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.

A Lovely Weekend

We had such a pleasant weekend.  Got plenty of time to study, went to a Christmas party, made cookies, had a friend over for dinner, and watched a hilarious movie.

Friday afternoon, I had a practical in Phys Di and it went well.  I forgot to describe the outer lips, mouth, and nose and lost 5 points, but remembered all the other things I was supposed to do.  I got the bonus point for looking in the mannequin's ear and noting the finding of a cholesteastoma, so that brought me back to 36 out of 40, which I am very satisfied with.  The practical covered the head, neck, ears, eyes, nose and throat and there was a lot to remember.  Today is the written exam and I feel pretty good about it.  Going to review during my morning break after Tox.

Was able to study quite a bit Friday afternoon after the practical.  My cousin Tonya took Lani with her and her two children, Hannah and Gabe, to movie night at her sister Becky's house.  All the kids were getting together to watch Christmas movies.  "The Polar Express" was one that they were planning to watch and Lani really likes that one.  Tonya said the movie reminds her of her sister Cretia who passed away about two years ago because it was the last movie they all went to see together at the IMAX before her death.  Cretia and I weren't particularly close, but she was a really warm person and I miss her, too, because she was an anchor of stability & peacefulness in our family.  She always hosted Thanksgiving dinner out in Walcott at their farmhouse and it was great because the house was big and could comfortably hold our very large extended family.  She suffered a lot in the last three years of her life with recurring bouts of pancreatitis and from Hepatitis C, which she contracted from a patient in the ER at Genesis Hospital, where she was a nurse.  Cretia had just completed the interferon treatment for Hep C when she was hospitalized again for something else and she passed away while there, quite suddenly and unexpectedly.  It is still very sad to me that we lost someone so young, (40 yrs. old) so kind, so full of life, so giving, so fun.  She left behind a wonderful husband, an upstanding son, and two beautiful daughters who all miss her so.  She was very close to her sisters and they miss her deeply, too.  She was very active in her church (one we, the cousins on my mom's side, all grew up in).  Her funeral was one to aspire to:  the number of people whose lives she touched was huge.  There were so many people who came that they had to extend the visitation hours.  She had a life that made a difference.

On Friday night, Dartagnan had a "date" with his girlfriend, Michelle.  They went with a group of friends to see a movie, "Fair Game" I think, that none of them ended up liking, so they talked through the whole thing.  I told him I hoped they weren't loud and disturbing other moviegoers and he said they weren't.  He had fun and spent the night with his friend Trevon, whose mom kindly drove them to and from the theater.

Jon and I went to the Palmer Student Christmas party Friday night and had a great time.  Jon was still not feeling so well, but I really wanted to go and he acquiesced.  I think he ended up enjoying himself, but he was ready to leave when we did.  The band, BBI, hired by Student Services, was excellent and played great covers that spanned the past four decades.  They were energetic and their lead singer is fantastic.  I've heard them perform before for past Homecoming events here at Palmer and they always do a marvelous job.  Jon actually danced with me to two songs!  He hasn't danced with me in a very long time...so it was fun to be grooving on the dance floor with my handsome man!

Saturday Jon made waffles (yum!) and we hung out at home.  Got quite a bit of studying in; I had a lot of text reading to catch up on for classes; Jon was busy studying for his upcoming NMS II practical.  Had fun playing with Lani, got some laundry done up, and got some housecleaning done.  Also met with Jeni and Sheila to discuss our Tox project that will be due as soon as we get back from break.  We divided up the work and I went and pulled some articles on our subject:  Fosamax.  Was at the Palmer library for about 3 hours.  Had to run to WalMart to get a few things before heading home.  Tried to put gas in my car at WalMart, but couldn't get the little door open because it was frozen shut (we had a blizzard warning).  Oh well.  Got home and cooked a risotto in my rice cooker and stirred in pistachio pesto my mom made with the last of her fresh basil at the end of summer, before serving the risotto for dinner.  Was delicious with a glass of Riesling and a salad!  My friend Janice, who recently graduated Palmer and is getting ready to open her practice in Rock Island, came for dinner after she got off work and we had a pleasant visit.  Was really nice to catch up with her.

We watched "Despicable Me" last night and I have to say it was witty and that Jon and I were quoting it to each other after we watched it because it was just so funny.  Steve Carrell's Russian/French? accent is hilarious and the way he leaves off words makes it even more funny.  I definitely recommend it and we will definitely be buying it soon.

