Moving on

Had two tests yesterday:  PNS first thing and Phys Di in the afternoon.  Got up early, 4:30 am, to get some more study time in on PNS.  The test didn't feel as difficult as it could have, so I hope that means that I did well.  We'll see when grades are posted tomorrow.

Went home after the PNS test and reviewed some Phys Di and Cervicals.  I still have more reading to complete before the next test in Cervicals and I've been trying to chip away at it little bit by bit.  Listened to heart sounds and lung sounds on the links Dr. Littrell put on her website:  http://www.littrellradiology.com/  On the test, there was one each.  Hope I did well on that test, too, because I'm aiming for an A in that class.  I could really use an A because the class is worth 10 credits and it would help me reach my goal of raising my GPA to 2.50 or higher this term or this year.

I'm trying to decide if I want to take a 7:30 Pelvic class next term or not.  If I don't, then I could go to the gym again in the morning to workout.  I kind of miss doing that and getting the workout out of the way early in the day.  I'm still thinking about my schedule to see what will be a manageable workload for me.  I'm currently signed up for 31 credits, which is a "normal" schedule for many Palmer students, but I don't think that is realistic for me.  I'd like to drop it down to between 25-27.

Jon's new TravelPro suitcase arrived yesterday.  It is a carryon that is also a suit holder.  Many pilots use this type and it is really slick.  He's flying to Orlando this weekend for a seminar with our practice manager.  Our friends Clint and his wife, Alyssa, will also be attending and they are all going to share a room to cut down on costs.  I'm not going because Boards review begins next weekend and I don't want to be gone this weekend, too.

Jon and I looked at blinds for Lani's and Dartagnan's windows on Monday.  We priced them and the two that we are considering are about the same cost.  I am leaning toward the cordless double cellular shades, and Jon is leaning toward the wide-slat wooden blinds in white, which I think look a little fussy with all the strings.  We don't have to decide right away, but the sooner we get them up in Lani's room, the better for our weekends so she'll sleep a little longer in a darker room.

Since it is snowing again today, it is making me dream of my garden and flowers and springtime.  I'm looking forward to purchasing some shrubs to put on the berms this spring.  Going to get at least one (but I'd really like two) Sambucus nigra (elderberry) black lace, which look a lot like a Japanese maple, but are more hardy.  I would also like to get a Dicentra spectabilis Gold Heart, which is a lovely bleeding heart with chartreuse-colored foilage, so when it is done blooming, it would look great next to the elderberry because of the color contrast between its leaves and the elderberry's almost-black, dark purple leaves.  I'm also considering some cottage roses or else more knockout roses in front of the house to give some bright color (the hot pink ones are really pretty against our new blue paint on the house).  Maybe some of the vanilla strawberry hydrangeas...I love the possibilities!  I'm planning to order from http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/ or to buy from local sources if they carry these particular varieties.  I prefer varieties of plants and flowers that not everyone has (there are tons of hostas in the Quad-Cities) because I like the unusual.  I am so looking forward to gardening again this spring!

OK, going to read a little Cervicals before I head to Tox.

New Year's Resolutions 2011

I picked up a Whole Living magazine while on Break because I saw one at my dentist's office and it had a detox.  I like detoxes, however, it is really hard to be faithful in the diet portion of one while being a busy student at Palmer.  Also, I find many recommend some juicing (not the steroidal drug type, but the Juiceman Juicer type), and I don't have a juicer (yet).  :)

I liked the idea they suggest for the New Year:  to reflect back on the past year for a while and then to write down your new goals for the coming months.  Here are mine:

1. Do the things I least want to do first (In other words:  do the thing I would usually put off until the last possible minute.  This addresses my problem with procrastination.).
2. Raise GPA to 2.50 or higher (Very do-able).
3. Exercise a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 20 minutes per day.
4. Learn to knit (My friend Nicole is going to help me learn; she is a natural teacher).
5. Improve dental care (Floss every night!  This is hard because I really am tired at day's end and just want to brush and hurry to bed.).

