Some progress in the education portion of my life. Not without frustration, of course...It seems that CNM did a wonderful job recruiting students, but FAILED to evaluate whether their infrastructure and offices could handle all that traffic!!
I didn't make cohort, so ended up doing my registration, paperwork and payment arrangement stuff all today (way late for me), because I had to wait for word on that. Unfortunately, it's also the first day for all the brand new students to do the same. Epic long lines and wait times ensued. My home printer is still not working, on top of all that, so I also had to hit a computer lab - which I *swear* had twice as many computers in it when I went by there last week! WTF??
Anyway, it's done. I have till mid-September to make the next payment for my classes, and by then I should have some financial aid coming my way.
The budget is still very tight, but not impossibly so, with that breathing room. I will deal with books once I have my loan money, and already have the most important ones, thank goodness. I am also signed up for a free algebra refresher workshop which may enable me to change math classes before school actually starts, and save me time and money by letting me skip a lower level pre-requisite for the class that my degree requires. That's a very good thing!
I've got a pagan camping event next weekend which I am looking forward to. Bubonicon is about a month away, and my birthday is the week before that. I'm still baking and hope to be able to get some orders for breads and cookies for extra cash. My roomie, Tom, is working hard, though still part-time, and is helping as much as he can. The "woods" seem a lot less threatening today. I'm not out of them, by a long shot, but it's less Mirkwood and more Greenwood sometimes. ;-)
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, May 31, 2009
So, here's my trip.
Sunday afternoon, time to blog my little trip.
It was good, but fast.
Friday morning, got a ride to the airport (thanks, Pat B.) and headed out. Frontier always stops in Denver, so I had a short layover there of an hour or so. Just chilled in the airport, got online for a bit, then on to my Chicago flight. Gotta love those Midway landings, and I felt a bit like a Bugs Bunny cartoon waiting for the brakes to work...ok, not really. Ambr picked me up and we made a couple of stops on the way back to the house. The new Asian Market near her is nearly as big as TaLin, and (since they were out of tuna, darn the luck) we picked up a salmon fillet that was just amazing. No odor, and beautiful texture. Yeah, had to nibble on some before it went into the marinade. Definitely sashimi-worthy. We figured out timing for trains and buses for Friday, and when Norman got home, we had a nice quiet dinner. I got a shower (hot water is so nice) and headed for bed.
Friday morning, got up, and Norman and I went to catch the train into town. We split up at Union Station, and I managed to find the bus I needed up to the Westin Hotel on North Michigan. It's just a block from the Water Tower, and there was an express which worked out rather nicely. I arrived in plenty of time, and tried to steady my nerves with some Incredible String Band on the MP3 player till some of the other people started arriving. Apparently, the people from the show had not realized that they were in a different room for the day, so things were a bit delayed, but not by much. Auditions had been going on all week, it seems, three sessions a day, about 20 or so in each lot. It adds up, it really does.
There are about 400 slots for each season, and they haven't started taping the next season yet, so this is really the best time to be auditioning. I'll be in the contestant pool for 18 months, so we'll see if I get called. We took a 50 question quiz, fairly quick, then went up in groups of three to play a mock game. I think I did well, and hope I made a good impression.
After the audition, it was only about noon, so I decided to walk a bit and get some lunch. The bus had gone right past Pizzeria Uno on the way up, and it was a short walk to get there. I had the express lunch special, which is an individual deep dish pizza with a small salad. To quote the old commercial, “I can't believe I ate the whole thing!”, but I did. I continued walking back toward the station, and stopped to take a couple pics of the Eastland Steamer site and plaque. Look it up, if you like, it was one of the biggest maritime losses of life in America, and it happened right in the Chicago River. They say that Harpo studios is partially haunted because its building was the Armory which served as a temporary morgue that day.
Got back to Union Station in fine time to catch a train back out to Lisle, and Ambr picked me up after her puppy-sitting gig. When we got home, I think my sinuses caught up to me at last, and when Ambr said I looked like I needed a nap, I didn't argue. I slept for quite a while, and when I did get up again, Norman was home and it was time for dinner. We ate, and figured out how to get me back to the airport on Saturday. Ambr and I stayed up a bit, and watched some TV. A new-to-me show called “Primeval” which looked pretty good, and most of the movie of Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett. Then to bed so I could get up in the morning.
Saturday's travel was good, a bit bumpy in a couple of spots, but that's just cloud kicking. I had a longer layover in Denver this time, but still too short to try and hook up with anyone. When we were coming in to land in Albuquerque, we had to make a second go-round because of the wind, but that was all. I caught buses home and started getting ready for my evening.
My friend Ryan had called me while I was in Chicago, and we'd arranged to go to the show together. Ah, yes, the show. The Brothers Ericksen Variety Show. It rocked. So much talent in one place, and it was a blast, even if they didn't manage to get the liquor license in time. That was the city's fault. Short films, puppetry, music, more amazing music, juggling and entertainment..oh, it was fantastic! Justifiable fangirl squee!
After the show, Ryan and I sat by my fire pit and shared a few beers till I was just too tired to stay up any longer. During the night, my sinuses must have gotten the go-ahead to really start kicking my butt, so now I'm sitting here trying to blog, do homework, and watch a stop-and-go stream of Sweeney Todd on the telly/pc. I have meds, I have tissues, and even got some orange juice. The thai noodles I picked up from the Co-op deli, however, are rather disappointing; too starchy and the noodles are mushy. Can't win 'em all.
Homework. Somewhere in there, I think I have a quiz to do, too. Ugh. At least the quiz can be taken at home, online, and open book. I had to take my first exam before I left because that was my only chance to get to the testing center on Main Campus. I also managed to take my Thursday class on Tuesday, so at least I didn't miss the lecture. At least after this week, I won't be having to study for the state test at the same time.
