halloween hams of yesteryear

Decided to take a break from studying, if for no other reason than to let my hands recuperate from the acute onset of writing induced arthritis! Ended up checking out the latest blogs out there and came across Running Wildly's most recent post, "Buzz". Like I mentioned to her, it brought back memories for me. I just have to share photos of those memories. Two are pages from scrapbook pages I did long ago, and the last is two raw photos I stuck together and scanned in.

1996



1997



1998



Yes, my eldest wore his Buzz Lightyear costume three years in a row. Why we kept it around all those years? Who knows! It's the kind of stuff memories are made of!

He didn't grow much during those three years, so it fit! You might notice from the "my own personal pity party" post he's grown a bit. He's fifteen and is somewhat of a human garbage dump!

they call him the Philly Phanatic

Big B returned from his trip to Philly this morning, with tons of photos from the 2008 World Series Champions, Philadelphia Phillies, parade and stadium celebration. I thought I'd share some photos of their mascot, the Philly Phanatic.

These (as well as all the photos I add on here) are taken with my Canon Powershot A720 IS. It's pretty small time I guess, but it's just enough for this sub-amateur photographer and her hubby! We're just learning how to use its more advanced functions.

my socialization via blogs

Stopped by Nurse Ratched's Place and am so happy I did! She posted about "Change of Shift", in particular Amanda's submission of CoS, at This Crazy Miracle Called Life. I consider myself fortunate for taking the time to check out these blogs because as you may know from my last couple of posts, I am in desperate need of inspiration. Through Amanda's blog I came across Running Wildly, who offers yet another remarkably inspirational forum for other nursing students to seek refuge in and take away a ray of hope!

Thanks ladies!

oops, I'm doing it again...

I've battled with the idea of whether or not nursing is right for me. Funny thing is I really can't see myself doing anything else. Earlier this morning I was set off by another blog. I'm not going to link to it because I would feel horrible if she thought she was the cause of my indecision and frustration. She's not, it has been ongoing since I started this semester. Here's a link to one of my previous whine sessions: KLS, Student Nurse: to be or not to be

I was looking at this blog, originally because she is also a SN, and I had never come across hers before. What caught my attention, and got me thinking is her love of home decorating. We have this in common.

There is so much I want. I don't even want to go that in-depth right now...not enough time. But it all has to do with me really just wanting to be able to work right now and bring home a paycheck so I can replace the flooring in my kitchen, or carpet upstairs.

I don't have the time for keeping up the house even as little as I did before. I am grateful to have a husband that is a bit OCD in that area.

Who has the time to even look at a decorating magazine, let alone redecorate your teenager's room, while in nursing school? I sure make time to blog. I think insanity would have finally taken me into her clutching claws long ago if it weren't for my blogging.

I have been going to school off and on, more on than off, for nearly ten years now! In less than 38 days I will take my final final exam with UMUC, and December 30th will "graduate". I'll walk at commencement in May. The point is why am I doing this? Why am I going to school beyond December? I might even benefit from taking some time off. I could find a job somewhere...

Then there's the $500 I still have in scholarship money to be used for Spring semester. I would be inclined to take the Nutrition class that I still lack, as well as A&P II that I'm probably going ot have to take. That doesn't make any sense.

I'm not making any sense, and if you've come this far than thank you.

Well I have to at least finish this semester out, so it's onward with the reading and assignments...

I know this is somewhat insipid. There are so many more important things in life, but it is a matter of happiness.

tortured no more

Phillin Phine in Philadelphia.

So I've caught the bug. Who wouldn't especially being somewhat of a history buff? I watched, along with a zillion others, as history was made last night!

In a world where so much can be depressing this was a sheer moment of joy. If only you could have seen the look on my husband's face.

Big B is heading up to NJ this afternoon. He's from the Trenton area, which I guess you could say is the sister city to the city of "brotherly love." He'll stay at his dad's house tonight, wake up tomorrow morning and set out with his brother to Philly so they watch the parade.

Wish I could go, but the boys have exams today and tomorrow, and I have to study along with completing some assignments.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Brad Lidge after throwing winning pitch,with Carlos Ruiz, photo courtesy of The Charlotte Observer


photo courtesy of Associated Press


Ryan Howard just before dog piling his teammates, photo courtesy of Reuters


Chase Utley celebrating with champagne, photo courtesy of Associated Press


Cole Hamels won 2008 World Series MVP, photo courtesy of Reuters

irony and integrity

I must vent.

Our next assignment has to do with describing the purpose of the nursing profession, highlighting values and ethical principles that are important regarding the nursing profession. In this essay we are to give an example of how these values or principles apply to a certain action, and contrast that action with another important value. We are also supposed to contrast nursing with another helping profession, and its purpose and/or values. I'm so mad I'm probably not making much sense. It's ok, the assignment has had many people confused anyway.

Originally I was going to use integrity and the opposing value would have been timeliness. An example would be making a mistake that needs reporting. If you value integrity you will report the mistake no matter what. If you value timeliness you may forego reporting, especially if there were not any ill consequences suffered due to the mistake, in an effort to save time.

