really having a tough time with her accelerated nursing program she started in May, the very program I was set to do before I changed my mind (again) and settled on the one I am now doing. She said she's really stressed and overwhelmed and thinking the accelerated program was a bad idea. Granted, she is working and going to school, and the program is mostly online, so probably a lot is self taught, but still.

I need to quit freaking out, but seriously, if I'm already getting myself worked up, stressed, and overwhelmed before school has even started... this might end up being a really long 13 months. Maybe I should have asked my doctor for a strong anti-anxiety?

T-7 days. Dun dun dunnnnnnn

(side note: In the event that I don't get around to replying to comments from my last post... or this one... or any future posts, I really, really appreciate all of your kind words. I love responding to comments because I think it makes my blogging relationships a little more than "I read you, you read me," but as I'm sure you can imagine, life has been busy and about to get even more hectic, so time may not always be on my side. But I am SO thrilled that you all like my apartment. It's been fun and a lot of work, but I think having a homey place to go to at the end of the day will be exactly what I need. And for those who offered a listening ear, I WILL be taking you up on that offer, I can guarantee that. You guys are the best!)

Kind of Like an Episode of 'Cribs'

2011-06-27T08:00:00.003-04:00

Except I don't live in a mansion, I don't have an amazing pool in my yard, and you won't see the inside of my refrigerator-- or any part of my kitchen, for that matter, as I have yet to finish putting it together.

BUT, you will see pics of every other room in my apartment! I'm sure it looks like I have a ton of stuff and that I probably spent quite a bit of money, but I did it all relatively inexpensively. I'm actually going to finish my kitchen and make some changes when I get back up there on Thursday, so I'll add some more pictures later in the week, but here are some shots of it as of now:

This is what you see when you come up the stairs and look to the right. The couch my parents have had in the attic for years, waiting for one of us to take it. I bought a slipcover for it and some pillows and it looks totally different. That end table used to be in our sunroom and I repainted and bought a new shade for the lamp. I'm changing the decor on the wall behind the couch.

& the other side of the living area. The chair and lamp I had from college, the TV was free, and the rug my landlord supplied. On the other side of this wall is my bathroom, which is off of a tiny alcove that has a washer and dryer in the closet.

There's actually a full tub, but I highly doubt I'll ever use it... the thought of sitting my butt where someone else bathed kind of grosses me out... no many how many times I sprayed and scrubbed Kaboom all over it.

This is the side opposite the living area, to the left when you come up the stairs. If you're facing the table and windows (with A/C from my landlord, whoop!), the kitchen is to the left. Those chairs almost became firewood, by the way. I bought the table and chairs off of craigslist for a steal, but the chairs were scratched up and an ugly cream, and the legs had cream detailing. I figured since I'd already repainted 3 pieces of furniture and 4 lamps, I could handle a few chairs. Oh. My. Gosh. I wanted to slam them on the driveway. Thank God my mother took over before I could ruin them. Also, those fake flowers are going in the trash (had them for years) and the posters (that I bought 6 years ago) are being switched out.

This is my bedroom, which is behind the wall where the couch is. I have a headboard that I got for dirt cheap, but it's on backorder until next week, & I need to put a frame around the poster, but other than that, the bedroom is finished.

This is the second bedroom, but I'm using it as an office. It's behind the wall of the dining area. The table & lamp were in the attic, so I just repainted them. The chair (which has an ottoman that my mom needs to make a slipcover for) used to be in our sunroom, so I just bought a slipcover for it.

& the other side of the office. The only thing left to do in here is hang up a poster and add the ottoman.

So that's the place. It's small and rough around the edges, but not too shabby for my first place, especially since I'll only be in it for 13 months. Maybe I should also add photog classes to my schedule because the quality of these shots are terrible haha. I have orientation on Friday and school starts a week from Tuesday... Oh. My. God.

Movin' On Up.

2011-06-20T19:01:00.003-04:00

I seriously hope writing that title gets the damn "Jefferson's" theme song out of my head, because every time I think about the fact that I am moving this Saturday, I instantly start singing the song, and I'm starting to annoy myself.

Yes, folks, that's right, I'm moving this saturday. In FIVE days. I'm really trying not to have a panic attack. I went up to my apartment last Wednesday to get my keys and clean the place. You know, I kind of planned on being there for a couple hours, assuming my cleaning would just be really light, touch up stuff for my OCD self, because I figured my landlord did a thorough cleaning for me. Um, no. It was disgusting and full of the previous tenants hair. That's just all kinds of gross. My mom and I spent 6 hours up there scrubbing every surface of the place, but at least now I know that it's spotless and that it was cleaned well.

Speaking of my landlord, this woman loves to talk. She's very nice and we have a good rapport, but she kind of freaked me out on Wednesday. She was telling me not to become chummy with the guy that lives below me because, and I quote, "Well, he's not a pedophile, but he's just creepy." Awesome. Guess it's a good thing I bought a wireless security system. Here's to hoping he provides some decent blog material.

Aside from my clothes and toiletries, everything is packed and ready to go. I'm sure I'm taking entirely too much stuff considering I will only be there for a little over a year. I do need to repaint some dining chairs I just bought off craigslist, but other than that, there isn't much left to do besides load up the truck and get it up there.

I have orientation all day on July 1 & the first day of class starts in two weeks, July 5th. Needless to say, with all of these big changes, I'm feeling a mixed variety of emotions. On one hand, I'm really excited to finally be moving on with my life and getting the ball rolling for my future. In many ways, I cannot wait wait for this change. Things have been kind of rough lately in many ways (which I would love to write about, but don't want some people to read it) and I think having a fresh start is exactly what I need. It's been a really long two years and I can't believe that in 13 months, I will be finished with this chapter of my life and will be a real grown up with a real, adult job. But on the other hand, I'm incredibly nervous. After two years being back at home, I've gotten really used to being with my family more often than not and definitely used to a relatively stress free life. It's going to be a major adjustment living in a new town where I don't know anyone, living by myself, going to a new school where I don't know anyone, and starting an incredibly intense program. I've been feeling pretty anxious the past couple weeks and I'm hoping it doesn't get a whole lot worse. I generally have a hard time with change, but tend to be fine after about 24 hours, so fingers crossed that's the case here.

I know the time is right. I know it's time for me to grow up, gain my independence, and be like most every other 24 year old I know. I've worked really hard to get where I am and my dreams of being an RN are finally within reach. As long as I don't get up there and feel like I'm making the biggest mistake of my life and have wasted the past two years, I'm really hopeful that this 13 month journey will be one of the best, most exciting, trying, and impressionable times of my life.

I hope to post again this week, but if not, I will put up all kinds of pictures of my new place by next Monday. I haven't been good about checking in on all my blog friends, but know that you're never far from my thoughts. I hope you all are having a great summer, I can't believe it's almost July!

Book Review: Time of My Life

2011-06-17T15:00:00.001-04:00

I read this book over a month ago, before Water for Elephants, and LOVED it. It was such an easy read, but so relatable, so well written, so. darn. true. Actually, when I bought it with the other 90 books I purchased, I had a feeling it'd probably be one of my favorites of all time, and I was right, it is. Much of it, I was nodding my head in agreement, as if the writer and character had read my thoughts. I highly recommend this book and hope to read some more novels from Allison Winn Scotch.

Jillian is a wife and stay-at-home-mom who has grown complacent with her life in the suburbs of New York City. She constantly thinks about her former life as an advertising exec, her former love, Jackson, and can't help but ask herself, "What if?" While venting to a massage therapist, he "releases her chi" (I know, kind of corny, but I swear, the book is good) and she suddenly finds herself 7 years in the past, with the ability to rewrite her future. Follow her as she decides whether or not to make it work with Jackson, or stay with her future husband, Henry, and as she decides if she wants to continue climbing the ranks at her job or give up the success and income to be a stay-at-home-mom. In the end, will she be happy with what she chooses, or still have regrets?

Memorable lines that stuck with me:

On friendships: "Meg (her best friend) got lost in the shuffle. Lost in the innocuous way that happens when life piles up. You grab a friend on her cell for two minutes, then promise to call each other back later, but later becomes tomorrow, and tomorrow ebbs into a week, and before you've even realized it, a month has flown by, and you've disengaged yourself from each other's worlds. Which doesn't mean that you don't adore each other, and certainly doesn't mean that when you do catch up that you don't pour out all of the missing details. You do. But for that month or those weeks, you're blind to the nuances that change a person over the course of time, that stack up like dominoes until she's a different person entirely" (pg. 63). -- this describes my relationships beyond perfectly.

On infertility: "'I can't tell you how many times I thought I was pregnant. Crying on the toilet because my period hadn't come or because I'd forgotten to take a pill exactly on the dot- because, you know, that's what the stupid package warns you about- or because of whatever. And Jesus, I remember being so filled with goddamn fear because, well, what the hell do you do if you're 18 and pregnant or 20 and pregnant, and now, I'm 28, and I can't get fucking pregnant, and then when I do, I lose the baby! Jesus, If I knew that it would be so hard to get pregnant, I'd have had a lot more sex'" (pg. 65). -- my fears. My fears exactly. And should those fears become a reality (as I've already been told is highly likely), this paragraph is likely to exit my mouth several times.

On weddings: "And then we both agreed that we wanted the event to be as intimate and non-frenzied as possible. 'Less of a circus, more of a celebration,' he said at the time, and I nodded my head concurring... Did anyone ever look back at a wedding and say, 'Thank God we opted for the cherry swirl in the middle of the cake because without it, it would have been a disastrous evening for all involved!'" (pg. 170).-- again, my sentiments exactly.

On finding happiness in the simply things: "I sink onto the kitchen floor and gaze up at her card, with its lopsided snowflakes and piles of glitter. That is how life should be, I think. Shiny and imperfect but, despite the flaws, still full of promise for the year to come. How did I miss that in the first place?" (pg. 247).

Again, I highly recommend this book. It's an easy read with a wonderful message and I think it's truly relatable for everyone, even if in the tiniest bit.

DIY: Dresser & Tables

2011-06-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

When I first found out I was going to be moving into my own apartment so that I could be closer to my nursing program, I was ecstatic. I've never lived by myself, and, after two years being back in my parents' home, I think the time is right to move on and reclaim my independence. However, I was immediately overwhelmed with how much "stuff" it takes to furnish an apartment and how nice having roommates was if only for the fact that the cost of everything was split.

In case you didn't know, I'm crazy cheap (or frugal, for all you PC freaks.). I want the biggest bang for my buck and my favorite words are "sale," "clearance," and "free." Which is why I love my mother and her pack-rat ways. You see, I get my thriftiness from her, and while I used to always give her crap for how much junk she saved, all that junk is truly saving me a bundle of money. I'll brag about all the stuff I didn't have to buy when I move in and show off my new apartment, but for now, I'm just going to mention a couple things.

My parents have saved an insane amount of furniture for my brother and me. When we re-did rooms in the house, 90% of the time, the furniture went upstairs, to be nestled away in the attic. Like the dresser my brother and I had when we were babies.

Before: gag me. In amazing shape, but I hate the wood grain look, the hardware, etc. Gross.

It was a perfectly fine piece of furniture, just not my taste. I hated the wood grain, the brass hardware, & the style of the hardware. I'm not a fan of the lines of it either, but since I'm not a magician, and even I know my limitations, so I fixed what I could. I might be a princess, but I'm definitely not afraid to get my hands dirty, so I decided refinishing furniture was something I could figure out. I spent several hours (in 97* heat) sanding, stripping, priming, painting, and touching up the dresser, then added some contemporary brush nickel hardware. I'm really happy with the outcome. Is it the most beautiful piece in the world? No. But it looks better than it did and will serve its purpose, so I have zero complaints.

After: in velvet brown with brush nickel hardware

Then I found this old magazine table in the basement. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before picture, but it was a nasty dark wood from the 70s that was better fit for a bachelors pad... if said bachelor wore a polyester suit and had zero eye for design. Hideous. I spray painted it in a high-gloss black and will use it as a side table in my "office." Perfect.

Finally, a couple months ago, I went to a party at a family friends house and she asked if I needed any furniture. I mentioned I really needed a nightstand or smaller table that can be used as one. She had an end table she wanted to get rid of, so I, of course, took it (Thanks, Mrs. McLaughlin!). Again, a fine table, but it had some wear and tear, and I didn't like the wood stain, so now it matches the dresser and will look good in my blue & brown bedroom. Plus, my neighbor told me it looks like stuff her daughter bought at Ikea. Except mine is real, solid wood, and already came assembled. In the words of Charlie Sheen, "Winning."

Before: fine, but not my taste.

And after, with the magazine table behind it that I repainted.

The best part? All three pieces of furniture cost me under $75 for materials and supplies. Plus, I get the satisfaction of knowing that I actually am capable of being a little DIY-er.

Sunday Stealing

2011-06-12T18:48:00.002-04:00

I promise this blog isn't going to turn into a meme-only blog. A real post or two will be up this week!

In the meantime, here's a little Sunday Stealing:

1. Your ex's car is on the side of the road, on fire. What do you do?

Uh.... what ex? I have an ex? Well, if it was a civil break up, I'd call the police. If he was an a-hole and cheated on me or something like that, I'd laugh and say, "Karma's a bitch." Haha. Kidding. Sort of.

2. Your best friend tells you she is pregnant. What is your reaction?

"Oh my God, seriously?!" Eventually I'd say congratulations, but only one of my friends is married, and already has a kid, so it'd be a little shocking if any of them said they were expecting.

3. When is the last time you wanted to punch someone in the face?

Hahahaha... I have no clue. I always jokingly say something or someone makes me want to punch something or someone, but I couldn't tell you when that was.

4. What is the last thing you spent money on?

Spray paint and a lampshade yesterday.

5. Do you think you gained or lost weight this past month?

My weights is always fluctuating, so I'll say it stayed about the same.

6. Crunchy or Puffy Cheetos?

Puffy, but I only eat Cheetos if people I babysit for have them and that's rare.

7. The first person on your friends list just called you a bitch. What do you do?

Depends if they were serious or not. If yes, I'd be like, "Uhh, OK? What ticked you off today?"

8. Congratulations! You just had a son. What’s his name?

Kelan or Barrett

9. Congratulations! You just had a daughter. What’s her name?

Juliet or Camille or Bryn... and don't you dare think about taking "my" names.

10. What are you craving right now?

Nothing, I just ate a ton of fruit and a few sweet potato fries.

11. What was the last thing you cried about?

Ha, I teared up watching Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition last night, but a good cry? I can't remember.

12. When you buy something and your change is 2 cents, do you keep it or tell the cashier to keep it?
Hell yea I keep it! Imagine if you told the cashier every time your change was 2 cents to keep it... that starts adding up!

13. What color is your tissue box?

White with a purple flower. Sidenote: I call them Kleenex, not tissues.

14. Do you have a ceiling fan in your bedroom, and if so, is there dust on that fan?

Yes and probably a little dust.

15. What was the last voicemail you received about?

My dad about something my uncle told us.

16. Have you ever blocked someone on Facebook?

No. I don't even know how to do that. Wouldn't defriending them be enough? Blocking someone just seems a bit excessive. That being said, I have "blocked" people from my news feed because their statuses annoyed the heck out of me.

17. Scariest thing you’ve experienced in the last year?
I can't think of anything, I've been pretty blessed this past year.

18. Do you wear a name tag at work?

It wouldn't do me any good, considering the people I'm around all day can't read ;) But to volunteer at the hospital, I wear a name tag.

19. What kind of car do you want?

I'm pretty happy with my Ford Escape, but I would love a Nissan 350Z or Mercedes/Audi/Lexus convertible at some point in my life.

20. What do you order when you go to Burger King?

I try to not eat fast food, but if I do, it certainly isn't Burger King.

Hope everyone has had a fabulous weekend!!

Monday Minute

2011-06-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sigh... it's Monday. Again. I work all day and am all kinds of lazy, so here's a little Monday Minute with Ian. Click the link below if you want to join in on the fun.

