Eat, Breathe, and Sleep :)

So, the first semester as a senior has ended. Now the big decisions have to be made. But first, CHRISTMAS!!! I know, I know...and you know how people all have the "christmas spirit"...well, I'm really excited about time to be spent with family and friends...and time that I just get to stop, be still, and get away from the business of nursing school. But, if you're talking about lots of decorating and shopping, that's not me this year. I think it's because the stores seem to illustrate what my life has felt like for the past 4 months...there are people running around everywhere, sometimes they're laughing, sometimes focused, sometimes yelling, sometimes frustrated, sometimes singing...but always going. That's the way my life has been, and thus the reason that I've stayed away from stores recently. However, I suppose that I must conform...I guess I'll end up shopping at the busiest time of the season. Silly me, I should have thought things through better -although, I don't believe that all of these were conscious decisions that I was making.

I'm excited...but I think that my 'christmas spirit' is exhibiting itself a little differently than that of others. But, that's okay. I found out that it's going to be incredibly hard to say good-bye to my roommates. When everyone was leaving for Christmas, we were near tears. I love them so much...I just get reamazed everytime I think of how God introduces people into our lives (even if for a short time) and how He uses those people to accomplish His purposes...all this plus fun! Oh well, at least we still have August 26th :)
So I suppose that's the latest update.

Now, just to relax...and write a Uganda paper :)

No More Class!

So, I finished all my classes for this semester...hard to believe that I'm only one semester away from graduating -and only 3 months away from Uganda. CRAZY! I'm so excited and nervous and everything all at once...I'm sure you all know how I feel. I feel like so much of my life is going to change in the next 6 months. Wow...God's going to do something awesome, I'm sure. Anyway, so I suppose that I should focus on finals now and get those done. Then, I only have the proposal to do (due on Jan 5th).

Tim has bronchitis...sad, but true. Mostly, he just coughs a lot. Get better bubby.
I don't really know what's going on with Jonathan...he's just being Jonathan.

We're having Christmas at home this year, which makes me really happy :) We're going to Arkansas on Dec. 26th, so I'll see all my family. That's exciting too...but I have so much shopping to finish!!! AHHH!!!

Oh, and I get to see Gwyn soon too, which makes me happy.
I love you lots, but I should go finish watching Pearl Harbor now...(it's movie night with Mary!!!)

What I Must Do, and How I Feel :)

Okay, before next friday:

-Creative project
-Journal for Impaired Infant
-Nursing Test(monday)


OH MY!!! THE LIST IS SO MUCH SHORTER!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I ALMOST MADE IT!!!
I have no motivation...I'm doing stuff just as it has to be done...but it seems to be turning out really well. I think it will be really great! Christmas break. I need to write a 20 page proposal before Jan 5th, but what's 20 pages when I've been writing way more? I'm so happy!!! I'm almost done, and it seems that things are going well! Praise God for seeing me through everything all over again. Today in Religion class we talked Faithfulness...and it's true. God is so faithful that it's incomprehensible. How amazing, how wonderful, how awesome! I pray that ya'll are able to think back and remember great times when God was faithful to you too...
Love you all!

Ahhh!!! Time!!!

I'm incredibly grateful that God gave me as much time in one day as I have...but sometimes I wish that there was more, or that I didn't require sleep to function...or something weird like that. I feel that there are a million things that I need to do, and I don't have a lot of time to get it all done. I'm trying to be optimistic by thinking there's only two weeks of school left -but when I think of all I have to have done, it's best to pretend that the end is very far away. So, point being -blogging (one of my favorite things to do) has somehow established itself low on my priority list. Which is sad, but true. If anything fabulously exciting happens, I'll be sure to post it :)

I hope you guys are having the most marvelous day ever. God's awesome and He keeps proving that to me over and over again!

p.s. can you believe that today's the last day of november, and that tomorrow starts the first day of the last month of the year? My goal is (for all you nsg people) To have decreased stress and anxiety and to touch the lives of people in such a way that they can feel God's presence just by being around me by the end of december 2003 aeb vs WNL, many hugs from people, and such facts verbalized from those whom I might be helping.

Love ya lots!

Just in case

Just in case you missed my last blog on here, I thought I would write again! I just wanted to say that Manda is the most happiest person I know! She is out going, but knows how to comfort and care for us when we are feeling down. You can tell she loves us by all the hugs and notes she gives us! I feel so blessed to have a friend like Amanda. There is no one on this earth like you! You are special and are going to make a great nurse. You are very intelligent and plus you can make people laugh. That is a wonderful gift to have. Not many people have this gift. You are a special creature created by God for a purpose. You will do great things in life! Love you Manda!!!!

School is horrible and I don't wanna be a nurse

So, today wasn't so much a bad day, but I just really wanted to quit school. I was thinking, "I'll give it 'til Friday and if I still feel this way I'm going to quit school..." Well, obviously this isn't a good thing -and I was completely serious. But how silly is it to suffer three and a half years of nursing only to quit now. So, I won't. Don't worry. But I'm sick of all this stuff that I have to do. I suppose that my stress level was just a little too high. That, and all my roommates said that I turned my alarm off five times or something before I was ever coherent...I don't remember anything. But anyway... Story about tonight - We decided to go out to de-stress ourselves...but then when we were coming out of Meijer, we couldn't get the doors to unlock. Thankfully, I prayed (sidenote: ask dorito about my praying) and I just happened to turn the key and pull the door in such a way to get it partially open -mary was able to get it the rest of the way. Crisis over, right? No way. We then drove to Kohl's and I got out, tried to shut the door -only, now that wouldn't work. ARGH!!! So, we stood out there and tried to fix it forever (really, just thirty minutes). Finally, we called Josh who said, "did you try the handle?" How insanely stupid of us! But, it worked...so, we ran inside to shop for like 15 minutes and then ran home to watch 7th Heaven :)
So, there was a lot of laughing that happened...a little frustration...but definitely a good story to tell in the future. Oh, and Dorito's quote from tonight (spoken to amanda) "OH! You spoke the unforbidden word!" (UNforbidden??? Right :)
Thanks girls for making me realize that I didn't really want to quit nursing, I just wanted a break from the insane business of school and life. I love you -all you people whom I claim as my friends...how awesome that God put you in my life to help pull me along when I feel like sitting down and never moving. I love you!!!

Oh me, oh my...

I think that I did well making it through the day -but now I'm tired. Let's see...all about my wonderful, marvelous, stupendous weekend! It all started Friday afternoon when I didn't have nursing class!!! (shouts of joy fill the room) I drove then to Bloomington in order to find my best friend Gwyn. It was her birthday :) -happy birthday to you!- anyway, so I got there and it was fun, and I saw Seth again -which was also fun...and I ate at Olive Garden (which I'd never done) and then I drove to Gwyn's parent's house to have cake :) And Sammy was creative of course, and Allen was helpful in teaching me short hand (which is incredibly fun to do!!!) Let's see...finally I went to bed (a little after 3a.m.) Then, I got up around 7:40ish to drive to Gwyn's apt (we'd stayed with her parents that night), take a shower, and drive away to evansville to see....you guess it! ANDY! And I drove, and then I got there...never getting lost because of the absolutely amazing directions created with me in mind I'm sure (and all my directional deficit problems were easily resolved with these specific directions!!!) Alright, so that was fun...and now I just have a million things to do...there are only 3 weeks of classes left!!! (this is good and bad -because I have so much to do!) Oh well, I'm happy -it was a great weekend and I'd do it all again if I could. But for now, I'm attempting to be a good student and write papers, read, and study. Someday (May 6th, 2004) I will have all this stuff behind me and I'll be a nurse...how terrifying.
Alright, so good night for now :)

Humm

This is Mary, But Manda is typing on this very same blogg at the same time. I really hope this does not mess her's up:( That would be very sad for me and her. I just wanted to say what a GREAT Friend she is! and roommate!!

In lieu of Mandy :)

My name is Gwyn. I have known Amanda Christine since 10th grade, when we met at Anderson High School. She moved here from Alabama. But then we both moved to different places. And we were sad. We were sad because we couldn't see each other very much anymore. But I am not sad right now because she came and visited me for my birthday! Hoorah! :)

In other news....currently I am in my fourth year at Indiana University. I am studying German, music, dance, and I may add on some International Studies. Hmmm.....I am trying to think of funny stories. Usually lots of funny things happen to me, but I always have a hard time remembering them. That's the story of my life.

The important people in my life, in addition to Mandy, are my mom & dad, my three brothers, Ronnie, Allen, and Sammy, and a boy named Seth. (Seth is my boyfriend) :)

Okay that's all now.

I'm a thief -but at least I'm a nice one...

So, I stole a couple of andy's friends (I really hope that you don't mind too mucn)because he seems to just have the best, craziest friends ever. So, since I was jealous I took them and made them my own. I added links to cindy and kevin- you should check them out, they're awesome people :)

Sleep :)

I slept a lot last night...I finally got up at 11a.m. That's the longest I've slept in what seems like forever -and it was fun :) Anyway, I've got loads to do -I'm planning to go to Bloomington and Evansville next weekend, how fun! The trips not as long as I'd like, but it will be fun nevertheless...

