TCU is sure to be ranked in the top ten!! Congrats to the team for winning the Poinsettia Bowl!!

How awesome!! My school is getting some recognition. Way to go, boys.

Duty update: I also dealt with a medical emergency last night!! Second one this week!!

I feel like Super RA.

And just to say: My HD is bad ass. She called me this morning just to check up on me after my crazy duty night last night. I LOVE THAT WOMAN.

Status: On Duty

So, in the five hours that I've been on duty I've dealt with one homesickness crisis (and it really was a crisis), two recruitment fallout dramas, one angry parent that didn't understand why we couldn't allow him access to his daughter's room without her presence, and about fifty people coming in to get the mass amount of packages that have been delivered.

Two days ago I somehow managed to solve my ressie-with-a-broken-wrist crisis (we had no one to take her to/from the hospital and it couldn't be a staff member).

Life is just crazy!

Okay, so! Training started. And it has been absolutely crazy since before day 1. Lots of late night meetings with Jeremy, lots of running around and missing a good deal of the training I'm supposed to be going through. Speaking of that guy, we have such a strange relationship... case and point: during the "building healthy relationships" session, we spent the entire time texting each other different inside jokes. Which was hilarious, because the presenter was putting me to sleep.

RA training is going really, really well so far. We're getting a lot of positive feedback and I'm so happy--even if I'm stressed out because I'm behind in all my stuff.

Speaking of stress, I've gotten 3 hours of sleep in the past three days! YEAH! And I'm still an energetic and peppy Colby RA. The body is truly amazing.

... Oh yes, can't forget to mention--a certain male CRA may have asked for my number, and I may have given it to him... :)

Training is almost upon us I don't feel ready at all.

I'm all moved out of my apartment into Colby. It's like coming home... despite all the craziness and frustration, I missed this place. I never thought I would say that.

I still haven't had a chance to swing by SDS. It's tomorrow morning, during lunch, or nothing at all...

So, I tried the banana chocolate Vivanno from Starbucks and it was delish! I then settled down and hit dosage calc really hard for about four hours... and really don't think I'll have a problem getting the required 90% or higher. Dosage calc is about the only math that has ever seemed to come naturally to me, anyway.

I saw American Gangster today, and I must say: definitely not my type of movie, but it was great! Denzel Washington did such a fabulous job. By the end of the movie, even though he was a drug-smuggling murderer, you really sympathize with his character.

I got more donations for RA training this weekend. Solid! Also, only a week of work left until vacation. Then I'm going to see FC Dallas play Galaxy in Frisco, and then headed off to Austin for relaxation/fun time. Although it kind of stinks... after two months of doing this job, I'm finally comfortable in it right as it is almost over.

Upon return from vacation, I get to move back into Colby and then undergo the rigors that are RA Training wherein I will probably function more as an HD than as an RA. As soon as RA Training is done, school starts and I get to jump into clinicals! This all seemed so far away two weeks ago. And I still need to get my door decs done, but we don't even have a theme yet... oy vey.

I was asked today if I ever thought about auditioning for American Idol, to which I confessed that very few people even know I can sing at any level. Most just hear me joking around in the car. But that was kind of cool to hear, that I might be that good. Not to win necessarily, but to not be one of the people that Simon's like: "Okay, can you please crawl back under whatever rock you came from?"

I'm going to dinner with Lizzy in an hour, yay!

Work has been pretty hectic these past two weeks, and will be way busy next week, too. RA Training is almost here and we are down to the wire. HD Training efficiently scatterbrained my boss, and we had a few bonding moments wherein he told me how much he appreciated my help, which is always a good thing to hear. He gossips like a 13 year old, too, and I find it funny; but come August I will be considered a paraprofessional again and will no longer get all the inside juice. :(

I'm pretty sure I will work at ORS during the year for work study, since being an RA doesn't include a paycheck anymore. I really love the staff. They are so awesome to work with.

Of course, the approach of August also means that I need to:
1. Get CPR recertified.
2. Get TB tested.
3. OMG STUDY FOR DOSAGE CALCULATION. I meant to do this starting Monday. It is now Thursday and I haven't even gotten the crap OUT.
4. Reviewing my Med/Surg and Pharm notes would probably be a good idea.
5. Figure out what my door decations will be.
6. MAKE said door decorations.
7. Figure out/make other decorations, as possible.
8. Start coming up with bulletin board ideas.
9. Go through stuff and throw out useless items so I don't have to move them.

Okay, I'm going to stop listing. I didn't really realize it was that much until after #3.

Again with the LJ trends! It never fails.

