Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Still Alive
This is a cross post, so if you read it at Caritas, you don't need to read it again. Unless you really want to, in which case you obviously have WAY too much time on your hands. :-)
Hello friends, strangers, and enemies (you know who you are) ;-)
Long time no blog, eh? Well, there's a pretty good reason for that, being that since I've been in nursing school I haven't touched the computer unless it's been to write a paper or do research. However, we currently have a small break between classes, so I thought I'd try to pop in and say hi and catch everyone up on my life a tad.
Let me say first, Nursing School is HARD. Having said that, let me further say that stuffing a 2-year program into 13 months makes it EVEN HARDER. Bleh. I think I've devleoped an ulcer. I've named it Spike. I'm sort of kidding about that, but these are seriously the hardest classes I've ever taken. Which is not to say that I'm not absolutely loving this. I am! Taking care of patients is very rewarding, especially during this last set of clinicals when I made an early catch of a patient going into septic shock and received high compliments from the nursing staff AND the doctor. Not bad for a student.
I think I had already moved in with my sister and bro-in-law prior to dropping off the face of the earth, but in case you missed it, after seven years in a spacious two bedroom duplex, I moved into a single bedroom in my sister and bro-in-law's townhouse. I miss my space SO MUCH. But all in all I'm having a good time living with the fam. There are occasional fights and my bro-in-law drives me crazy sometimes, but all in all it's good. And it's definitely helping me make ends meet, since I no longer have a full time job.
In fact, my job status has been somewhat in flux. From October to February, I was unemployed, and really hurting. In February, desperate for money, I agreed to work two 16-hour shifts at a nursing home on the weekends. Almost immediately afterwards, I got a call from the University Temp service offering me a spot during the week. Thinking more in terms of "I NEED MONEY" then "THIS WILL KILL ME," I accepted that position as well. So I was in clinicals Monday and Wednesday afternoon/evenings, at work at the U on Tuesday and Thursday morning, in class Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and working all day Saturday and Sunday. Although I had Friday off, this was still an insane schedule. Three weeks later, I become extremely ill at the Nursing home and went home, exhausted and sick as a dog. At that point I decided that this would kill me if I kept it up, so I dropped my hours at the Nursing home to 8 hours on Saturday morning. Then last month, still tired and struggling to keep up with classes, I quit the nursing home entirely. With my weekends now entirely free, I was able to focus on my studies and still work two days a week.
The other final big event in my life is that I've started dating someone. While my school schedule would normally not be conducive to dating someone, this person happens to be a fellow nursing student so it works out well. She's really great, and although we are on different paths in the long run and will probably part ways after graduation, I'm having the time of my life with her at the moment. And for icing on the cake, she helps curb my tendency towards bad study habits, which is a real help (see above re:hardest classes I've ever taken). So now that I've written a small novel, I'll let everyone return to their lives and say, "Adieu." Feel free to drop me a line at tomsmeagol@hotmail.com. I would love to hear from you all and find out how your lives are going. Take care, my dear friends.
This is a cross post, so if you read it at Caritas, you don't need to read it again. Unless you really want to, in which case you obviously have WAY too much time on your hands. :-)
Hello friends, strangers, and enemies (you know who you are) ;-)
Long time no blog, eh? Well, there's a pretty good reason for that, being that since I've been in nursing school I haven't touched the computer unless it's been to write a paper or do research. However, we currently have a small break between classes, so I thought I'd try to pop in and say hi and catch everyone up on my life a tad.
Let me say first, Nursing School is HARD. Having said that, let me further say that stuffing a 2-year program into 13 months makes it EVEN HARDER. Bleh. I think I've devleoped an ulcer. I've named it Spike. I'm sort of kidding about that, but these are seriously the hardest classes I've ever taken. Which is not to say that I'm not absolutely loving this. I am! Taking care of patients is very rewarding, especially during this last set of clinicals when I made an early catch of a patient going into septic shock and received high compliments from the nursing staff AND the doctor. Not bad for a student.
I think I had already moved in with my sister and bro-in-law prior to dropping off the face of the earth, but in case you missed it, after seven years in a spacious two bedroom duplex, I moved into a single bedroom in my sister and bro-in-law's townhouse. I miss my space SO MUCH. But all in all I'm having a good time living with the fam. There are occasional fights and my bro-in-law drives me crazy sometimes, but all in all it's good. And it's definitely helping me make ends meet, since I no longer have a full time job.
In fact, my job status has been somewhat in flux. From October to February, I was unemployed, and really hurting. In February, desperate for money, I agreed to work two 16-hour shifts at a nursing home on the weekends. Almost immediately afterwards, I got a call from the University Temp service offering me a spot during the week. Thinking more in terms of "I NEED MONEY" then "THIS WILL KILL ME," I accepted that position as well. So I was in clinicals Monday and Wednesday afternoon/evenings, at work at the U on Tuesday and Thursday morning, in class Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and working all day Saturday and Sunday. Although I had Friday off, this was still an insane schedule. Three weeks later, I become extremely ill at the Nursing home and went home, exhausted and sick as a dog. At that point I decided that this would kill me if I kept it up, so I dropped my hours at the Nursing home to 8 hours on Saturday morning. Then last month, still tired and struggling to keep up with classes, I quit the nursing home entirely. With my weekends now entirely free, I was able to focus on my studies and still work two days a week.