I discussed this with another student yesterday, after she had told me about her essay. She said her value was equality. She was having a lot of trouble discerning if her essay was appropriate per the assignment or not.

Fast forward to today, I talk to this other student, whom I consider a friend, and she informs me she rewrote her paper, using integrity as her value.

I was definitely taken aback by this admission, but she went on to say how she'd been inspired and how it gave her clarity as to what the assignment was supposed to be about.

Since hanging up and thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that it really does irritate me. I would never take another person's idea and make it my own...never. It wouldn't matter how tempting it was.

I dunno, to me it's a matter of integrity.

note to self

Do not watch basic nursing skills CD-Rom, subject bathing an adult client-perineal care, while 12 year old boy is within a mile. He may be oblivious when you are speaking directly to him, at any time; however, he will pick up the word "rectum", from a distance, as if it were said through a megaphone when in all actuality the volume was at a normal level.

The word "rectum" will send 12 year old boy into fits of disgust and he will most likely be drawn to the source. If you are caught in this situation again, hope that once again, he will just miss the visual of the female perineum.

Thank goodness for draping.

my head might as well be a pressure cooker

For one I have a headache, and have had it all day long, even after taking 2 extra strength acetaminophen, 1 Allegra-D, and 1 ibuprofen. I get headaches quite frequently, and have for many moons. If it'snot a menstrual migraine it is a sinus headache.

The real reason my head is about to explode would be the pending academic obligations that are climaxing as I type.

In class today we got our group presentation assignments, for Nur100. Each group has to present about something medically related, or something we've maybe learned about this semester, but maybe not indepth. My group is going to do animal therapy. We were originally going to do alternative healing modalities as a whole, each member taking on one therapy, but the prof put the big kibosh on that idea. So we will focus on one therapy. It's no fun having your bubble burst!

For my psych class I have to head up the conclusions section for our lab report, as well as complete a lit review for a student who dropped and left us hanging in the lurch. Then I have to combine that lit review and another one a fellow group member is writing up for the same reason, into the lit review we already have started for the report.

I have an assignment due next Tuesday for Nur100. We also have our third exam for Nur105 that day. Hence a need for studying. Luckily it's only one chapter. Don't let the meager number fool you. It is nursing school after all.

I have about 7 chapters to read by this time next week, or really by the 18th. Our next Nur100 exam is then. Of course I'll have had them read long before then and will be studying it all.

Tomorrow I have my hygiene/bedmaking skills test. You know, bed bathing, oral care, occupied/unoccupied bedmaking, blah, blah, blah. So I need to review the CD-Rom for that this evening to make sure I don't miss any of the details or reasons for why we do what we do.

The Phillies will hopefully finish, and win, game 5. It was delayed last night because of rain. If they win Big B is planning on going up to Philly for the parade and such. Normally I could careless, except for the historical aspect of a win for Philly as a whole. I wouldn't mind being part of it. Had they won last night, he would have left today for a parade he suspected would have taken place on Wednesday. Instead they will finish game 5 tomorrow, and a parade would probably happen Thursday or Friday.

Halloween is Friday-must hand out candy.

There are not enough hours in the day, or days in the week!

meet irwin

Getting off the computer here in a bit to go do some reading, but had to share some of my most recent photos. I finally learned how to use the manual focus on my camera. Yeah, lightbulb moment for sure!

This fine looking fellow is Irwin. While visiting the summer of 2005 my mom bought Irwin for BZ. Since then he has become my pet, much to my pleasure! He is a Bearded Dragon.

unlike dazzled, more like frazzled

Just taking a moment to whine. I have oh, about 4 chapters to read before Tuesday, and my first ATI test to take tomorrow afternoon. At least it's not much to worry about, it's just a critical thinking test-nothing that could be studied for.

Weekdays are so much better than weekends. I only have the girls to contend with, not that they're simple or anything.

What else? Oh, yes my psych class lab group had to submit our results section for our study by this evening. All thanks go to one member of the group, who so gallantly took on this task of enormous proportions, being that it was the statistical nightmare portion of the study. The other member of the group and myself have just suffered through a stats class together, this past summer. Stats is not a class to take online, but there really wasn't much choice, since the closest UMUC campus to me is TOO FAR AWAY! Anyway, we didn't really learn much, sad to say. Put it this way, if I were to go further in psych, such as at the grad level, I would take another stats class...in person, nonetheless. So she and I let the boy(well as compared to me, at my ancient age, he is a boy!) do the work. Never fear, we've pulled our weight in other areas, and will do so for the duration.

This coming week we have to complete the conclusions section. We are lacking some sources from our literature review because our fourth member dropped the class without warning, leaving work to be done.

So yeah, add all that together with the upcoming Nur105 skills lecture test on the 4th of November, the necessity of reading the ATI Fundamentals book, and oh let's not forget, an assignment due on the 4th, I'm a bit frazzled. This is all not to mention the family, the dead plants out in my garden, the toilets that need to be scrubbed, catbox needing a scoop or ten, and far be it from anyone else in the family to enter the kitchen and actually prepare a meal for anyone else!

Let me just go pour myself another glass of wine!