Upcoming Quiz, Tests, Practicals...

This week has been sooo busy!  Lani vomited at school on Tuesday.  Thankfully, she waited until 4:45 to get sick.  That may sound really calloused, but the less class Jon and I have to miss, the better.  So he picked her up from daycare because I was still in the Cervicals tutorial until 5:00.  Jon was still fighting a bug on Monday and missed classes that day.  Since Lani couldn't return to daycare the next day (there is a 24-hour rule to keep the kids from spreading bacteria and viruses around), Jon missed class again on Tuesday to stay home with her.  Dartagnan was feeling lousy Monday and Tuesday and he was home both days too.

Lani was fine all day Tuesday, so she returned to school yesterday and was very happy to go back (home all day when we can't play with her because we are studying is boring for a 2-year-old).  Dartagnan was also feeling better and so was Jon.  Everyone went to school on Wednesday. 

My friend Laura, who I've not seen in about a month, came over to chat and share some wine last night.  She brought a great bottle of pinot noir and we sipped and caught up on each other's crazy lives for two hours.  Was good to see her and spend a little time with one of my favorite people.  Was needed for my mental health!

Today I have a quiz in Phys Di and tomorrow there is a practical in there.  I'm not too nervous about the quiz, but am nervous about the practical.  I'll be practicing the items we'll cover today in class again on someone (anyone who will let me run through it with them after the quiz), and again tonight on Jon or Dartagnan or both.  Lani doesn't like to sit still for the ear and eye exams (normal behavior for her age!), so I won't be practicing on her.  On Monday, we have the test over Unit 2, which is Head & Neck, Eyes, Ears, Nose, & Throat.  There is a lot of reading for it.  I'm currently reading the Eyes chapter and will hopefully finish the next chapter before class this afternoon.

Tomorrow I have a written test in Cervicals.  Nervous about that because I feel like we've really flown through the material and I'm pretty sure I have not assimilated it yet.  It would be nice to have more practice than one or two set-ups for each type of adjustment.  It is so much less practice than Toggle...so I will be reading Cervicals and having Jon quiz me tonight, too.

I'm so glad that we are not going anywhere this weekend!  I really need a weekend at home.  Our friend Janice will be coming to dinner Saturday evening when she gets off work and I'm really looking forward to catching up with her, too.  That is one thing that has been really hard about Palmer; I feel like I don't get to stay in contact with my friends the way I would like to because of time constraints.  If not careful, relationships can be damaged due to it.

Time to head to Tox!

Wisconsin Dells

So we spent the weekend in the Wisconsin Dells.  Thought we'd be doing quite a bit, but we found out when we arrived at the time-share that since we are not members, what was available to us without extra $$ was limited.  That is OK, since we really just wanted to lounge and relax anyway. 

Dartagnan ended up spending time with his father at another resort.  His father also brought along Dartagnan's cousin Thomas and one of their mutual friends, Jacob.  The boys had fun on Saturday at the indoor amusement park at their resort.  They stayed up until 3 am goofing off and Dartagnan couldn't sleep so he was up again at 5. 

It was very kind of Dartagnan's aunt to rent us two cabins with her time-share points for Dartagnan's 15th birthday, which was Saturday.  The cabins were really nice, spacious and had a fireplace, flat-screen TV, DVD player, an equipped kitchen and two bedrooms. 

Since it snowed while we were there, a beautiful blanket of snow covered everything when we woke up Saturday morning.  The tall pines surrounding our cabins and the hilly landscape were so quiet and peaceful.  I got Lani bundled up and took her for a walk.  She had a blast stomping in the snow and busting up the large snowballs left by the plows.  Lani wouldn't keep her gloves on, and kept grabbing the snow in her excitement, then giving me her hand to wipe off, "It's cold!  Cold!" 

Dartagnan and my mom stayed in the cabin next to us and walked over the next morning.  Mom made yummy pancakes (D's and Lani's favorite) for us and then she walked back over to get D's birthday present.  On her way back, she fell (it was still icy on the road between the two cabins) and hit her head really hard.  That was scary.  I'm still not sure if she is really all right, because her left eye has been watering the last two days.  When I talked with her this morning, she was at the optometrist and I told her to tell him what happened.  I've not heard back from her.  When she fell, her glasses fell off her head and we found them later in the snow.  Unfortunately, one of her lenses had fallen out, so she will be getting new glasses (hers were over two years old and she needs a new pair).

