Icy

School's up and going again after a couple of days out for icy winter weather. I was very surprised when my campus closed Monday at 1pm (causing me to miss four hours of lecture, such a huge loss) and stayed closed until this pretty Thursday morning. Happy as I was to skip my four hour lab Tuesday morning, by Wednesday late afternoon I was more than ready to get back to school. I didn't leave the house all day either Tues. or Wed. but the dogs told me it was cold outside.
Congrats to Skronky on his new job! Yay!
Have you heard about the conjoined twins that were born on my campus this last October (Children's medical center on campus in case you're worried that they debuted in the student union or something)? They were surgically separated last week! Isn't that something?
I'm re-certified to do CPR now... And have been re-HIPAA trained... And have taken the time to unearth from the bowels of my filing box the background check that the school did on me 3 years ago to make sure I'm a "safe" person to have around... More of the hoops we have to jump through before P4 year starts. The next thing to look forward to is learning to give immunizations. Yes, someone out there thinks they want me to be wielding needles full of antigens toward unsuspecting children and seniors. At least we get to practice on each other first (i.e. I'll be torturing one, or more, of my classmates in a couple of weeks). So if you get a hankerin' for a sore arm in a few months just shoot me an email...
After two days off school I should be rested and ready... but I'm sleepy so it's time for a quick nap and lunch before class at 1pm. Hope you're staying warm and safe.

Melancholy

Busy end of the week with a crush of family events & happenings. Everyone is in a tizzy to get things done before school starts back up so we scurried about and ate too much, as usual.
Since the start of the new year it's been much the same-old-same as far as winter break days go. Lots of cooking at home, playing the pinata game, and working now & then. Putting the Christmas stuff up in the attic was a feat (or fete if you like, which could be semi-appropriate). My 93yo great-grandmother experienced a shoulder fracture last week and is still working through that recovery (which will be long, I fear, since she's still so fragile).
I've been having a lot of trouble finding motivation to get "geared-up" for the semester, which starts Tuesday for me. I still have about three hours or so of homework to finish before then. Hateful of them to assign so much busywork to be done during the break (I've already done a couple of hours worth; Blah).
My coursework for the Spring: Toxicology (working at Poison Control will only help a tiny bit), Pharmacy Practice 5 (quite a challenge, complete with lab), Drug Lit Evaluations (mostly stats and reading research papers), online Pharmacy vet course (super interesting and easy so far), and 3 Pharmaceutical Care Modules: Oncology, Dermatology, & Psychology. I think it will be an interesting semester but by no stretch a walk in the park.

Have you ever listened to a friend agonizing over a tough situation that they're living right now that you've lived already, abet with respective circumstances. A friend is dealing with some issues lately and I've been listening to him work thorough those issues (me talking won't help since I don't have any answers) as he tries to understand, cope, and figure out the next step. While listening, I've also had feelings from my own time dredged up and aired out, though now in a decidedly different light. It's amazing how time changes, well, practically everything. I've been miraculously blessed, though back then it seemed so unsure and terrible. I was unsure and terrible as well. ~Though you, hopefully, have no idea what I'm ranting about prayers for my friend would be much appreciated. Prayers for guidance, patience, hope, and confidence; those virtues that seem hardest when times are hard.

Now that I have that out there maybe I can get motivated for school?
Hope you & yours are well and enjoying the weekend! Love to all!

Good search - beneficence while searching

Updating in-between calls at work - shame on me so I'll keep it short:

Try using Goodsearch.com when you need a search engine - they donate to your chosen charity for doing something you do anyway (search)! (And if you don't have a charity of your own, feel free to use one of mine: Habitat for Humanity (in your region or internationally), Make A Wish Foundation, & ASPCA (who also run the Animal Poison Control).)

Catching up to the New Year

Finished out the semester well; 4 Bs & 2 As kept me happy since I promised myself before finals that all Cs would be just fine. Aiming low and achieving well - never would have thought that would be me, but here we are in pharmy school just as merry as can be. One semester left of actually-in-a-classroom classes followed by 9 months of a mythical beast called 'rotations' (assigned, spread out loosely into 12 months, somehow, that involves requesting sites that you'll never get, a white lab coat, and unspoken rules as well as several icky test things and "resume building" exercises that promise to reek of boredom). I am terribly ready to be done with school and out working. I honestly don't feel like I know much but I was always very, very good at looking things up quickly so maybe it'll all work out? (That certainly isn't very reassuring to anyone... Let's keep that part a secret, okay?) After finals Christmas hit home. No white Christmas here in Okieland but we had the freezing temperatures. The big family party with
Dad's side was fun with traditional Christmas fajitas, dirty Santa, playing spoons (which my female cousin & I are, apparently, really good at recently), and a foray by my mum & aunt into discovering how to make mulled wine at home (it seemed a lot like making hot tea to me?).
For my immediate family, on Christmas we did our usual laid-back thing at home with biscuits and gravy breakfast just after presents followed by lounging around the rest of the day, recovering from our paper cuts earlier in the day and drinks the night before. (I spent my Christmas Eve at work, since, after all, isn't saving lives a very merry thing?)
Christmas with Skronky, and later his family, was wonderful as well. I got him a cast iron dutch oven. I know what you're thinking... Horribly romantic of me. But that is what he wanted! Better than a tie, I suppose, since he doesn't often wear ties. (I "helped" him 'season' it the next day... I've never seen so much smoke billowing out of an oven!) It was nice to get to see his nephews at his family's party. The oldest one is just a few months past 2y and he's a terror (in a good way), running around everywhere and making friends wherever he goes!
This year for me the presents haul included, in no particular order: a leech jar (no leeches currently in residence), several shirts, a shoe rack, lots of candy, a flashlight, rechargable batteries, another charm for my charm bracelet (this time a celtic cross), cookies, a bird house that I won in my family's dirty santa, coffee & mug, and several books. Skronky got me the first book in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer; I've read it twice since Christmas and plan to see the movie soon. (I prefer to always read the book before the movie, strangely enough.) But please don't count me in with the crazy, diehard fans. I like this author's style and artistry but do not have any misillusions or obsessions about vampires. Promise. You'll be the first to know if/when I do...
New Year's Eve saw me at home with the fam plus Dawn, her hubby, and their 3 week-old baby boy. Rocked out the end of the old year watching her hubby play Battlefield: Bad Company while the baby hiccuped in Mum's arms and Dawn & I gossiped. Am looking forward to this new year and all the wonderful things it'll bring. Best wishes to you and yours!