First day of lab and lecture in the same day!

This quarter has very long hours, but I guess as long as I am kept entertained and ready for the next task, it makes it all worth it. Today we did hemocult's and blood glucose levels on each other. Then our lab instructor put the blood in a system type thing to separate your blood from the serum w/in the blood to give an accurate reading for the hemocult. They're given in percentages, and it's REALLY neat! I made some issues occur, but I know what NOT to do now and I'll grow from my mistakes and move forward.
I still feel a little overwhelmed this quarter, but I must say, overall, I'm pretty comfortable with the material that has been covered thus far. Our instructor took us into a new chapter and she was asking questions left and right and I was just answering them back to back. I really enjoyed it though, both lab and lecture. I'm there from 8a-4p, Tuesdays and Thursdays and on Wednesday I have Pharmacology! Pharmacology is from 8a-5:30p. It'll be another long day but really with the great company that's within this program and the positive vibes that are given from the instructors, it really makes the entire experience fulfilling. Sure I'm still leery about drawing someone else's blood, but I think once I do it, I'll be over that completely! I'm so feeling it this quarter!!

In addition to that, I'm getting an SUV on Sunday from D's work. It's very similar to the one that's posted here, and I love it! It's so comfortable and roomy! Also I'd have the capability to take the dogs with me to a park or PetSmart! Which is a definite perk. I can't even take them in my car right now because mainly I worry about the fumes and such getting to them, plus it's super small. But this is a 2001 Chevy Tracker. It just passed inspection today and is ready for me to pick it up. D said we can sell my car (junk yard is giving me 400$ for it) on Saturday and pick the SUV up on Sunday. I only have one more day to drive my car to school and I'll be able to sell it. D's work bought it on a trade in and it passed the safety check with flying colors and again, it's so comfortable and it's CLEAN! Oh and I can hear the radio when I'm driving! LOL... Sometimes you take for granted the simple things that make you happy, like a working exhaust system! It also has lower end on miles! Anddddddd, a CD player! Yeah, that's a DEFINITE happy Val. I've been living with the radio ONLY with a shitty sound system  since I bought my Toyota.
I will say so far this year, it's been a GREAT year! There have been some pitfalls, but overall, most of the "bad" things that have happened have brought me closer to my family and that's so incredibly important to me.
Well, I took my meds at 4p, so I'm pretty beat but I need to finish up laundry, cleaning off my desk of doom, and watch Glee and Raising Hope tonight @ 8p! Then off to bed to start all over again tomorrow. Long long day tomorrow, but honestly, I'm REALLY looking forward to this course!! :)

*Grunt*

What a day... First day back, you'd think I'd be happy to see everyone again... well, that was not the case. There were some that I was happy to see, and some that I'm grateful aren't in this portion of lab, but honestly, my mind was elsewhere. I know that, and accept that, but it sucks terribly.
I struggled on the very first assignment for Miss Stout. I feel so blah over it. It's one of those things that I know how to do, but somehow or another, I was just screwing up left and right. Simple little errors... It was something I had to read and reread because there were many points that were difficult to understand. The class was louder than it should have been. People like me, take a lot of time in reading, and even Miss Stout said that this is going to be difficult for me due to needing silence when reading w/out interruptions. Hence why I always do my homework before the quarter begins, and make sure that I have ample time to go over things prior to class. Well, I'm still unable to pull up our syllabus, so that makes for a difficult task. I'll have to contact Miss Stout on this because she even said that I should read the assignment before I come into class so that it's something I feel comfortable enough with to get done even if there are distractions at hand.
This is def. going to be a tough quarter, and I expect and understand that, but be damned if I'm not ready to just get it over with so that I can come home. This time coming home it'll be more than a day and a half. I hope and pray that I'll be able to go to there for a week. It'd be so nice to have some one on one time with so many of my family and friends. P.S. I intend on having a belated birthday celebration for my 30th, so beware of that!
I'm in a funk... One of those funks that when they begin, I just want to curl into a ball and sleep for days. However, that's no choice to be made on my part, since I have class Monday through Thursday! -_-
I think once I get through this week, I'll feel better, hopefully... maybe just for the simple fact that we'll be down to 9 weeks left in the quarter. Every week for me has got to be a little better because I have to look down the road to what I have to come.
*sigh*

What I've accomplished during my break

- I patched the walls that needed to be patched for quite some time
- I painted some walls of the house to make them look more appealing
- I made a trip back to Maryland and got to see my 3 men
- I cleaned and dusted every room in the house
- I did about 15-20 loads of laundry
- I completed my homework for this upcoming quarter that is assigned in clinicals and part of Pharmacology
- I put an SUV on hold at D's work that I really really like
- I cleaned the front, side and back yards
- I mowed the lawn for the first time since last year
- I played a game with the family
- I visited my mom's grave
- I stripped all of the beds
- I scrubbed the floors of the bathroom, kitchen, and foyer
- I printed out all of my coursework
- I actually watched a movie w/out getting up and  leaving the room to get something else (rarity)
- I went shopping for school supplies
- I cleaned out my desk
- Got to reconnect with a great friend in Colorado
- Made up a chore chart for Claire while in this ten week period of school so she can earn things that she really wants

Stuff....