Got to head to Physical Diagnosis, which is officially my favorite class this term.

Thanksgiving

I am so thankful that we are out for a short break for a little while (4 days) for Thanksgiving!  It has been so busy since I last blogged!

Today, I had a Cervicals practical & was very nervous.  I read the material, but still didn't feel quite ready.  The class I'm in is one where the prof expects you to read the material ahead and then be ready to apply what you've read, which is fine, but not all the profs are that way, so it is an adjustment.  We start practicing the palpation, orthopedic-neurologic tests, and deep tendon reflex tests, as well as doing line analysis of x-rays to prepare for the practical today.  We just went over it really quickly and it would have been nice to have a little more practice before being tested.  I got 15 out of a possible 18 because I made some dumb mistakes. 

I had a quiz, practical and exam in Phys Di last week.  I keep forgetting to check my score on the exam.  I'm happy to report that I received a 40 out of 40 on the practical.  Yea!  Definitely something to be thankful about!

This past weekend we went to Galena, IL, with our friends Paul and Sharon.  We stayed at a historic property on the downtown Main Street, 305N (http://305n.com/).  Was great!  We dined at 111 Main (http://www.oneelevenmain.com/) & it was fabulous, as it has been in the past.  I love walking along the Main Street and window shopping.  One of the stores whose merchandise I liked best was "Sushi & Marley" which just opened in September this year.  They carry great clothes by Tulle, Kind Like Love, and Free People.  Also, the saleslady (possibly the owner?) knits great soft, thick scarves in bright colors, too.  She was really helpful in recommending two restaurants for our next trip:  Perry Street Brassiere and Fritz & Frites (we've eaten at the second one and really enjoyed it previously, but need to give the other a try next trip).

Really liked the great boho jewelry at Vintaj.  Handmade.  The encaustic paintings of birds on a wire in silhouette against colorful skies were really beautiful too.  Oh!  And I really liked all the handcrafted stationary, small journals, and notecards.

Slumber was another fave.  Ended up buying for Delaney and me matching slippers.  They are by Goody and are crocheted flowers in a bouquet on the toes.  The stems are velvet ribbons and they are little beauties.  Lani likes wearing hers, but her feet get warm, so she will wear them a bit and then has to take them off.  I really loved their modal pajamas because they were both so soft and sustainable. 

Stopped into Galena Candle & Bath and created an Eco Dotz candle (the wax is in little colored dots and you get an empty container with a wick to fill) scented with Petal, Ocean, Lilac, Egyptian Musk, and others...can't remember all the scents I put together!  I liked the way the purples, blues and whites I picked looked and smelled together.  Also picked up a Chocolate Cabernet candle that was marked down.  I love a sale!

At Honest John's Trading Post (http://www.honestjohnsgalena.com/), I noticed Naot's (http://www.naot.com/cgi-bin/show_product.pl?yaleet_number=25021&cat=9 shown in brown; mine are black) in the window as we walked past and had to go in to check them out.  I bought a pair at Tradehome last spring and they are some of the most comfortable and clinic-appropriate shoes I own.  Ended up trying on a pair of Earth boots (http://www.earthfootwear.com/ourfootwear/ourfootwearproducts/tabid/65/language/en-us/p-353-lodge-2.aspx in caribou) and LOVE them!  Will probably be wearing them every other day this winter!  In fact, each one of us in our party bought a pair.  Paul talked them into giving us a discount because we were purchasing 4 pairs!  That was great!  Jon loves his pair (http://www.earthfootwear.com/ourfootwear/ourfootwearproducts/tabid/65/language/en-us/p-353-lodge-2.aspx in black), and I think Paul liked his pair (http://www.earthfootwear.com/ourfootwear/ourfootwearproducts/tabid/65/language/en-us/p-345-junction.aspx)...Sharon liked her boots (we got the same design), but I think she was having a little buyer's remorse afterward.  She's not accustomed to spending that much on shoes.  But I told Paul when I saw him later on (he owns a property in my neighborhood and was over to check on it):  divide the price of the boots by the number of years you wear them and it comes out pretty well.  I bought a $250 pair of boots about 6 years ago and I have worn them quite a lot.  They are some of the sexiest boots I own and they won't go out of style because they are beautiful but basic.  Each year, at the end of winter, I take them to Bill's Shoe Repair and he re-heels them for me and shines them up.  I put them in storage for the next season.  They look brand new still.  So that ends being about $50/year when you include cost of maintanence.  I prefer to spend the $ on shoes if they are really great and get them re-heeled and shined professionally when needed. 