Anyway, I don't think I have anything really incredibly exciting to write about. If you want to know what's happened more recently in my life check this out. It was fun to do -I'm ammused by the smaller things of life I suppose. Anyway, so I'm off to be a good student and keep up my efforts and this nursing thing -hopefully I'll be done in six months!!! :)

Nice People and Clean Apartment :)

First, I'd like to say that there are very nice people in this crazy world that we claim to be so horrid and hateful...look around, and you can find good. Example from yesterday...Dorito, Mary and I were walking around in the bookstore -Dorito and I needed a book that we have to read for one of our classes. We saw one of our profs while we were in the store, and talked to him for just a minute or so. Then, Dorito went to charge the book to her account, and they told her she couldn't do that anymore. Since we didn't have any money with us at the time (we were just eating lunch in between classes) we put the book back and went to get some food. While we were waiting in line, the prof we saw in the store came up to us, handed us the book, and said, "just pass it on when you get done with it." Then, he was gone. We said thankyou and he was walking away quickly. How humbling..to have people that care and give up stuff...kind of like Dewana and the car :) We don't even know how he knew which book to buy. It makes me think that God is awesome because it reminds me that He wants to be involved in even the smallest aspects of our life. That's what I love about the God I serve -He cares about everything related to me, big or small.
Okay...and about the clean apartment. Well, you see...there was another nursing student coming over to work on a project with Dorito and me (we have a presentation on Friday)...so, we decided to take the tent down :( But, then we decided to clean...and then, we decided to rearrange all the furniture...and oh, how exciting it was. Lots of laughter and sweating, but it was good :) Mary and Tracy were incredibly impressed...and it looks all homey inside.
I talked to Andy last night...I think he's been sleep deprived again. I would love to be able to give him something that would make him sleep for like three days just so he'd feel so incredible when he woke up...Sleep is good...GET MORE OF IT!!! (Okay, I'm not quite sure I have too much room to talk, but still...I believe that sleep is good.) There's a guy that sings a song about sleep...it's really funny...now what did he say??? I'll have to get back to you on that :)
love you guys!!! Have a fantastic day!!!

Dying of Cancer and Living for God

Okay, anyone who reads this but doesn't know about my cancer diary assignment -don't flip out. I don't really have cancer. I just have to pretend to have it and I have to die. I've been working on this for a couple of months now. And finally, it's time to die. I know it's not real, but this assignment forces you to feel what it might be like to realize that death is inevitable and coming quite quickly. It's such a heart-wrenching thing to have to write, and yet I think that it's brought me more peace about dying. The thought seems more natural, and I'm anxiously awaiting the celebration. -remember andy, a party please :)
Also, thinking about dying makes me think about how much living I should be doing. I so want to be all about God -His plan for my life is of vital importance, and I'm so excited to think of ways to serve Him. I can't wait to get school behind me so that I don't feel that it must take priority of other service activities I could be doing. I'm so excited to see what God has planned for me -life or death either one, it's going to be awesome!!!

(excerpt from diary)
July 4th, 2003
Realizing that this could be my last Fourth of July is a difficult thing to swallow. But, I was thinking. I�m lucky. Not everyone realizes when their last days or months will be and I have all this time to actually know this and cherish the time that I have left with my family and friends. Today I felt pretty good. My family decided to go see fireworks at Fairmount. That was the first place in Indiana that we saw fireworks. They asked if I thought I�d feel like it, and I said yes. We just brought a lot of chairs and blankets. I laid down on a blanket with both of my brothers and we just stared at the sky watching the fireworks. I�m so glad that I was able to go. I have a doctor�s appointment tomorrow to talk about my options now since the chemo didn�t work like we�d hoped. It�s kind of hopeless, but I have a sensational sense of peace.

Weekend and happy days in between :)

So, what's everyone doing for the weekend? Misti and I are going to help me take a break by eating Papa John's pizza on Friday :) That makes me happy- but mostly just because I love the garlic stuff (garlic butter?) they give me...it's my favorite thing about eating pizza. Anyway, after that I suppose it's write, write, write -plus a little studying. But it's okay, I'm happy.

Oh, and because I watched a "letting go" video about death and dying (yes, isn't nursing fun) I don't have to be in class tomorrow from 1-3...so, I'm out early!!! Hurray!!!

Let's see...Oh, I love Gwyn -she emailed me today (I emailed her first, but she wrote back!!!) I think that I'm going to be in Bloomington on her birthday! This could be fun :)

Okay, so bed sounds wonderful...that's the next thing on my agenda.

Stupid time...

I just realized that the blog thing is posting the wrong time -because all the rest of the world changed, and we didn't. I'm not bitter -honestly, I lived where time changes, and I would much rather stay how I am...but it's okay -I'll change if everyone else wants to ...it's just that central Indiana doesn't want to be like everyone else :)

Reminiscing

I went to wal-mart today (and no -I don't have the gene, andy). Anyway, so I left with my meager purchases. Then, I did a drive by thing at the Justisons...they were outside, which was even better. So, I jumped out of my car and attacked both of Andy's parents with hugs :) I think they recovered well.

Anyway, when I returned I started hanging up pictures of people...and then I wanted to find my pictures of all my friends that I had up last year. The problem is -I didn't know where they were. So, I started looking through all my stuff. And can you believe that I found a couple of old journal -entries that date back to 1994?!? Wow, that's crazy...and I have to say, I was a funny person :) It cracks me up to read them. The really funny thing is that since I have about three journals, sometimes I wrote in all three within one day.

Oh well, so I found all kinds of neat stuff...an awesome mouse pad, my coca cola glasses that I love, a whole package of unopened strawberry creamsavers, some winnie the pooh pencils, and an absolutely adorable picture of me in a superman t-shirt when I was about three...I think I have ketchup on my nose :)

So, remembering is fun. I have clinical tomorrow, but I don't have to get up early because it's the evening shift -how happy I am.

Nursing

There are some people that just have these wonderful inclinations for things such as teaching, listening, musical tendencies, caring for others, fixing things, putting stuff together, or solving problems. And, if these people realize their talents soon enough, they know right from the start what they really want to be when they grow up. I envy these people...but since I'm different it makes me appreciate God and how awesome His plans are for me.

I suppose that admitting all this in my final year of nursing school...four years almost over... But the point is that I never wanted to be a nurse. I was never that cute little five year old girl that told my mommy that I wanted to be nurse when I grew up...I wanted to be a teacher -and my brothers have torterous stories to tell about that.

But I love nursing. Through all the horrid stress it's brought me, having no one understand the harshness except another nursing student, to have no time for extracurricular activites -or killing yourself to try to have a life-, to have no time to cry because there are other things more pressing than the very aspects of life itself. Even though all of this is true -I love nursing.

I am so thankful to God that He brought me to Indiana and that he allowed me to be in circumstances that would cause me to see that what I really wanted to do was be a nurse. I hate the politics of the hospital, but I love nursing...and I love caring.

God's plans seem to never make sense at the time that they are slowly being unfurled, but when you slowly start to see the picture that is forming...it's so awesome -and too magnificent for words...

just a few thoughts I had -I'm off to class to learn some more now :)

Highlight of the week :)

ANDY'S WHERE??? ANDY'S HERE!!!

Oh, he said he would come, and he did. Yes, it's insane that he chose to spend his vacation here...but, it's his vacation...

It's been fun...it's been exciting...it's been happy

God is awesome in all His ways
c'est vrai, n'est pas?

Woo-Hoo!!!

This describes how I feel (lyrics from DCTalk Free At Last)
"Cause I'm free, free at last
And I'm free, from my past, and I'm free
Free from sin, and I'm free
And I ain't going back again"

Okay, well...I suppose that the part about "ain't going back again" probably isn't true. I'll probably go back...and finish school...and get my degree...and become another Anderson University statistic. But for right now, I'm on Fall Break...and I'M FREE!!! AND I'M EXCITED!!! AND ANDY IS COMING (unless he goes to Arizona...) AND JONATHAN LOVES ME!!! AND GOD LOVES ME MORE THAN MY BRAIN CAN UNDERSTAND!!! AND WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!

I hope that you guys are just as excited about things as I am :)

A Break!?!?

So, today I finished my nursing test -not quite sure how that all went, but it's done and over and I'm the most joyous person in the whole world, I think. Of course, I could never prove this because I don't have any way to measure the joy of the world.

Anyway, roomies are leaving this weekend...but then Andy's coming next week.

Happy thoughts, happy times, happy days!!!

Ostomy

So, we had our ostomy lab this morning...and now I'm ostomized until 5p.m. tomorrow night. It's kind of weird feeling, but I have much easier than people that really have to experience this. Oh well, Mary and Dorito both have pouches too -so, your self esteem doesn't go plumetting down to the bottom of the earth since there are others like you. Such a fabulous support system...and Tracy helped us to put them on. How wonderful!

So, if you wanna know what it's like to wear an ostomy bag, ask me and I can let you know -or you can ask a person that might know for real.

Okay, off to eat, career development, and then study for a nsg test tomorrow!!!

(Fall break is Friday, and I'm going to a concert with David :)

It's Saturday!!!

I slept in and everything...how extremely exciting. I'm pretty happy about the whole thing. I have lots to get done today. Right now, we are talking about going out to eat since we haven't done that in forever and a year...The only problem is that none of us can decide where we should go...and none of us actually want to get dressed to go somewhere. In the mean time I'm writing a careplan, and Mary and Dorito are looking up something nursing that we seem to have forgotten. Oh well...we'll be much smarter in a few minutes :)

Okay, so today is work, work, work! Next week's destined to be insane...mid-terms. It's only a four day week, but I have several papers and some tests to get ready for...maybe when this is all over I'll still have a little brain functioning left!

I'm so happy to be alive! "Life is precious, life is sweet!!!"

I love you guys...thanks for being so awesome!

"Today We Showered Separately"

"today we showered separately" is what dorito explained to people when we came into class with wet hair. Now...I find this odd -but mostly because if someone says "today, we did..." it obviously implies that other days are different. That's great dorito -you're hilarious.

I feel like today can't possibly be wednesday, because Sunday still seems like it was so close...I feel like I lost a day, or something.

Andy got the pictures up. I'm so happy...I was a little worried last night, but good job :)

Oh, and the entire apt crew has the Larry boy song memorized -at least one of the three versions... it's great, it talks about purple spandex and everything!

Okay, so I should go to class now. School is getting to the point now where I need a break. I'm almost there!!!