Well this past week has been difficult for me. I've been informed of some things that, quite honestly, I'm shocked about. I went back to MD last weekend and man, it was a nice break, but it was also overwhelming. I'm still in a weird state at this point, but it's not as it was on Monday for me anymore. The wrong thing happened, to the wrong person, and man, if I could take their place I may just have. Someone like me could cope with it being I already have so many issues as it is. No, I won't broadcast what the issue(s) are/were, but I will say it's devastating.
On the positive side of everything that occurred, I can say I had the opportunity to see 3 of my main men in my life. My dad, my brother, and my best friend. That time was really enjoyed and needed, I think, for all of us. Here are some pictures of the times spent with 3 of my 4 favorite men in my life:

Here are just some other pictures that were taken while in town, also.

My Mom's plot with some beautiful flowers that Teebs picked up for me

The grandparents and my Uncles (still alive last I heard) plot

Claire on the picnic table at the place we had brunch with Steve at prior to our departure

Rest stop

Only 150 miles into it... Don't I look amused.

With all that's been said and done, I will be coming in between breaks more often, but I'm unsure if I'll keep doing the "tell everyone I'm here" party because there is a LOT of things that I need to do outside of hanging out with friends. This trip was an eye opener, and honestly I'm so thankful that I last minute decided to go and spend time with my brother. I'm also very thankful that Teebs allowed me to stay with him without a second question.
Outside of all of that, school starts again on Monday. We only had a 9 day break, but oddly enough I got a lot more done in it than I would have suspected prior to going on break. Last quarter I finished with 2 A's and 1 B, along with 5 Satisfactory's for my Radiography positioning courses that I took. So, over-all I really feel that I accomplished quite a bit!
This upcoming quarter is going to be hard, we've been told that already. I suspected that it would be, however, I'm actually looking forward to it. I am taking Pharmacology this quarter and I've always had an interest in that field. I have flash cards, drug guides, terminology translators, index cards, and a bunch of needed things for my upcoming quarter. :) I'm officially at the half way point for my program, and it feels so good to have gotten this far. I'm so so thankful that I've gotten this far, and can't wait til next quarter begins so that I can start my externship and actually BE IN the field--but first I must get through this one.
Life at home (here in Ohio) has been great. I seriously feel like I'm at a great point in my life and things this year thus far have shaped up really well. Looking on the previous year, I'd say this one has definitely been an improvement. I pray that it continues and that this year will be one of the most fulfilling years yet!
Claire starts her soccer practice on Friday and her first spring game is April 5th (I do believe). She's really looking forward to starting, and I'm looking forward to her getting her energy out again. Although, with Spring weather, it makes it hard to detect what the weather will be like with all the rain and all. But hopefully the rain will either happen prior to the game starting so it's postponed, or it will be sunny until the end of the game. I sure as heck don't want to have to deal with having bad thunderstorms rolling through when in the middle of a game!
On the good part for my heath, there is no lupus showing in my CBC or ANA blood count, so that's awesome! I've lost about 2 dress sizes since January, too. On a bad though, my toe is infected from the surgery I had on it two weeks ago. I'm on two antibiotics to help get rid of the infection, which I just started yesterday. Other than that, everything has stabilized with my Fibromyalgia, I've kind of found a point now where it's not going terrible, nor great, so it's in the medium which is pretty nice in comparison w/ what it was.
Well, that's about all for now. I'm gonna try and enjoy the rest of my break by resting as much as possible.

Should be studying, but really drained

So instead, I'll post some pictures! :)

On the road to school

Heck if I have to be up for the early part of the day, it should always look this beautiful

I love sunrises

Me

Irena, me, Letitia, Stef, Kristi

Irena And I

Harley girl

My beautiful roses done in a fun way.

Woke up to this crap just the other morning... Ewwww

My toe after the surgery. It has two bruises on it and puffiness on the side which is bothering me

10 things I hate about the winter-spring tween

10) Umbrella's are a necessities
9) People don't know how to drive when it's sunny let along when it's rain/sleet/snow mixed together
8) My basement smells damp
7) My windows have to be shut
6) The squishing sounds that my feet make in the mud
5) The lack of sun
4) Snacking on food even when not hungry, but bored from being inside while studying
3) Puddles
2) The comment "Ew!" from Claire when she looks out her window
1) The dogs needing to go out but not wanting to go into the "grass" to go potty and when they do the mud that's tracked in from their dirty paws!

Claire's school

I'm hoping those of you who read my blog will cast a vote for Claire's school to win 5 new trees for their school grounds. If they win they'll have 100 trees donated in their name to American Forests Flobal ReLeaf Program and the Cintas Company will provide them with a $5,000 donation for school supplies and will host a free shred event for all community members. The polls are opened now until March 12, 2011 and you can vote one time a day up until that day. So click the link below and just vote, please!

West Broad Elementary hoping to plant 5 trees, but needs your vote!


Thank you so much!!