They guys wore theirs until dinner and then couldn't hack it anymore because of the negative heel technology and the high arch supports that both found were really challenging their muscles.  Sharon & I stuck it out.  We were troopers in our boots...in fact, we kind of looked like storm troopers...

I am wiped & Lani finally fell asleep; she'd been fighting it, afraid she will miss something (normal 2-year-old stuff).  Been doing laundry, washing dishes, tidying up, to get ready for Thanksgiving and will post again soon. 

Just gotta say that I love Galena & Happy Thanksgiving!

1st Weekend

I was very happy to receive a phone call yesterday from Dartagnan's grandpa in MN.  He said he'd be coming through Rochelle, IL, if we wanted to meet him there and pick up some of D's things that he had left at his Aunt Steph's house.  He went up and stayed with her and went to school in Minneapolis in the Spring for the 4th quarter of 8th grade.

Dartagnan and I got on the road to meet Dick around 5:30 pm and reached Rochelle by 7:30.  It was our first time seeing Dick since he lost his wife to cancer this summer.  It was good to see him.  I think he really misses Dorthe and so do we.  I think about her often and how sometimes certain people really are the glue that hold a family together and she was that for their family.  She loved children.  I mean, she loved spending time with kids and was really great with them, too.  She preferred them to adult company.  She'd been a foster mother to several children through Lutheran Social Services and many of the children were special needs children.  She was just excellent with them. 

It also seems to me that Dick has taken over her role of keeping communication going between everyone too.  He calls and asks about Dartagnan now; something he didn't do much when Dorthe used to do it.  He's really seemed to become more social and talkative, too.  We had a pleasant time chatting at the diner there at the truck stop where we met.

We've been back in class now for 4 days, since Tuesday.  I found out the first day back that I would not be able to take the classes I had planned to take because I failed PNS for a second time.  So I am now on Academic Warning, which means Palmer limits how many credits I can take this term.  This is fine, because I was a little nervous about the schedule I'd planned to take, thinking it may just be too much for me to handle, especially adding PNS back in on top of it.  So I am enrolled in PNS, Toxicology, Cervicals, and Physical Diagnosis.  My favorite so far is Phys Di.  I have Dr. Littrell and she is making the material so interesting.  Her teaching style is very engaging.  The class is so interesting because we'll learn how to take vital signs, interview the patient, etc.  Feels like really getting into the stuff of practice!

I've been wrestling with which thermometer to purchase.  Jon had already purchased all of our diagnostic equipment last term, so I didn't need most of it, but we have only a thermometer that is not terribly accurate, so I was doing so checking this week to see which I wanted to get to replace it.  Found one for $20 at WalMart that goes in the ear (a tympanic thermometer) and does not need covers (you just clean it with an alcohol wipe after each patient).  Hopefully it is a good model.  The Welch Allyn one I really wanted is $300 at the Palmer Bookstore and I'm not sure we are ready to spend that just yet on our office equipment.

Toxicology will be interesting.  I like the subject and Dr. Ansari is so nice.  I enjoy Dr. Schmiedel, our PNS professor, however, I really didn't want to take his class a third time.  This time, I'm going to attend the PNS tutorial as well.  Perhaps that will help me out this time around.

Cervicals is moving at a very brisk pace.  I'm planning to attend the tutorial for it and to also practice palpation on my family so I can start "teaching" my fingers what to feel.  I practiced on Dartagnan the other night and he loved it.  Delaney loves it too, when we just palpate her.  Both sit very still as both are used to seeing a chiropractor.  Lani's first adjustment was when she was 1 hour old!

Today we worked hard on the house and yard.  I painted siding in the garage and got about 28 boards painted.  Jon worked on putting the siding up and Dartagnan caulked it.  When D and I were done with our work, we worked on raking and bagging leaves and weeds because this is the last week of free yard waste pick-up in Bettendorf (normally, you must put a sticker on each bag and the stickers cost about $1.50 each).  So tomorrow I want to get the rest of the yard tidied up as much as possible.  We are planning to get up early and head to church and then work on the house and yard the rest of the day.  Fun!

Time to go and read some Phys Di!