Pancakes and Puzzling Problems...

so, I got to sleep in this morning... 9am! How exciting. Seriously, it was great :) I'm happy. So dorito, mary, and I decided what all we needed to get done today when we woke up. We also decided that we needed to eat some pancakes. Dorito is the best pancake maker...but she needed to go to the bank first, so she left to do that before the cooking fiasco started.
While she was gone, Mary's computer destroyed her careplan -yes, this 15 page in depth patient plan of care that she was fairly done with...format changed, never to be returned to it's true form. I couldn't for the life of me help her...cutting and pasting wouldn't even work...it was gone. Horrid, but true. At this very minute she's still attempting to retype it all -the whole situation made me sick. We ate pancakes and I made the horrid mistake of saying, "People say I'm the gangster of love." outloud...I should really keep these things to myself.
Anyway, dorito wanted to "work" while watching t.v. so she took my laptop to the living room to get all her stuff done. I've been writing in my cancer diary -it stinks to have cancer...and I don't like dying. Right now I'm listening to the soundtrack of Mulan.
I feel pretty happy, but just a little tired. Oh, but I keep finding bruises all over...today, two more on my arm. I'm thinking it might be from the hospital the other day...otherwise, I have no idea what's going on.
I'm going to a play at Byrum Hall tonight. That's exciting :)
I hope that you're having an absolute wonderful day!!!

Notes on Nursing

Alright, so I'm glad that I view myself as a nice person; therefore, I believe that I will be a kind-hearted nurse...but let me just say, there are some nasty nurses out there -and I had the distinct priviledge to work with them today...and because of them, my 8 hour clinical turned into a 10 hour clinical. I'm physically, emotionally, and essentially drained. And today wasn't a wonderful experience, although I do feel that I bonded with my AU colleagues. This week -in a word- has been terrible. I'm sure that there have been worse weeks, and I'm sure that there will be more horrid ones to come...but for those that I live with as well as myself, this week has brought entirely too much pain. I need a break, time to breath. And I need support -and let me just say, praise God for this fabulous support system that I have...you guys are great. I realize that I'm probably using you quite a lot right now...and I'm sorry, but I love you...lots :)

Dorito, I'm praying for you lots...and Mary, I'm praying for you too. Tracy, I'm so thankful to God for how you love us all no matter what and for all the counseling sessions we've had. Thanks Misti for keeping me grounded and remembering to laugh at things that normally get overlooked. Thanks David for bringing me music and making me smile. Thanks family for supporting me...Thanks Justisons for opening your home to me and letting me just talk -and listen to great puns :)...and thanks Andy for being awesome and listening to me and caring...oh, and thanks Brandon for having a really cool voice and hugging me everytime you see me :)
p.s. bubby and chicken, I love you...

Content of Thought...

so, this is going to be a less in depth blog...you see, on Sunday night while I was studying for the nursing test Tracy really wanted to do my nails...so, I said okay. So, she shined them and buffed them and painted them blue :) I really liked them, but tonight I had to take it off because we're not allowed to have nail polish on during clinical...and when I just took it off, they were still so shiny and wonderful...now, I realize that this is odd -and nearly a stupid thing to write about, but it made me very happy...so, thanks tracy -you're the greatest :)
ooohhhh, so shiny!!!

just some thoughts...

So, I was reading this book, The Unquenchable Worshipper by Matt Redman (he's the guy that wrote 'heart of worship'.) The whole book is good (I just finished it), but when I got to the end something just awed me to think of all that's to come...the book said, "The more we see of Jesus, the more we know there's still so much to be seen. The more He touches our lives, the more we realize our desperate need for Him to consume every part of us." And when I read that, that's what I wanted. I've always wanted that, but it's so hard to actually be able to get there...and while school is going on -man, it's hard to do anything but school. Dorito, Mary, and I talk a lot about how we don't have time for life to actually happen because nursing doesn't allow for that. When my friends suddenly die in a car wreck, when Dorito has to deal with all the family issues she has, when Mary just needs to talk to her family, when we just need a moment to talk and cry -we can't...there's no time. We can never separate ourselves from the duties and responsibilities of school and how it never ends and never allows for life to happen. And more than that, school is so overwhelming it becomes so difficult to allow God to consume us...we try -and that's why I love my roommates. But in the back of our mind it seems that we can never fully separate ourselves from the thoughts of what we must get done. I suppose if you think about it, that's probably what 'real life' is like. I suppose that your employer won't care...so, I guess that's why it's good to have people around you who are so into Jesus and God and want you to be too. School seems to make worship difficult. It's more a ritual -I go because that's what God, friends, family expect of me...and I like going, but am I really worshipping? I want to want to worship God with everything that is in me...I want Him to know that I love Him more than anything -not just because He knows everything, but because He can see it in my life...

Okay, so maybe I'm crazy...and maybe I rambled on a little too much, but those are my thoughts right now -I just wanted to share them with you.
Psalm 103:1-5

wow...do you know what day it is?

so, do you ever have those days where you just realize how much life has happened in what seems to have been a very short amount of time...well, that's what I feel like right now. I had a test and all -but today was a good day. Oh, and you know those other days where you just feel so incredibly blessed with all that God has given you? Well, today was that sort of day too...
God's so awesome...isn't it great?
Oh, and if you haven't seen the picture that andy put on his site from his family reunion weekend, you should see it because it's where I wanna be :)
Alright, well...I think that Mary and I are in charge of having supper ready tonight...and I have no clinical tomorrow.

OH, the possibilities that await me :)

my model :)


***okay, for those of you who missed out on the virtual model replication of me...well, that's sad for you. The girls and I had loads of fun with it, but it's just not working quite right now...who knows why? ***

just because

So, I had the school clinical again today...and yes, it was AHS again -but something was different. Maybe just because I knew the routine when I went today...something. I'm not sure. But I really liked it today. I have to say that eating lunch with the faculty is odd...but interesting. It reminds me of recess...and now I'm like one of those that is able to see what happens behind that special door.

For real, the highlight of my day:
Nathan (a student at the school and one of my campers this summer) came in to get his meds...and when he saw me he ran to me and attacked me with a hug -and when I say "attack" I'm not kidding :) He said, "Oh, Amanda! You came back!" I said, "yeah I did." He was so excited and I felt so special...thanks nate...

alrighty, so I suppose that's about it. I mean, nothing really absolutely wonderful happened today. Tomorrow I can sleep in...but I feel like having a party tonight!

just another wednesday...

well, if you'd like I can tell you all about it. Of course, I got up later today because today wasn't a clinical day...I think 9a.m. was the time...maybe a little after. Much to the relief of my room mates, I took a shower. :) Then, off to classes. I ate lunch at approx. 11a.m. (not because I like to eat lunch early, but because it's the only time I have to eat until 3p.m.) I ate chicken, of course. It was yummy. I haven't felt really great today -physically, that is. Emotionally, I'm great :) Let's see...then I went to three more hours of class...fun, let me tell you. I left class and started the short walk home...but realized that dorito and mary weren't with me...after getting more than half-way there, I turned around to go back and look for them...because, what if they were waiting/looking for me? Well, there they were...looking for me :) We finally walked home and sat and talked about stupid stuff...oh, wait...just kidding. We all went to the bank with dorito (she has issues with the bank) and then I suggested that we walk to the christian bookstore to see veggietales...we were there for an hour. Oh well. We came back...I don't really remember what happened, but I soon left so that could take care of Prof. Penhorwood's house/cat, run home and get several things that were missing from the apt, and then go to church and be the awana person that I am. I only had five girls tonight...but boy, were they full of energy-which is okay, because whenever I go to awana, I become probably the most enthusiastic leader there...mary's energy is pretty big, but she wasn't having such a great day today. So anyway, I got back home around 9p.m. to see dorito and mary watching the end of a movie...then we listened to music and laughed some. I just finished playing cards with mary -no worries, it was a harmless game of speed...we're tied, but never fear, the cards are shuffled and ready for tomorrow's match.
Tomorrow is a clinical day for us all...mine's a pretty laid back, easy clinical. Nothing too stressful about sitting in the AHS clinic with the nurse all day long. Mary and dorito have way more to do...but I start all that next thursday...I'm almost excited...putting in IVs and catheters and ng tubes -only a nursing student would love such things.
Anyway, kind of one of those regular days...one that I probably won't remember a thing about in ten years...unless something drastic happens in the next hour and a half, or so.
oh, p.s. the apt is extremely hot tonight...I'm not sure why because there are storms out (earlier, it was my all-time favorite weather outside...) Anyway, I think it's fairly cold outside, but it's burning up in here...even with the windows open. I'm not sure what the problem is...but hopefully I don't sweat too much while I'm asleep tonight.

Okay, this was a gondo-sized blog...sorry about that. I hope that you have a fantastic day :)

I LOVE MY ROOMMATES!!!

there are few things as wonderful as sitting in a room with three really great friends and try to study and end up laughing more than you'd ever dreamed possible. Friends are good...and mine are great! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! :)

Where I used to be...

So, today I had my school nursing clinical...a pretty laid-back kind of thing, which makes me fairly happy. But, it just so happens of the 38 people in our class, I was the only one assigned to Anderson High school...yes, the one that I attended for nine months out of my life and where I met some of my most favorite people. The thing is, I'm not so sure working in a place where you used to be a student is such a good idea. It's all so weird. Anyway, since I never went to see the nurse while I was AHS, it was kind of a new experience...but they still had Channel One with all the announcements, the main office looked the same...I walked by where Andy's locker used to be, remembered when Gwyn fell up the stairs and always took me to my class. And the worst thing is that everything is the same and so very different at the same time. Everything looks the same, appears to have not changed...but the people and the activities are all different. It's kind of crazy how five years can make such a huge difference. I'm in awe still.

Anyway, so this is what I get to do again Thursday...another day of just hanging out in the nurses office at AHS. Funny thing is, I never dreamed five years ago that I'd be in that building hanging out with the nurse.

God's funny letting us surprise ourselves like that, huh?

Freedom?