1 - What part of 'no' do you not understand?

People know better than to use that word with me, so it's really never an issue.

2 - Which current reality show do you think you could win?

The only reality shows I watch aren't competitions, besides Amazing Race, which I could maybe win, if I got in better shape. But I'd fail on Real World, because I'm not a drunken skank. I'd fail on Real Housewives because I've never had plastic surgery, I never have drama, and I'm not a millionaire. And I'd fail on 19 kids and counting because my name doesn't begin with a J.

3 - Would you amputate your right arm for ten million dollars?

Probably not. I'm right handed, so losing it would be a real pain in the ass. And I really don't think getting a prosthetic and going through the rehab of it all would be worth the money.

4 - If I say, just bring it - what you got?

I wish I had a witty answer for this, but I "got" nothin'.

and finally...

5 - You are opening a restaurant. What type or theme of food are you serving?

A mix of everything. I hate nothing more than trying to decide on a restaurant with other people. One person wants Mexican, one wants Chinese, one wants Italian. I'd like a restaurant that serves a little mix of it all, but does not have buffet in its title.

Also, as of yesterday (the 5th), I get my apartment keys in 10 days & start school in 1 month. Have I mentioned that I'm starting to freak out a little? Because I am.

7 months later and nothing has changed.

2011-06-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

At least not in the online dating world.

Y'all. I want to know HOW in sam hell PEOPLE FIND SPOUSES FROM ONLINE DATING. My neighbor actually just got engaged to a girl he met on match.com 6 months ago. My brother went on a 4 hour first date tonight with a girl he met online. Then I log onto chemistry.com and do you know what cards I've been dealt? The jokers. Seriously, that's how I'm going to refer to them, because I'm 0 for 3 with this online dating crap and I know now it really is all a joke.

Fortunately, I truly did join chemistry.com for the stories. I'm about to be incredibly busy for 13 months. I don't want and don't need the distraction of a relationship, and, quite honestly, I think I need to become happier with myself, before I even begin to think about letting someone else in. So, yes, I joined for the stories, but then I found out I had to be a paying member to communicate with anyone, so my plan for stories almost went out the window. However, there was an ad this weekend for three months for the price of one, and I figured why not? And maybe I secretly hope there will be at least one decent guy I come across, although I am convinced the decent guy ratio to decent girl ratio is about 1:100 in the online dating world.

But, as a matter of fact, I was paired with a decent guy. He's actually very nice and will make some girl very happy, but I'm just not that girl. Oh, did I mention that I KNOW HIM. Haha. Hello, awkwardness. I was perusing the people I was matched with and saw him my jaw dropped and I couldn't stop laughing. I immediately clicked "not interested" in the hopes that he never saw we were matched. He really is very nice, but last time we hung out in a group (in January), somehow my virginity came up and that was all he could talk about. Like, seriously, for a good 45 minutes, until I finally asked him to quit talking about it. I may have even written about it on here? I'll have to check. Anyway, any guy that can't get past that yes, I am a 24 year old virgin and am perfectly fine with that needs to keep moving on. Plus, the attraction just is not there at all, at least not on my end.

I've received an email, too, now that I'm a paying member. All it said was, "How are u?" He sure has a way with words, huh? That's quite possibly the most succinct email I have ever received, for any reason at all. Here's his deets, let's play a game of, "what about this guy doesn't sound like Marianne's type."

1. 29

2. Lives in Florence, KY, over 2 hours away from Indianapolis.

3. Is divorced.

4. Has a child.

5. High school graduate

Take a guess which four qualities I don't like.

Listen, at the risk of sounding shallow, the only thing I find attractive about this man on paper is his age, the fact that he doesn't smoke, and his profile said his little boy is his whole world, because that's precious (but at this age and point in my life, I don't want a man with a kid). And here's what irks me... I freakin listed on my damn profile what is highly important to me, which does include never married, no children, and at least a college degree. This was my main complaint when I legitimately tried eharmony & match- guys who seemingly have zero qualities that I consider to be important are the ones trying to communicate with me. Which leads me to believe all they do is look at the profile picture and act on that alone.

I'm not saying I'm unwilling to overlook some things, but come on. I really don't think it's unreasonable for me to want a never married, childless man.

I need to just give you guys a running list of the people who express interest in me and their stats, so that you don't think I'm being too ridiculous. Nonetheless, this should be rather entertaining.

In other news, I have a ton to blog about, which I hope to get on top of pronto.

Toodles,

Monday Minute: It's Baaaaaack!

2011-05-30T11:01:00.004-04:00

Guess what, folks! Ian is back!!! And not only is HE back, but so is the MONDAY MINUTE!!!! He's actually been back for a few weeks, but I'm finally getting around to doing it again. Welcome back, bud, it's good to see you in these parts again.

Wanna play? Answer the questions & link up.

1. Aside from your armpits, what body part of yours sweats the most?

I see your penchant for questions about bodily functions is still strong, huh Ian? Um, I sweat a lot, but I'll say my forehead or chest.

2. You have two slices of bread. You can add one additional ingredient to make a sandwich, but as much as you want. What are you putting on it?

Peanut butter, without a doubt.

3. Can you put your entire fist in your mouth?

I used to be able to, both horizontally & vertically. I used to take voice lessons, so my jaw became quite flexible with all those exercises to loosen it up. But I'm pretty sure it's one of the reasons I have TMJ syndrome now haha.

4. Open your email. How many emails do you have in your 'inbox'?

Ugh. 20 in my personal account, my blog account has 26. I'm about to do some mass responding to get rid of them.

5. If an adult male is taken for ransom, is it considered a kidnapping?

Well, I would say yes, but then I read Ian's answer & now I think it should be kidnapped, not kidnapping. But you know what? An adult male isn't a kid (technically, although maturity wise? Probably.), so shouldn't it be, "mannapped" or "guysnatched" or something like that?

The Kind of Parent I Won't Be

2011-05-24T01:02:00.001-04:00

I won't...

*say, "Because I said so, that's why!" (even though I say this fairly regularly while babysitting).

*allow most battery operated toys. I hate them all & am fully convinced no toy inventor is actually a parent himself.

*have so many bloody toys, that it's all people will notice when they walk into my home. Especially baby gear. My word, how is there so much stuff on the market for infants? They eat, they sleep, they poop. Bottles, bed, diapers. Boom, done.

*say things like, "My house, my rules," "As long as you live under this roof, the answer is no," "Don't get smart with me!" "Eat your food, there are starving children in Africa," "Because I'm the adult," "Don't make stop this car!" and, my all-time favorite, "Don't make me count to 3, mister!"

*allow video games or computer games unless they are educational.

*use the TV as a babysitter.

*argue with my husband in front of the kids.

*spank.

*be a helicopter parent.

*be a better friend than parent.

*allow my children to develop poor eating habits.

*speak as if I'm the first parent in the history of the world or complain about how hard it is.

*judge another parent for the way they choose to raise their kids.

*take the gift of being a mother for granted.

*be surprised if I actually end up doing or saying at least half of these things.

The things I do for a good laugh.

2011-05-23T22:08:00.002-04:00

I just joined chemistry.com.

I have very high expectations.

Not that I will find a mate. Or even go on a date, for that matter. But to have some hilarious correspondence's via email so that I can dissect them & share them with all of you. After all, my stories from eharmony & match.com are, hands down, the bests posts I've ever written.

You're welcome.

Nursing School Shtuff

2011-05-20T13:37:00.005-04:00

Nursing school starts on July 5th and I think the reality of everything is really starting to hit me (read: slight panic, slight nervousness, slight ohmygodwhatamidoing, slight pleasedontfail, major freaking out.)

I received an email the other day with my schedule for my first session, which is 4 weeks, or something like that.

MWF: 8am-11am: Foundations of Nursing
12pm-3pm: Pathophysiology

TTH: 8am-9:20am: Principles of Intervention (I wish I could tell you what this entails..)
9:30am-10:55am OR 11:10am-12:30pm: Principles of Intervention Lab

And, of course, I'll spend more time on campus for lab practice & skills practice for the Lab class.

Clinicals start after this session is over, so in August. Also, after this first session, the rest of my classes are broken up into 7 week sessions, with no more than 10 credit hours a session (that doesn't include clinical hours).

People keep telling me how intense this program is going to be and they'd kill themselves if they were doing such a fast program (seriously, a few have said that), and blah blah. Honestly, I'm kind of sick of hearing it. I just hate when people are negative about something someone else is so excited about. Obviously it's going to be hard, I'm not so naive to think otherwise. But I've worked my ass off in school my entire life, especially these past two years, so I feel prepared for the challenge. Also on my side is the fact that I won't be working at all, I'm single, with no children, I'm living in a town that is dead, and I'm ONLY taking nursing classes and clinicals-- I have all the other "fluff" classes required for a bachelor's degree finished. I will literally have zero distractions and zero reason to not do well. I think I'll be perfectly fine busting my butt for 13 months-- it's literally going to be over before I even realize it!

So, all you negative nelly's, shut it. Thanks.

In related news, I've purchased my shoes & stethoscope. For shoes, I bought a pair of Dansko Professional Clogs (side note: The one regret I have about going into nursing? Not being able to look chic and fashionable and like I belong on the streets of Manhattan. I try not to think about it so I don't cry...). I need to break the new shoes in, but I've heard they are the best thing to wear for medical professionals and they have a ton of arch support. They are stupid expensive though, but I bought them at a store called Englin's and they give 10% off to healthcare workers.

My stethoscope I ordered from this online site called Medisave. Littmann's are the creme de la creme in the stethoscope world, but are also stupid expensive. I found the one I wanted-- Classic S.E. II (in ocean blue, no less) on this site for a discounted price & they offered free engraving. I thought the engraving was kind of cheesy, but I've been told people tend to get sticky fingers when Littmann's are around, so I had my name engraved (unfortunately, my real name, not Marianne Fancypants :'( ). The shipping was super fast, too!

And, finally, tomorrow I am taking a CPR class to become certified. The darn thing is from 8-5. Seriously?! That seems slightly excessive to me, especially on a Saturday. C'est la vie.

So that's all the new stuff pertaining to school I have to report. Hope you all are doing well! Congrats to my nursing blog buddies who finished their semesters successfully, & a HUGE congrats to Kara, for graduating from nursing school! Good luck on NCLEX!

ps, I'm 24 today and really trying to not freak out. I guarantee I'll have a quarter-life crisis next year, if not before then. More on that later...

Have a good weekend, friends!

*I tried to upload pics of my goods, but blogger is being a pill right now. Y'all probably don't care anyway hah.*

Book Review: Water for Elephants

2011-05-17T19:50:00.004-04:00

If you haven't heard of this book by now, you clearly live on the (non) planet Pluto. I heard about the book a few years ago, but forgot about it until a couple months ago when I sought out my facebook friends for book suggestions. I think 5 different people suggested it and said it was amazing, wonderful, best book ever, blah blah blah. With such accolades, and my borderline obsession with elephants, I knew I needed to add it to my list, especially since there is now a movie version with Reese Witherspoon and 98% of the time, I refuse to see a movie before I read the book.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen alternates between the Depression era of 1931 and 2001. In 1931, Jacob Jankowski is in the final weeks of veterinary school at Cornell when tragedy strikes and he runs away from life as he knows it. Wandering around the railroad tracks, he hops a train that ends up changing his life. The train is carrying equipment for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth-- a circus. He is immersed in the culture and lives to recount an eventful, sometimes harrowing, time in his life 70 years later.

I know that's a really vague summary, but if you pick up the book, you'll notice that no where is there a synopsis of what the book is about. I literally had no clue what I was going to be reading about and now, after having read the book, I know why. Literally every detail from beginning to end is linked to another detail-- sharing one would undoubtedly ruin an event later in the book. It's best to go into it knowing as little as possible so that it is the page turner it is meant to be.

And the book is just that: a real page turner. I read half of it today alone, the other half split up into two days. For one, I'm a real sucker for anything historically based between 1920 and 1970 and am a very visual reader, so while reading, I was acting it out in my mind. And like watching a movie for the first time, I had to know what happened in the end. I also found my self entranced with learning about circus life-- something I consider to be a major part of 20th Century America. Gruen also splits it up into young Jacob and old, nursing home Jacob. I liked young Jacob's "scenes" better, but was more moved by the "scenes" with old Jacob.

Since people hyped it up so much, I had really high expectations. I definitely thought it was a good book, incredibly well written, and very well researched, but I didn't close it thinking, "OH MY GOSH! THAT WAS THE BEST BOOK EVAHHHHHH." I'm glad I read it, and it certainly was fascinating, but I've been more impacted by other books.

Overall: I'd recommend it, and am glad I read it, but don't fully expect to walk away with some mind-blowing experience.

*image from hubpages.com via google images*

&%$! You Shouldn't Say: The Debut

2011-05-16T18:08:00.008-04:00

I briefly mentioned this in my last post a couple weeks ago (whoops), but a month or so ago, after a night out with my girlfriends that was filled with ridiculous pick-up lines, I decided I need to write a blog called, "Shit you shouldn't say when you're trying to hit on a girl." I did intend to give it it's own site, but setting up a new blog is a pain in the tukus and I figured it could be a fun little series to just do on this blog, to bring some spice back.

On Friday night I went out with my friends and the idea came up again, but someone suggested instead of making it just pick-up lines & instead of making it only specific to things said to girls, it should just be, "Shit you shouldn't say." Thinking about all the ridiculous things I hear (and say), I agreed.

But, you know me, an idea is never fully developed. So now it's going to encompass a litany of things not to say OR do in any given situation.

While my life is rather eventful on most days and I probably could provide a stellar amount of my own stories about ridiculous things that have been said or done to me or in my presence, I'd rather not talk about me, me, me all the time. SO, that's where you come in: I want YOUR stories.

Rack your brains for the most ridiculous pick-up lines, questions, statements ever said to your or in your presence. Can't think of anything? What about a jaw-dropping situation you found yourself in? Obviously I hope to keep this thing going for a while, so if something happens in 3 weeks, send it in then!

Send submissions to ficklewhitewoman@gmail.com and put Shit you Shouldn't Say as the subject.

And because I want you all to love this idea, here's the first one for ya.

"Have you ever had your belly button touched? From the inside?"

My friend was the recipient of this lovely little line. We still haven't decided on appropriate reactions, but I'm not convinced castration is totally out of line.

Now think, type, & send me your stories!

Random Ramblings

2011-05-04T20:38:00.005-04:00

~Sometimes I wonder how much alcohol is drunk or drugs are smoked before people post on facebook or twitter. Then I wonder how many people ask the very same question when they read my posts.

~Also FB related, people who whine, bitch, complain, are negative, or have FML at the end of their status the majority of the time are either being blocked from my newsfeed or deleted from my friends. If you have a roof over your head, bills paid, food on the table, clothes on your back, good health, and love in your life, you have nothing to be THAT unhappy about. Open your eyes and gain some perspective.

~I haven't gone out with my girlfriends in a month. I'm so not OK with this, but we've all been busy. Hopefully this problem is corrected, like, yesterday.

~Obama isn't releasing the photos of bin Laden. Personally, I think this was a horrible decision. I don't necessarily need to see the corpse, but you know a ton of people are going to speculate that he wasn't really killed.

~I'm so bloody sick of the battle with my weight.

~I finished my last pre-nursing class today. Actually, for the program I am doing, I was done last summer, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, I got a 97 on my final and overall, so I'm happy!

~I'm considering joining a free online dating site solely for the entertainment factor it brings. Lord knows I love a good laugh, but I love, even more, to write about the hilarious encounters. Site suggestions are welcome.

~Speaking of dating, I had the brilliant idea after a night out a month or so ago to start a new blog called, "Shit you shouldn't say (or do) if you're trying to hit on a girl." Then I tried to set up a blog and immediately remembered how long it took me to get all the kinks worked out on here and really just wasn't up for doing it again. So what if I do a little "series" on this blog? Would y'all like that? If so, send me some of your stories, or even a guest post!

