Update on the Fall 2010 Semester

I'm about half way through this semester.  I think.  I don't have official mid-terms so I can't be sure.  But considering that my classes started in mid- to late September and the semester ends mid-December and it's now the end of October, I think this constitutes the mid-point of the semester.  I think.

Anyway, I dropped microbiology.  Did I already tell you that?  I can't remember and I don't feel like opening another window and perusing my recent posts to be sure.  But I dropped microbiology.  That class is the hardest class I've ever taken in my entire life!!  And I took geometry which gave me total night terrors all through my sophomore year of high school.  Microbiology completely dwarfs geometry in terms of difficulty.  And now, since my GPA directly affects my odds of getting into the extremely competitive nursing program I can't afford to scrape by with a C like I did in geometry.  So I did the responsible/wimpy thing and dropped the class.  Responsible because I did it by the deadline so as not to lose any money -- wimpy because I'm a wimp when it comes to having a less than desirable grade on my transcript.  My plan is to take it next semester (since I absolutely have to take it for nursing.  Duh.) in an actual classroom with actual lectures and actual lab exercises.  I aced A&P so I can ace micro.

My dosage calculation class is going great.  That makes me happy because I was scared -- excuse me, askeered, in a bigbigbig way -- of that class a few weeks ago. I remember dimensional analysis being a terror-inducing process when I went through nursing school the first time so I was not too keen on it this time, either.  But I've either become smarter or developed more common sense in the last 13 years or something because now it's easy as Pi.  Get it?  Pi?  Bwahahahahaha!  I crack myself up!  Occasionally.

Nutrition takes a little more work than math but it's still pretty easy.  It requires more time commitment because I have to read a lot of the textbook instead of just watching videos of math problems being solved but that's okay.  My biggest problem with nutrition is that the book approaches "good" nutrition from the point of view that margarine and its ilk are better for you than real butter.  Know what I mean?  The authors seem to believe that modern science is better at determining a healthy diet than are natural, minimally processed foods.  So as long as I approach my tests that way, I'm okay.  I just have to nod and smile and click the right answer to get a good grade and then go back to eating real butter and natural, grass fed meat and drinking full fat milk and all is right with the world.

I just got an e-mail today telling me that I can begin spring 2011 registration on November 10.  I'm excited.  I'm going to take microbiology (duh), either statistics or college algebra (not sure yet -- neither are required for my current nursing program but both are required for the BSN program I eventually want to transfer to, eons from now) and Spanish II or III.  I need to figure out how to skip Spanish I.  I'm not going to take Spanish I.  I'm way past Spanish I.

Anyway, that's how the semester is going.  It feels really good to be in school.

P.S. I have As in both classes.  Woot woot!

Cost is Disproportionate to Value

This sticker cost me $285.51.

Things About Which I Am Happy

1. I don't have cancer.
2. I'm back in school, where I belong, at least for a time.
3. My kids are healthy.
4. My kids are brilliant and funny and special.
5. There is good food to be eaten, good wine to be drunk and good music to be heard.
6. My family is out-of-this-world supportive and loving.
7. I live in Colorado.
8. It's fall.
9. There are more things to put here but I can't think of them right now.  It makes me happy that there are so many happy-worthy things.

My Real Name

Samuel: Solomon, why are you so difficult?

Solomon:  Because my name is 54 x 63.

Miriam: Hi, 54 x 63.

Solomon:  No, first you have to figure me out.  Then you can call me that.

Another Step

I have had a goodnight routine with the kids since they were very young; I think Solomon was maybe 3 when I started this.  That means Miriam was 2 and Samuel was an infant.  They really don't remember anything else for goodnights.  I kiss them on their cheeks and on their foreheads and between each kiss I say, "Good night," "Sleep tight" and "Dream of what tonight?"  And then they tell me what they're planning to dream about.

They love it.  Or at least 2 of them still do.

The last couple of weeks I noticed that when I sent Solomon to get ready for bed he wasn't coming back to tell me good night or let me know that he was ready to be tucked in.  Every night I still went in to tell him good night and frequently he pretended to be asleep when I kissed him.  Two nights ago I asked him if he is too grown up for the old goodnight routine.  He looked embarrassed and admitted that yeah, he does not like it any more.  So I told him that's okay, it's part of growing up to change things like that.  Instead, I tucked him in, hugged him and told him that I love him.  Last night he said that he doesn't really even want to be 'tucked in' any more; he'd rather get a hug in the kitchen or in my room or wherever I happen to be and just go to bed on his own.