You know the drill. Reply in a comment. Because you love me!

1. Name:
2. Birthday:
3. Where do you live:
4. IM:
5. What are you studying/What are you working as:
6. What makes you happy:
7. What are you listening to now/have listened to last:
8. What is particularly good/bad about my LJ:
9. An interesting fact about you:
10. Are you in love/have a crush at the moment:
11. Favorite place to be:
12. Favorite lyric:
13. Best time of the year:
14. Weirdest food you like:

RECOMMEND
1. A film:
2. A book:
3. A song:
4. A band:

FANDOM
1. Favorite Fandom:
2. Favorite pairing:
3. Favorite fandom community or fanfic site:

PLUS
1. One thing you like about me:
2. Two things you like about yourself:
3. Put this in your lj so I can tell you what I think of you?

Also, I cut the back of my ankle shaving today. It hurts and is bleeding. I don't think I've done that since I was, what, thirteen? Geez.

I like to follow trends:

Your result for The Attachment Style Test...

The Free Agent

Take The Attachment Style Test at HelloQuizzy

... This is incredibly accurate. From the description to the character similarities. Though I don't think I could be a scoundrel like Han; I'm too much a law-abiding citizen. Beatrice, though, very much so! She's a Shakespearan feminist1

So, I'm super excited to report that after a full 2 months of being veg, I finally got my hands on faux chicken. I was aprehensive--after all, chicken tenders are uber comfort food--but I gave them a go.

THEY WERE AWESOME. They taste just like chicken (seriously!). The texture is a bit different, but not in a bad way.

I was so excited that I called my mom. She's been really supportive. She put me on the phone with my dad, whom is carnivorus maximus. I thought he would be more like my older brother when I told him I was a vegetarian (Brother: "WTF. WHY?!"), but instead he was like "Hey, that's really cool. Maybe you can make some for us when you visit."

I don't know why, exactly, but the fact that my super-steak eating dad wants to try my vegetarian cooking makes me really, really happy.

On a not as excited note, I check out my sum of total student loan debt on accident today and had a mini-heart attack. It's more than $80,000 and I still have three semesters left.

My reaction on seeing that figure:
HOLY SHIT.
... I could have bought a Porsche instead.

Time to hit the gym! Gotta get that hamstring back in shape (I pulled it about a week ago, sad face).

Alright, y'all. I need some help.

I tend to read like mad during the summer, since I don't ever get to read anything non-nursing for about 80% of the year. I will curl up with books for weeks on end, read into the early morning, etc... It's all very exhilirating because I love just getting swallowed up into a book.

Except the fact that I've nearly exhausted my summer reading list already by reading like 7-9 books a week.

So! Recommendations would be awesome.

I tend to read fantasy, urban fantasy, that sort of thing (though I'm open to anything, really). I also tend to gravitate to Young Adult fiction--don't ask me why. I just don't seem to read adult books. Probably because I just haven't found many (and I stopped looking after a while, because I had no clue where to start). Some of my favorite authors are: Tamora Pierce (Song of the Lioness, The Immortals, Protector of the Small, Trickster's Choice, Provost's Dog), Garth Nix (Abhorsen Trilogy), Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange).

I also like to read non-fiction. For instance, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah was a fantastic read. Heartbreaking, but excellent. I'd recommend that, just an FYI.

Thanks! You are all fabulous.

It is Independence Day!

I'm so happy to live in this country. While I have a lot of gripes about it, how it's run, popular culture, etc, etc, we are all so priviledged to live in a place where (for the most part) we are free to work and live as we please. We have a chance at free education, and we get so many opportunities that so many others would--seriously--kill to have. So while you're grilling out, watching the fireworks, and enjoying the company, take a moment to be thankful (and then keep eating).

That being said, in honor of summer I am listening to new school New Kids on the Block. WOW nostalgia. This is awesome.

I am going back to making my veggie quesadillas. Enjoy the holiday, all!

YEAH!!

I've won money on them twice now. :)

I won money betting on Spain to beat Russia! YEAH! And they did so without David Villa and Fernando Torres. Alright!

Here is why Spain will conquer Germany on Sunday:

Fernando Torres


Iker Casillas


Cesc Fabregas (I put a picture of him in his Arsenal gear! Arsenal F.C.! We're by far the greatest team the world has ever seen, and it's Arrseeeeennaaaallll!)

C'mon, Spain!!