~Sometimes such ridiculous things happen to me that I would LOVE to blog about, but hold back because of how many people who read this know me in real life.

~I'm still jealous of Kate Middleton (how gorgeous did she look on her wedding day? Natural beauty!). Anyone know how I can woo Harry and convince him to make me a princess? HRH Princess Marianne CUH-LEARLY has a phenomenal ring to it. And not to be cocky, but I think I'm better looking than Sarah Ferguson and she became a princess (and produced two off-spring that looked utterly ridiculous at their cousins wedding...), so I have a shot? No? Awww, come on!

~I'm getting my haircut done next Friday and I am dying to dye it. I've never had any color treatment done, but I'm so bored with my look and want to mix it up. I'm thinking something like Kate Middleton or Pia Toscano.

~I'll be 24 in 16 days! Some days, I can't believe I'm that old, others, I can't believe I'm that young.

~I'm in a completely different state of my mind than I was a year ago and I am loving it. I have an entire post about it in the works, but suffice it to say, things are on the up & up.

Apartment Hunting: Complete!

2011-05-02T18:49:00.003-04:00

Within hours of getting my acceptance letter to nursing school, I was online looking for an apartment. The town I'm moving to is BUH-ROKE. It's an old factory town that has very little going for it, other than the university I am attending. Decent housing options are definitely hard to come by & I don't qualify for campus housing since I'm "an adult," which is funny, because aren't all the students in college legally adults?

Anyramble.

I got online and stumbled upon a great prospect on craigslist. I drove up and looked at the apartment two days later and thought it was perfect, but she wanted to fill it immediately, and I wasn't going to sign a lease until mid-June at the earliest. I kept looking, but had that place in the back of my mind.

GOOD THING! She called me a few days later and asked if we could talk and maybe work out an agreement. She agreed to hold the unit until June 15 if I paid a small fee and signed a 14 month lease. Done & done!

So YAY! I signed the lease on my first big girl apartment!!! I get the keys June 15, but I won't move my stuff until the end of June, and myself until July 4.

The apartment is pretty nice and only 3 blocks from campus, which is awesome, so I can walk if I want. It's part of a four-plex, but my unit is the only one on the second floor, so I have ZERO shared walls, except my floor is the ceiling of the dude below me! There's a good sized living/dining area, decent kitchen, big bathroom, two small bedrooms (which is perfect so I don't have to have my desk in my bedroom), a washer/dryer, AND a parking space! She also said I can bring one of my dogs, which will be nice to have some company and added security.

I've pretty much acquired everything I need for the place, too. Fortunately, we had basically all the big things, and a friend gave me a desk and two TVs. The only thing big ticket thing I had to buy was a mattress/box spring/frame, which I got a great deal on.

My room and bathroom are going to be blue and brown, my living area is going to be black, grey, with yellow and plum throw pillows. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm bothering decorating since I'll be there for a relatively short time, but if I'm going to be in a new town that doesn't have a lot to offer, living by myself, and spending a lot of time there, I want it to be comfortable and homey.

Of course, I'll add pics when I move in and have it put together :)

How Journalism Should Be

2011-04-26T18:38:00.002-04:00

In case you forgot, I have my BA in journalism. Obviously I don't intend on using that degree, considering I'm starting nursing school in a few short months (eek!), but I'm still very much passionate about the field and writing will forever be a part of who I am, whether I make money off of it or not. A while back, I wrote about why I chose to not become an employee of American media, but every so often, I come across an incredibly well-written piece that makes me long to be the journalist I used to see myself being.

The following article I received in an email, written by Charlie Reese and was his last published article in the Orlando Sentinel before entering retirement. Mr. Reese writes in such a clear, unbiased, factual manner and should be considered an inspiration for how journalists should work. He writes the way they wrote 49 years ago, when he first started his career, and the way news is to be reported and the way all journalists were actually taught to write and report. If all media was covered in a way that does not bash one party over the other, ridden with opinions and lies, or poorly written and reported , I probably would have put forth more effort in using my degree.

Hats off to you, Mr. Reese, for 49 years of amazing work!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People

-By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then

campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against

deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high
taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.

The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court

justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly,

legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that
plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was

created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty

to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central

bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.

They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a

congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if

they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the

power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the

legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what

they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of

party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount

of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood

up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only

propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole

responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving

appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House?

John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House

members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the

President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545

people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and

irresponsibility.. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not

traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth

that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must

follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them

in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan

not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire

and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they

can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from

whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the

belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy,"

"inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an
oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their

bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Mark My Words

2011-04-25T20:24:00.002-04:00

This will be the song played at the first dance at my wedding. I'm obsessed with Adele and have been since I heard "Chasing Pavements" a few years ago. I heard her version of "Make You Feel My Love" (original by Bob Dylan) probably a year or so ago, and I've been obsessed with it ever since. Such a beautiful song sung by a beautiful woman with an amazing voice.

Home Depot is NOT for Wimps.

2011-04-21T17:34:00.005-04:00

My day certainly didn't go the way I had intended, but then again, does it ever?

I woke up to a text message that made me smile from ear to ear. The sun was shining, I went tanning, got in a good workout, and was off to work for a few hours. The day was just going great.

Then I went to Home Depot and shit went south.

So there I am, walking through the parking lot, when this crazy broad comes tearing around the corner at 50mph (slight exaggeration. Sue me.), ready to whip it into the handicap parking spot when I am so startled by someone so reckless that I must look like a dear in headlights (pun not intended).

She stares at me with this evil witch look like, "Move you piss ant, I must park my super cool PT Cruiser NOW!"

And I'm all, "OK, fine. I'll pretend you didn't just almost hit me and carry on my way."

So I take a step forward, and do you know what this person does?! HITS THE DAMN GAS!

What. The. Heck?!?!

Naturally, I stop again and look at her. She clearly says something and moves her hand in a motion like, "WTF?! I want to park there, get out of my way!"

So I stand there and wait for her to park, only she doesn't move her car and says, "Are you stupid?"

Oh HELL NO.

I walked around the other side of her car to get out of the way and noticed her passenger window was down, so I flipped and screamed "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?! I'm just walking into the damn store when you came out of nowhere, driving like a drunk, and damn near hit me. Pop a Xanax!"

And then I hightailed it into the store, thinking I'd be safe, but fully expecting to find my car keyed and tires slashed once I went back outside.

But of course the story doesn't end there, because, per usual, my life is just full of ridiculous moments.

There I am, standing in the knob and pulls aisle when a construction worker joins me. I'm pondering over which pulls to buy for a dresser I'm re-doing when I hear him grunting and can feel him undressing me with his eyes. Creep. I give him the side eye and a half smile and return to my business.

He keeps grunting.

I keep gagging.

Finally, I decide that I'll come back another time and walk away, when he grunts one last time and adds, "DAYUM" for good measure.

First I get hit on at stop lights, and now at the hardware store. What the heck is next?!

And that, folks, was my 10 minute trip to Home Depot.

**note: I'm the least confrontational person ever, but the PT Cruiser bitch had it coming. I mean, honestly? I'm stupid because you're being an irrational, reckless driver? Also, she wasn't old and, from what I could tell, wasn't even handicapped, so it wasn't like I told off a granny or something.**

**sorry for the cussing**

Apologizing No More

2011-04-18T21:20:00.003-04:00

When I first started blogging, I really wasn't sure how long it would last, how much I would have to say, and how many wonderful people I'd meet (in person and virtually). I began reading blogs right after I had graduated college. I was unemployed, trying to adjust to life post-college, unsure of where my future was headed, having several health issues not being managed, and, really, pretty depressed. I liked reading about other people's lives so that I didn't have to think about my own, even though in June 2009 I did actually start this blog and intend to right about my life. At that time, though, I only managed to write one post, come up with a title, and throw a background up.

I abandoned my blog for seven months before returning full force. I liked the idea of putting my journalism degree to some type of use and to also meet new people and gain support from people with unbiased opinions. But, as my readership grew, I began to feel the pressure to follow those who follow me. Comment on those blogs who comment on mine, and reply to comments. Read each and every post that pops up in my dashboard. And, most importantly, blog at least every other day. I did pretty well for awhile and, for the most part, enjoyed every aspect of blogging.

As the months went by, my course load became more intense, I began to work more hours each week, I still had to keep up with my responsibilities at home, and I still wasn't feeling so great about where my life was going-- especially with all the uncertainty regarding nursing school that lasted way. too. long. Half not wanting to continually write posts where I whine or sound like Debbie Downer and half not having the time or energy, my blogging became more and more infrequent.

Unfortunately, my lack of blogging took an even bigger toll on me. I'd feel incredibly guilty for not blogging more often, even worse for not reading others, and worse, still, for not replying to comments (or emails, for that matter) in a timely matter, and, sometimes, not at all. I've written countless posts apologizing for my absence, made personal promises to get back on track, and think regularly, "I need to blog about this." And while I do feel bad, I cannot apologize any longer.

The fact of the matter is, I love blogging, I truly do. I love the connections I've made, the way it allows me to express myself, and the endless support I receive. However, I have so much going on that I cannot allow myself to feel guilty for not spending more time on blogger. I'll do it when I can and not fret when I can't.

Do you know how many times I've logged on in the past 10 days? Twice. One of which was 10 minutes ago, to write this post and possibly another. I have an immense amount of reading that I could catch up on, but I also have cleaning and organizing to do, friends to spend time with, kids to babysit, and a million other things to take care of. So if I do catch up and you see a comment from me on a post that was written two weeks ago, great. But if I don't get around to it, I'm OK with that, too.

I'm not abandoning my blog. I certainly have so much to share now and in the future, especially as I embark on my nursing school journey. But don't be surprised if my popping in is more sporadic and my commenting is less frequent. I'm 23 and enjoying living my life. I cannot let blogging become a burden, otherwise, my infrequency will likely evolve into non-existence.

The Next Steps

2011-04-07T12:03:00.003-04:00

Thanks for all the congrats, well wishes, and words of support on my last post; it means the world and more to me and I continue to feel blessed by the amount of love and support I've found through blogging.

Some of you asked details about the program I am doing, so I thought I'd answer them here.

On July 1st, I have an all-day orientation where I'll get my books for my first three classes, my student ID, my nursing school ID, another tour, fitted for my uniform & lab coat, meet my fellow classmates, have a picnic, etc. etc. The first session of classes begins on July 5th, 2011 and I will graduate with my BSN (bachelor's of science in nursing) at the end of August 2012-- so it's a 14 month program.

Things to do before July 1st:

1. Pay $150 dollar deposit-- check!

2. Find a place to live that's close to campus & move in. The campus is over an hour away from my house and commuting at least 5 days a week just seems like a complete waste of valuable time. My clinicals can also be as far north as Fort Wayne (about 2 hours from my house) and as far south as Indy (in my backyard). It will be good to be centrally located to both cities, and if I have a clinical at Indy, I'll just stay at my parents' house the night before. I actually found an apartment on Cragislist and went and looked at it yesterday. It was absolutely perfect, but she wants to fill it, like, yesterday, and I'm not moving for a couple more months. I'm hopeful she isn't able to fill it, but, if she does, I'll have to find somewhere else. Along with this, I need to find a bed and mattress, but all the other furniture my parents' have collecting in their attic-- thank God!

3. Become CPR certified. I'm required to take the American Red Cross Professional Rescuer course. I just looked up when the class is offered and I'm a little miffed. May 21st is the only day it's offered and it's from 8-5 on a Saturday. Y'all, my birthday is May 20th. Can I go to CPR class hungover? (kidding... rar)

4. Get a full physical, including immunizations and TB test (which I've already done, since it's required for me to volunteer).

5. Complete a background check.

6. Get a drug screening.

7. Buy supplies. Things I already know I need include: a wristwatch with a second hand (I have a watch, but will be buying another one that can, uh, handle fluids); pocket-sized spiral notebook; bandage scissors (check! thanks mom & dad!); penlight; googles/shield (check!); stethoscope (I have one, but will be buying a better one); optional: blood pressure cuff and hemostat.

8. New shoes. They must be either all black or all white and non-canvas. I'll probably buy all black athletic shoes or crocs for lab and another pair of super comfy shoes for clinical.

For now, those are the most important things. I'm so excited and can't even believe, after two years, my dream is finally becoming a reality!

Marianne Fancypants, SN

2011-04-05T13:33:00.002-04:00

Do you know what the "SN" stands for?

Student Nurse.

I GOT ACCEPTED TO NURSING SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!

Two years of hard work and a roller coaster of emotions has finally paid off and I will be starting an accelerated bachelor's program on July 5th. Three months from today!!!!!!!!

Cloud 9, that's where I am! I'll be back with another post later, for now, I need to do a happy dance!

Random Facts about Me You Probably Don't Care to Know.

2011-03-31T13:30:00.004-04:00

Brown Eyed Girl Jenn did this post earlier today and I thought it was fun, I haven't done a meme in ages, and I have a handful of new followers who may like to know useless information about me, so I figured what the heck? Might as well steal it. Thanks, Jenn!

The ABCs of yours truly!

A. Age-- 23. I'll be 24 on May 20th (I love surprises in the mail, hint hint ;)) and some days I can't believe I'm that old, while others, I can't believe I'm that young.

B. Bed size-- Queen and it's the most heavenly thing in the world, which is great, but also bad, because it is nearly impossible to pull myself out of bed every morning... or afternoon.

C. Chore you dislike-- Cleaning the shower would probably be my least favorite. I have a shower/tub combo and I really just hate getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing the bejeezus out of the thing. Plus, I feel like I smell like Clorox for the next 3 showers.

D. Dogs-- I have two fur babies, you can read about them here. Murphy is a bichon/poodle mix and Macklin is a bichon/cocker spaniel mix. My first dog was an English Cocker Spaniel and my second dog was an American Cocker Spaniel. Cocker's and Bichon's are probably my favorite, but my dream is to own an Old English Sheepdog.

E. Essential start to your day-- Breakfast of some sort and a glass of milk.

F. Favorite color-- I just really don't think I could say I have a favorite, favorite. Just like every song on the radio is my favorite. Too many to chose from, but I do love light green.

G. Gold or Silver-- it depends on what I'm wearing, as some things call for gold and others call for silver, but most of my jewelry is silver or white gold.

H. Height-- 5'9"

I. Instrument's you played-- I took piano lessons for 6 or so years. I can still fiddle around with it, but I'm not going to be performing a concert anytime soon (try not to cry too hard). I'd actually really, really like to take lessons again someday.

J. Job Title-- I'm sort of a nanny. I really don't know what to call it. Babysitter sounds so juvenile, but I don't feel like I'm a nanny anymore. Childcare provider? Rugrat Wrangler?

K. Kids-- none that call me mom on the daily, but many that I love and care for. I hope to have 4 of my own someday.

L. Live-- in a suburb of Indianapolis. There's about 75,000 residents and the most round-about's in the nation in my city. If I'm "forced" to live in Indiana, I wouldn't want to live in any other city than where I do currently, that's for darn sure.

M. Mom's name-- Susan. Most call her Susie, but I call her Ma, Mimi, Mother, Suz, and Momma Fancypants.

N. Nicknames-- Mar (like you'd pronounce Mar of Mars), Mare (like you pronounce Mar of Marianne), Peach, Dolly, Lacy Panties (yes, I'm serious).

O. Overseas Travel-- none. I've been to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean (as of March, 2011), and 18 states (not counting ones I've had lay-overs or driven through).

P. People you Admire-- anyone that is selfless, honest, hard working, dedicated, loving, compassionate, and strives to be the best person they can be.

Q. Quote from a Movie-- "Frankly, my dear, I just don't give a damn."

R. Righty or Lefty-- Righty, and very much right dependent.

S. Siblings-- 1 brother, Craig, he'll be 26 at the end of July.

T. Time you wake up-- depends on what my day looks like. If I have to babysit in the morning, by 8. If I don't have to be up for anything, whenever my heart desires... which is usually something crazy, like 11.