I haven't decided yet what to do about actual work in the EMS field. I have a few ideas, but hate to switch horses in mid-stream till I have some solid plans. I just hope my body and my brains are up to it. I've got to get in better physical shape if I ever hope to do this well. I have been still losing weight, slowly, but there's more I should do. I am taking my vitamins, and trying to eat right. Sandy calls it the ELF diet (Eat Less Food), and maybe if I had an elf or two to play with that could take care of the exercise portion... LOL
Anyway, that's my weekend.
It was good, but fast.
Friday morning, got a ride to the airport (thanks, Pat B.) and headed out. Frontier always stops in Denver, so I had a short layover there of an hour or so. Just chilled in the airport, got online for a bit, then on to my Chicago flight. Gotta love those Midway landings, and I felt a bit like a Bugs Bunny cartoon waiting for the brakes to work...ok, not really. Ambr picked me up and we made a couple of stops on the way back to the house. The new Asian Market near her is nearly as big as TaLin, and (since they were out of tuna, darn the luck) we picked up a salmon fillet that was just amazing. No odor, and beautiful texture. Yeah, had to nibble on some before it went into the marinade. Definitely sashimi-worthy. We figured out timing for trains and buses for Friday, and when Norman got home, we had a nice quiet dinner. I got a shower (hot water is so nice) and headed for bed.
Friday morning, got up, and Norman and I went to catch the train into town. We split up at Union Station, and I managed to find the bus I needed up to the Westin Hotel on North Michigan. It's just a block from the Water Tower, and there was an express which worked out rather nicely. I arrived in plenty of time, and tried to steady my nerves with some Incredible String Band on the MP3 player till some of the other people started arriving. Apparently, the people from the show had not realized that they were in a different room for the day, so things were a bit delayed, but not by much. Auditions had been going on all week, it seems, three sessions a day, about 20 or so in each lot. It adds up, it really does.
There are about 400 slots for each season, and they haven't started taping the next season yet, so this is really the best time to be auditioning. I'll be in the contestant pool for 18 months, so we'll see if I get called. We took a 50 question quiz, fairly quick, then went up in groups of three to play a mock game. I think I did well, and hope I made a good impression.
After the audition, it was only about noon, so I decided to walk a bit and get some lunch. The bus had gone right past Pizzeria Uno on the way up, and it was a short walk to get there. I had the express lunch special, which is an individual deep dish pizza with a small salad. To quote the old commercial, “I can't believe I ate the whole thing!”, but I did. I continued walking back toward the station, and stopped to take a couple pics of the Eastland Steamer site and plaque. Look it up, if you like, it was one of the biggest maritime losses of life in America, and it happened right in the Chicago River. They say that Harpo studios is partially haunted because its building was the Armory which served as a temporary morgue that day.
Got back to Union Station in fine time to catch a train back out to Lisle, and Ambr picked me up after her puppy-sitting gig. When we got home, I think my sinuses caught up to me at last, and when Ambr said I looked like I needed a nap, I didn't argue. I slept for quite a while, and when I did get up again, Norman was home and it was time for dinner. We ate, and figured out how to get me back to the airport on Saturday. Ambr and I stayed up a bit, and watched some TV. A new-to-me show called “Primeval” which looked pretty good, and most of the movie of Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett. Then to bed so I could get up in the morning.
Saturday's travel was good, a bit bumpy in a couple of spots, but that's just cloud kicking. I had a longer layover in Denver this time, but still too short to try and hook up with anyone. When we were coming in to land in Albuquerque, we had to make a second go-round because of the wind, but that was all. I caught buses home and started getting ready for my evening.
My friend Ryan had called me while I was in Chicago, and we'd arranged to go to the show together. Ah, yes, the show. The Brothers Ericksen Variety Show. It rocked. So much talent in one place, and it was a blast, even if they didn't manage to get the liquor license in time. That was the city's fault. Short films, puppetry, music, more amazing music, juggling and entertainment..oh, it was fantastic! Justifiable fangirl squee!
After the show, Ryan and I sat by my fire pit and shared a few beers till I was just too tired to stay up any longer. During the night, my sinuses must have gotten the go-ahead to really start kicking my butt, so now I'm sitting here trying to blog, do homework, and watch a stop-and-go stream of Sweeney Todd on the telly/pc. I have meds, I have tissues, and even got some orange juice. The thai noodles I picked up from the Co-op deli, however, are rather disappointing; too starchy and the noodles are mushy. Can't win 'em all.
Homework. Somewhere in there, I think I have a quiz to do, too. Ugh. At least the quiz can be taken at home, online, and open book. I had to take my first exam before I left because that was my only chance to get to the testing center on Main Campus. I also managed to take my Thursday class on Tuesday, so at least I didn't miss the lecture. At least after this week, I won't be having to study for the state test at the same time.
I haven't decided yet what to do about actual work in the EMS field. I have a few ideas, but hate to switch horses in mid-stream till I have some solid plans. I just hope my body and my brains are up to it. I've got to get in better physical shape if I ever hope to do this well. I have been still losing weight, slowly, but there's more I should do. I am taking my vitamins, and trying to eat right. Sandy calls it the ELF diet (Eat Less Food), and maybe if I had an elf or two to play with that could take care of the exercise portion... LOL
Anyway, that's my weekend.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Time flies when you don't blog, I guess...
Let's see if I can catch up.
Beltane: Totally rocked, despite the wild and woolly weather. Rain, hail, sun, we had it all! Got to see good friends, hear good music, dance and drum. Good stuff. Had a friend join us for his first Beltane, and he's already talking about the next event, so that's a good sign, I hope.
I've got plans for Summer Solstice, and I'm the coordinator for the Lughnasadh event, so that'll keep me busy and involved with the pagan community. Several of the folk in the community are also taking time to teach me the local culture and traditions, and I'm feeling quite honored by this.
School: Got a 4.0 in the Spring classes. Studying now for the state EMT test, which I'll take on June 6th. I'm a tad nervous about it, since there's the gap between class and the test. I've already started my next set of classes, though, so that helps me get my mind back into that mode of thinking. I'm still short one book, but it'll have to wait till my scholarship check comes in. I've already had to spend more on books than I care to think about.