I had some stuff all blogged out, and then I decided that I didn't really need to leave it up for anyone to see...strange how I feel so constrained to keep everything that I want to type all inside just because of how somethings are scary.

Oh well, I had a wonderful weekend -filled with parades, andy, and...sleep :)

I miss bubby, but I really love timothy too :)

I hope that everyone's having a great day. I'd love to blog more -but, I just can't...due to time and my new frustrated fear.

My Friday nights :)

Alright, so school was long -and not so much boring as tiring. But, that's okay...because it's school and what else should I expect? We had a quiz today in nursing...and I feel pretty good about it.

All this week I've been planning to go the the Tree of Life coffee house where David was preforming his first solo gig. :) It was fun...it was relaxing...and it was exciting seeing people that I knew and feeling like I actually belonged there. Mary (being the amazingly wonderful friend that she is) went along with me. She had fun too...we tried to do homework, but mostly I sang along with David. But, it was stress relief so that's okay. (I love you David!)

Umm...so, tomorrow Andy's supposed to come -I'm trying to not get too excited about the Stop Light Festival, but I am...I just can't hide how insanely happy I am. Mary's driving a tractor, for crying out loud! How much more exciting can something become? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this weekend, but Monday's a killer day...so, I suppose I'll try to balance a little school with a lotta fun :)

Alright, so I'm off to bed now -sleep sounds good...

Quotes?

If any of you have ever heard of our stupid wall, you'll be happy to hear this: if things go as planned (which may or may not happen) I will choose a weekly quote from the "Stupid Wall" and put it on my blog every week :)

This makes me happy, how about you?

The Devil's in Central Indiana!

So, ever since Sunday Mary, Doris, Tracy, and I have been saying that the Devil is in central Indiana...I completely believe that it's true. However, I think that it's also safe to say that the Devil has been to several other places. My aunt has had to deal with more death in the past eleven months than I would ever care to imagine. She's so in my prayers, and I feel bad for all the families affected by this most recent death...but, God's plan and His will for life is so much more than what we can see. He knows what's going on and it's just so hard to understand why such bad stuff is happening...and yet, that's okay. Life goes on, and we just have to use whatever amount of life we have left in a way that's pleasing...Glorify and honor God and love people in the process. How amazing is God's plan...I wonder what it will be like in Heaven...I can hardly wait - and yet there's so much I want to do. My dad laughs at me because the thing that I most fear about dying is that my room will be a mess :) Yep, I'm weird. I just can't bear the thought of people having to deal with my room being a mess and having to clean it up...it's the worst thing I can think of -and if that's the worst, then that's okay :)

"Amazing love, how can it be? That You, my KING would die for me?"
How can such a big God love someone so small and insignificant? He's so amazing.

senioritis???

In all honesty, I've never been like this before...this lack of studying. I don't really want to do anything...I just want school to be over. But, I'm having fun...and I'm learning...and I am (at times) forcing myself to study. I guess that is good. I'm actually being a better student this semester than I have been in my whole life. Who knows what that will mean for tests :) Maybe I'll be amazing. Too bad I won't graduate with honors...that's kind of sad. The thing is, I'm gonna be right on the line...and everyone will just think that I'm average...but what should I care what others think, huh? Oh well, I've worked hard...I'm sure you're proud. Mom and Dad are...they said so. I suppose all I can say is I tried my best at that time...and my best is all I can give. So, now...with this pep talk I've just given myself, I'll go and study some more now. Thanks for the encouragement everyone -I'm feeling a little down today. (Maybe because I didn't get to sing just whenever:) Okay...

Congrats Mom and Dad on 25 years together!!!

What every bride to be should know...

Alright, we went wedding dress shopping today for dorito...and it was fun...the dressing room...hilarious, but everything is so much and beautiful and such! Anyway, a word to all the brides to be : don't ever order your dress online unless you've seen it in person and tried on several before buying it online...it's just not the same and you'll wish you did it different. It's so true.

So, that wedding dress stuff is mostly what we did all day. We ate at Golden Corral, and it was absolutely marvelous :)

My bubby, Jon was in a wreck. I called him today, and he seems to be doing okay....if you read this bubs, I love you lots..and I'm glad that you're okay.

I'm giving up singing for two days (or trying to) to prepare for my chem. dependency clinical. Man...I've got it rough. First, dying of cancer and now I'm "chemically dependant." Who knew I was in such bad shape?

I think that besides a little studying this afternoon, that's about the gist of my day...a little sad, but not too much :)

I feel happy!!!!

What about procrastination?

So, last night Mary, Dorito, and I stayed up until 3:30a.m. trying to finish that insane ob paper! Craziness. Anyway, so we got up for clinicals this morning. We got back about 4:30p.m. We laid on our beds thinking about what it would be like to sleep for a while, but mostly we just enjoyed talking and laughing :) Good times.

Anyway, so I decided to go ahead and read my three chapters of one of my books...then, I fell asleep for about 30 minutes. Doris woke me up and we went to get food...I ate chicken :) The weird thing is, when I got back I was really motivated to do things -I read another chapter for another class, wrote three entries for my cancer diary/research, and read 70 pages in another book that I have to do a book review for...Then, I made two cards for my SON buddies. I don't know where all this energy came from. I might read a little more (probably Bible this time) before I go to bed.

Today's been great...God has bless us. Remembering how Sept 11 effected me a couple of years ago makes me even more grateful to God that we have been as fortunate as we have. Lots of my family is leaving Sept 13th to go to Iraq...and it's okay, because God is watching and protecting and is more loving than I can even fathom. How awesome...how incredibly amazing.

Life is precious, life is sweeeeeeeeeeeet!!!

I am so thankful to God for all that He has given me. School is tough people...but somehow I'm quite happy and content through the whole thing. My roomies are great...and I love them!!! And school has lots for me to do, but somehow I've been able to get it all done. I am so thankful. Finally, I'm taking a good religion class too. Have you ever read Home to Harmony? It's a great book....we only have to read the first one in the series for the class, but I think that I'll check out the others from the library because I like it so much. :)

Ahhh, yesterday I tried to blog and I had so many interesting things that I was going to say...but something happened, and everything disappeared. That's sad, but it's okay.
Yesterday I had the CPR certification test (this one was just the test with no before-hand prep...a little scary, but okay still). After that, Dorito and I went to the blood bank to give blood. We set records...she was the slowest to give all day (14 minutes) and I was second slowest (12.5 minutes). It's odd because we usually give much faster...maybe we should drink more fluids like andy says :) He's smart and knows stuff, so I should probably listen.

Alright, just one last exciting thing...my dress for dorito's wedding!!! It's going to be yellow...I'm so excited!!!

Love is in the air...God's so awesome!!! :)

sleepy anyone!?!?

oh, for some reason this college deal is making me oh so tired! Sleep seems like such a wonderful thing, but there's not time to do that. I'm using this blog time to hopefully wake myself up. I think it's just that everyday is just so jammed full of stuff...usually only a small enough break to eat, and if I'm lucky check my email.

I really am absolutely loving school, and that's good, right? Alright, so enough of that.

You know, how when I entered the nursing program the profs all said our brains would be completely transformed by the time we were seniors? Well, it's true...and I feel really sorry for anyone who decides to eat a meal with a nurse -especially if there's more than one nurse at the table. But, I love it...and that's good.

Highlight of my most recent life- I can see andy! It's kind of weird, in that awesome, wow, amazing, oh-so-cool sort of way. His webcam deal is just exciting...don't worry, I'm sure I'll be really excited about something else soon.

Jon finally emailed me -mostly because I emailed him, finally. I just was unaware that he had access to email, but now I know that he does...and that makes me really happy. The message he sent was awesome, and I love him lots.

Today was dad's surgery. Thankfully, he came through without problems...and actually, he came through quite quickly. The surgery generally lasts an hour or hour and a half...his was done in less than 30 minutes. Dr said that everything looked good. He went home about three hours after the surgery began. Amazing this technology that we have today.

Alright, so that's about enough rambling now. I must needs revive my nursing friends in order to jam our brains full of more info. Tonight is NG tubes.

happiness all night long :)

What happened to my summer???

Oh hi. Yes, yes...I'm still alive! Woo-hoo! It was questionable for a while whether I'd live or not, but it seems that I have indeed survived. :) Good job, amanda. So, no one really needs to hear all my rambling about how my summer has gone so far. Let me just say that I'm quite envious of all the people that did out of the country mission trips this summer. After thinking about it and looking back, I believe that my own experience at the camp was a mission trip -one I had realized but through all the struggles I had somehow forgotten. Oh well, c'est la vie, n'est pas?
Just a small mention of the camp -I absolutely loved the campers...they're wonderful! Big, little, old, young...their circumstances are humbling and their attitudes are absolutely amazing. I learned a lot from them. (It was the "normal" people that I've had such trouble with.)

So, I went and visited andy's webpage for the first time in two months probably. When I got there I clicked on this thing that said, "my bloginality is istj". What in the world? But I realized it was a personality test of sorts. So folks, my bloginality is infp- and atually, everything that it says is quite revealing about me. It's somewhat disturbing though to look at the list of career choices and not see nursing as one of them. But that's okay. :) It had clergy which is close to missionary which is 70% of the reason that I choose nursing over education (which was a listed career). So, I think I'll be fine :)

Alright, so I've got more and more and more stuff to do. The summer has flown by and I'm afraid to say that I haven't worked at all on my big project for school. Too much to do, I suppose. Well, anyway.
Oh, and if anyone knows of a good job for me during the school year, I'm all ears...I think that it will be fairly easy to work with this year's schedule, but we'll see.

miss you bunches!!!

All The Days of My Life

Ahh, seems as though there is so much to tell you. Guess what! I got the summer camp job. I'm kind of excited and kind of nervous about what all it entails,but after speaking to prof Penhorwood -who still loves me and greeted me with a shreek and hug upon seeing me- She firmly believes that I'm capable of doing all required -and she wouldn't lie to me, would she? Humm...anyway, we'll see what happens. But, I won't be able to blog much. This is a full time 24/7 job -you're proud, and I'm busy. And for the life of me, I can't catch up with Tracy. That's sad.