U. Underwear-- yes, I wear underwear. No, you may not see it.

V. Vegetables you don't like-- I'm really picky about veggies and how they're prepared, but ones I absolutely cannot stand are brussel sprouts, any kind of bean but black & green (if cooked the right way), peas, beats, baby corn (gross!), not a big avocado fan (is that a veggie or a fruit?), or mushrooms.

W. What makes you run late-- ha, everything. It's a rare occurrence when I'm not a couple minutes late. Horrible habit that's terribly rude, but I think most people just accept it and move on, fully knowing that I will, in fact, be late for my own funeral.

X. X-rays-- good Lord, too many to count. Chest (several), teeth, back (several), knee (several), ankle/foot, brain (maybe? definitely had an MRI), hand/fingers. Probably my entire body has been x-rayed at some point.

Y. Yummy food you make-- Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good in the kitchen, so I'd say most things I throw together turn out well, whether that's baking or cooking.

Z. Zoo animal favorites-- giraffe's & elephant's.

Also, I found a blog yesterday that I absolutely fell in love with and wanted to share with you guys. She's a (traveling) NICU nurse and has a great style of writing and is an amazing photographer. Sometimes I just feel compelled to share the greatness of others with people, and today? I feel compelled. So go show Jocelyn @ Suburbs of Utopia some lovin'. I dare you to not like her.

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

2011-03-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

~Frederick Keonig~

Picture taken by me. Secret Harbor, St. Thomas, USVI March 2011

Perhaps I have a bit of a problem?

2011-03-29T19:04:00.004-04:00

Remember when I told you all about my shoe addiction? Well, I'm sorry to say, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Aside from the fact that I've managed to add a few more pairs to my collection since that post (and have nowhere to put them) , I also realized I need to come clean about my other addiction.

Clothes.

Why, yes, it is organized by color.

If someone wanted to go shopping in my closet, she probably could. If I wanted to wear a new outfit everyday for a year & fit didn't matter, I probably could. If a small African village wanted to use my clothes to make garments for their community, they probably could.

Tops.

So. Many. Hangers.

Shorts & Pants

Jackets/dresses/dressier clothes

And that? Is embarrassing beyond words. Especially because I recognize the problem that it is and not only do I not do anything about it, I, quite frankly, don't even care to get it under control. I figure if I'm not going to walk around naked (you're welcome very much), I might as well have a nice selection of clothes to choose from, right?

In May, I'm going to do a total overhaul of my entire closet/bedroom/bathroom. Sounds like a great idea, no? Except every time I do that, I end up buying more clothes to fill in the empty spots and then I'm back at square one.

So, tell me, do any of YOU have an addiction that's calling for an intervention? Or am I flyin' solo with this one?

The Big Interview

2011-03-27T20:21:00.003-04:00

Friday the 18th I had my BIG interview for nursing school at the one and only program I applied to. My parent's actually drove me up, which, at first, I was kind of against, because I didn't want anyone seeing me roll up with my ma and pa and think, "Oh my God, this chick is almost 24 and can't go to an interview without her parent's?!" but, in the end, I was really relieved they drove me because I was a nervous wreck! And, no one saw them, anyway.

The campus is an hour and 10 minutes from my house and I zoned out in the back seat the entire ride there. I had never seen the campus and was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it is! It very much reminded me of UD and I kind of felt like I was going home. I arrived 20 minutes early, so they offered to give me a tour of the lab. Y'all, this made me SO excited! The facilities are gorgeous, everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming and I just got good vibes the entire time I was there. Which is probably a really good thing considering I could, potentially, be spending 14 months of my life there.

The tour also helped calm my nerves, so by time they called me back for my interview (with two women), I was feeling really confident. Some questions they asked were:

1. What do you think a nurse is?

2. Why do you want to be a nurse?

3. What have you done to prepare yourself for nursing school?

4. Why now?

5. What are you willing to give up for the program?

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I have no clue what my answers were because I truly just spoke from the heart and it was all kind of a blur afterward. BUT, they seemed to really like my answers and the conversation flowed so well. I had heard that these two women would be hard to read and I'd have no feel for how the interview went... but, that wasn't the case. I felt really good after the interview, like we all clicked, and that my answers were what they were hoping for, which is great, because none of them were contrived responses to makes me look better. Actually, lately, I had been really freaking out about the decision I've made to be a nurse. I was starting to doubt my decision, thinking I've wasted two years of my life, that I have NO clue what I want to do, and I'm just a hot mess. But when I got in there and answered the questions easily, I realized just how much I really do want to be a nurse and how happy I am with my decision and hard work.

So I'm being cautiously optimistic, but I'm really hopeful that they loved me as much as I loved them and that around April 1 (AHHHH SO SOON!) I get a letter of acceptance. If I don't get in, seriously, please say prayers for me like you've never prayed before, because I truly, 100 %, have no back up plan and no clue where I would go from here. And that? Freaks. Me. Out.

A week. That's all I have left the sit on the edge of my seat. After two years it comes down to SEVEN DAYS. Girlfriend needs a cocktail.

Sorry if this post is all over the place, I'm doing, like, 4 things at once.

Double sorry for being such a terrible blog friend lately. I've done little to no reading, zero commenting, and even fewer comment replies. I need to get a better grip on things!

The Rest of St. Thomas

2011-03-22T18:02:00.023-04:00

Oy, I knew trying to split the trip up into several posts would be too difficult to stay on top of. I just don't know how most of you find time in the day to blog! I used to be so good about writing here on a semi-regular basis, but I feel like life is going 100mph right now and I barely have my seatbelt on. I'm going to finish the St. Thomas posts right now so I can blog about other things before I forget (ie: my nursing school interview). It won't be as detailed, ~~and more picture heavy than anything~~ and I'm only posting a few pics because I can't choose, so I'm just going to do a slideshow this weekend when I need a distraction from homework. If that isn't good enough for you, maybe make up a vacation story to coincide with the pics? Haha.

On my first full day in St. Thomas, Colleen and I spent the entire day (literally, we were there from 930-630) pretending we were guests at the Ritz.

View of St. John from the Ritz

On Friday, Pete worked again, so Colleen and I hung out at Pete's private beach, appropriately dubbed, "Peter Cove." That night, we went to dinner and a bar in Yacht Haven called Fat Turtle. Any Real Housewives of NYC fans out there? Remember last season when the ladies went on Ramona's renewal trip to the islands of St. Thomas & St. John? And Ramona drank a billion pinot grigio's and kept saying she wanted to do turtle time? She was talking about going to Fat Turtle.

I look like a sweaty mess, but here we are at Fat Turtle

Saturday we woke up early, took the top off the car, and went to brunch, where we ordered $6 bottomless mimosas. After brunch, we headed to the ferry to go over to St. John for the day. It rained all morning on St. Thomas and both ferry rides (and we had the top down, so, naturally, it poured on us), but was fine on St. John. I absolutely LOVED St. John! Ninety percent of it is a national park, so it's mostly unspoiled beauty, tropical, and lush. We drove to random beach that wasn't crowded at all, cracked open the liquor, and settled in for a fun day.

Yes, this is real. Yes, I took it (on my phone, no less). Yes, it's even more beautiful in person. Trunk Bay, St. John.

Party in the ocean. Ever wanna get drunk really fast? Pour a strong drink and down it while getting tossed around the waves. You'll be good to go in about 30 minutes.

That night was Colleen's last night, so we kept the party going and went to dinner and a bar with some of Pete's friends.

Sunday we went to Charlotte Amalie, the port city for the cruise ships. It was super touristy with lots of shopping and people. We ate lunch at this delicious Spanish inspired restaurant, bought some jewelry (Larimar earrings for my ma, a ring for me), then dropped Colleen off at the airport.

Tasty lunch in Charlotte Amalie

The rest of the time, I spent pretty much alone because Pete worked. Honestly, it was PERFECT. Not that I don't wish I had company, but I loved the peace and quiet, the lack of having responsibility, not being consumed with thoughts about nursing school, and just being able to relax. I headed to over to a beach resort one afternoon because I wanted to snorkel and see the sunset (and some random man in his 60s wearing a fake tongue came up to me and licked me. All I could say was, "Well, I feel violated." It was so awkward.), but, otherwise, I spent my time on Peter Cove.

Sunset from Secret Harbor Beach Resort, St. Thomas

My home away from home, Peter Cove. I'd put my chair on the rocks towards the end of the day to get another 90 minutes or so of sun.

After 8 days, I could truly say it was one of the better vacations I had ever had. Aside from the 4 months in Hawaii, I'd never been on vacation with JUST friends. I had an absolute blast and am so grateful I had the opportunity to take the trip. And, in my true fashion, I was already planning my next getaway the morning had to come home, which makes me think becoming a traveling nurse is seeming like a better idea each day.

Reflection of the sunset

Sunrise

*All pics taken by me. St Thomas, March 2011*

The Best Shirt Ever

2011-03-17T17:05:00.003-04:00

When I put effort into how I look, I feel pretty, at best, so it is a rare occurrence when I feel sexy. This past Friday night though, I felt sexy, and I owe it all to this shirt:

Ann Taylor LOFT nautical stripe tee

I wish I had a picture of me in it, but we forgot to take pics that night.

The fit is perfect and makes you look super skinny. That's really all I can say about why it made me feel so sexy. I paired it with LOFT jeggings (which I'm also in love with and they make my ass look good and legs look skinny, so WIN), snake skin pumps, and some grey and gunmetal jewelry. I haven't felt so sexy in a long time and it probably helped that I received a ton of compliments from my girlfriends & a lot of attention from the fellas (which is an even rarer occurrence than me feeling sexy). There truly is something to be said about guys being attracted to confident women.

There really is no point to this post other than to inform you that I've found the perfect shirt and if you try it on and love it as much as me, you're welcome. If you hate it, sorry. Bonus: it's on sale right now and I love it so much that I don't even care I paid full price for it.

More St. Thomas posts later.

Also, I have my interview for nursing school tomorrow. If you could send good vibes my way, I'd so appreciate it!

St. Thomas: Day 1

2011-03-14T21:10:00.012-04:00

First, for all of you who expressed "concern," for lack of a better word, about me abandoning my blog now that I have twitter-- WRONG. Heck no, peeps. Honestly, I don't even get the point of twitter, but I thought I'd give it a try. Plus, my friend in St. Thomas is really hard to get ahold of for many reasons, and he has twitter, so I thought it'd be another way to keep in touch. Anyway, I'll abandon twitter before my blog, so have no fear, I'm here to stay. For better or for worse. Whether you like it or not.

Speaking of St. Thomas, I'm trying to decide how I want to blog about the trip. I feel like one post is going to be really long, but who knows when I would have time to get a second post up about it. Let's just see where this takes us...

Two weeks ago today, I arrived in the Caribbean, stepped off the plane, and was offered a shot of pineapple rum. Why, don't mind if I do. Clearly, this is the way I'd like to start any and all vacations, so I pretty much knew from that point on this trip was going to be epic. And epic, it was.

View from the plane. Obsessed with the water color.

My friend Colleen was there for the first four days and I'm 99% sure we laughed the entire time, starting in the cab on the way to the ferry where Pete was picking us up. We took a group taxi (read: 15 passenger van) and were packed in like sardines. The poor people who rode with us were probably hoping for a pleasant trip to their hotel where they could enjoy the scenery in quiet. Fortunately, they were good sports, and cracked jokes, too. Like the dude who said, "Rule number 1: no flatulence," and the old man who referred to our van receiving the middle finger as being given, "half a peace sign." We finally got to the ferry and I was so happy to get out because oh. my. god. the roads in St Thomas are terrifying.

Pete then rolled up in his Sidekick. Not familiar with a Sidekick? You should be. It was awesomely hilarious and I probably could've put it in my suitcase and brought it home with me and not gone over the 50lb weight limit. It's like the SUV of Smartcars. See:

Not Pete's car, but close enough. Yes, the top comes off.

We drove for about 5 minutes and then were at his apartment, also known as heaven. His apartment wasn't anything fancy, but my word, the view? To die for. I stared at it for a few and couldn't believe I was actually there. We hung out for a bit then went to dinner at this awesome place called Fungi's (that's fun-gee, not fun-guy) that served delicious local cuisine and had a killer setting literally on the water.

Un-zoomed view from Pete's balcony. Nazareth Bay, St. Thomas.

Insert awesome thing about St. Thomas #1: You can take open containers into restaurants and finish them there. Pour a glass of wine before you left the house? Take it with you (why, yes, that means you can also drive with open containers) and finish it at the restaurant. Do you know how much money I could save if every restaurant in the world allowed that? I have a glass that holds an entire bottle of wine (called the Magnum haha)! I'd never have to pay 7 bucks for a glass when I can drink a whole bottle for $10 and, essentially, take it with me.

Yours truly, Pete, & Colleen, with our open containers ha.

After dinner, we headed back to his place, changed clothes, then went out to the bars in Red Hook. A bar called Duffy's Love Shack has ladies' night on Wednesday's, meaning ladies drink for free. In theory, that is. You see, us girls (3 of us) started with vodka & a mixer, Pete had beer. Girls for free, Pete paid, like, 2 bucks a beer.

Insert awesome thing about St. Thomas #2: The drinks are hella strong. Picture a solo cup. Pour liquor. Keep pouring. Keeeeeep pouring. Now stop, about 1/4 from the top. Now splash a little soda or tonic in and serve. Strong & cheap, what could be better?

I'm really not sure when we made the decision to do so, but at some point, we decided we all wanted shots. Tequila for me and another girl, jagerbombs for Colleen and Pete. By the end of the night, we had racked up a bill of $93.50 in shots. WHO THE HELL SPENDS $93.50 ON LIQUOR AT LADIES' NIGHT?!?!

Me & Colleen

Miraculously, 3/4 of us woke up not hungover. Yes, that includes me. Pete was able to get approval for Colleen and me to spend the day at his place of work... which just happens to be the Ritz Carlton (cue angels singing).

View from the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas- looking at St. John in the distance.

Ok, I'll stop here for now because you're probably bored at this point. I was there for 8 days, this may end up being an 8 post series hahaha. Oops.

*except for the car, all pics are mine (sorry for the lack of editing). Don't steal them.

Twitter

2011-03-13T18:32:00.004-04:00

Assuming y'all haven't totally forgotten about me, I'm now on twitter. Enough people convinced me what a loser I was for not being on twitter that I told Pam to come up with a twitter name and I'd join. She took the challenge and ran with it, so here I am, BrashandSassy1 is the name. Use it, don't abuse it. Feel free to follow me, but I'll warn you now, I have NO clue what the hell I'm doing on that site (as evidenced by the fact that I probably could link you directly to my name, but don't know how to do that...). And it likely won't always be PG.

I had a fabulous trip and an amazing weekend (like, one of the best I've ever had), all of which I plan to clue you in on soon, but I've been tending to the bomb that exploded in my room all afternoon and babysit for my cousin all day tomorrow (oh yea, she went back to work, so now I have two regular "nanny" jobs), and babysit for the other family all day Tuesday and some on Wednesday... so I'll get to it when I get to it.

Hope you don't miss me too terribly, I'll be back soon. Scouts honor.

Just Popping In

2011-03-01T09:52:00.003-05:00

I didn't intend to skip out for the past (almost) week, &, as a matter of fact, I actually HAD things to blog about (shocking, I know), but the end of last week was pure chaos and time did not allow for much of anything other than work/appointments/errands/getting ahead on school work/playing mom to three kids all weekend. And all of that running around & time spent with kids has left me with a terrible cold, intense nausea, and sleep deprevation.

However, my flight leaves at 7:05 tomorrow morning & by 2 EST, I'll be in beautiful St Thomas with another friend visiting one of my favorite people in the world & for that, I am beyond grateful.

Catch y'all in a week or so!

Aloha. Or whatever the Caribbean equivalent of goodbye is.