I have five classes for summer term, but one's only 5 weeks long, and two of them are half-term in the same time slot, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Ten credit hours, though, so I'm gonna be working hard.
Life: I have sent off my last truck payment! W00T!!!! On the downside, the gas is off, so all the baking I was doing to raise money for my little Chicago trip next week is done for now. I should be able to save up enough to get it back on late next month. Luckily, the days I have to go to Clovis for the EMT test are a pay week, so I will not have to worry about that expense yet.
Ok, the Chicago trip...For those who haven't heard, I have an appointment for a live Jeopardy! audition on May 29th, in Chi-town. I'm flying out on Thursday, the day before, and coming back on the Saturday. I'm really excited, and a bit nervous. This audition will put me in the contestant pool for a year, and I may or may not get called to actually do the show, but this is a lot closer than I've ever been! And yeah, I already know what I'll do with my winnings. ;-)
The reason for coming back on Saturday is also important. Go check out www.brothersericksen.com and you'll see. These are my friends, and they're doing a show, one night only. I am not going to miss this! Anybody in Abq who can make it, come on out. It's gonna be a lot of fun.
Anyway, I'm off to a barbeque, hosted by one of my co-workers. I have my box of Boca burgers, and she said we didn't have to bring anything else, so off I go.
Last night, I went to hear some live music (Dianivy & Tribe), then went to see Cheech & Chong's “Up In Smoke” at the Guild with a friend. Wow. I have a social life! LOL
Beltane: Totally rocked, despite the wild and woolly weather. Rain, hail, sun, we had it all! Got to see good friends, hear good music, dance and drum. Good stuff. Had a friend join us for his first Beltane, and he's already talking about the next event, so that's a good sign, I hope.
I've got plans for Summer Solstice, and I'm the coordinator for the Lughnasadh event, so that'll keep me busy and involved with the pagan community. Several of the folk in the community are also taking time to teach me the local culture and traditions, and I'm feeling quite honored by this.
School: Got a 4.0 in the Spring classes. Studying now for the state EMT test, which I'll take on June 6th. I'm a tad nervous about it, since there's the gap between class and the test. I've already started my next set of classes, though, so that helps me get my mind back into that mode of thinking. I'm still short one book, but it'll have to wait till my scholarship check comes in. I've already had to spend more on books than I care to think about.
I have five classes for summer term, but one's only 5 weeks long, and two of them are half-term in the same time slot, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Ten credit hours, though, so I'm gonna be working hard.
Life: I have sent off my last truck payment! W00T!!!! On the downside, the gas is off, so all the baking I was doing to raise money for my little Chicago trip next week is done for now. I should be able to save up enough to get it back on late next month. Luckily, the days I have to go to Clovis for the EMT test are a pay week, so I will not have to worry about that expense yet.
Ok, the Chicago trip...For those who haven't heard, I have an appointment for a live Jeopardy! audition on May 29th, in Chi-town. I'm flying out on Thursday, the day before, and coming back on the Saturday. I'm really excited, and a bit nervous. This audition will put me in the contestant pool for a year, and I may or may not get called to actually do the show, but this is a lot closer than I've ever been! And yeah, I already know what I'll do with my winnings. ;-)
The reason for coming back on Saturday is also important. Go check out www.brothersericksen.com and you'll see. These are my friends, and they're doing a show, one night only. I am not going to miss this! Anybody in Abq who can make it, come on out. It's gonna be a lot of fun.
Anyway, I'm off to a barbeque, hosted by one of my co-workers. I have my box of Boca burgers, and she said we didn't have to bring anything else, so off I go.
Last night, I went to hear some live music (Dianivy & Tribe), then went to see Cheech & Chong's “Up In Smoke” at the Guild with a friend. Wow. I have a social life! LOL
Sunday, April 12, 2009
My Bi-Polar Life
It has been another rollercoaster week.
Losing Stormy last Friday was, and is, really rough. The house is too quiet, even with my other cat, Ghost, here. I'm keeping an eye on her to see how she does with being an only cat, especially with me out of the house so much. If she gets too lonely, it will influence whether I think about getting another cat to keep her company. I am also concerned about not being able to be there to help integrate another feline to the household. No hurry, honestly, just things to consider.
I did get the grave dug today, after the rains stopped. The first place I chose had too many tree roots and I couldn't do anything with it. I settled on a spot by the back wall. I'm thinking maybe a 6 p.m. funeral, since some of my friends have expressed an interest in coming to pay respects. For now, I have a cat in my freezer. A bit macabre, perhaps, but his box is surrounded by my frozen seafood stash, so I suppose it's somewhat fitting, and I hope Stormy doesn't mind.
Had another test in EMT class this past week, and two online quizzes to do. The test had stuff that, again, we hadn't gone over yet, so I only got 89.8 on it. I wanted to do better. The quizzes have pulled 96 each, and I can live with that. I don't like taking exams on the computer. What worries me is Monday's final written exam, because it's obviously comprehensive, and there are several chapters not covered in lectures that we will need to know. After the final, we concentrate on skills lab, with those tests being done the next week. If we pass all that, we get our completion certificates which will let us sit for the state exams in June. Whew!
Math class is going fine, I'm carrying an A there with no problems. I am confident that I'll do fine on that final in a couple of weeks. We did have a chapter exam Friday, and I did alright on that, I'm sure.
Also on Friday, I registered for Summer Term. I got all but the biggest class I need to take, and I just can't do the other one and still manage to work. I have to survive, first and foremost, and I'd lose 3/5 of my workweek if I tried to take the Advanced Trauma. So, it looks like it'll be Pharmacology, Drug Calculations (only one month of Mondays), Legal Issues & Reporting (1st half), GI/GU Emergencies (2nd half), and Human Systems & Development (anatomy/physiology stuff).