Anyway, so this weekend I had thought -oh, road trip with sister and we're going to meet Andy!!! The happiest times ever, right? No, of course not. You see, Kristine's graduation was on Saturday and then I was to be the pianist for Sunday, a birthday party I needed to attend on Sunday, and the nsg home was Sunday, not to mention any open houses -you know, we didn't have these "open houses" in alabama...what's with that? Anyway, so rescheduling things was just going to be crazy...so, misti and andy went to the mountain -known to most as a small hill- I talked to them on Saturday and Sunday. They both came back today (Monday) and that was exciting :) I was really happy that it seemed both had fun -but still a little sad about the fact that I wasn't there with them -oh, well....perhaps another time.

I thought that today would for sure be boring. I suppose not -amanda's life can't be boring, right? Well....there was that one time in 1989 -okay, just kidding. So, today was going to be borning, but Andy first called which definitely brightened the beginning of the day :) Thanks. I'm running an experiment with the postal system -I can't wait to see how it all turns out...Anyway, that's not at all the point or even relevant. Let's see...oh, after talking to Andy, many emergency vehicles came rushing down our small road -police, two ambuli, a fire truck, and another random rescue truck- my neighbor was having a problem. Some said something to me about what was happening, and I said..."She's probably aspirated." As soon as the rescue team left, mom talked to her son who had come and he said "They said she aspirated." I thought to myself, "Whoa, amanda...this education thing is really paying off..." So, then I helped clean out the garage-great fun...until I realized that I hadn't eaten and I was starving...so, my whole family thought that we'd go eat and then see where I'm working this summer. So, that's what we did...and then I was just so exhausted so when I got home I laid down and the phone rang -it was misti :) I told her that I was going to sleep, and then I'd call her.
I met her at the secret "place" about an hour later, got a drink, and then we headed for aunt b's house to go through some stuff. I hadn't been in her house without aunt b there...and inside it was kind of sad, but everyone else didn't need me to have a break down- they've had hard enough times, so I remembered all the times that she fed me and that she laughed at me and that we conspired against misti and all that great stuff...and it was fun to remember life. I'm sad for misti's family because they had to see her dying and watch the effects that all the morphine and stuff had on her. My last memory was me walking out of the hospital room and she said, "Good bye Amanda." I leaned down and gave her a hug, and she kissed me and said, "I love you." And I said, "I love you too" and we both waved bye. That's my wonderful last memory. I wish that misti's family had a wonderful last memory too...but aunt b touched so many lives while she was here that it's awesome to see what an impact that she'll have on all the generations that never even knew her.
Anyway, so I finally came home and then left with timothy to buy ice cream at the store to eat with my homemade hot fudge -very yummy :) And that's been life for the last few days here (okay, so most of it was today...but it seems like several days all in one because of the nap in the middle, or something...)

Alright, long blog -sorry...but no one forced you to read it -however, if you made it this far, I'm quite proud of you GOOD JOB!!!

love ya :)

I MISS YOU

oh, I just finally read all the comments on my blog, and read the blogs of Dorito and Mary....and I MISS YOU GUYS! I knew that it would be sad when the end of school came (okay, sad in that exciting sort of -oh my we're finally seniors- sort of way...) I Love you guys...and that ER thing made me think all about Uganda...I can't wait to go help all those people...I wanna do something great for them. Mary, I'm really excited about your case study. Sad, I haven't really worked at all on my paper yet. School work just sounds yuck. I absolutely love not being in school though. It's great. :) So, let's see...um, oh yeah..I can't wait to white water rafting on the Nile...that's just a great story waiting to happen.
Oh, did I tell you I almost stepped on a snake? It could have been much more tramatic than it even was...I really need to analyze my feelings toward snakes...ask me about that later.

Alright, so who really knows what's going on. There are few exciting things happening with me...but I don't at all feel compelled to write them all down -call it superstition or whatever, but it's just going to have to be this way....I can't believe that Summer is just beginning and there's so much more to come. I hope that I accomplish something great with my time...I'm planning to.

So hey, I'm going to go...love ya lots :) Have a fabulous day!

Summer Blogs...

So hey...I found out that for some reason, it's much more exciting and such to blog while school is in session. I'm not really sure why unless it's just a really great distraction from all the work that I should be doing. Who knows? So, did you see the lunar eclipse? God is so awesome....thanks to Andy, I became aware of this and Jon and I sat outside from 9-11ish and then after that I talked to Andy while watching the moon come back into view. Cool, huh? I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as I did...

and among news that is sad, but not devastating as in the death of my dog or anything....I was really excited about a trip to the mountain this coming weekend-but there is no way I can go...perhaps misti and andy can, but I definitely can't. It's a sad realization, but stuff happens. I was wondering if I should try to go for just the day or so that was going to be possible and then all the sudden people kept telling me about things that I needed to do and the dates were all set during the time I would be at the mountain...maybe it's a God thing...perhaps He wants me elsewhere. And I'm okay with that, although slightly disappointed. But the mountain will still be there and I can go visit it some other day.

Well, life is good even through all these really random problems/issues that I face...I realized that I love people more than I ever knew also that our society might be all too dependant on computers. Did anyone see the season final� of ER? What'd ya think? Alright, so I'm going to get back to cleaning now...I hope that you're having marvelous days...

The Reality of Life...

The reality of life is that we were put on this earth merely to glorify God and bring honor to His name...in the midst of all of that, we have to deal with the horribleness that comes along with living in a world infested with sin. It's amazing that we believe that we can actually focus on God in a way that would actually be significant with all the junk we fill our minds with. I'm having a great day -don't think I'm bummed or anything, it's really an awesome day, but I'm just saying...sometimes it seems like I have God as a part of my life (true, I attempt to allow Him into every aspect of my life...) but I somehow forget that He is not just a part of my living, He is the reason I live...He's the reason I get up in the morning, the reason that I do everything I do, the reason for everything...and mostly, I suppose that this blog is just an Amanda reminder...

It's amazing to think that God would love us the way He does...

Update on Tyler: "Ultimate Graduation" Tyler saw the face of his Creator on May 11th at 11:22a.m. In one of his statements posted on his website Tyler explained that God was awesome and if God could use him more through his death than through his life, Tyler was ready to die...God has used Tyler in lives of people all over the world already I can't imagine what God will accomplish through his death -Our God is an awesome God, and Tyler has finally got to meet Him face to face... :) Many prayers to the Stutzman family...

The end of invincibility...

So, today was the birthday of my "sister" misti... I met her and we went to mounds and then to cracker barrel -great fun. (yes, I got a chicken sandwich) Alright, so as of now I have all A's -that's absolutely marvelous -good for my gpa and everything :) I read an Indiana hiking/state park magazine thing...very enlightening. Apparently, there is a waterfall at Turkey Run? I never knew. Anyway, our goal (misti's and mine) is what it was all the other years -go to as many state parks as possible within the summer. We haven't had great success in years past, but perhaps this year is more promising. Who knows? Anyway, so about the invincibility stuff -Misti claims that all teenagers feel that they are invincible until they turn 20 (at which time they are of course, no longer a teenager). So, since today's her 20th birthday, she is no longer invincible...or so she claims. She was fairly upset that she didn't wear black to allude to her obvious depressed emotional state. Personally, I think she's crazy -and that she has been invincible for quite some time -and although she states that she now "knows" this, I think the day that she realized the concept of vincible and invincible is the day it all ended for her. Of course, you could never tell her this -and that's okay, because I love her...and I will now cease my rambling. I hope that you're day is going just as great as mine :)

Can It Be???

Ahhh, the end is near. Of school, that is. I have now completed 2 finals of my 3 to take (one class didn't have a final :) Anyway, so only one to go (and the prof said I could take it any time tomorrow, just to come in a pick up the test....isn't that the greatest thing in the world?) I'm so glad that God is working things out so well...and this afternoon I have my first Uganda trip meeting...it'll be great. Still, I'm sad about not going to Honduras, but excitment is nearly building for Uganda...okay, you're right. I never get too excited until right before I leave, but we can definitely say that I'm happy about it. Ohh...and after so many long nights studying, I think I'm almost done -but what in the world am I going to do with my summer??? Oh, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see...Anyway, so that mostly my life for now. The awana picnic was awesome -water fight all the way... :) I'm so excited about giving out the awards and stuff...it'll be great :) Alright, so I suppose that's it for now...I'm sort of sad about having to say good bye to mary and doris....mary's leaving tomorrow :( .....and doris is leaving on Thursday probably :( ....Tracy is staying :) Oh well, I'm glad you were here while you were here...there's always next year...(and our trip to Uganda!) Okay, so for real I'm going to go eat lunch now...later!

The Cool Thing

So, the cool thing about blogging at 2 a.m. is that it will show up as tomorrow...which is great. You see, it looks (at a first glance) like I've just been keeping up with things -when in actuality, I just can't sleep....and this is my second blog for today. So, what makes the mind be like it is...and what makes us say things we didn't really want to say....and what in the world can I use to turn my brain off??? I have to be up soon. Funny, how will I get up if I'm never down? Anyway, so if you read the blog from earlier today, you know that it was a not good day. It was probably the second worst day that I've had in 2003 so far. Very not good. However, after time in awana, conversations with my brother, and a marvelous rambling session with andy (which I really need to thank you for) I'm feeling some better. I know that when I go to school tomorrow (or later today...) I will once again be faced with everything...and crying might happen again (it definitely happened today) and things might be not good again, but I feel a little better, so I think it will be okay. Yes, I feel a positive attitude coming on -hold on folks, this could be a crazy ride! We all know what happens when I have a positive attitude, right? I make care plan fairies! :) Alright, so I suppose that I'll try to go to bed now...I think that I'll read a couple of chapters in my book and then maybe I'll be sleepy enough to close my eyes and never wake up until I hear that annoyingly loud beeping sound...-the alarm- great invention, by the way. So, since I'm certain I won't have time to really type anything for the rest of the day...this is it. Have a great Thursday!!! I can hardly wait to get it started :)

Care Plan Fairy

So yesterday I thought that it would just be wonderful if there were care plan fairies that would finish (or even do) our care plan for us...so, I cut little fairies out of scrap paper in the lab. Fortunately, Prof. Penhorwood had fishing line in her office (who really knows why...) and so, I hung these that I created from the ceiling of the nursing computer lab. It's great. They fly and everything because they are by the air conditioner :) It's fun.