Sometimes chain mail is pretty funny!

2011-02-23T16:44:00.005-05:00

This email made me laugh so hard I had to share:

David Is To Be Returned To Italy .
A bit of cultural news for a welcome change.

After a two year loan to the United States , Michelangelo's David is being returned to Italy, looking a bit different.

HAHAHAHAAH!!!

Happy hump day!

Throwback Tuesday

2011-02-22T12:36:00.002-05:00

I decided to repost an entry from not quite a year ago when I had, like, 4 readers (speaking of readers, super huge THANKS to all my newest followers!). I woke up with a migraine and have to babysit in less than an hour, so blogging something new isn't going to happen and I assume 99% of you haven't read this post before, anyway. Maybe I'll do this every Tuesday- repost a post from the past? Perhaps. Anyway, enjoy!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010
I'm (almost) too Embarrassed to Admit...
... That I am deathly terrified of birds/anything with feathers (especially if it flies). I'm sure it pays to be an onlooker when I'm walking down the beach or through the park and a bird gets within 10 feet of me. Let's just say loud stomping, clapping, and spitting are some tactics to scare them away. Or I scream and run in the opposite direction. Whatever works.

... That the kids I babysit for tell me to cover my nose and mouth when I change their diapers because they know that I will gag. Babies bums are no problem, dissecting a cat doesn't even bug me, but give me the hiney of a kid of at least two years in age and I'm dunzo.

... That my nighttime routine consists of: vick's vaporub under the nose, vaseline lathered on the lips, honkin' piece of plastic in the mouth to stop me from grinding my teeth, and a blanket totally wrapped around my eyes. Lucky hubby I'll have ;) At least I don't sleep in a flannel nightgown... or do I?

... That if I wanted to, I could eat an entire large pizza from Donatos in one night and not get sick. And now you all know why I gained those 29581 "unexplained" pounds.

... That I want to punch people who spell ridiculous as rediculous. And don't know the difference between to, too, or two. Or lose and loose. Or clothes and cloths. Or those who spell Marianne/Merri Ann as Mary Ann. So lame.

... That the sound of chewing gum chomping makes me cringe more than nails on a chalkboard.

... That I always speak before I think. Yes, you read that correctly. I Speak, then think. My friends (usually) think it's hilarious because it's so mind-boggling that someone could be so uncensored. I think it's social suicide, but do little to change it.

... That I am obsessed with Roseanne. Sometimes I stay up way later than I should just to watch it on TV Land. I hope to God I have that kind of humor when raising my own children. She has the best one-liners and her retorts to her children's questions inspire me.

... That I fall over. A lot. Yesterday at the library I lost my balance when I walked into the bathroom stall and slammed into the wall. I'm quite familiar with the walls of stalls (and floors) at bars... but the library was a new one. I also run into walls, a lot. I'm considering suing my eye doctor.

... That my wingspan is shorter than my height. So what if my pants are flooders (after a run in the dryer, they usually are) and my shirts cover my hands, you got a problem with that?

... That I crack myself up. Like this post; I think some of it is pretty darn witty, even if it's not.

My New Stash.

2011-02-21T18:37:00.003-05:00

Stash o' books, that is.

I may or may not have mentioned it before, but I absolutely LOVE to read. I learned how to read when I was 2 1/2 and have been obsessed ever since, often times staying up way too late, getting lost in another world. I can literally spend hours in books stores pouring of every genre, trying to decide which books I want to take home, while inhaling the warming scent of an untouched book. Freak alert: I always sniff books, they smell so good! Anyway, I've read more books than I can count and am constantly looking for new ones to add to my collection.

Border's bookstore declared bankruptcy recently and I am so depressed. I feel like you're either a Border's or Barnes & Noble person. I? Am a Border's girl all the way. The store in my city is having a major closeout sale and everything was 20-40% off, so I sought some book suggestions from my friends on Facebook & headed over to Border's this afternoon. I made out like a bandit! Twelve books (one for my brother) and two new reading lights!

I plan on doing a book review for each one, so hopefully there are some that you can add to your reading list, too. Below is what I purchased (some recommended, some of my own choosing) with links to descriptions, in case some of you are interested. As you'll notice, the genres are pretty varied.

1. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer (Another blog friend has this on her list and a lot of people commented on how good it is. I had never heard of it, but I'm ridiculously fascinated by true crime, Mormonism, and polygamy; this book is about all three. Another interesting book about a Mormon cult & crime is Prophet of Death: The Mormon Blood Atonement Killings by Pete Earley. Read it in college and finished it in 36 hours.)

2. Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult (I've never read Picoult some I'm curious to see if I enjoy her as much as everyone else seems to).

3. Honolulu by Alan Brennert (chosen for obvious reasons. I've heard it's really good, though, & a few people recommended it to me recently.)

4. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert (see above.)

5. House Rules by Jodi Picoult (recommended by a college friend.)

6. House of Evil by John Dean (true crime that happened in Indiana in the late '60s. Shockingly, I'd never heard of it & was happy when I randomly pulled it off the shelf.)

7. Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

8. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (Surely you've heard of this. James Frey claimed it's a memoir and all true, Oprah put it on her Book Club list, raved about it for.ever, only to be made a fool when it was revealed that much of it was embellished. Nonetheless, I've heard it's decent, true or not.)

9. Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

10. Fabulously Fashionable by Holly McQueen

11. The Aqua Net Diaries by Jennifer Niven (It kept catching my eye, so I'm curious to see what I think-- the reviews on Amazon aren't that great, though. It takes place 40 minutes from where I went to college, so that also has me intrigued.)

I finished Beautiful People by Wendy Holden in Florida & was not a fan & still don't know why it got such good reviews. I started Little Bee by Chris Cleve, but haven't read much and will probably restart it, but so far, it's good, and has gotten rave reviews, so I'll let y'all know what I think of that one when I'm finished.

What's on your reading list?

Also, thanks for all the suggestions of what you'd like me to blog about. I have them saved and will be doing each and every one of them :)

One Step Closer

2011-02-14T18:27:00.002-05:00

First off, thanks to the two people who actually followed through with my request in my last post and gave me ideas. But, seriously? TWO out of 110+ readers? That is Lame with a capital "L." So Katie & Gini, y'all get some major cool points from me. And Pam, you do, too, just because your comment made me laugh so loud I scared my dogs.

Anyramble...

This morning I received an email from the lady I've been in communication with for a year-ish from the school that I applied to for nursing school. I was kind of caught off guard since all my questions have been answered from her and I'm really now just waiting to see if I'll be starting nursing school in July or packing my bags and moving. So, imagine my surprise when I opened it and saw that...

THEY WANT ME TO COME IN FOR AN INTERVIEW!!!!!!

WOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!

Y'all, I am so excited! From what I've heard, they only bring people in for interviews to make sure they think they are a good fit & to gauge their communication skills and see how serious they are about becoming a nurse. I'm not trying to get my hopes up too high, but I'm pretty easy to talk to and, DUH, my first degree is in communications, so I'm hopeful that the interview will go smoothly!

If you would, please, keep me in your prayers from now until March 18, when my interview is, I'd so greatly appreciate it.

Also, I'd like to thank each and every single one of you for supporting me during this whole process and continually encouraging me and knowing just the right things to say to make me keep going and not give up. It means more to me than you'll ever know and I feel incredibly blessed to have each of you in my life.

One last thing, could you guys please keep Jenna and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with the loss of her grandfather? Thanks, darlings.

smooches,

Help me find some inspiration.

2011-02-13T22:56:00.003-05:00

Lovely friends, please help me get back my blogging mojo.

You may not believe it, but oh, how I miss it, so.

I used to have so much to say,

But now, I can't even blog every seventh day.

No dating nightmares, stop light adventures, or crazy tomfoolery;

Just babysitting, running errands, and a little bit of schoolery.

So, now, dear readers, I beg of you, this,

To help get my blog out of the piss...(er),

Ask me questions, suggest topics to write about,

I'll do your requests until they run out.

And if that poem wasn't spelling it out enough, I'm currently taking suggestions for things you'd like me to write about. Ask a question, suggest a topic, seek my opinion... I DO NOT CARE. I just need to get out of this writer's block I've had since August!

Sunday Stealing.

2011-02-13T16:16:00.003-05:00

I'm home from Florida (booooo!) and procrastinating doing my homework, so Sunday Stealing it is. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?

Margaritas! Why, yes, I do consider that a dish, especially when you consume them by the pitcher. OK, fine, chicken enchiladas are my favorite food dish.

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate?

Did you read my first sentence? I'm currently procrastinating, and, I can assure you, this habit is not a new development.

3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?

Luxe Home Interiors. Oh. My. Goodness. I'd imagine Candice Olson would be in heaven here, and since I love her eye for design, it's no surprise I'm obsessed with this store. I have no clue if it's nationwide, but there is one five minutes from my house and I want every single thing in the store. Unfortunately, I'm gonna need a sugar daddy in order to afford the prices.

4. When you were young, did you like school lunches?

I guess. I didn't buy lunch everyday, but I bought often enough.

5. Is religion a crutch?

If you're, say, a terrorist claiming the Qu'ran told you to do it? Yes. If you're Tom Cruise and blaming scientology on your nutso points of view? Yes. If you're a faithful person striving to be the best person you can be and use religion as a means to fulfill that potential? No.

6. In your region, what is the “big” high school sport?

Football. But I am from Indiana, which, in case you didn't know, is like the birth place of basketball. Or something like that. So, of course, basketball is big, too.

7. Do you consider yourself rich?

Let's see... I'm 23, live with my parent's, am a student, only work 15 hours a week, and am currently trying to figure out how I'm going to pay for nursing school. I am a lot of things, but rich ain't one of them.

8. Which of these would you have the best chance administering:

A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire

Well, I'd like to think I could do any of them sufficiently, but probably A. or B.

9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:

A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing

Salsa. I'd love to be able to move my hips in such a sexy and provocative way.

10. What’s the worst news you’ve ever delivered to someone?

You are NOT the father.

I kid, I kid. I have no clue, I'm not usually the bearer of bad news.

11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.

Opening the throat is the best way to bong a beer in record time. It also helps shots go down smoothly.

Liquor before beer, you're in the clear; beer before liquor, never been sicker. (Total lie, FYI).

Being an adult is totally over-rated.

12. New variation on an old question: If there’s a song in your head that just won’t get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?

Well, considering it's usually songs I despise that get stuck in my head, I do not have a favorite line.

PS, have any of you ever watched "Fatal Attractions" on animal planet? Please explain to me what about owning a leopard or tiger as a pet sounds like a good idea?

Coming to you live from Florida

2011-02-08T12:04:00.002-05:00

Hi, friends! Hows are yas? I'm sittin' here poolside in Siesta Key, Florida hell bent on getting a tan even though it's mostly cloudy and 60 degrees and my legs have goosebumps. I'm considering suing the self=proclaimed "Sunshine State" for false advertising because it has been anything but sunny since I landed Saturday. But it's warmer than it is at home & for that I am grateful; plus I'm leaving for St. Thomas in 3 weeks so really I just need to shut up.

Even though the weather is less than perfect, I'm still yearning to move down here sooner rather than later. If I get into the nursing program in Indiana, I'll be moving down here in a little less than 2 years; if I don't get in, I'll be moving down as early as September. So, in honor of my quest to get the heck out of Indiana, I'd thought I'd write my top reasons for wanting to become a Floridian, although Hawai'i is still at the top of my list.

In no particular order:

1. Warm weather (mostly) year around. The winters in Indiana are brutal and while the summers are great and perfect and make me happy, happy, joy, joy, I'm not so sure they make up for the crappy weather we get pounded with from November-March. Not only do the grey, dreary, bitter cold days affect me mentally, but they also bring physical pain as part of fibromyalgia. My back had been killing me in recent weeks, but the second I hit warmer weather and humidity, I've been pain free.

2. Palm trees and tropical plants. Stuff that puts a smile on my face and Indiana cannot grow. Enough said.

3. Outdoor living. I l-o-v-e to be outside. LOVE. Whether it's sitting outside and reading a book, or getting in some form of exercise, I'm outside as much as possible. But, like I said, Indiana doesn't so much lend itself to that kind of lifestyle year around. Here, you can eat outside morning, noon & night (which I have), you can go for long walks & bike rides, & you can freakin' drive with the sunroof open or the top down any day of the year without looking like a complete moron.

4. Beaches. Nothing brings me greater joy than walking with the sand between my toes and the waves crashing beside me. I've slept with the bedroom window open every night so I can hear the waves crash into shore and while I do have a sound machine that does the same thing, it's infinitely better hearing the real deal. I've been able to run on the beach everyday and I know having access to one will lend to a healthier lifestyle. Granted I won't literally live on the beach, but at least within driving distance, which is good enough and more than I can say for my current living situation.

5. Friends! I have blog-friends turned real-life friends down here! I met Jenna & Jess for lunch in St. Petersburg on Sunday and had THE BEST TIME with lots of laughs!! It was so great to spend a few (too short) hours with them and it honestly felt like we'd known each other for years. I only wish it hadn't been such a brief visit and could happen weekly because those two beautiful ladies have a very special place in my heart now (picture to come later).

6. My brother and parent's talk about moving down here all the time, so it's not like I'd be away from my immediate family. Plus, I highly doubt it'd take much convincing to get my extended family and friends to come visit.

7. The reality of meeting a southern gentleman in Florida vs. Indiana is unparalleled. Ok, fine, maybe not the best reason, but clearly my quest for a lover in Indiana has been a fail of epic proportions, so I might as well take it across state-lines.

8. Did I mention the weather?

So that's that. I'm off to try and catch some rays alongside the geriatrics. One of them whistled at me yesterday, woohoo ;)

Hugs!

Frigid.

2011-02-01T16:12:00.004-05:00

Like much of the country, Indiana has been hit with a nasty winter storm. It snowed a little bit last night, but it's mostly been raining ice. Lots and lots of ice. Four and a half inches of it, to be exact. The trees are starting to sag, the winds are picking up, and more ice is pelting the windows, and should be until the ice storm warning expires in another 27 hours and the snow moves in.

Personally, I don't really care. Sure, I'd rather not have this weather, but I don't mind being stuck at home and not feeling guilty about it, especially since it's the middle of winter and I despise walking outside in the frigid temperatures. However, if all of this hinders my plans to fly to Florida Saturday morning & have my butt on a beach by Saturday afternoon, you'll likely see my mugshot on the national news for stealing a jet and flying myself away from Antarctica. Shall I pick some of you up on my way?

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy my time at home, relaxing, and hopefully tapping into my creative side for the first time in a long time and actually blogging something worth reading.

Until then, hope you all stay safe and warm if you're being struck by this nasty weather. And if you're somewhere warm, well, pin a rose, on your nose.

Here's a little video of my brother showing how frozen our driveway is. He tried to chip away at it with a pick-ax, but made little progress (as evidenced in the video- I mean, the ax BOUNCES off the ice. That is NOT normal). Ignore my annoying laugh.

And now, we wait.

2011-01-27T19:23:00.002-05:00

I had that stupid beyond stupid (does that even make sense?) TEAS exam today. It was SO stupid.

Oh wait, I said that already, didn't I?

I studied all week and stressed about it all week and may or may not have broke down in tears yesterday. Twice. I was totally prepared to come home, tears in my eyes, and write a post that I had already written in my mind about how I failed the exam and have no clue where my life is headed and beg people to find me a job in a handful of different states I'd be willing to live in, & was obviously just being the biggest Negative Nelly you've ever met. Which is so not me.

I took the exam at 12:30 and was finished by 2:45. It was hard. Significantly harder than the exam I busted my ass for last March. The study manual for the science section was a waste-- the exam was A LOT more detailed than the manual. Since I had already convinced myself that I was going to fail and my life was over and I've wasted two years and I might as well down a bottle of vicodin (totally kidding), I just finished the exam and clicked submit, feeling emotionless.