So much for the usual....I will have to miss a day of class and a couple of days of work at the end of May, as I need to make a quick trip to Chicago. I have an appointment for a live audition to possibly be a Jeopardy! contestant!! How cool is that? It'll be a whirlwind trip, I'm afraid, as I have to be back on Saturday to make it to “The Brothers Ericksen Puppet Movie Mayhem and Variety Show” at the Guild Cinema. It's a must-see for so many reasons! Anyway, I'm thinking of raising money for my trip by selling homemade bread and cookies. Many of my co-workers have said they'll buy some already. I find myself truly needing a mixer now, but haven't been able to find an affordable stand mixer that's sturdy enough to meet my needs. The KitchenAids at Wal-mart are too low powered, and too small. A KitchenAid Professional 600 would be nice, and I could manage an Electrolux Assistent DLX-2000, I'd be in heaven! Right now, though, I don't even have the budget for a Sunbeam or Hamilton Beach cheapie.
Beltane is coming up in a few weeks, and I'll be helping with the Main Ritual. I plan to be healthier and better prepared for Beltane this year. More warm clothes and blankets, and, gods willing, I'll be able to find myself a willing human space heater! (Better plan on finding new longjohns, I'm afraid, especially compared to my slim chances of getting the warm body of my choice into the ol' bedroll.)
...Post-movie now, and home again. Went to the Guild to see The Dark Crystal. Yeah, big screen. Plus, one of the guys who worked on puppetry for both this and Labyrinth is a local, so he was there to do comments and Q&A afterwards. A nice geek's night out, as I got my ticket early then went over and had a snack at Flying Star while waiting for the movie. So, naturally, as I was walking home after midnight, I was singing Patsy Cline songs to myself....
Tomorrow morning, some of our geek crew is meeting for Sunday brunch. Seems like a good time to do it, even though most of us don't celebrate Easter all that much. Off to bed, then!
Losing Stormy last Friday was, and is, really rough. The house is too quiet, even with my other cat, Ghost, here. I'm keeping an eye on her to see how she does with being an only cat, especially with me out of the house so much. If she gets too lonely, it will influence whether I think about getting another cat to keep her company. I am also concerned about not being able to be there to help integrate another feline to the household. No hurry, honestly, just things to consider.
I did get the grave dug today, after the rains stopped. The first place I chose had too many tree roots and I couldn't do anything with it. I settled on a spot by the back wall. I'm thinking maybe a 6 p.m. funeral, since some of my friends have expressed an interest in coming to pay respects. For now, I have a cat in my freezer. A bit macabre, perhaps, but his box is surrounded by my frozen seafood stash, so I suppose it's somewhat fitting, and I hope Stormy doesn't mind.
Had another test in EMT class this past week, and two online quizzes to do. The test had stuff that, again, we hadn't gone over yet, so I only got 89.8 on it. I wanted to do better. The quizzes have pulled 96 each, and I can live with that. I don't like taking exams on the computer. What worries me is Monday's final written exam, because it's obviously comprehensive, and there are several chapters not covered in lectures that we will need to know. After the final, we concentrate on skills lab, with those tests being done the next week. If we pass all that, we get our completion certificates which will let us sit for the state exams in June. Whew!
Math class is going fine, I'm carrying an A there with no problems. I am confident that I'll do fine on that final in a couple of weeks. We did have a chapter exam Friday, and I did alright on that, I'm sure.
Also on Friday, I registered for Summer Term. I got all but the biggest class I need to take, and I just can't do the other one and still manage to work. I have to survive, first and foremost, and I'd lose 3/5 of my workweek if I tried to take the Advanced Trauma. So, it looks like it'll be Pharmacology, Drug Calculations (only one month of Mondays), Legal Issues & Reporting (1st half), GI/GU Emergencies (2nd half), and Human Systems & Development (anatomy/physiology stuff).
So much for the usual....I will have to miss a day of class and a couple of days of work at the end of May, as I need to make a quick trip to Chicago. I have an appointment for a live audition to possibly be a Jeopardy! contestant!! How cool is that? It'll be a whirlwind trip, I'm afraid, as I have to be back on Saturday to make it to “The Brothers Ericksen Puppet Movie Mayhem and Variety Show” at the Guild Cinema. It's a must-see for so many reasons! Anyway, I'm thinking of raising money for my trip by selling homemade bread and cookies. Many of my co-workers have said they'll buy some already. I find myself truly needing a mixer now, but haven't been able to find an affordable stand mixer that's sturdy enough to meet my needs. The KitchenAids at Wal-mart are too low powered, and too small. A KitchenAid Professional 600 would be nice, and I could manage an Electrolux Assistent DLX-2000, I'd be in heaven! Right now, though, I don't even have the budget for a Sunbeam or Hamilton Beach cheapie.
Beltane is coming up in a few weeks, and I'll be helping with the Main Ritual. I plan to be healthier and better prepared for Beltane this year. More warm clothes and blankets, and, gods willing, I'll be able to find myself a willing human space heater! (Better plan on finding new longjohns, I'm afraid, especially compared to my slim chances of getting the warm body of my choice into the ol' bedroll.)
...Post-movie now, and home again. Went to the Guild to see The Dark Crystal. Yeah, big screen. Plus, one of the guys who worked on puppetry for both this and Labyrinth is a local, so he was there to do comments and Q&A afterwards. A nice geek's night out, as I got my ticket early then went over and had a snack at Flying Star while waiting for the movie. So, naturally, as I was walking home after midnight, I was singing Patsy Cline songs to myself....
Tomorrow morning, some of our geek crew is meeting for Sunday brunch. Seems like a good time to do it, even though most of us don't celebrate Easter all that much. Off to bed, then!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
'Bout dang time!
Okay, let me catch you all up on progress so far.