Gosh, he's becoming an adolescent, isn't he?

I'm not bothered by this change.  I know it's part of growing up and I'd rather he tell me that he's uncomfortable with it so that I don't keep doing it and bugging him and keeping him a 'baby.'  I wondered to myself at the beginning of the school year if he'd stop some of the sort of attached behaviors that we have.  For example, when he gets out of the car in the morning, he waves to me with his hand formed in the ASL sign for "I love you."  That's another thing the kids and I have done for a very long time.  He hasn't stopped it yet but I think it's coming soon.

I'm not bothered at all, but it is bittersweet.  My boy.  :sigh:

Weather Conditions from The Weather Channel

Weather for Today & Tomorrow 

Today
Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 67F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight
Mainly clear. Low 42F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow
Cloudy with a few showers. High 54F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of
rain 30%.

Updated: 10/11/10 5:27 AM MDT
For more weather information, visit www.weather.com from your PC or mobile device.

Doesn't that bolded portion sound like great napping weather? I cannot wait. I don't have to work, my homework is reasonably caught up and I have no errands to run. It's going to be sweet!

Sent via Pony Express

It's Been a While

Nice way to leave you hanging, huh?  Not knowing if I have cancer and all.  Eh, I figured no one was all that worried.  You all discovered via e-mail or phone call or in person or on Facebook (how good am I at the e-communication?!) that all was good.  Actually, come to think of it, if there's anyone reading this who didn't already know that my final path report was benign, I'd like to know who you are.  'Cause you might be one of the El Anonymous commenters.  So stand up and take a bow.  Or something.

Truth be told, I've not been in such a bloggish mood lately.  I think of something to write and I'm all, "Huh. I suppose that could be interesting.  If I could be bothered to drag out the ol' laptop and actually place my fingers upon the keys.  But Ye Olde Laptop is all the way over there.  And I'm tired from all the surgery and work and kids and cooking and laundry and dishes and organizing and budgeting and dealing with the ex-husband and eating and sleeping and breathing and not running.  It can wait." Yeah, I'm just a creative well-spring of words these days. Ugh.

So.

I have officially begun all of my classes. Clinical Calculations for Some Type of Medical Person is just fine, as is Nutrition for the Some Other Kind of Medical Person. Microbiology for the Super Smart Medico is freaking kicking my behind in a seriously scary, painful, nerve-wracking way. Yuck-o. I'm askeered. I want to drop it and then take it again in the Winter 2011 semester in an actual classroom with actual lectures and actual labs but I'm afraid of what that might do to the financial aid I've already budgeted into my life for the next 3 months.

I'm not working out. That probably has a lot to do with how 'blah-ish' I'm feeling lately. I don't have the energy for it. That's probably because I've almost forgotten what vegetables are. I need to find some carrots and squash, stat. I bet that would snap me out of this funk. Someone wanna give me a shove in the right direction? Please?

Seriously, I'm doing okay. I feel great, actually, considering that my throat was cut open less than a month ago. The scar is still sore.  Sometimes I forget that it's there and accidentally scratch an itch or something. When that happens there are a few seconds of blinding, "Oh. My. Gosh. What the %*#$? Did you think for a second that you have a normal neck?! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!" And then I forget about it again.  Other than that, I'd never know that I'd had surgery.

My kids are amazing. I realized the other day that I have more moments of enjoyment with my kids than not. Sadly, a couple of years ago I couldn't say that. There was a lot of stress and anxiety and general malaise that caused me not to enjoy much of anything having to do with child-rearing. I'm not sure when it happened exactly but all of a sudden I started having these moments of thinking,  

"Wow. This is cool. These kids are fabulous. I'm lucky to be doing this," 

and they far out-numbered the moments of thinking,  

"Geez, when is this going to end?  IamsoexhaustedIfeellikeIamgoingtodiebeforetheyareadults." 

It makes me happy and sad to figure this out. Happy because I really like the phase we're in. Sad because I probably missed out on some great moments. Sad because I'm slightly afraid that this is all going to be blown to smithereens in a few short years by teenage angst and hormones and yucky stuff. But for now, I'm going to savor it.

Because now is good and that's what I'm about.

Yup, even with all the health issues and all the work and all the stress and all the school and all the tight budgeting, I'm happy.  I'm still savoring moments and feeling like this is a good life.  I've been dealt a good lot and that's more than a lot of people can say.

And now I'm rambling. I have bread rising in the oven and I've had some wine and it's time to go to bed. After I punch down the dough. See ya.