And then, the results: I PASSED!!!! Not by a ton, by any means. I certainly didn't blow it out of the water like last time, but I PASSED. I also scored higher than the national average and program average, which inflated my ego a smidge.

I came home & wrote the essay required for the application. For all you nosey peeps, here it is (I totally played up the whole God part. They clearly value religion, given some of their application questions.):

My first memory of stating, “I want to be a nurse!” when asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is when I was nine-years-old and had to answer the question for a writing assignment. Two years prior, a friend had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and spent most of the six years he battled the disease at either Riley Children’s Hospital or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. At such a young age, the best way my parent’s were able to explain what was happening to me was by saying, “Mikey is sick and needs to let the doctors and nurses make him feel better.” From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be in a position where I could help the sick.
As I grew older, I changed my mind several times regarding my future career, but nursing was always in the back of my mind. In 2009, I received a BA in Communications/Journalism, which I think will be an asset when communicating with patients and medical personnel alike. The semester before earning my degree is when I prayed long and hard about what I felt was a calling to continue my education and attend nursing school. While I had always thought I would make a wonderful nurse and love the profession, the calling I felt made me also realize I need to be a nurse and need to be in an environment in which I help others; it is where I will find the greatest satisfaction and sense of achievement.
Since that time, I have embraced what I consider to be a message from God and have actively been pursuing a BSN by taking various prerequisites, including anatomy and physiology, advanced physiology, microbiology, chemistry, and a couple psychology classes. While I have learned a great deal from these courses that will undoubtedly play a key role in my success as a nursing student, the greatest learning experience has come through my volunteer work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Vincent’s Women’s Hospital. Since June 2009, I have been volunteering in the NICU at least four hours a week, doing whatever tasks the nurses and unit representatives ask of me. Such tasks include: filing charts, restocking supplies, doing laundry, changing diapers, taking temperatures, redressing babies, cuddling babies, changing leads, and running labs to the pharmacy. I have built bonds with the nurses, who have become wonderful mentors and cheerleaders. I knew volunteering in the hospital would be a great experience, but I never knew just how much hands-on experience I would be allowed and how big of a learning experience it has truly been for me.
As a 23-year-old, I feel that I am at the point in my life where I am emotionally, mentally, and spiritually mature enough to meet my full potential as a nurse. After a lot of research, I feel Indiana Wesleyan University will be the best fit for me to continue my education because of its long-standing reputation and faith-based environment. I look forward to furthering my education and am eager to begin my career as a nurse.

I rushed to the post office right before it closed and over-nighted the letter since all parts of the application is due by February 1. As of tomorrow at 3, my application will be completed.

And now, we wait. I have no clue when we are supposed to get word, so pardon me if I'm a little edgy from now until July.

Shout out to it's just me :)-- you have no idea how much your email meant to me. You made me start my day off on the right foot and it only went up from there. Thanks so much for your encouragement!!

Oops, I did it again.

2011-01-24T15:33:00.005-05:00

Disappear that is. It's become a terrible habit! And I'm really sick of doing posts that cover the past couple of weeks in bullet points, but that's what happens when you don't write about it as it happens! So here's a little update; I have real posts in the works, but, let's be honest, there's no tellin' when those will be finished.

My last day of work with the family I did not connect with was a couple of weeks ago and I have already noticed how much stress it took off my shoulders and how much happier I am. I started with a new family last week, but I'm only working for them 10 hours a week. I'm hoping to find another 10-15 hours of work in some way, shape, or form somewhere, but I've been pretty busy lately, so maybe it's for the better. Although my bank account would disagree...

I joined a new weight-loss program a couple of weeks ago and officially began a week ago. I'm going to write a post about it, but I've already noticed changes and I am really pleased.

I have to take the damn TEAS test Thursday @ 1230. I bought the study materials for the new version and the material does seem a little more difficult, but nothing I'm not familiar with. I'm trying really hard not to freak out, but if I don't pass every section (which, if you'll remember, the first time I took it, I failed the science by 2 points-- the second time I passed with flying colors), I'm screwed since the nursing school app is due February 1.

I'm finally back on my parent's insurance, which means I survived 6 months of being uninsured without any major issues! I was able to get two of my medicine's for free (a 90 day supply) from one of the pharmaceutical companies & my other medicine was only 20 bucks for a 90 day supply since it's generic. I was also able to get my flu shot for free through the hospital I volunteer at. No emergencies, no serious illnesses, my doctors were willing to push follow up appointments till after the first of the year, so, really, I was very, very fortunate.

I leave for Florida in less than 2 weeks and I cannot wait to see palm trees and the ocean and just relax.

I'm thinking about joining an online dating site that's free so I can have some hilarious stories to share and be guaranteed a few good laughs every day. And those would be the only reasons for joining.

I feel like I'm leaving stuff out, but I need to get back to studying and packing (my dad is leaving Wednesday and taking stuff).

Also, I've been HORRIBLE about responding to comments, but please know all of your kind words and encouragement mean the world to me and I appreciate you taking time out of your day to catch up with me and drop me a line.

Hugs,

A Message from Momma Fancypants

2011-01-16T22:38:00.003-05:00

First off, I tried writing this post last night and for the past hour and the only letters blogger would let me type were s r i o f and turned the g into a 6. So weird.

Also, I should clarify, on my last post where I vented about the stupid roadblocks I keep encountering as I try to get into nursing school, I DO plan on cramming for the TEAS exam and taking it January 28 and, assuming I pass, finish my application to the program that is due February 1. I'm not giving up just because of the bs I keep encountering, but I likely will be looking for a job and relocating if I do not get into the program (or pass the exam).

My mom caught up on my blog last night and left a message in the comments for all you sweet people who sent prayers and good vibes her way when she had surgery. Her surgery went well & she's been recovering nicely with very little pain. The doc put 8 pins & 2 metal plates in her foot, removed a neuroma & bone spur, and fused her big toe. Here's what she had to say to y'all:

This is Momma Fancypants and I want to thank all of "daughter fancypants'" friends for your prayers and well-wishes for my surgery. Everything went well and "Demi" or whichever name she answers to, has been a very good nurse to me. We are looking forward to getting out of this snowy, cold place to a warm and sunny beach! Thanks also, for being such good blog friends, bc , "Demi" talks about you all the time and how you make her laugh, too.
Happy days to all.

I kind of love that she called herself Momma Fancypants.

Thank you so much for all your kind words and concern, it means a lot!

Hope y'all have a great week, I'll share about my weekend with my best friend soon :)

Bipolar post.

2011-01-14T10:30:00.006-05:00

I just got word that the TEAS exam I busted my ass for last spring won't count for the TEAS requirement for the nursing program I just applied to. I have to take a newer version by February 1. Had I not inquired about this last fall, I'd smack myself, but I did and specifically asked if they would accept those scores, and they never told me they wouldn't. I am beyond frustrated with all the effing obstacles I've encountered on my pursuit to get into nursing school.

I'm asking this seriously, who can help me get a job in either Florida, Hawaii, or California? If things don't pan out with this program, I'll be moving to one of the aforementioned states and working for a while & trying to figure out my life. I can't keep doing what I've been doing for over a year and a half with no results.

In good news, I'm leaving in a hour to pick up my best friend from the airport. I haven't seen her since October 2009 and I'm so excited I could pee my pants. I threw a pack of Depends in the car. A group of us are renting a hotel downtown tonight, going out to dinner, and drinks & dancing after. "Demi" most certainly will make an appearance. If it weren't for all of this, I'd likely sit in my room crying all day.

Operation find Marianne a job begins... NOW!

In which I brag about a blog friend.

2011-01-05T21:16:00.001-05:00

When I started blogging, never did I imagine the friendships I'd develop with people around the country. I really do enjoy getting to know new people and communicate with them on a regular basis. I'm sure all my real life friends who don't blog think I'm a freak because I talk about these people I've never met as if they are my long lost sisters, but, like I said, they don't blog, so how could they possibly get it?

There I go again, speaking incoherently.

I have SO MANY friends that I'd love to give big, giant squeezes to sooner, rather than later, but, unfortunately, I've thus far only met one. And boy, is she a good one.

In case you forgot, I went to NYC with ~~a total "stranger"~~ Rosh back in November. While walking down 5th Ave one day, we were lured into Lindt Chocolatier by a lady with candy. Dark chocolate peppermint truffles, to be exact. I firmly believe that a piece of chocolate everyday keeps the bitchiness away, but I refrained from purchasing any and kept walking down 5th while trying to get a good shot of the Empire State Building.

Then, in the beginning of December, Rosh asks for my address because she had gotten me a little something. I was all, "What the hell girl, you just gave me a free trip to NYC." But I like gifts, so I gave her my address and stalked the mailman nonstop.

Y'all, the freakin' box cost 10 bucks to ship. It was NOT small. I tore into it like a kid on Christmas morning and found this:

A silhouette of the Empire State Building!

I LOVE this!!!! It's sitting on my shelf where I have a couple other things from New York and waiting to be framed. How cool is that though? I've never seen anything like it!

But that's not all. Rosh also spoiled me rotten with TWO bags of the fabulous dark chocolate peppermint truffles that we loved oh so much AND a box of mixed flavored truffles for my family!

I mean, honestly! I was speechless!

We really did hit it off really well and I am so glad to have a made a new and awesome friend like Rosh. I only wish we lived closer so we could see each other more frequently, but fortunately, we both love to travel ;)

Rosh, thank you SO MUCH for spoiling me even more than you already had!! You are one of the kindest, most sincere, most thoughtful people I have ever met and I am honored to have you be a part of my life. Hugs!!

Other readers, Rosh just applied to nursing school today. Since I know y'all have so much love to give, go to her blog and tell her congrats and good luck!

ps. anyone else feel that I've been overly mushy this week?

pps. Momma Fancypants is having surgery tomorrow, if you could please pray for her, that she comes through the anesthesia without any complications, & for the doctor, that God works through his hands without fail, we would really appreciate it. She's kind of nervous, so we'll take all the good vibes we can get.

Hugs,

If you've ever wanted to tell me you hate me, today would be the day to do it...

2011-01-04T17:44:00.002-05:00

... because I just applied to nursing school & Sarah Palin reads my blog, so, really, nothing's going to bring me down today.

Yes, you read that correctly, I sent off my application to nursing school with the click of a button a few hours ago & now I will be fuh-reaking out for the rest of eternity. Or until my letter comes, which ever happens first.

The application was kind of funny & I was worried I'd answer the question wrong. It's a Christian university and some things the application asked were, "Do you except Jesus Christ as your Savior?" "Do you agree to refrain from immoral activities, such as cheating and lying?" and of course I said yes to both of those, without hesitating. But I got a little tripped up on the question about refraining from premarital sex & substance abuse. Obviously I've thus far committed to abstinence, but I've never been in love, so that's been easy. What if I fall in love within the next 2 years? I'd love to save myself for marriage, but I'm no fool, temptation is always looming. And define substance abuse. Clearly I enjoy a good drink (0r 10), but I know how to stop. Is binge drinking on occasion considered substance abuse?

You can see my dilemma, no?

I said, "Yes, I agree to refrain from such illicit activities" (not a direct quote) because I'm pretty sure that's the answer they were looking for, and, in my opinion, I do agree with this mindset and live my life that way, but damn them if they've turned me into a liar.

Oh, and Sarah Palin reads my blog. True story. A couple months ago I had a hit on here from someone (Sarah Palin) at "Alaskan State Government" and the other day I had a hit from someone (Sarah Palin) in Wasilla, Alaska. Now, I'm no genius, but obviously there is only one logical explanation for said hits: Sarah Palin reads my blog. And, come on, why wouldn't she?

So go now, send me hate mail if you want, because today is a day where I won't come guns a blazin' if you do.

Hope your day has been all gumdrops and moon beams like mine.

I guess I should write something, huh?

2011-01-03T21:19:00.003-05:00

I've been so horrible about blogging lately, as I'm sure you've noticed (or not, I highly doubt you sit at your computer hitting refresh 100 times a day praying to the Good Lord that I've thrown up some fantastically crappy post. Or maybe you do. Creepy). I haven't written much, read much, commented much, or replied to comments much. I really have no reason, either, I've just not been feeling it, I suppose. I've kind of gotten to the point where I'm like, "honestly, do people really care about what I say?" Sure, I could tell you about my nights out with my girlfriends, but first of all, it'd be the cliffsnotes version without all the awesome details because I cannot out my girls like that, and second of all, do you really care?

Is any of this even making sense?

I know I say I blog for me, and I do, but I also know people read what I write, and if I'm going to have an audience, I'd rather them be entertained, and if I think what I'm going to write could potentially be boring, then why write, and then I get to the point where I find everything to be boring, so I don't write, and here I am, neglecting my blog, and only popping in to write a bunch of jibber jabber and quite possibly not make any sense.

If you've ever wondered my thought processes, there you have it.

Anyramble. I guess I'll just write, and if people think I turned into Sucky McSuckerson, so be it.

One of my dearest friends moved home from Maryland and has single handedly revived my social life. Tell me that's not impressive? Thursday night a few of us girls went out for a night on the town. The entire night was hilarious, and even more hilarious as we rehashed the events all day Friday & Saturday. I'm still trying to figure out A. how I was not dying & not hungover for longer than 30 minutes on Friday and B. how I remember everything from Thursday night. Holy tequila. And vodka. And some delicious concoction called a "lunch box." Friday I sent a text to my friend, which then turned into a facebook status, which read: "I'm pretty sure I was in my own world on the dance floor last night. And I introduced myself to some guy as 'Demi'." Demi is my new alter-ego. She's a bit crazy.

Betti, Kiki, Me.

No, those aren't their real names. Aren't they so gorgeous? Pretty people make me smile, so no wonder I keep them around ;)

I almost cropped myself out because I hate how I look, but I don't plan on looking this way much longer, so consider this the "before Marianne returned to sexy" picture.

And yes, we're all really that tall.

It has felt really good to have interactions with people my age again. Truth be told, I've gone out more in the past month than I did in at least the last 6 combined. It's been really, really nice to feel like a 23 year old and realize how desperately I really do need my friends. They make me let loose and have fun and be a little more carefree, and Lord knows I need to let loose and have fun and be carefree. This girl is wound up tighter than a drum, most days.

On Saturday we started a new New Year's Day tradition where K, B, & I plan on going to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and champagne and then out on the town. I've mentioned before how much I struggled to make good friends my entire life and I am so fortunate to have had these girls (& Cary!) by my side for the past 5 years. We may have our differences, and sometimes annoy each other or tick each other off or go awhile without seeing/talking to each other, but there will never be anything but love between all of us.

Besides, we have too much dirt on each other to step out of line ;)

Girls, if you're reading this, I love you! Even if we do unintentionally get separated from each other after 1 too many drinks ;) Thanks for making me a better version of myself and for accepting me and my crazy ways as the way I am.

**I had no clue what this post was going to be about, but I kind of love it. I guess I need to stop putting so much thought into what I'm going to write and just write.**

Life update in bullet points.

2010-12-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

* After a few breakdowns, lots of stress, hundreds of hours studying, lots of money, and a LONG semester, I can finally brag about getting a B in advanced physiology and an A in lifespan development. If you'll remember, I almost dropped advanced physio because I was pretty sure I wasn't even going to get a C in the class. I'm rarely proud of myself, but this is one of the few times where I patted myself on the back and was proud of all my hard work.

*I'm taking two online classes next semester, medical terminology & abnormal psychology. I don't need either of these classes, but I want to stick with the routine of school so that it isn't hard to get back into the swing of things once I start nursing school.

*Speaking of nursing school, my application is due February 1st! I can't believe what I have been working towards for over a year and a half now is finally coming to fruition. I'm so excited to get my application off and then sit on pins & needles waiting for *hopefully* an acceptance letter! If I get in, I'll start in July.