Sad news with my group project. I can't tell you really more about that, but it's a sad day. Sad...today's not been that great of a day...and I really hate how things are the way they are. Anyway, so guys I hate for this to be a downer. I'm not really unhappy...just having to deal with lots of bad things.

Update on Tyler: He's not so good -also sad. He was supposed to graduate this year, but his family/doctors do not think that he'll make it that long. His infection is just not really getting better. His family is all flying in next week. Pray for his family...pray for him.

Alright, so off I go to class again. Much love...

Profs Provide Stress Relief!?!?

So...umm, yeah. Today has been a stressful day. That's probably mostly due to the fact that I scheduled two observations in one day -WHAT WAS I THINKING???- Anyway, so that's what I think the problem is. Oh, and my PR that I was trying to print off now claims that it's 61 pages long. Now, I know it's long -but it's not that long. So, Doris what happened??? What's going on? I just hope that all that work I did isn't lost somewhere...that'd be the worst thing in the world. (Well, not the worst thing...but pretty bad.)

I met Erma today -she's misti's new dog. I think that she loves me. OH, and I actually did finish one paper and turn it in. I think that I only have 2 more, or something like that. Plus two group projects and then when shall I study for this finals week that is fast approaching!?!? (Obviously, it's going to have to be this weekend.) So, okay. That's it.

Oh, about the profs being stress relief. I went upstairs to give a recommendation form to Prof. Penhorwood (and also informed her that I'd been stalking her). It just so happened that Prof. Pianki was there also -and between the three of us, we had a fairly lengthy discussion -about 40 minutes- about almost everything. I'm so glad that they love me...they didn't necessarily say that in those exact words, but I know it's true :) So, by the time I left I wasn't completely without stress...but I was much better. Funny, how just getting your mind off things and talking with someone when there's time is a great thing...I know the nsg program seems so confusing and crazy...but the one thing that I love above all else is the amazing relationships that I have formed not only with all my classmates that I honestly do love and will miss horribly during this summer, but also all the profs that have taught me so much as well as cared for the me...the real me. That's what I love about it here.

Alright, so I'm kind of in between stressed and not-so-stressed. I think it's a very focused mood...but not unnerved. It's a good thing, I think. Prayers to all God's kids (i.e. my amazing siblings!) Love you all...have a marvelous day!

What Do I Know???

So, in a few minutes I'll find out just how much I know...a nsg test. AHHHHH!!!! I'm kind of slap happy for some reason, and I definitely need to find my test mode...sometimes when I'm like this before a test, whenever the test is in my hands I get really stressed. So, I suppose that I'm just going to be praying for the best. I don't feel like I really studied enough -probably only 4 hours or so...but oh well. Alright, so I'm going to go now. It's really sad that I still can't get to my webpage from home. Something with the computer is psychotic. Oh, and striping is today. That should be funny...I'll let you know all about the jokes :) Okay, and today is the last week of classes...last monday class of my junior year...this could be sad. Alright, so off to class I go now -to take a test... :) This could be fun!!!

Finally!!!

So, yeah...I've been trying to be able to post a stupid blog for like forever...and it's only now that I can do it. AND I'M SO HAPPY IT WORKS!!! So, guess what. Well, obviously I don't have time or space to type out every wonderful thing that's happened to me since I last blogged -which is quite a tragedy I know...but there's nothing to do about it. Today misti and I attempted to stalk Prof. Penhorwood...that was funny. It didn't really work though. Oh well...and I've gone to a bridal shower and a pampered chef show...and just done about everything you can think of...okay-that's not true. There's lots that I didn't do...but I could have. Anyway, so um...great. Oh, and tomorrow (for church) Jon and I are planning to dress alike. I think it might be funny. I'm wearing a skirt with one of his shirts...and he's wearing one of his shirts (different color, same design) with a pair of pants...we'll be so cute, I'm sure. :) Maybe we can even do our hair the same way. Okay, so probably not. Alright, so many happy things happening...one of which is that in ten days (yes, ten days including weekends!!!) I will be a senior- again.. :) Only, this time I'm in college...and it's going to be exciting...and sad...and happy...and scary...and fun...and several other things I'm sure. Okay...so it's probably time for me to sleep -except that I'll probably read...or something. I hope that you're all having marvelous day...and fabulous events. Life is fun, isn't it...especially when you forget the bad parts :) Much love people!

Blood...
Aren't you scared? The word "blood" all on it's own is just scary. No, seriously, I just was going to blog here (while still at school) because for some reason I haven't been able to get blogger up at home. Strange. Anyway, so I thought I'd take a little time and just type something really quick here. I'm meeting a girl named Erin at 5...I don't know her, so it might be strange...but I'm okay with it. I wonder if Andy's finding any storms like he'd wanted. Oh well...oh, and about the blood thing. I just gave blood...and everything went so well until...(it's not that bad, really) Well, you see, there was this SNA (student nurse assoc.) meeting/picnic at 4pm, and I went in to give at 3pm...and the line wasn't too long, so it was good. So, at about 10 minutes before 4 I was finished -giving in record time for amanda, anyway- and I was excited. And my little blood drawing lady took the needle out and put the special band around my arm...and I was getting ready to stand up when she pushed me back down into the chair. Apparantly I was a little pale...and everyone around me agreed that I needed to stay put. This really irritated me because I wanted to get to the SNA meeting (which was happening less than 40 steps from where I was tied down). Anyway, after drinking much Sprite and mostly just annoying the lady so much that she wanted me to leave -I was allowed to go. I got to the SNA picnic and ate a yummy sandwich and a little debbie nutty bar deal, and I'm good to go. I'm just going to read a little before I head to the library to meet Erin (the girl I don't know). Oh, and my test was moved to Monday so I'll probably go and work with Andy's mom on Friday anyway...and that's my life as of now...and...well, that's it. Have a marvelous day :)

8 Days!

Only eight days of classes guys, eight days...and it's so hard to stay focused on everything. I thought I was done with all papers and such, but not so. I still have an exegesis to write (I'm taking a break, I'm on my 5th page now), a Spiritual Journey to write...shouldn't be too hard, and then a group project...oh, and my think piece for history -which shouldn't take long either. I just have to write about Saving Private Ryan. Anyway, I should just do it and get it done. There are two other papers (besides those listed) that I have to do, but I can't finish them yet because I have to go to the cardiac cath and ER observations first (Apr 29). However, there will be happiness in the SNA picnic on Wednesday of this week (that's tomorrow) and other happy things :)

So, about the weekend...honestly, it was the most fun that I can remember having for the entire year of 2003...it has yet to be topped. I went to Brown County to surprise Andy...and he was definitely surprised. It was the greatest thing ever....and his family! I love them...I love them all. Caden loves me, and that always makes life happy. OH, I really wish that typing could convey my feelings for how absolutely excited I am right now about just remembering everything that happened on Saturday. You've got no idea how much fun I had. Really, loads of fun.

Perhaps soon I will be working with Andy's mom :) I love her lots...I'm going to go and see exactly what it's like working with several special needs kids. I'm excited. I thought I'd get to go this Friday, but it's not to be. I have a nursing test and and a religion presentation on Friday (yuckness, all around). Anyway, so that's that.

I saw Misti today, and that was fun. I gave her the ED tape so she could see the season finale...she'll be surprised, I'm sure...but don't tell her what happens.

Okay guys...I love you and I'd love to ramble much more than I already have, but there's stuff to do...only 8 days of school left (that doesn't include finals, though...) Anyway, I'm excited...of course that means I'm going to have to work. Humm..well, we'll see what happens. For now, I just need to finish working on school and all that comes with it.
"The joy of the Lord is my STRENGTH!" :)

Studying is over-rated

I'm a tired, exhausted, over-worked, under-paid, stressed-out, motivationless nursing student right now. I'm getting small spurts of energy, but they're not lasting too long. I'm once again with Dorito -Mary went home though...Tracy's here -and that's happy because I never ever see her :) Anyway, we were planning to do all the studying/working tomorrow...but for some reason we've started even tonight...TONIGHT! Actually, I've got a lot done. I don't have too much more to do before the school year is over, and it's actually fesible that I could finish all that I have access to tomorrow -I'm not sure if it will happen or not though. And if it doesn't that's okay...because I have no clinical ever for the rest of my junior year of college. Crazy...I'm almost a senior. Humm...anyway, so my brain is tired, and my motivation is lacking, but I better get back to doing what I feel like I do all the time -study, study, study..."Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth..." Alright, so some studying might be good...Have a fabulous day guys... love ya lots :)

Things That Make Me Cry...