I am getting A's in both my classes, EMT and Algebra, though it's not a cruising A. I'm working for it, and while the math is not too hard, I get tired and do silly mistakes if I'm not careful. EMT stuff is harder, of course, and makes for a lot of memorization in brain as well as hands. But I'm confident that I'll do well.
I've filled out my FAFSA for next school year, and we'll see if I can qualify for some financial aid. If it's enough, I would consider going to school full-time for the paramedic courses.
Work has been "meh". It's work, and the good calls and bad calls average out on most days. It's the ones that come in at the last second and keep me way past my scheduled time that honk me off. That, and the ones transferred from another center in particular; no info gathered that the rep should have gotten, nothing done at all, and sometimes they don't even tell the customer that they'll be getting transferred. Grrrr!
I have been getting out and about a bit, though not as much as I'd like. Ryan and I did get together last night for margaritas and Buffy DVDs, and it was worth skipping the margarita night with my co-workers. I should stay away from tequila, though, because that's the one booze that ever gave me a hangover. Granted, that was over 20 years ago, but I don't care to go through that ever again! Just gotta remember to eat, and drink water.
Laundry today, while I catch up on the blog and my surfing. I'll study more tomorrow, as we have a quiz Monday morning. Memorizing drug doses and rules is very important, so it's good that we're getting another quiz on it.
The weather has started to get nice, and the sunshine makes it feel warmer than the thermometer says it is. I'm just looking forward to getting out on my bicycle again. Next weekend, when I'm helping with the Medieval conference (MAP 2009) at UNM, I'm just going to leave the truck at home and do the bus/bike thing. Saves on parking fees, too. As a bonus, the more I can walk/bike, the better my success with losing weight! I splurged on a couple of pairs of jeans at the thrift store, and ended up going with the pairs that I thought would be too small when I pulled them from the rack! Nice feeling, that. Pretty soon, I hope to be freecycling some of my clothes that have gotten too big.
I'm working on getting the needed repairs done on my truck. I have gotten hooked up with a local charity called Pit Stop Ministry that helps folks fix up and maintain cars. They will help me with my brakes! I need to get the front right hub bearing replaced first (about $300) and as much of the rest of the front end as I can manage, then front brakes will be done in March, rear at the April clinic, and then I can get the tires and alignment. The truck will be paid off in May or June, and then things should improve greatly. My EMT test will be in June, and we'll go on from there!
Other than that, Ostara's coming, and that's gonna be a nice celebration. On top of St. Paddy's Day earlier that week, I'm gonna get my share of socializing, I'm sure! Work hard, play hard. Sounds like a plan.
I am getting A's in both my classes, EMT and Algebra, though it's not a cruising A. I'm working for it, and while the math is not too hard, I get tired and do silly mistakes if I'm not careful. EMT stuff is harder, of course, and makes for a lot of memorization in brain as well as hands. But I'm confident that I'll do well.
I've filled out my FAFSA for next school year, and we'll see if I can qualify for some financial aid. If it's enough, I would consider going to school full-time for the paramedic courses.
Work has been "meh". It's work, and the good calls and bad calls average out on most days. It's the ones that come in at the last second and keep me way past my scheduled time that honk me off. That, and the ones transferred from another center in particular; no info gathered that the rep should have gotten, nothing done at all, and sometimes they don't even tell the customer that they'll be getting transferred. Grrrr!
I have been getting out and about a bit, though not as much as I'd like. Ryan and I did get together last night for margaritas and Buffy DVDs, and it was worth skipping the margarita night with my co-workers. I should stay away from tequila, though, because that's the one booze that ever gave me a hangover. Granted, that was over 20 years ago, but I don't care to go through that ever again! Just gotta remember to eat, and drink water.
Laundry today, while I catch up on the blog and my surfing. I'll study more tomorrow, as we have a quiz Monday morning. Memorizing drug doses and rules is very important, so it's good that we're getting another quiz on it.
The weather has started to get nice, and the sunshine makes it feel warmer than the thermometer says it is. I'm just looking forward to getting out on my bicycle again. Next weekend, when I'm helping with the Medieval conference (MAP 2009) at UNM, I'm just going to leave the truck at home and do the bus/bike thing. Saves on parking fees, too. As a bonus, the more I can walk/bike, the better my success with losing weight! I splurged on a couple of pairs of jeans at the thrift store, and ended up going with the pairs that I thought would be too small when I pulled them from the rack! Nice feeling, that. Pretty soon, I hope to be freecycling some of my clothes that have gotten too big.
I'm working on getting the needed repairs done on my truck. I have gotten hooked up with a local charity called Pit Stop Ministry that helps folks fix up and maintain cars. They will help me with my brakes! I need to get the front right hub bearing replaced first (about $300) and as much of the rest of the front end as I can manage, then front brakes will be done in March, rear at the April clinic, and then I can get the tires and alignment. The truck will be paid off in May or June, and then things should improve greatly. My EMT test will be in June, and we'll go on from there!
Other than that, Ostara's coming, and that's gonna be a nice celebration. On top of St. Paddy's Day earlier that week, I'm gonna get my share of socializing, I'm sure! Work hard, play hard. Sounds like a plan.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
I'm an Auntie!!
Woohoo! I can tell y'all about it now.
My brother and his wife will be returning from Colombia in a week or so, with my new nephew and niece in tow. The kids are blood siblings, so it's good that they can stay together in their new family. I always said that Frank would make our mom a grandma first, anyway.
Work is crazy, we're shorthanded and swamped, and tempers are starting to flare. Dissatisfaction is growing, and it makes me glad that I'm going to school already. I just hope things stay stable till I'm ready to move on.
School's keeping me busy, of course, but I think I'm doing okay. Still readjusting to the schedule demands, but trying to stay ahead of things. I've finished the Clinical Prep class, as of today, and got my certification cards for
I did finally succumb to the pressure to try World of Warcraft. Biggest problem was getting the dang program to download and install. I've got a character and have done one little quest, but have been too tired to do much more than that. My trial will end soon, unfortunately, so I'm not sure if I'm gonna try to get a paid account or not. I'm just not that into it, yet, and the expense is a deterrent, too. I really don't need another indoor activity.