I was journaling earlier (in the paper one, where all my super secret dark thoughts go), and came to the conclusion that marriage is a government construct that is perpetuated through capitalistic ideals hinging on its failure. Basically: the government wants you to get married so that you'll get divorced and the economy reaps the reward when one spends atrocious amounts in lawyer fees, purchasing and furnishing a new residence, child support (which can be further spent at the recipient's discretion), etc.

Hence why I don't buy it. Screw government-sanctioned contractual relationships.

See, if we didn't have marriage then there wouldn't be any issue with gay/lesbian life partners, either (except for the populace's own personal biases, which will never go away completely).

In other, less serious news, I splurged and bought myself new perfume. That would be Givenchy's Hot Couture. I feel pretty hot when I wear it, so can't complain there. Worth the $65? Maybe not, but it bolsters my confidence, and sends me to a happy place every time I smell something divine and realize it's me.

I have been jamming to old school Britney Spears today and this makes me miss the 90s.

Mary Catherine left today and now I have very few people to hang out with. Except my neighbor who may or may not get the picture that I'm not interested and will not sleep with him.

In order to stimmy my coffee addiction, I've started drinking hot chocolate every day. This is probably not healthy. But it's really nothing compared to all the nasty stuff I was getting when I ate meat, so I don't feel that guilty (otherwise I wouldn't be drinking it...).

I made the most delish dinners this week. Yesterday was sweet potato burritos with black beans, and tonight was mega veg lasagna florentine. Unfortunately, I thought that one jar of sauce would be enough, but I added more veggies than the recipe called for. So I had to dilute the sauce a bit, and it came out slightly bland. A little salt perked it right up, though, and now I know for next time!

One of my roomies is on weight watchers right now. She's a sweetheart, so I don't have the heart to tell her that all those "Smart Ones" TV dinners she lives on are probably keeping her from losing weight. The way I cook, I can eat 2-3 times as much as she does and still come out with fewer caolories, less fat and sodium per serving, and more dietary fiber.

I'm so obsessed with food. I really should have been a chef, or a dietician or something. Oh well, the plan is culinary school at 40! :)

I've been keeping up with the Euro 2008 cup for the passed two weeks now. Every time I watch this sport, I remember exactly how much I love it and how much I wish I was a professional footballer. I'm currently supporting the Netherlands, since France sucked it up hardcore and didn't even make it to the quarter finals (though I was kinda of divided since they were booted by the Netherlands... but really, France, what happened? Les bleus let me down).

This, of course, lead me to the FC Dallas schedule because I know I won't have time once August hits to go to any games until probably October. They're playing Kansas and Colorado in July.

AND GALAXY.

I feel kind of like a traitor that I want to see Galaxy more than Dallas. But lets face it: Dallas is ranked in the bottom of the western conference right now, and Galaxy is first. And I'm sorry, but I will not pass up a chance to see Beckham in person. Opinions on play aside, he's a bloody legend and I want to see him work it on the pitch in person. Seeing as I will never see Zizou (screw retirement, he needs to convert to the darkside like Becks and come to MLS), Beckham is as close as I could hope for. Lord knows at this rate I will NEVER be able to travel to Europe to see some real football.

Sorry, this sport just makes me passionate. All I want to do is kick around a soccer ball all day.

I will still cheer for Dallas so I don't get mobbed, though.

... so I snagged it from raynala. Muaha!

Go here. Keep refreshing until you've collected five quotes that really resonate with you, then post 'em to your journal.

01. "Wanting to be someone you're not is wasting the person you are."
Kurt Cobain

02. "Sometimes old things need to go away. That way, we make room for the new things that come into our lives."
Randy K. Milholland

03. "A friend told me that each morning when we get up we have to decide whether we are going to save or savor the world. I don't think that is the decision. It's not an either-or, save or savor. We have to do both, save and savor the world."
Kate Clinton

04. "Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how…We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark."
Agnes de Mille

05. "I try to avoid looking backward and keep looking upward."
Charlotte Bronte

So, I decided that once I started living in my own apartment, I was going to become a vegetarian. It was just very hard and discouraging to do so when I didn't have control over my meal choices.

I've been meat-free for about a week now and it is AMAZING. My whole body feels clean on the inside. I have so much more energy. Not to mention that it makes me so confident, and is cheaper to boot. Vegetarian meals are also easier to prepare for the most part (no fat trimming, and cooking times are shorter, especially since there's really no risk if you accidently undercook your veggies). Basically, my body just feels and looks great and for once I am really, really happy with myself.