Some things just touch me, hit me, influence me in such a way that I can't help but cry...Maybe I'm just one of those emotional females, or maybe I have a big heart...but mostly, I think I just care. Today was a good day -one of our patients died. That didn't seem to upset me as much as I thought it might. However, after nsg class and rlgn class (got a 98% on that test guys!!!) I had to watch a video. It's about a guy that was going to AU, but he has cancer. I'm not sure what his major is but he likes working with communication/media stuff...something like that, and so he made a documentary of the whole thing. Tomorrow I have clinical for "Dealing with Families Experiencing Crisis." His family is it...and I realized that I've seen his sister on campus, the one who donated her bone marrow....and it makes me cry, and it makes me love life, and it makes me realize how special all the people around me are. Anyway, thanks Tyler for giving me perspective...Man, I'm praying for you...and I hope with all that's in me that if I had to go through what you have gone through I would be as brave as you. Right now Tyler is out of remission, and he can't have anymore transplants...isn't it strange how I want to love this guy and want to encourage him and help him and I don't really even know him. He has a website...right now he's working with "Project Don't Die" -it's his own deal. I think that this is the way that he deals with everything -making the documentary, keeping a website, all that stuff...it seems to be his coping mechanism or something. Anyway, you can read about Tyler too...
Alright, so that's all I'm thinking right now. I can't praise God enough for all I have...definitely health is something most people take for granted. I'm so humbled by everything, and I'm thankful that God has placed well people among the sick and given me the awesome opportunity to help...I'm so glad that I can be used as a nurse to do what I tend to do anyway -CARE....
Alright, so I'm off now. The fire dept. is coming to visit AWANA -how do you think the girls will handle that, andy?

p.s. -I'm thanking God for all of you right now (I always do, but esp. now) for how you've blessed my life...

THANK YOU JESUS!!!

Time? What's that?

ahhh! So much to do...yes, it's true. I'm quite busy (thus, the no blogging for 4 days!) Anyway, I've got some down time right now...just a little under an hour. So, I'm eating, changing clothes, running to the bank, and then I'm off to school...again. Anyway, so my birthday came -and so did andy, mary, and doris!!! I was so excited that everyone that I loved so much was here -okay, so I love misti and gwyn too, but they couldn't be here...actually, I love a lot of people, but those are my five closest friends...(andy, mary, doris, misti, gwyn). Alright, so it was fun on Sunday, and I was happy...but a little afraid of all that needed to be done on Monday. I had a presentation and a test. The presentation was interesting -you, see Brad thought that it would be funny to include in power point "amanda is a slacker". Funny, brad. He sent it to me as an email, and told me I could add in whatever else I wanted. So I was at school about 8:30 Monday morning. I fixed the power point, it was saved to a disk and then I studied for a test that I was also supposed to have that day. Well, unfortunately when I was to give the presentation, the computer either couldn't read the disk or it just didn't want to -either way, we couldn't pull up the saved power point...so, our group did all that was left to do...pull up my email. So, of course I presented with a slide show that said "amanda is a slacker"...I think that the prof appreciated the humor. Anyway, Mary asked me if I could come and look at her careplan after piano lessons yesterday also (monday). I said sure. Piano ended early, and so I went home and stayed until about 7:45 then I headed for Doris and Mary's apt...to be a good friend of course. But they had a party for me!!! (okay, so there was only four of us, but I liked it :) They had bought strawberries for me (because I love them) and made very very yummy brownies!!! It was great. And I even blew out a candle. :) It was great. Well, then I came home and Aunt bev called and talked for a while...and as soon as I hung up the phone it rang again...aunt Susie this time...and then of course Kristine needed to tell me Happy Birthday -by this time I was completely exhausted and just wanted sleep. (sleep was impt because I had clinical this morning) Anyway, I went to sleep and got up this morning about 6am. Clinical was fun -I had a combative (sp?) patient...but I was ready to fight back...and by the time I left I had exhausted him so much he was sleeping really well :) It was fun though -no care plan today :) I just have to have one done tomorrow...and it's my last clinical for the year!!! (minus my cardiac cath observation and er observation...) Alright, so I'm having a great day...feeling a little better, although I can't seem to get rid of this headache...I think I'm functioning fairly well though.
So, yeah...I'm going to go now. Thanks everyone for loving me lots and giving me an awesome birthday! (Oh, and did I say I got a bicycle? I rode it yesterday, and it was great...thanks mom and dad...alright bye for real now :)

What I've Done

Alright, just so you know, I don't normally praise myself for how much I've done...I usually don't think that I do things that are that great. But, in order to maintain my miniscule amout of sanity, I need to see my accomplishments for the week all typed out. Also make note that this is not complaining. I'm not necessarily upset with the amount of work (although I could be, because I keep getting more and more) I am more flustered with the fact that everything was due this week and then Monday (4-14). Alright...so here it is
First, I took my nsg test on Monday, then I found my article for the lit review and wrote a typed page summary over the article. I then met with my group determined a research question and I started composing a powerpoint presentation for our groups topic. Then I did piano lessons, went home...and I forget after that. I do know that sometime that night I read and determined the topic for my exegesis paper. On Tuesday I was up sort of early because I had to be at the hospital to meet a deadline for the new computer training. That took 6 hours, I then went to classes, and...I don't really know what else I did. Oh, I wrote my teaching careplan -no big deal, only a large grade. Umm..then I went to bed exhausted from something...I'm not quite sure what. Wednesday I had a meeting with my supervisor from the hospital for a one-year evaluation...I guess it went okay. I got a raise. Hum. Alright, so then I went to school to work more on my careplan, but there wasn't a lot of time left to work on it before I needed to pick up Laura for our mental health community clinical (which is a very funny story, and quite hilarious...you'll have to ask me about it because I'm not going to take the time to type it all out here) After that experience, we went back to school and to class...again. I think we had a quiz in rlgn, but I can't really tell if he just wanted class participation or if he was quizzing us...Anyway, so then I turned in my careplan, went home to finish the educode that had to be done, went to awana, left awana and went home to crash...only to realize that crashing should follow studying for a test that I had today. This morning I got up much earlier than I would have liked. We had clinical this morning -again. I picked up Mary and Dorito and then we went to class. We did find out where are trip choices are -uganda or honduras...what should I do??? I have mixed feelings about that, but oh well. After that, I had to go and work with my group on our psych review paper. I worked for a little while, and then I went to study with Yevette for my test that I had today. I feel pretty good about it... Anyway, I worked with Abbie for about another hour and a half before I had to leave to teach piano....so, I left and taught piano. After that I came home and wrote a paper over my psych experience. Did I mention that I still need to do history movie thing and a pr report? I think they're due sometime next week, but I've made definite progress...let's see...oh yeah, I also have a bridal shower that I'm supposed to be at tomorrow -which is great, but I haven't had time to get a gift yet. Fortunately, the registry is online and I'm good to go. So, tomorrow's it. I'm still alive and everything. I feel almost de-stressed...but not quite. I can't wait for Saturday. I've got several people in my heart for prayer -one particular boy. There's so much bad stuff in this world, huh? It stinks how even God's people are stricken with illnesses. I wish I could do more to help, but I think that my prayers are all I have to offer. Thanks to all my friends for putting up with me this week....I suppose it didn't help that I was fighting off a cold, huh? Anyway, I love you and thank you for listening to my long, never-ending rambling....much love to you all :)

Insanity???

I've noticed that I have a thing with psychology and psychosis and insanity and all stuff related. I'm not sure what that means exactly. I think it might be healthy, but maybe not. So, I'm only blogging now because I have 8 minutes before I need to leave for my next class- and then there's no more time for blogging unless writing, typing, studying, and everything else I have scheduled in for today gets incredibly quicker than I could imagine. I couldn't sleep last night, and that was sad. I finally gave up and got up at about 5:45am. I just read, checked my email, and then got ready for the hospital that I had to go to today. The hospital education was overwhelming because they were making me chart with the nurses-which is good, and I learned a whole lot- but it's 6 hours of stuff I never knew...and I think that just throws my brain into overload. Oh, and I just found out that I have another test on Thursday -woo-hoo! The excitment is visible to all around me...or not. So, that's that. Umm...I saw mary and dorito a few minutes ago which is quite happy since I almost never see them on Tuesdays...a change for this week. I'd say it was a nice change. Alright, so...I've got Jesus, I've got friends, I've got a still functional brain -what more could I want?
Oh, I've gotta go! Have a wonderful day full of coconuts and peanut butter cookies :)
(p.s.) I don't like coconut....just thought you should know :)

Umm...right

okay...so I was up pretty early today considering it was my "day to sleep in" -9am I once again found myself begging Mary and Dorito to let me inside their apartment. Well, it didn't take much begging...and for 3 more hours we studied again -it was essential to get a good grade on this test...definitely of utmost importance. So, we filled our minds with all this nursing stuff -which might in the long run make us smarter, but on the onset just stresses us out. For lunch we had yummy soup, and off we walked to the classroom where the torture was to take place....HARTUNG 365....the dreaded room. (I think that I spend more time in that classroom than I do sleeping) Anyway, so the test was passed out. I requested that a Psalm be read from our paraphrase book before we began -my anxiety level was probably the highest it had ever been for any test, and I'm not quite sure why. So, the prof obliged and read a Psalm -I think it was Psalm 8, but I can't be sure. So the test was taken...and it took me the entire allotted time...and then I had rlgn class immediately following. That was boring, but okay. Then Dorito and I headed for the bod and library -we of coursed stopped by the bathroom to have a breakdown though. You know, sometimes things just don't go like you'd want them to -and the test was one of those...after more than 12 hours of studying, you couldn't even tell...nothing to prove our hard work. That's just bad. Anyway, I feel that I took it better than most -I believe that's mostly due to the overwhelming amount of things I have to complete before the end of the week. I'm sure to be insane by the time Friday night arrives...I made out a chart with the days/hours on it. There are only two hours on Friday that I don't have something scheduled in...crazy, and I'm not sure how I'll make it. Lot's of emotional support -hugs and happy words...and probably more hugs, lots of prayer, and endurance of the highest level--and of course, the mind set that I'm doing this because it's what I feel that I can do to help missionary excursions in the future -God has a plan and He will hold my hand through all the stressfulness I have to deal with...and even though it's a lot to do, there are people out there that need more help, love, and support than me. I hate how anxiety pushes us into a corner where we become so selfish, where all we can think about it ourselves, and all we are concerned about is if we will get everything done.
Alright, so this isn't a very positive blog...and I'm sorry. I'm not bitter, sad, depressed, angry, or even really upset. I'm merely stressed right now...this to shall pass (with/without diuretics) and I will be okay..."He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouts of joy." -Job 8:21