*My bestest friend in the whole wide world is coming to visit January 14!!!!!! She was supposed to meet me and Rosh in NYC, but ended up not being able to. I haven't seen her since October 2009, so I'm SO excited to see her! She lives in Boston, so please cross your fingers that the weather behaves and she's able to get here.

*Momma and I are flying down to Siesta Key February 5th. Momma's having reconstructive foot surgery in a couple weeks, so she decided to recover in Florida for three weeks with my dad. My dad will be driving down the week before us, I'll help my mom fly down, bum it out on the beach for a week, then come back home while my parents spend the rest of their time there together.

*While in Florida, I'll be meeting my twin, Jess!!! Omg, I cannot explain how excited I am! This meeting has been a "dream" for a while now and I can't believe it's about to come true! I'm also hoping to meet Jenna & gang! I can't wait to give my two favorite J's squeezes!

*I have a friend who is more fickle than me. Can you believe that? He's lived in three different cities since we graduated in May 2009. Personally, I love his demeanor, because it means I have free places to stay when I get the itch to travel. Currently, he's working for the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. I'm a lot of things, but foolish is not one of them. I booked my trip to St. Thomas yesterday and will be visiting with another friend from March 2-10. There are no words to describe my excitement.

*With so much beach time in the near future, I'm on a mission to lose 30 pounds in 65 days. I don't even know if that's realistic, but as long as I try my hardest I'll be happy with whatever happens. I need to lose 30 anyway, now I just have some serious motivation to do so!

*I normally dread winter, but with all the fun things I have in store, Winter 2011 is one I am very much looking forward to. In fact, I haven't been this excited for winter since 2007... when I spent it in Hawaii ;)

I quit my job.

2010-12-27T12:55:00.003-05:00

A few months ago I was really excited about having found a new nanny job and the amount of money I'd earn in the nine months I was going to be with them. However, that excitement wore off as the reality of the job set in and I was really, really unhappy.

Let me back up a bit.

I think I once said on here that I adored the new family, but that was a lie that I was trying to con myself into believing. For lack of a better explanation, I just did not click with them. At all. And I have never had that problem before-- and in 11 years of babysitting, I've taken care of a lot of kids for a lot of different families.

The biggest issue with this family was that the dad worked from home. This alone wouldn't be a huge issue, but the fact that he's a micromanaging control freak was. Every cry the kid made (he's not even 1 yet, obviously he's going to cry), he'd come running out of his office to ask what was wrong. He was always questioning me, making snide little remarks (he is an incredibly condescending man), and it really felt like he didn't trust me at all. I rarely saw his wife because she'd leave before I got there in the morning and I'd leave before she got home that night, but when I did see her, she acted much the same way. They're in their late 40s and have kids from previous marriages, so it isn't like they're the typical nervous first time parents, they just straight up acted like they didn't trust me.

Another issue was the pay. When they interviewed me, they agreed to paying me a certain amount. During this interview, the dad also mentioned something about taxes. The family I was with prior to them had me fill out a form last April that was basically like a nanny-credit from the government, and the new dad made it sound like this was the same thing. After getting hired, the asked me if they could pay a dollar less. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, I was still making good money, and I only had one kid to take care of, so I agreed. Had I known that he was actually making me pay taxes out of EVERY paycheck, I would have fought it. Who the hell makes their babysitter pay taxes?

We also have the issue of them apparently thinking they hired a nanny & housekeeper all in one. Listen, I'm a very clean person. Any mess that is made while I am taking care of the kids, I clean up. If I notice the kitchen floor has a few too many crumbs on it, I'll vacuum the entire kitchen. If the dishwasher needs emptied, I do it. I'm even willing to do the kids' laundry. I take the initiative and have no problem doing so. What I do have a problem with is being asked to wash YOUR laundry, the parent. And dusting your house. And vacuuming the entire 5500 sq ft of your house every single day that I am there, when I never agreed to do those chores in the first place. I also have a problem with getting dirty looks and the third degree when I'm taking the time to study for my classes while the child is sleeping because you think I should be doing something more productive, like scrubbing your underwear. Did I mention they actually do have a cleaning lady?

Basically, I was incredibly unhappy. I felt like they were totally abusing the situation and misrepresented what they wanted. I'll admit, I'm pretty burnt out on taking care of other people's kids, so I may have been more annoyed than I normally would be, but it just was not working. At all. And I didn't even mention how he, Mr. Holier than thou, chastised me for straying from my Catholic faith because I did a Bible study at a non-denominational Christian church this fall. Spending 27 hours a week there for a few months made me realize I was not going to be able to do it until July. Especially when, after the first of the year, I was going to be doing 36 hours a week and they won't let me take the kid out of the home.

So I did what I had to do and quit. I gave them a month to find someone else and my last day is January 13. I am so relieved and the stress and unhappiness flooded out of my body as soon as I told them. Sure, I felt bad, but it had to be done.

Besides, I already found another family to work for who I have babysat occasionally and know what I'm getting myself into. All's well that ends well, right? But this experience has tempted me to write an article, "How not to piss off your child caretaker."

In case you're wondering, the family has no clue I write a blog (or anything else about me, for that matter).

Sign Language.

2010-12-26T20:26:00.003-05:00

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Lots to write about, but I'm still enjoying my break, so for now, a post about sign language.

I was contacted by a gal named Emily who works for Primrose schools a while ago and was asked if I would be willing to post an article about education on my blog. Considering I've been in school for 21 years straight, clearly education is something I highly value. I told her to send the article my way and I'd look it over before committing to posting it. After reading the first sentence, I knew I'd want to share.

Below is the article, after which you will find why it is so near and dear to my heart:

Sign Language and Early Childhood Education

The ability to communicate articulately in a variety of ways with the widest possible audience, is a skill that can take you far in our society today. Whether you learn a second language for job opportunity or just to become more diverse, it is a great unique ability.

This includes bilingual ability as well as the ability to communicate in non-verbal ways for the benefit of the disabled – primarily the deaf.

Signing Before They Can Speak

Research has shown that the early years of ages 2 to 5 is the best time to educate children in
different modes of communication and language. This goes beyond the spoken word (though it is an optimal time for children to learn a second language); many young children have an aptitude for signing as well. This can be taught at home or some child care programs incorporate it into their curriculum.

While teaching a 2 year old a second language may seem a tad early or odd, it's actually been
shown that sign language is innate. Many indigenous peoples around the world, including
American Indian nations, have used sign language for centuries to facilitate communication with other tribes with whom they do not share a language. Some paleontologists and anthropologists theorize that Neanderthals – who apparently lacked the vocal mechanism to produce many spoken words – depended a great deal upon hand gestures to communicate.

Boulder Daily Camera published an article in 2003 presenting strong evidence that babies as
young as six months old communicate with their hands:

"...by 6 to 7 months, babies can remember a sign. At eight months, children
can begin to imitate gestures and sign single words. By 24 months, children
can sign compound words and full sentences. They say sign language reduces
frustration in young children by giving them a means to express themselves
before they know how to talk." (Glarion, 2003)

The Best Time To Start

The sooner the better for children to start. From the ages 2 to 5, the child's brain is most flexible, making it easier for them to learn not only one language, but two or three even. They are able to mimic the signs when learning sign language, and in most cases even create their own in the beginning (which is ok!)

Not only does early childhood education in signing give pre-verbal youngsters a way to
communicate, it can also strengthen the parent child-bond. Signing minimizes frustration levels and helps parents to communicate with their children before they can even walk!

It Can Last A Lifetime

The benefits are endless. Incorporating sign language into a child's early education not only
optimizes learning potential for children but it helps them in the future as well.

Studies show that young children who are taught sign language at an early age actually develop better verbal skills as they get older. They have higher levels of skill in vocabulary, spelling and music as well.

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas
Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Indiana child care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of child care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

You may or may not know this, but my brother was born six weeks early and had several issues, including hearing impairment. Unfortunately, in 1985, state mandated hearing tests for all infants upon discharge was not required and my parents did not find out about his hearing loss until he was four (after four incredibly frustrating years and a baby who had colic for 9 months). Craig is 60% and 40% deaf in his ears and has worn hearing aids since he was four, but, by the grace of God, he doesn't have a speech impediment or developmental delays in any way.

While we are fortunate enough to not need sign language to communicate, my mother and I have both said several times we wish we had learned it as a family when he was younger, as a "just in case." I've tried teaching simple signs to the kids I take care of to make for easier communication and fully intend to teach my own children sign (as well as Spanish and French). Without reiterating the points in the article above, I'll end by saying I think teaching children to be multi-lingual is one of the best gifts we can give them.

Christmas Meme.

2010-12-23T11:01:00.008-05:00

Oy, I have so much to write about, but I'm taking the easy way out today with a little Christmas quiz I found from Lindsey, who found it from Unofficial Mom. Life updates headed your way after Christmas.

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate, but I really don't drink hot beverages.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He wraps them! And, yes, Santa still comes to my house. Cheesy as it is, it's cute.

Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have colored lights outside, one tree with colored lights and our family ornaments from forever ago, and one "fancy" tree with white lights and gold and silver and cream ornaments.

Do you hang mistletoe? No, but my Grams does, does that count?

When do you put your decorations up? Outdoor lights have gone up as early as beginning of November, but we don't turn them on until Thanksgiving night. The weather here is so bipolar that we take advantage of a warm fall day when it's around. Everything inside goes up around Thanksgiving Day, into the week after. It just depends on what our Thanksgiving schedule is like. Here's some pictures since I never did the holiday tour I wanted to do.

Foyer.

Foyer & living room tree.

What is your favorite holiday dish? Jello with fruit cocktail in it and sweet mayonnaise on top! Delicious. And sweet mayo is a horrible name for a delicious topping that has nothing to do with mayonnaise.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Going to the Yuletide Celebration every year with my mom and our mother/daughter friends. Even if I did get the flu every year after we went.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I'm thinking I found gifts before Christmas (total snooper) and then my mom tried to say they were from Santa? I do remember finding the cookies we sat out for Santa that he claimed he ate (oh yea, he left us a note!) so that was a pretty good tip-off, too. Sad day.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes only one, sometimes all. Which I hate. I'd rather do just one, if any at all. We need kids in the family to make Christmas fun again.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Whoops, already answered this. How about some pictures instead?

Family tree in the family room.

Fancy tree in the living room.

Snow, love it or hate it? It's really beautiful and we've had a lot this year already (and more coming the next couple of days), but I hate how messy it makes things and how people don't know how to drive in it, and how snow = cold. Love/hate relationship.

The backyard of the people I babysit for (err, babysat for)

Can you ice skate? Ha, no. I can't even ice skate with those assistant walkers for the little kids.

Do you remember your favorite gift? I've received a lot of great gifts over the years! Probably my barbie house was one. But all the jewelry I've received in recent years has been really special.

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? I spend a ton of time with my immediate and extended family as it is, but I just soak it up during the Holidays. My only wish is that the true meaning of Christmas didn't seem to get as lost as it does.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I don't have one. Although, I did make this chocolate/peppermint pudding pie one year that was delicious! Or, "dog chow!" Chex-mix, cheerios, M&M's, mixed together with white chocolate. SO good!

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve with my Mom's family and Christmas Day with my Dad's. I love that I get to see everyone. As a kid, the elf would always come to my Grams' house and leave holiday pajamas on the front porch for all the grandkids. It was always a game to see if we could spot the elf! I can't wait to do this with my kids :)

What tops your tree? A angel on the family tree, a big bow on the fancy tree.

Our Christmas village. See the tree in the middle? My momma painted it.

Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I like getting gifts, but I really love watching someone open up a gift and see how excited they get.

What is your favorite Christmas Song? Way too many! That's kind of how I am about most songs though; 9 times out of 10, the radio is playing my "favorite" song!

Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Delicious. Peppermint bark = yummy. I love the cherry flavored rainbow ones, too!

Favorite Christmas Show? Hm, The Christmas List is a fave, A Christmas Story will forever be an all-time fave, It's a Wonderful Life, and Miracle on 34th Street. Of course, Home Alone 1 & 2, but I watch those year around.

Saddest Christmas Song? Who the heck would write a sad Christmas song?

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with your loved ones and pray for safe travels for all!

And the winner is...

2010-12-19T16:29:00.005-05:00

according to my brother's awesome "picking out of the bowl" skills: ANNE!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't choose the winner based on best story (thank God I never intended to because there never would have been a winner because all the stories were too awesome), but here is her hilariously embarrassing story:

Anne said...

One of my most embarassing moments EVER: What you need to know before reading this is that our church service is televised LIVE every Sunday morning. So, I was doing this skit thing in front of church one Sunday morning (as an adult) and after it was over I went to the back of the church to sit by some kids I was mentoring at the time. What I didn't know is that my TV mic was STILL ON. So, I proceed to sing the hymns in all kinds of funny voices (I even barked one song...yep...classy) to make the kids I was sitting with laugh. Not knowing that my obviously hilarous antics were being broadcast all over SE Minnesota. Emarassing?? Yes.

I need to win this!!! You know how to get ahold of me if I do :-)

DECEMBER 3, 2010 5:00 PM

Congrats, Anne!!! Now how about you grace blogland with your presence again? I miss your posts!

And a HUGE thank you to everyone who entered!!! Your stories made my hours at work a lot less painful when a new email would come through to my phone and the message enclosed was nothing but awesome comedy!

Love & lollipops,

My Parents' Christmas Gift.

2010-12-16T20:15:00.003-05:00

*My giveaway ends on Sunday at noon EST, so be sure to enter if you're interested in winning a "relaxation package!"*

I finished my finals today and think all went well. The minimum grade I will get in advanced physiology is a C, but I may get a B; I'll know tomorrow (unless my brother decides not to look at the grade board for me). Considering a few months ago I wasn't even sure getting a C would be possible, I'm content, although a B is preferred.

I also quit my nannying job today because I could no longer be micromanaged and have the parents act like they don't trust me. That's a blog post coming soon to a dashboard near you ;)

Now for the title of the post. I first saw "Letter Art" a few years ago-- where photographs of everyday objects are taken in a way to mimic letters, spelling everything from last names, to "family," to "faith," etc. My parents and I have always thought they were cool and wanted one, especially after we saw the one my aunt and uncle have spelling our last name. My mom, a few weeks ago, mentioned again, in passing, how much she wanted one and I immediately knew it would be my Christmas gift for her and my dad.

While in NYC, I tried finding the letters of our last name, but either my creative juices weren't flowing, or I was blind, but I didn't have any luck. I was slightly discouraged and decided to research how much purchasing one would cost. And when I finished laughing at the $120 price tag I consistently came across, I decided I could do it on my own; after all, my last name only has four letters, how hard could it be?

The answer? Not very hard at all!

Right before Thanksgiving, my mom and I went to Michael's to get a frame for Maisie's "welcome to the world" gift when the frames were 50% off. While there, I secretly was also looking for a 4-slot collage frame, which I managed to find. I went back later in the week and scored one for $10!!

For the past couple months, I've driven to downtown Indianapolis for tutoring for my advanced physiology class. The buildings downtown have some amazing architectural detail, so, while driving, I'd make mental notes of possible sites for photographing the letters. I finally found time to go down and actually take the photos a couple weeks ago and was pretty successful (aside from the fact that I went on the coldest friggin' day of the year), but wasn't going to be pleased until I saw the end result. I edited my photos over the weekend and ordered them through mpix.com (suggested by my cousin's wife who is a photographer and orders her prints through the site). The site tried to con me into spending an extra 10 bucks on shipping to guarantee a "before Christmas delivery," but I'm cheap and decided to take my chances. SO glad I did, because they arrived today, three days after I placed my order.

I framed them tonight and here's how it looks:

What? You really thought my last name was "Fancypants?" Sorry for the disappointment.

I LOVE it!! I'm really pleased with how it came out, except for one little detail. The slot sizes are 3 x 5.5, but all the sites I looked at for printing only print 3 x 5 or 4 x 6, so the photos don't fit the slot length perfectly. I'm going to buy some black poster board to mount them on so the matting just looks extra thick and will hopefully make the photos pop more.