I did manage to get my eye exam on Thursday, and am working with a trial pair of contact lenses in the new prescription. They seem to work well, though the doc did advise a weak pair of reading glasses for close up work. Wonder if I can get a pair that look like Dumbledore's glasses? Probably can, actually....
Tomorrow's the Imbolc celebration here in town, and I plan to go. It's an indoor event, as it's still a tad chilly to be out in the evenings. The days are getting a bit warmer, though. I've started hearing birdsong in the mornings, and the sun seems to be showing itself more. It's cooling off tonight, though, and there is snow in the forecast for many parts of the state. It would be a good night to curl up by a fireplace, if I had one. I'll make do with a pot of tea and a warm laptop, I guess!
My brother and his wife will be returning from Colombia in a week or so, with my new nephew and niece in tow. The kids are blood siblings, so it's good that they can stay together in their new family. I always said that Frank would make our mom a grandma first, anyway.
Work is crazy, we're shorthanded and swamped, and tempers are starting to flare. Dissatisfaction is growing, and it makes me glad that I'm going to school already. I just hope things stay stable till I'm ready to move on.
School's keeping me busy, of course, but I think I'm doing okay. Still readjusting to the schedule demands, but trying to stay ahead of things. I've finished the Clinical Prep class, as of today, and got my certification cards for
I did finally succumb to the pressure to try World of Warcraft. Biggest problem was getting the dang program to download and install. I've got a character and have done one little quest, but have been too tired to do much more than that. My trial will end soon, unfortunately, so I'm not sure if I'm gonna try to get a paid account or not. I'm just not that into it, yet, and the expense is a deterrent, too. I really don't need another indoor activity.
I did manage to get my eye exam on Thursday, and am working with a trial pair of contact lenses in the new prescription. They seem to work well, though the doc did advise a weak pair of reading glasses for close up work. Wonder if I can get a pair that look like Dumbledore's glasses? Probably can, actually....
Tomorrow's the Imbolc celebration here in town, and I plan to go. It's an indoor event, as it's still a tad chilly to be out in the evenings. The days are getting a bit warmer, though. I've started hearing birdsong in the mornings, and the sun seems to be showing itself more. It's cooling off tonight, though, and there is snow in the forecast for many parts of the state. It would be a good night to curl up by a fireplace, if I had one. I'll make do with a pot of tea and a warm laptop, I guess!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Whee...adjusting to school and work
At last, a chance to blog. It's been a busy week, with school starting, changes in my work schedule because of it, and even some social activities.
School is good so far, despite the adjustment to getting up very early. I'm up at 6:30 a.m., with classes starting at 8:00 on Monday and Wednesday, or 8:30 on Friday. Add to that my work, which goes till 9:30 at least, and it makes for a long day. I'm glad to be able to recover on the other days! I have homework already, of course, and I needed to replace my printer. Darn thing starts off fine, then fades out halfway through the page. The ink is full, so I can't figure out what's going on. I think it's just worn out, as it was a cheap one to begin with. Luckily, I found another one that uses the same cartridges. Our EMT lectures have powerpoint slides, and we need to print out copies to make notes with.
I'm grateful to my friend Ryan for giving me a calculator to use for my algebra class. The prof prefers that we use them, which is very unusual to me. I can see his point, though, as the process of doing the algebra is far more important to learn, and we should all know math by now, so why waste time on doing it all by hand. I still do some of it in my head, though!
We don't have class tomorrow, for the MLK, Jr. holiday, but that just gives me a chance to catch up for Wednesday's class. There's a lot to learn, and I'm glad that I have a whole semester to do it in. I'm not sure which class will be hardest, so I'm trying to take it a bit at a time. There are many changes in the whole classroom setting, especially the online part. Yeah....last time I was in college for any length of time, there was no such thing! Now, my textbooks come with DVDs and online materials that are required for quizzes and tests. Very strange.
I have also had to break down and get a coffeemaker. It's a 4-cup, freecycled, but it's enough to get me through a morning. Finally found a use for the travel mug I got at the Woodwind/Brasswind! I'm not a big coffee drinker, honestly, but I may turn into one at this rate. I got myself some good coffee, too. All I need are some filters, and I'm running some weak vinegar water through it to make sure it's clean.
I also managed to come up with a better desktop computer over the weekend, on the extreme cheap, and have been putting it together. I'm missing some of my disks, so it was trial and error getting it going. Had to reformat and do a fresh install on the HD, and all I had available was XP Home. I much prefer Pro, and now that I've got the thing set up and online, I think I'll be upgrading at least that far soon. I'm tempted to try out Windows 7 Beta, and there's always Ubuntu, if I can ever manage to get it downloaded.
As for the socializing, one of my co-workers hosted a RockBand party at a local gaming center. I've never played it before, and was happy to find out that there's even a way to play by singing! Don't know how it compares to Guitar Hero, which I've also not played, but I really had a fun time with the crew from work. That was Saturday, and Friday was the ASFS meeting (which I missed 95% of, naturally) so I got to have some weekend fun. Coming up this Friday, a band containing two other co-workers is playing at a local bar, so I'll be going to that, I think.
All work and no play makes Harriet a raving stress-bomb, so hopefully I'll get to keep balancing the two.
School is good so far, despite the adjustment to getting up very early. I'm up at 6:30 a.m., with classes starting at 8:00 on Monday and Wednesday, or 8:30 on Friday. Add to that my work, which goes till 9:30 at least, and it makes for a long day. I'm glad to be able to recover on the other days! I have homework already, of course, and I needed to replace my printer. Darn thing starts off fine, then fades out halfway through the page. The ink is full, so I can't figure out what's going on. I think it's just worn out, as it was a cheap one to begin with. Luckily, I found another one that uses the same cartridges. Our EMT lectures have powerpoint slides, and we need to print out copies to make notes with.
