Gettin' Anxious

Most of you know that I applied to Nursing school February 1st. Now, I'm not a dummy, and I do know that it takes a substantial amount of time to receive an answer, but I'll tell you....I'm really getting anxious. I've made a very big decision that I only apply to RN school once. If I don't get in this August, it's just not meant to be. Many of my co-workers have informed me that it's silly for me to give up after only one try. I've decided that I need to get things figured out. I'm 28 years old and need to figure out what I'm going to do when I grow up. So, I'm on the job hunt. My statement is...I'm open to just about anything new, I'm willing to change careeres up until the day I start nursing school. If I get accepted, then I will go through. If not, I'll find something else and start looking at getting my Masters Degree.

In the meantime, I've started a job search. I'm looking for something different. I think I'd really enjoy working with some of the pharmaceutical companies. I'd like something that pays more money, and I'm really looking forward to the paid holidays off, and no weekends. Travel and relocation are not much of an issue for me....any leads? Let me know!

On a plus note...I have a date this coming Saturday. His name is Dan and he's very, very nice. We had the proverbial "hook up" last weekend. I went to see his band play because I'm friends with the wife of the bass player. We chatted, things went well, he kissed me goodnight. Now, we have a date this coming weekend. Now, one of the harder things is that he lives in the south suburbs. I know many of you are thinking..."oh no...he's in a band" Which is true, and I would have worried if he didn't have a college education and full time job. His band is his part time gig. I don't have too many expectations, but we'll see what happens! I'm just happy to be going on a date.

TTFN

Training

I recently purchased a book called, The Non-Runners Guide to Running a Marathon. Now, let me give you a little background as to why I would buy such a book. People look at me and state...there is no way she's a runner. Which is entirely true. I'm not a runner. I used to be, but was never really good at it and never truly enjoyed it. I can only once remember that runners high....That was back in the day and I felt fabulous because we had to do a five mile run as punishment as for as tired as I was, I was able to do it. Now since then, I've not run much more than three miles at a time, and for the past 5 years, I haven't done any running at all!!!

So, back to my story. I wanted to get back into running. I have no plans of running a marathon, but I really liked what these authors had to say and the training program they had laid out. They started with a beginning training session that was about ten weeks long, starting from beginner to more advanced. I figured I was somewhere in the middle, so thats where I started myself. I started myself with this training regiment...jog 5min, walk 5min, repeat twice for a total of 30 minutes. The first time I did it I thought i was gonna die. Initially I thought...who can't jog for five minutes....I barely made it! The last 5 min segment was grueling. (and quite honestly i certainly wasnt' moving that fast!!!) But, I got through week one. In fact on day three, I actually was able to jog for 15 consecutive minutes. That felt wonderful!!!!

So, this is week two. The temp hit like 38 degrees today, a tropical heatwave from the cold snap we've been dealing with. So, I decided to jog outside today rather than at the gym. This weeks training is jog 10 min, walk 5 min, repeat twice. For a total of 30 minutes. It's so much harder to actually jog outside. In the cold, on the pavement, with hills...I didn't even make my first 10 minutes...I only made it 8. I was a bit disappointed, but then again i said to myself....You're a beginner Amy, you don't have to prove anything to anyone. If you can't run 10 minutes today, maybe you can tomorrow. Needless to say, I did manage to jog my full 10 minutes the second go round. Barely! But, it was a huge accomplishment, for me.

Lets see what the rest of the week and next week bring me. I feel so good after this little bit. I'm going to start looking for some little races to do...like a 3K, not that I'm in for the competition, but something to push me a little bit. I'll start looking for thoses after i know I can jog 30 minutes straight, which at this rate is about 4-5 weeks from now. We'll see.....

I hate Winter!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, So....I had my first anatomy lab test this afternoon. Last night, I hoped and prayed for a school closing due to the weather. I woke up this morning to check the Harper website and it says....morning classes on, check after 10am for news about afternoon classes. Being that my class is at 1100 and my lab at 140pm, I figured I'd check back... But, do I leave early due to the icky weather...(it was snowing and blowing and really yucky with about two inches already) or do I wait and check the website at 10 that way I might not have to leave at all. I chose option number 2. Alas...afternoon classes are on, decisions will be made by 3pm for evening classes. UGH!!!!!!! Now I have to drive through this crap. Harper's excuse..."unlike K-12, we have the ability to make school closing decisions throughout the day and we don't have to close for the entire day"

My answer to this response was....unlike K-12, all your students have to drive to school!!!!!!!!!!

So, needless to say, I drive through all the crap and know that it's only going to get worse as the day goes on!!! I get to Harper at about 1110, not too bad...only ten minutes late, and I didn't have to look for a parking spot which in and of itself is a miracle because usually you have to follow someone from the door to their car and then wait for them to leave.

I go running into class, removing my coat, hat, and gloves before I enter the lecture hall in order to keep my entrance as quiet as possible. Lucky for me, half the class was empty, so I was able to slide into an empty seat in the back row and quiety take out my notes...it wasn't too hard to catch up. Now, as I said earlier, half the class was empty...was this because of the weather or because we had our first lab test and it was everyones last ditch effort to study. I'll go with number 2. SO, on the lecture goes...topic for the next test not even remotely connected with the stuff we need to know for later this afternoon, so therefore no one in class, including me, is paying any form of attention to what he's saying, so he says about half and hour early..."alright, I'm done, no one is paying any attention to me anyways. You guys just keep studying for your test this afternoon. If you don't know it by now, you won't. I'll see half of you at 140 and the rest of you at 330."

So, I head to the lab and sit and wait. I studied nice and hard and hoped and prayed that I was ready to go. The professor let us in about 10 minutes early, I put all my stuff away and went at the test with full gusto! Halfway through the test, he anounces that we all must be done by 3pm, because the school is closing. Now, normally we have lab until 320. I finished the test in about an hour and handed it in. Then I had to venture out to my car and dig it out of the yucky snow and head back home. So, due to Harper's stupid rules, I had to drive through the crappy weather twice and take my test. While the other class got to sit at home and not take their test! Go Figure!!!

I'm really not to impressed with Harper college at this time. I don't think they had the concerns of their students in mind, when they decided to keep classes open today. UGH!!

I'm back

Ok, so I was so politely informed that it's been way too long since I"ve updated. Then I checked, and it's true.

Whats up with me....I had a wonderful weekend. Girl's night out was prosperous and fun and definitely neccessary. We have to do those more often ladies. We laughed, we ate....a lot! I broke my diet for this fun filled extravaganza and let me tell you, I paid for it. My stomach was so unhappy with me the next day!!!! But I sat and watched my beloved Bears start out a wonderul Superbowl, just to pack it up and go home after the first quarter. Oh well....what's Chicago's famous saying...or maybe it's just Cubs fans....there's always next year!!!

Monday I went back on the diet, lots of chicken and fish, little carbs, lots of veggies. For dinner dad and I had steak...my first red meat in weeks, oh did it taste wonderful. Then I headed off to work. About halfway there, I started to feel nauseas. I thought to myself...ah, no big deal, it'll go away. About two hours into my night I was calling around looking for someone to come in for me. I had several trips to the bathroom in very few hours. Finally I got coverage and now I'm heading home. I've been in bed since!!! I'm dealing with a very unpleasant bout of gastroenteritis. More commenly known as the stomach flu!!! I don't know what I did to deserve this but I'll tell you, I'm absolutly miserable.

Ok, I've updated, now i'm going back to bed! I'm attempting to eat some crackers in hopes that they'll stay down.