I was too excited to wait and I have another gift idea for her, so I decided to show my mom tonight and make it the wrapped gift for my dad (even though it's really for both of them). She did say the "C" was a little less obvious, but oh well, I like it. Mama loved it and was totally surprised, and I managed to spend less than $20 on the whole thing, so I'd consider it a success!

What gift are you most excited to give this year?

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!

2010-12-14T21:01:00.004-05:00

RYAN REYNOLDS IS BACK ON THE MARKET!!!!

His hotness makes me swoon. See how yummy he is?

Don't mind if I do.

Life is starting to look up. ::Sigh::

That is all. I have my final final on Thursday; after that, I hope to be back in full force with lamer posts than before. Try to contain your excitement.

Oh yea, enter my giveaway. Or don't. Whatever floats your boat.

PS, George Clooney, how's about's you put yourself back on the market, too, k?

A Premonition?

2010-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

My mom's mom died in 1983, four years before I was born. When she died, my mom inherited most, if not all, of her Christmas ornaments. Some of them are really freakin' ugly, but I'm all about vintage anything, so I put them up anyway. Even the metallic parrot one, and y'all know how much I despise birds.

However, three little ornaments are just flat out freaky when you look at them the way I do. Pardon the blurriness, I gave up trying and caring.

Someone my grandma knew made them for her in the late 60s. Here's where it gets good.

The gold one is the color of my dad's birthstone (November). Ruby red is my brother's birthstone (July). And the emerald green one? Yep, that's my birthstone (May). Notice the pearls on all three of them? Pearl is my mother's birthstone (June).

Remember, the ornaments, the only three made, were given to my grandma in the 60's. My parent's didn't meet/marry until 1980. Craig wasn't born until 1985, and I, 1987.

Does anyone else think this is spooky?

I feel like I noticed this a couple years ago while decorating our family room tree, but it seems to surprise me every year.

*Don't forget to enter my "relaxation package" giveaway. It ends December 19th! Click HERE for details and to enter.*

A Gift for Future Generations.

2010-12-06T19:04:00.003-05:00

*Don't forget to enter my "relaxation package" giveaway. It ends December 19th! Click HERE for details and to enter.*

My grandmother, Martha Anne, is the only grandparent I have ever known. Maybe it's because of this, or maybe it's because I was half-named after her, but whatever it may be, we've always had a special bond. I remember being a little girl and begging her to set me on her knee so she would bounce me up and down like I was riding a horse. Of course, a ride wouldn't be complete without her singing the theme song to "Bonanza." Every so often she'd set me on her lap and bounce, and then, at the end, she'd open her legs and let me fall through, laughing hysterically with me. Funny that I now do this with the kids I take care of.

I also remember snuggling with her, and walking hand in hand on the beach searching for the perfect seashell, and trying on all of her magnificent jewelry.

At 23 years old, I still take every chance I get to pick her brain about our family history, and what life was like when she was growing up. She's 89 now and her memories are patchy, but I take what I can get, even if it does mean hearing the same stories over and over and over again. I know my time with her is becoming more and more limited and I never want to regret missing a chance to talk with her.

As she's gotten older and her memory has begun to fade, she's begun to fixate on things that remind her of her youth, especially around Christmastime. One of those fixations is trying to recite the entire poem of "The Night Before Christmas" from memory. She usually stumbles over some of the lines, but, for the most part, knows it perfectly, and will recite the poem several times a day.

When Hallmark came out with their recordable storybooks this year, I told my mom we should buy "The Night Before Christmas" and have my Grams record it so that when she dies, I'll still be able to hear her voice reading one of her favorite poems. We bought it over Thanksgiving break and I had her record it this weekend while she was visiting. She couldn't get over what a wonderful idea it was and was so excited to do it.

While it certainly is a gift for myself and my brother (and my Dad and Mom), the best part is that my children and my brother's children will be able to know their wonderful great-grandmother and can share in one of my favorite memories I have of her. It really is a gift that can be passed down for generations and will keep my grandmother's memory alive.

*Honest opinion, no compensation*

Giveaway Reminder.

2010-12-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to remind/tell you all about the giveaway. Because maybe you're like me and have to pick and choose which blogs you're going to read some days and which ones you can't fit in, and didn't get a chance to read my post on Monday because it didn't scream "FREE GOODS!" It's OK, I'm not hurt. Tis reality.

No other news to report. Well, actually, that's probably a lie. I'm sure I could find something to write about, and I do plan on doing a tour of my home, while it's decorated for Christmas, but that involves using my brain, which I've done too much of this semester and, quite frankly, my brain hurts. But it's ALMOST OVER!!! Two more weeks until sweet, sweet freedom! Hopefully that means I'll get back to writing more and use that as therapy instead of food. Womp womp to weight gain.

Oh, ps, I'm still doing C25k and have done it at least three times a week every week since I started. So what if I did week 2 three (or was it four?) times and so what if I've been doing it for, um, 7 weeks? Eight weeks? And am only on week 3. I've been running three days a week for 7 (8?) weeks and that's all that matters.

Anyhow, click HERE if you want to read about and enter my first-ever giveaway! It ends December 18th!

Oh, and I'd rather be here:

*Photo taken by me, Maui 2009*

Tah tah for now, have a wonderful weekend!

The Season of Giving... & Receiving

2010-12-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Read this post. Trust me, you'll want to.

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. From Thanksgiving until January 1st, I forget about how much I despise cold weather and bask in the warmth that is Christmas cheer. Oh, Lord, is that cheesy or what? But I mean it. There's just something about all the decorations, the music, the preparation for the birth of my Lord, that makes me all giddy. But it can also be a stressful time with the end of school, shopping to do, letters to send, volunteer work, etc.

I know I'm not the only person in the world who stresses. Kids, taking care of the home, jobs, finding a job, loved ones who are fighting for our freedom overseas, school, being a good friend and family member-- it can all be so overwhelming and take a toll on the body. I try to use homeopathic remedies (I think that's the term I'm looking for...) when I'm feeling incredibly stressed because Lord knows my body gets pumped full of enough pharmaceuticals as is.

These are a few of my favorite (relaxation) things:

1. Aromatherapy lotion from Bath and Body Works. Greatest. Collection. Ever. I have several bottles, from travel size to full, that I use all the time. I'll rub it in to my knots in my back, neck, and shoulders, on my temples and sinus cavities, and even on my hands and feet before bed time. The various fragrances all smell so good and really do help me relax and unwind.

2. Moisturizing socks from Earth Therapeutics. Oh. My. Gosh. They are SO soft and comfy, have aloe infused in them to help keep your feet from getting dry, and are perfect during the winter when the toesies get cold easily. When I've had a long day, I'll come home and rub some aromatherapy lotion on my feet and slip those socks on before crawling into bed. The feet absorb the lotion and give a relaxing touch to my whole body. Here's a little tip, too: if you have a cough that's keeping you up at night (or is just annoying), rub some Vick's vaporub on your feet and then put socks on. I dare you to tell me you didn't quit coughing within 10 minutes.

3. Anti-stress sinus pillow from Earth Therapeutics. Y'all, I'm not kidding when I say that this is, hands down, my best purchase of all time. I won't even stop short of saying it's been a life saver. I bought it in Boston last October after I borrowed my friends to help nurse a delightful hangover. Little did I know how much I would use it. I stick this bad boy in the microwave more often than not, but especially when I have a headache or migraine. This past spring and summer, I had a migraine at least 4 times a week; I'd heat the mask up for a minute (30 seconds each side) and slip it over my eyes while I fell asleep in the cold cave of my bedroom. It was so soothing and helped alleviate a lot of the pressure. When I have sinus headaches, I'll take out the rice pack and put in a baggie of ice and slip it over my face so it hits the sinus cavities and reduces the swelling (you can freeze the rice pack, I just never have). Even if you're just a little stressed, warm the mask up or pop it in the freezer, slip it over your eyes, lay it on your forehead, or even around your neck and let it help you de-stress.

4. OPI nail polish. It's the only kind I use, even if it is overpriced. Nothing says relaxing like a fresh mani/pedi with some pretty polish!

5. A great book and a warm beverage on the couch. Ok, that's a partial lie. I don't really enjoy warm beverages, but I hear they help heal a stressed out body, especially tea. I do, however, absolutely love to read and can spend hours (and lots of money) in a bookstore finding the perfect books to add to my collection. I don't usually read anything mind-blowing or overly thought provoking though (except I do love a good mystery) because I get enough of the serious talk in my text books and when I read for fun, I generally want to lose myself in the sillyness of a another world. When I'm stressed, nothing beats a book that will make me laugh, like Jen Lancaster's, "Bitter is the New Black." I read it three years ago on a trip and literally laughed out loud the entire time.

6. When all else fails, I'll retreat to my room, light a candle, and eat some chocolate. Doesn't get much better than that!

And now you're probably asking, "Why the hell did I want to read all of that?"

Well, because...

ONE LUCKY READER IS GOING TO WIN EVERYTHING I JUST LISTED!!!!!

Woohoo! It's a holiday giveaway! I originally planned to do a giveaway to honor my one year of blogging, but that's not until the end of January and I can't wait that long because I'm too wrapped up in the holiday spirit and want to give something away now!

And here's the best part: none of this crap of having a chance to have 800 different entries. No tweeting (twitting?), facebooking, blogging about it, spinning in circles while patting your head, rubbing your belly, and trying to lick your elbow bs. I like to keep it fair and give everyone an equal shot, so only one entry per person.

To enter, you must:

1. Leave a comment telling me an embarrassing story about yourself. That's it!

General rules:

1. Make sure you leave an email address at the end of your comment (even if you think your comment is linked to your email, leave the address anyway, just to be safe.)

2. If you are commenting as anonymous, you must identify yourself in your comment, tell me how you found me, and leave a link to your blog (if you have one). Why? If you're going to be getting some goods from me, I'm going to force you to delurk! Neener neener neener.

3. You must live in the Continental US. Unless you want to pay for the shipping (hey, I'm just being honest. Nursing school is expensive, yo). Sorry :(

Tell me that's not easy! Just like every giveaway should be, huh?

The giveaway will END December 19 at NOON (EST). I will choose a winner using random.org and announce it by 8pm (EST) that evening. The prize will ship Tuesday, December 21st (since I work Monday's), just in time for Christmas and some holiday relaxation!

Sorry to all you momma's out there hoping I was giving away free babysitting. But, tell ya what, fly me to you and give me a free place to stay, and I'll watch your kids in return! It's a win-win: I escape Indiana, you get child care.

Good luck! I hope you guys are as excited about the prize as I am to be giving it away!

*Disclaimer: I'm not being compensated in any way for doing this giveaway.*

Gimme Yo Feedback!

2010-11-29T08:00:00.003-05:00

What up, peeps?

So my one year blogiversary (or however it's spelled. I secretly hate that word.) is in January and I'm considering doing a giveaway or two for all of you awesome readers! Here's the best part: it would be the easiest giveaway in the world. None of this, "Blog about it, tweet about it, sing a song, slap your knees, and turn your body into a human pretzel" crap. I hate that.

What I want to know from you is, what kind of item or items would you most like to win in a giveaway? And let's be realistic, ok? I won't be shipping out a Rolex or Mercedes. What kind of giveaways get you excited? What kind make you think, "Who the heck wants that crap?" What would make you squeal if you won?

I have some possibilities, but want more, so give me some idears!

Oh yea, please?

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

2010-11-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

~John F. Kennedy

I wish you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Lots of love and wishes for safe travels,

Update on Question for Certain Anonymous Reader:

2010-11-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

Remember when I put myself out there for a reader from "Police Athletic League of Jacksonville" in the hopes that said reader was a single, tall male between the ages of 24 and 33?

Well, I received an email from the reader a few weeks ago and here is what was said:

Hey!

Sorry to disappoint but I'm actually a girl, 4'10", 21 years old and a grant writer. But I am outgoing and single! haha :) Recently, I stumbled upon your blog and I added it to my list of favorites. I decided to catch up on some blog reading today and came across your post about me. I about died laughing at my desk. Sadly, all the cops I work with are men above the age of 45. Trust me, I wish there were some hot young officers up in this place! :) Thanks for posting about me, it made a rough day a little brighter!

Sincerely,
Katie {unfortunately not a 6 foot, extremely attractive man in uniform}

Well, damn. I knew it couldn't be that easy.

But, good news, all of you can continue on the quest to find me a man- which I know is your lifelong goal and dream. Yay! Keep me posted ;)

*ps, hi katie!*
*pps, C. Brooks, are you still out there? Your blog is MIA and I miss you!*

Handmade Goods.

2010-11-22T00:00:00.007-05:00

I'm about as crafty as Lindsay Lohan is sober & Barack Obama is a good president (oh snap! sorry, couldn't resist ;)), so sometimes I scour etsy.com and ogle over the crafting abilities of others. I just don't have the creative bug, or patience, or ability to make something pretty with my own two hands. Except for decorating and a little bit of photography, but I don't call that "crafty." So today I thought I'd give you all some wonderful Holiday gift ideas and share with you some people who know how to get in touch with their Martha Stewart side and could give her a run for her money.

First up is my dear friend, CJ, and her shop 614 Creations. CJ is a friend from college who I absolutely adore. We met in education classes when I was a special-ed major and then went to Hawaii the same semester. She is now a 4th grade teacher (pause and clap for Ceej. 5 days a week with 25 ten year olds? No thank you!) and started making and selling jewelry last winter. Her jewelry is beautiful, high quality, and unique; she also does custom orders. Prices range from $12-200, so there really is something for everybody!

Here are some of my favorite pieces currently for sale:

Twisted Potpourri Necklace (with Swarovski Crystals and Pearls)

Caribbean Splash Earrings

Coastal Emerald Necklace

Beautiful, right? If you have some girls to buy for, check out CJ's shop and consider purchasing some one-of-a-kind jewelry!

Jenny is my cousin's best friend and absolutely darling. I recently found out that she started a new craft blog and was so excited! Jenny is a wonderful photographer (although I'm pretty sure it's just a hobby), but also amazes me with her abilities when she whips out her custom creations for parties, etc. On her blog, StrungByColor, she not only gives craft making ideas, but also sells some of her custom jewelry and hair accessories. At the baby shower for my cousin, she had on this necklace that she had made. I freakin' loved the thing and when I found out she was selling them now, I was SO excited!

Aren't these so cool?

Flowerette Necklaces

She also makes flowerette headbands, flowerette bobbies, baby barrettes, and baby headbands, like this one:

AWWW! Little Maisie making her modeling debut! Isn't she the most precious pea you've ever seen? And the headband is adorable!

Such cute items: a great way to jazz up any outfit, and make wonderful gift ideas. At the very least, you can pick up some awesome ideas for you to do on your own!

Last, but not least, is Gretchen from Chichiboulie. I'm really into gift-giving, so when I found out my cousin's were having a shower for their sister Bridget, I immediately turned to etsy to find something perfect and different for her daughter-to-be. I really wanted to find a pretty print for the nursery, but I fell in love with a name print. Unfortunately, Bridge was a stinker who decided to keep the name a secret until Maisie was born, so I had to come up with a different shower gift. But, I couldn't get the print out of my head and decided to purchase it for her as a "Welcome to the World" gift. The original print is here, but I changed a few things (added birthdate and weight and changed the color of the name).

Gretchen's shop on etsy has some adorable prints and other darling items, like ornaments, invitations, watercolors, etc. She was so wonderful to work with and didn't act annoyed at my 900 questions and requests. The finished product was matted and shipped in a plastic cover, wrapped in tissue paper, and sealed with a certificate of authenticity. It was here within 2 weeks (she's in France) and I was beyond happy with the end result. I just framed it and gave it to Maisie yesterday. She and her Mama loved it!

So there ya go, holiday gift ideas at the click of a button! See how much I love you? I even do your shopping for you ;)

*I received nothing in return for this post bragging about some pretty awesome women, I just felt they deserved the recognition.*