I'm grateful to my friend Ryan for giving me a calculator to use for my algebra class. The prof prefers that we use them, which is very unusual to me. I can see his point, though, as the process of doing the algebra is far more important to learn, and we should all know math by now, so why waste time on doing it all by hand. I still do some of it in my head, though!
We don't have class tomorrow, for the MLK, Jr. holiday, but that just gives me a chance to catch up for Wednesday's class. There's a lot to learn, and I'm glad that I have a whole semester to do it in. I'm not sure which class will be hardest, so I'm trying to take it a bit at a time. There are many changes in the whole classroom setting, especially the online part. Yeah....last time I was in college for any length of time, there was no such thing! Now, my textbooks come with DVDs and online materials that are required for quizzes and tests. Very strange.
I have also had to break down and get a coffeemaker. It's a 4-cup, freecycled, but it's enough to get me through a morning. Finally found a use for the travel mug I got at the Woodwind/Brasswind! I'm not a big coffee drinker, honestly, but I may turn into one at this rate. I got myself some good coffee, too. All I need are some filters, and I'm running some weak vinegar water through it to make sure it's clean.
I also managed to come up with a better desktop computer over the weekend, on the extreme cheap, and have been putting it together. I'm missing some of my disks, so it was trial and error getting it going. Had to reformat and do a fresh install on the HD, and all I had available was XP Home. I much prefer Pro, and now that I've got the thing set up and online, I think I'll be upgrading at least that far soon. I'm tempted to try out Windows 7 Beta, and there's always Ubuntu, if I can ever manage to get it downloaded.
As for the socializing, one of my co-workers hosted a RockBand party at a local gaming center. I've never played it before, and was happy to find out that there's even a way to play by singing! Don't know how it compares to Guitar Hero, which I've also not played, but I really had a fun time with the crew from work. That was Saturday, and Friday was the ASFS meeting (which I missed 95% of, naturally) so I got to have some weekend fun. Coming up this Friday, a band containing two other co-workers is playing at a local bar, so I'll be going to that, I think.
All work and no play makes Harriet a raving stress-bomb, so hopefully I'll get to keep balancing the two.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
What a week!
Finally feeling up to a bit of blogging tonight. It's been a rough week. My broken tooth started acting up again, and developed an abcess infection. Not good, especially for someone who talks for a living! Luckily, my dental insurance kicked in on New Year's Day, and I was able to go to a dental clinic on Friday morning before work. Yay!
For now, the dentist was able to clean out some of the decayed tooth, pack medicine into it, drain some of the infection and put a temporary patch on the tooth. No more broken edge for a while, the swelling is going down, and the pain is subsiding. I have pain pills and antibiotics, and an appointment for Thursday to go back for an exam. Now the long-term work starts, to get my mouth healthy again. I'm just glad that I can eat and sleep. Granted, today started with me feeling like someone had punched me in the face! The only time I'm ever accused of having a small mouth is when I'm getting dental work, and my muscles are a bit sore. On the plus side, it looks like they'll be able to save the bad molar without too much trouble, and eventually straighten my front teeth.
Work was really busy this week, almost too hectic. I guess a lot of people got new computers or aircards for Christmas! It's rough when there's no time between calls to gather your thoughts or reset your brain, and most of our tech support calls are fairly long. Lunchtimes and breaks are often delayed till you can finish a call. At least my customers can't hear my stomach growl!
I'm looking forward to starting classes on the 12th. I've gotten one of my books in the mail already, and the others should be arriving soon. I'll have to pick the last one up at the bookstore when they open up again, since it's only available there. I think I've got the rest of what I need, though I might have to get a calculator if I can't find mine. I'm sure I'll find out more once I get to class.
For New Year's, I did go over to a friend's house after work that night, but left shortly after midnight due to my toothache. Had to work New Year's Day anyway, so didn't want to be out too late, especially that night.
I did go out on Monday night, though, to see a local band, My Majestic Mind. Two of the guys in the band are co-workers of mine. Good stuff, very talented group, and it was fun. Gonna hit their next show in a few weeks, too. They have a MySpace if you want to check them out.
Other than that, I've been working on a few projects. I'm still baking what I can, have some sewing to do, and am writing my latest bit of fiction. I've also got some non-fiction writing planned that will be shared online. More on that when it's ready to go.
Hopes and goals for 2009? Sure, I've got 'em. I'm optimistic, overall, as far as the material things I want to accomplish. The personal stuff, well, what I can control, I will. What I can't control, I will let the universe take care of. That's the harder part, for me, honestly. We'll see how that works out!
For now, the dentist was able to clean out some of the decayed tooth, pack medicine into it, drain some of the infection and put a temporary patch on the tooth. No more broken edge for a while, the swelling is going down, and the pain is subsiding. I have pain pills and antibiotics, and an appointment for Thursday to go back for an exam. Now the long-term work starts, to get my mouth healthy again. I'm just glad that I can eat and sleep. Granted, today started with me feeling like someone had punched me in the face! The only time I'm ever accused of having a small mouth is when I'm getting dental work, and my muscles are a bit sore. On the plus side, it looks like they'll be able to save the bad molar without too much trouble, and eventually straighten my front teeth.
Work was really busy this week, almost too hectic. I guess a lot of people got new computers or aircards for Christmas! It's rough when there's no time between calls to gather your thoughts or reset your brain, and most of our tech support calls are fairly long. Lunchtimes and breaks are often delayed till you can finish a call. At least my customers can't hear my stomach growl!
I'm looking forward to starting classes on the 12th. I've gotten one of my books in the mail already, and the others should be arriving soon. I'll have to pick the last one up at the bookstore when they open up again, since it's only available there. I think I've got the rest of what I need, though I might have to get a calculator if I can't find mine. I'm sure I'll find out more once I get to class.