I started my internship and it is really awesome, too. I work from my apartment most of the time right now (which has its drawbacks, but we just don't have the space right now because the student center is under renovation). A lot of it is brainstorming and giving feedback, which I've always been good at. Right now I'm having to finagle catering for RA training, which I don't like at all, but this will pass and then I'll be on to different projects. I get a lot of freedom, but I am also a very linear thinker so we will see how well I manage this. Either way, it is sure to be a learning experience. Besides, if I finish my work for the day, I can stop early... i.e. 3:30 p.m... :)

Ciao!

Yup, still alive.

It's been an interesting semester. I survived my clinicals and found that I'm pretty good at psychiatric nursing, and--almost surprisingly--that I like it. This opens up some future options, though I still like ER/Trauma better.

I am extremely apprehensive about next semester, with maternity and pediatrics. I don't really do babies. Kids are alright. But screaming women in labor that produce alien-looking spawn from horribly disfigured vaginas? Not really my thing at all. My clinical group is mostly made up of women that already have kids, though, and they said that they would support me. LOL. I think if I am going to pass out at all in nursing school, that will probably be when.

On the plus side, I've been getting some sun and the extra vitamin D is doing wonders for my mood. It has even encouraged me to take the weekend off (though I'm on duty for half of it anyway), so I can read non-nursing things and just relax in general.

I'm about 99% sure I'm taking an internship with the Office of Residential Services this summer. It's an 8-5 p.m. sort of job, I'll be working with people I already know and like, and it comes with a free room for the summer. Benefit #1 is that it keeps me from living at home. I know that I miss it now, and I wish that I could be excited about moving home like everyone else seems to be. But I know that the happiness will fade in a few weeks and life will go down the tube, because inevitably something bad will happen. I've noticed a trend since I left for college some three years ago that my mother's suicide attempts and drama in general tends to occur much more often when I'm living at home. So even though I'd love to get a nurse-tech job in Round Rock and see Rajiv and Ashley, and be closer to Steph, I think I know that--for my sanity, and my mother's--I need to take this internship. I think I am just apprehensive about it because I always think that I can have that picture-perfect family before reality hits again (well-wishing, I know). Plus, it will give me some time to live mostly on my own, and to be in charge of my own cooking, which would be AWESOME.

Also, I got offered a job at the bookstore the other day just for being a pleasant conversationalist. So that would be a great weekend job that I could use to build up some extra income that would be great to filter into next year. I already knew I'd have to get an extra job anyway since RA won't be providing a stipend anymore, but I think that the bookstore would be an awesome option (I have always wanted to work at a Barnes & Noble).

Quick spot: I saw Ishmael Beah speak on Thursday, and his story is AMAZING. You need to buy his book and read it right now. It's called A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier and is about his experience in the civial war in Sierra Leone and how he was a forced rebel recruit at only 13 years of age. He's a wonderful inspiration.

Sometimes, especially lately, I feel like something is missing in my life. I don't know what it is. I'm pretty sure that I know what it's not. Maybe it's just that things keep getting in the way of me achieving my dreams. For instance, I've decided that I can't live at home after I graduate. I mean, if I can't live there for a summer, I definitely can't live there for a few years! So that means that it will take much longer for me to pay off my loans, to go to Africa, etc... But I've also decided that maybe I just need to move out of Texas. I mean, if I'm going to be on my own I might as well travel a bit. So I've been looking at various cities but I still have no idea where I want to go. Maybe the east coast.

Life is always interesting, that's for sure.

So, Chelsea Clinton was on campus today! Despite my rather long to-do-before-Friday list, I figured that this was not to be missed and made an appearance at her presentation. While at this point in time it is unlikely that I will vote for Hillary because Obama and I are in a fairly committed political relationship, I definitely don't dislike her and wouldn't be terribly upset if she won the primary. So it was worth seeing, I thought.

Chelsea, however, was quite unimpressive. I stayed for about 10 minutes and left with two thoughts:
1.) Thank goodness the public is voting for her mom and not for her. And...
2.) Way to go TCU on attracting a big name.

She spoke in a monotone the whole time. C'mon, girl, show some conviction and some passion! When you tell these people that you want your mom to be president, sound like you actually believe she is the best choice! I'm not asking for Hitler or Churchill quality oration here, but you were only slightly better than good 'ole W and I just feel like you could have done so much better. I think it was kind of a let down to the campus Hillary supporters. Which makes me sad.

On that note:
Dear Barack,
I'm sorry I missed your rally in Fort Worth. Unfortunately, we had an All-Hall in Colby and it was mandatory that I be there; I'm sure you understand. Hopefully, if you get the democratic nomination, you will come back in a few months time and I will be sure to be there.
Sincerely,
Sara