I wanted to keep it relatively simple.  I also found that writing down how my day went and what I accomplished helped me to sleep better because I felt a sense of satisfaction for what I had completed.  Sometimes I have laid in bed and wondered exactly what did I get done in a day.  That can be really annoying, especially when you feel as though, perhaps, you may have wasted a day of your life.

I did well the first week of the detox, mainly because we weren't back to school yet.  School has made it hard to keep up with my goals/detox/tasks.  School is a major task!  That Tox project was due last Monday and I worked the previous Saturday and Sunday, most of both days, getting the case studies added to the report AND creating the slide show to go with our presentation.  Got majority of it turned in by deadline.  I was under the impression that was the deadline for the rough, but the professor informed me that it was to be the final, so he gave us until noon the next day to finish it.  I missed class that next morning to work on it and had a doctor's appointment that took up almost two hours of my morning.  I tried to e-mail it from my laptop on campus, but couldn't get onto the internet.  Went to Info Svcs and they reset my password.  Tried again to log on and was informed that the internet was down!  Drove home and sent it, 40 minutes late.  Wow.

Today was the actual presentation and I felt pretty good about it.  Hoping we get all the possible points for it because we did work hard on it and we provided exactly the information the prof outlined as what he wanted in it.  I was nervous when presenting.  Had to come home and re-apply my deodorant afterward because I was perspiring so much!

I feel like I've been putting all my time into studying for upcoming tests in Phys Di (quiz & practical this week), Cervicals (practical next week), & PNS (Exam 2 next Tuesday).  I exercised everyday last week except Friday and Saturday, & didn't exercise yesterday or today, so I am really ready for some exercise.  Maybe tomorrow I can fit some in between the morning and afternoon classes.

Lani vomited at daycare today.  They called me and I went and picked her up after I stopped back by Palmer to drop off my Boards application (yeah, I've been spending lots of time working on that, too, because I have to request special accommodations, so there is extra paperwork to complete for the request).  She went for a walk with Grandma yesterday and it was quite cold out.  They went to Middle Park and Lani didn't want to leave after playing for an hour.  My mom finally got her to leave, but she said it was work (Lani can be rather stubborn and will throw herself about to stop from being taken somewhere she doesn't want to go).  This morning, Lani didn't get up on her own, which is very unusual in itself, and when we went in to wake her, she pulled the blankets back over her and said, "I wanna sleep.  Go 'way!"  We let her snuggle in her bed for a few more minutes, then she had to get ready.  She was reluctant.  Now we know why.

I had some really wonderful news a few days ago:  one of my friends is pregnant and I'm so excited for her and her husband!  She asked that no one post it to Facebook, so I'll not mention her name until she gives the go ahead on that.  Very exciting news, indeed!

Last week, on Monday, before we had to head back to Palmer, we rented a truck from Home Depot and took the aluminum siding, the awning that had hung over our front door, and the railings in to the recycling center in Moline (Illinois) for cash.  I was so happy to get it out of the backyard because it has been there since October and we've had people knocking on the door nearly everyday, offering to remove it for us.  Because of this economy and the unemployment rate, I think many people are turning to "scrapping" to help get by financially. 

Cervicals tutorial was really helpful tonight.  In class, we run through it so fast that I feel like I've not properly grasped it, so I like the slower repetition of tutorial.  It is good to practice and get feedback so you can correct your stance, contact point, etc.

I'm wiped.  Currently on a course of antibiotics for an infection confirmed last week at doctor's office.  This particular antibiotic has some rather unpleasant side effects; the one that I'm finding most bothersome is the metallic taste in my mouth.  I feel like I can't get my teeth clean and that nothing tastes good.  This is a bummer for someone like me who loves food.

Part of the detox is to get to bed earlier...for better sleep hygiene.  So I'm headed to bed.