For New Year's, I did go over to a friend's house after work that night, but left shortly after midnight due to my toothache. Had to work New Year's Day anyway, so didn't want to be out too late, especially that night.
I did go out on Monday night, though, to see a local band, My Majestic Mind. Two of the guys in the band are co-workers of mine. Good stuff, very talented group, and it was fun. Gonna hit their next show in a few weeks, too. They have a MySpace if you want to check them out.
Other than that, I've been working on a few projects. I'm still baking what I can, have some sewing to do, and am writing my latest bit of fiction. I've also got some non-fiction writing planned that will be shared online. More on that when it's ready to go.
Hopes and goals for 2009? Sure, I've got 'em. I'm optimistic, overall, as far as the material things I want to accomplish. The personal stuff, well, what I can control, I will. What I can't control, I will let the universe take care of. That's the harder part, for me, honestly. We'll see how that works out!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday is blog day
Accomplished a fair bit today.
I walked to the CNM campus and took my placement tests, had a talk with an advisor, and explored the campus a bit. I know what classes I need to register for this semester now; EMT-Basic, a general Health class (mainly about HIPAA and such), and a Math class. The math is needed for doing drug calculations, of course, and can be taken as a co-requisite. My test scores were actually pretty good, considering how long it has been since my last math course (1983 or 84, in college). Naturally, my English and Reading tests were very good, and I wasn't worried about them at all. I also found out that I can register on 11/26 instead of waiting till 12/1, so I'm less likely to be shut out of a full class. Books are my next worry, and even though the bookstore doesn't have the books in yet, I can go online and find the exact list I need so I can look for used books or online bargains if need be. Once I've registered, I can get my ID card, bus pass and parking permit. I'm looking forward to that, believe me. Access to the library, computer labs, student discounts...oh, yeah!
Having school to look forward to is already helping me. I was in a deep blue funk for most of the past week, and being able to think about school and what it will help me do in the future helped pull me out of it. Or pull my head out of my ass, take your choice...
Walking back from CNM, I had a snack and then stopped by a used book store. I had found one book on the dollar cart (on archery), but the owner was on an errand, so I waited till she got back so I could go inside and look around. Found two other books (Victorian Murderesses and a Zen Macrobiotic Cookbook), and since I'd waited, she only charged me two bucks for all three! How nice!
Stopped for a bit at Satellite Cafe on Central for a cup of "London Fog". It's Earl Grey tea with steamed milk and a shot of vanilla, yummy. A bit of blog while I'm here, then I'll walk the rest of the way home soon. I think we're plotting at Rurik's again tonight, so I'll drive to that since it'll be dark by then.
Plotting...hee hee. There are enough Hordefolk here in al-Barran now that we are going to start working on making our presence felt. To that end, we are planning entries for the A&S competitions at the Midwinter event. Details later, but it will be good and there will be photos....
Let's see, I also made bread on Sunday, with a new-to-me recipe that calls for evaporated goat's milk and oats. It was quite easy and good bread, so that recipe will stay in the repertoire. The goat milk made me think of Irina....
Last but certainly not least, a big shout out to all Veterans and current members of the Armed Services. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I honor you as I honor my ancestors, both blood kin and heart kin. Those who know me have heard me speak of the fact that there has been at least one service member in each generation of my family, in a line that stretches back to the French and Indian War. Some of them didn't make it home. I am grateful for their sacrifice. Most of them did come back, and for them I am thankful. If you love your freedoms, thank a veteran. 'Nuff said.
I walked to the CNM campus and took my placement tests, had a talk with an advisor, and explored the campus a bit. I know what classes I need to register for this semester now; EMT-Basic, a general Health class (mainly about HIPAA and such), and a Math class. The math is needed for doing drug calculations, of course, and can be taken as a co-requisite. My test scores were actually pretty good, considering how long it has been since my last math course (1983 or 84, in college). Naturally, my English and Reading tests were very good, and I wasn't worried about them at all. I also found out that I can register on 11/26 instead of waiting till 12/1, so I'm less likely to be shut out of a full class. Books are my next worry, and even though the bookstore doesn't have the books in yet, I can go online and find the exact list I need so I can look for used books or online bargains if need be. Once I've registered, I can get my ID card, bus pass and parking permit. I'm looking forward to that, believe me. Access to the library, computer labs, student discounts...oh, yeah!
Having school to look forward to is already helping me. I was in a deep blue funk for most of the past week, and being able to think about school and what it will help me do in the future helped pull me out of it. Or pull my head out of my ass, take your choice...
Walking back from CNM, I had a snack and then stopped by a used book store. I had found one book on the dollar cart (on archery), but the owner was on an errand, so I waited till she got back so I could go inside and look around. Found two other books (Victorian Murderesses and a Zen Macrobiotic Cookbook), and since I'd waited, she only charged me two bucks for all three! How nice!
Stopped for a bit at Satellite Cafe on Central for a cup of "London Fog". It's Earl Grey tea with steamed milk and a shot of vanilla, yummy. A bit of blog while I'm here, then I'll walk the rest of the way home soon. I think we're plotting at Rurik's again tonight, so I'll drive to that since it'll be dark by then.
Plotting...hee hee. There are enough Hordefolk here in al-Barran now that we are going to start working on making our presence felt. To that end, we are planning entries for the A&S competitions at the Midwinter event. Details later, but it will be good and there will be photos....
Let's see, I also made bread on Sunday, with a new-to-me recipe that calls for evaporated goat's milk and oats. It was quite easy and good bread, so that recipe will stay in the repertoire. The goat milk made me think of Irina....
Last but certainly not least, a big shout out to all Veterans and current members of the Armed Services. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I honor you as I honor my ancestors, both blood kin and heart kin. Those who know me have heard me speak of the fact that there has been at least one service member in each generation of my family, in a line that stretches back to the French and Indian War. Some of them didn't make it home. I am grateful for their sacrifice. Most of them did come back, and for them I am thankful. If you love your freedoms, thank a veteran. 'Nuff said.
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