God Day

So, today's Sunday...church, it was. Nothing extremely extraordinary seemed to happen -except that it was just a good day. The choir sang a song -it was called "To Bow Before A King". It was just talking about how awesome it will be to finally see Jesus -our awesome God- and to bow before Him in awe and worship and in essence tell Him thanks for all the marvelous things that He has done for us...for all our innumerable blessings. I liked it. Then, it sometimes seems that God has a way of using the songs sung and placing them parrallel with the sermons. I love it when that happens. The sermon was taken from Exodus 3. It's the story about when Moses was called of God to help deliver the people of Israel from the Egyptians. Now, the point of the message -in total- was that we need to learn to wait on God -His timing is perfect, and we should place ourselves within His timeframe instead of trying to fit Him into our timeframe. I get the point, but a verse that stood out -and probably the smallest part of the sermon- was in verse 7-8...it says, "Then the Lord said, 'I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them..." And he did. God came down -but not just then...He actually came down. I remembered back when I was in junior high and the coach in p.e. always made us run. He'd say, "Don't stop now. Keep going. Don't be a wimp. Run, run, run!" I always wondered why he didn't get out there and run with us...endure that pain of when you feel like you can't go any farther and it's not that you don't want to keep running, it hurts...and it hurts to stop, it hurts to go, and it hurts to breathe -everything hurts. But, the coach never got out there and ran with us...I always wanted to say, "you go run" -my point is...God isn't at all like that coach, He got out there and ran with us...endured the pain and kept going even when it hurt. I'm so amazed by His love for me...

Anyway, so that's what today was about mostly...and then, after feeling all that, Andy called. And you know, those times when you just have a great conversation just because everything clicks and it's just great to realize that the person on the other end accepts you for you and cares about you and somehow understands you and can actually keep up with all the rambling -today was one of those conversations...at least from my perspective. (andy might have other thoughts...) Anyway, so that just makes the day even more enjoyable than it had been.

On a more sad note...I'm stressed!!! I've got papers due, movies to watch (for school), presentations to get together, tests to take, and more crazy clinicals. Fortunately, God loves me...and I'm sure that I'll survive...I just hope I'm still all in one piece when this is all over with. I think that I'll work until I can't work anymore this week. I want to have almost everything that's due for the entire semester finished by Friday. I might exclude the rlgn presentation, but the rest of it I want done...Dorito, Mary...you have to hold me accountable. I'm counting on you to prod me along and encourage me whenever I start whining -and I'm sure I will whine sometime. Alright, so that's gonna be it for this blog. I realize it's long -but I had a lot to say. Have a great night! I'm going to study more (eugh) and wash some clothes :)

Exhaustion

oh...we're still going at it. Studying that is...it's been what we've done for almost all the day...and I'm exhausted. We're taking a break to get a milkshake and then back to study again. It's been a fun day -but very tiring...and I might be even more confused about right and left heart failure now than ever before. Alright...so, we're going now...more blogging is yet to come.

Chicken!!!

Guess what. So, my day didn't go like I thought, but it's good. I finally got to misti -three phone calls, one spontaneous errand, and on train stop later...(which made me about 15 minutes late). So, that's okay because she still loves me...and I got cool stuff that she gave me from her trip to canada. Even better than that -I got a chicken sandwich for lunch!!! And it was so wonderful. I liked it. Then, I came to class and it was exciting and then the next class which was also exciting...and now I'm happily blogging with dorito and there's nothing better in the whole entire world...we danced down the stairs together laughing hysterically...definitely a hazard, but more fun than can be expressed through blogging...so, off I go with her now to the library and then the christian bookstore...what more could I ask for? Tonight is the night for our breakdown!!!

I'm Done with a capital "D"

Done with the day, that is. Only Friday left...and we're having that awesome party :) Yea for awesome parties! So, I hear that my blogs are really long...I suppose I could try and work on that. But, really writing stuff down (and in this case, typing it) helps me to add perspective to my life. I mean, if I'm feeling upset about losing thirty minutes of sleep...what does that say about me? So, when I type it, it helps me to be a more compassionate, empathetic person...thus, allowing me to use myself more therapeutically with everyday interactions that may occur. Or maybe I'm just really wordy. Who knows? So, piano was fun. I like it. I'm a little scared about tomorrow though -not because of piano- I have my one year evaluation at the hospital....I'm not sure what she's going to say. I'm not sure if "worried" is the right word. I'm not sure. I guess we'll see how it goes. I think that I don't really know what to expect. It should be fine, she loved me six months ago...maybe she'll still love me. Oh well...whatever happens it will be okay because right after that I'm meeting misti...she can comfort me if I need it....and then of course I have that awesome party tomorrow night. That should take care of any saddness that I'll have. Anyway....
Today I've had a lot of communication problems. Like, I try to talk and the words all come out backwards. Fortunately, the only people that I really spoke with were people who love and forgive me. That's good. I love them too. I just hope this speech problem corrects itself soon. It reminds me of the one time when I was working with a girl that had a stuttering problem and two weeks later I couldn't talk without stuttering...I don't think I should be a speech therapist....I wouldn't be good at it. Anyway, that wasn't anywhere near the point of what I was trying to say, so I'll stop now.
I hope that you all have a marvelous day full of popcorn and parachutes :)

Early!

So yeah, it's 10am, and I've been up since 5:30. Wow...that's a lot up upness. I feel worse for Doris though because I think that she's working until 11pm. Maybe I'll go and visit her so that she doesn't fall asleep while drawing blood from some poor person. I can do that you know, I have credentials. :) Alright, so lab was scheduled for 7am this morning, and we (mary, doris, me) got here at ten til...and no one was here...slowly people began to show up, and we realized that the profs had emailed us and said that lab didn't actually start until 7:30. That's great. More bonding time with nursing students who also happen to be confused. Of course, we all took advantage of this extra time to go get breakfast...we had to ask them to open the caf�. I was really upset that there weren't any breakfast sandwiches, but I'm okay now...actually, I kind of hungry...but lunch in a couple of hours will take care of that.
Oh, and a good thing about getting to school at 6:45am is that there are awesome parking spots. Umm...so, then we had "group lecture". That's a lecture about groups...and I don't like it. I think it's mostly because I don't see the benefit in the discussion. It's frustrating. I wish I could pick what nursing stuff I wanted to learn more about and have lecture on...that would be awesome.
The deal about summer camps is going well. I've already gotten two responses back from employers...sounds promising. Now, I just have to decide what the best financial decision is.
Oh, and can I just say how cool it is that all my friends and my friends-friends-friends are inter-connected with this blog deal...and it's awesome that we are like we are. It's all I ever dreamed of and more. :)
Oh, and lunch tomorrow with misti for sure. It will be happy. Alright, so I suppose that I should move on to more productive things...like typing my paper that's due today (I haven't even started writing it yet) I'm the queen of procrastination...that and grammar. -or so I've been told. I think that my problems with procrastination might not be such a good thing...but that's a completely different subject that I don't have time to sort out right now...
Tune in next time for...nevermind. We all know my life's not that exciting :)

Living, Loving, and Laughing (with emphasis on the laughing)

So, I had clinical this morning...but I was ready. I stayed up forever last night working on a care plan, got up early enough to work on it for about 20 minutes this morning...yes, I got up before the sun. Anyway, so I got to the hospital -and although I left late (again) I was okay this time because...well, I don't really know why. My poor lady just needed lots of attention. Well, after playing with IV meds, giving tube feedings, and teaching the "chin-tuck" method -which by the way is another funny story I'll have to come back to) I finally left the hospital...about 30 minutes behind everyone else. It's important to understand that I'm not that much slower than everyone else -I'm usually much quicker, it's just that my patient had several more needs and was completely dependant. So, I left the hospital...and right before I got to the exit doors I turned a corner and nearly collided with someone...it just happened to be Andy's dad! What a small little community we have :) Alright, so then I rushed home and somehow ate, changed clothes, checked email, and grabbed all the stuff I needed for school in less than 20 minutes -I'm cool.
So, off to another nursing class. I love the nursing people....at times I despise the work, but I love them...all of them. Anyway, class came and went and then my other class came and went. Then Mary and I decided to go to Doris' softball game...but mary had an appointment with a prof, so Doris and I went to check our mail and play in the nsg lab where Mary was going to meet us. AND DORIS IS SO COOL BECAUSE SHE SENT ME CAMPUS MAIL!!!! Anyway, we goofed off in the lab and waited forever. Finally, we we decided to leave a note for Mary and I took Doris to her apt to change for the game. All this was done really quickly because I was very afraid that Mary would come out and never find us...well, Mary's meeting lasted a little longer than expected, but all went well -I found her and off to the softball game we went...and they won! And did you know it's such a beautiful day outside? 70�, a continual light breeze, and wonderfully happy green grass.
Anyway, so you'd think that'd be the end of such a lovely day but it got better...while I was driving home, I saw Becca running, and so I waved. And she ran by and blew me a kiss...she loves me :) She's a nursing student too...did I say I loved them, because really I love them all...like, even the ones that I never hang out with I love. I think I've somehow managed to bond with everyone...amazing, but I like it.
And can I just say, I'm super-excited about rooming with Mary, Doris, and Tracy next year :) -that and the fact that awana's tonight! Little do they know, they're leader is crazy and extremely hyper...funny since I've had no sugar or caffeine. Maybe I'm just naturally hyperhappy. Who knows?
So, this is it now. I would have blogged later today, but there's stuff to do and I have clinical again tomorrow morning -way earlier than I want to believe. I'm going to have to read the schedule again. Maybe I was wrong the first time...or, maybe it's wrong. Probably not. Oh well...it was a happy thought while it lasted. I'm going now... I think that I'll find some food, I'm kind of hungry :)