The other final big event in my life is that I've started dating someone. While my school schedule would normally not be conducive to dating someone, this person happens to be a fellow nursing student so it works out well. She's really great, and although we are on different paths in the long run and will probably part ways after graduation, I'm having the time of my life with her at the moment. And for icing on the cake, she helps curb my tendency towards bad study habits, which is a real help (see above re:hardest classes I've ever taken). So now that I've written a small novel, I'll let everyone return to their lives and say, "Adieu." Feel free to drop me a line at tomsmeagol@hotmail.com. I would love to hear from you all and find out how your lives are going. Take care, my dear friends.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Survived Moving... Barely
I wish I could say I never wanted to move again, but I really don't want to spend the rest of my life cooped up in one small bedroom in my sister's house, so I will be moving again.
However, that doesn't change the fact that moving sucks. :-p
Anyway, my goal is to do one last major update between now and when classes start. After that, sorry to say, I won't have time to blog. So I'm afraid the cobwebs are going to get awfully big around here.
I wish I could say I never wanted to move again, but I really don't want to spend the rest of my life cooped up in one small bedroom in my sister's house, so I will be moving again.
However, that doesn't change the fact that moving sucks. :-p
Anyway, my goal is to do one last major update between now and when classes start. After that, sorry to say, I won't have time to blog. So I'm afraid the cobwebs are going to get awfully big around here.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
I know, I know
I need to update. I get it.
Well, I'll do a major update when I'm not so busy packing, but in the meantime for those few of you who haven't heard it elsewhere, I got into Nursing School! Yay!!!!!
I need to update. I get it.
Well, I'll do a major update when I'm not so busy packing, but in the meantime for those few of you who haven't heard it elsewhere, I got into Nursing School! Yay!!!!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Why I've Been Absent
So now that I'm done with classes for the moment, the burning question is--why haven't I been blogging?
That's a good question. The answer is fairly simple--life has gotten in the way. Since my last entry, I have 1) Decided to move in with my sister and brother-in-law to try and save money (more on that shortly). 2) Heard back (in the negative) on two more scholarships, making me 0 for 3 in the scholarship department. 3) Said good-bye to a friend who moved to Norfolk, Virginia. 4) Not heard yet about nursing school, which is slowly but surely giving me an anxiety disorder, and 5) Been mistaken for another person in a lawsuit (more on that shortly, as well).
Regarding moving. It was a tough decision to make--I've been in my place for 7 1/2 years, and I really enjoy both the amount of space and the not having a roomate aspect as well. But especially since I'm not getting any money above the paltry student loans I qualify for, I am in dire need of saving some money. If I get into nursing school, I will have to drop my work hours, dropping my income substantially. If I don't get into nursing school, the savings will allow me to pay off some debt. But it's not going to be easy. For one, I'm going to having my OWN bedroom, office, living room, bathroom, and kitchen; to having to SHARE a living room, bathroom, and kitchen (I do still get my own room). And most of my stuff is going into storage, so I don't know if I'll feel at home. My sister and bro-in-law WANT me to feel at home, and we are going to use SOME of my furniture, but unfortunately my sister is allergic to my new (used) couch, which means we won't be using it. Also, they are getting a bigger entertainment center than mine from a friend, so we won't be using that. And they have a kitchen table that's bigger than mine, so we won't be using that. And they don't have room in the living room for another chair, so my recliner won't be used. And my new room is too small to fit the computer, the dresser, the nightstand, and a double bed. Honestly, I don't know what the fuck we're going to do about that. Moving day is September 11, and I have SO much packing to do before then. Not to mention cleaning and at the very least weeding my sadly neglected garden (I guess it doesn't say anywhere that I HAVE to do that, but it seems like the right thing to do). Life is changing, and it's scary.
As for the lawsuit thing, some genius lawyer in Lawrence, Kansas came to the brilliant conclusion that I was a business partner in something called S & P Motorsports, L.L.C., and that I hadn't paid some insurance company the money I owed them. Please. Like I've ever been a business owner? And if I were, like I'd ever not pay my insurance premiums? I called the genius the next Monday (letter arrived on Saturday) and patiently explained to him that I was not the Thomas Phillips he was looking for, and would he kindly fuck off (ok, I didn't say that last part, but I wanted to). I also had to assure him that the OTHER Thomas Phillips in Columbia was my elderly father and was definitely not involved, either. Jackass. Hopefully, though, I've heard the end of it. But maybe someone with legal knowledge (*cough*Desi*cough*) could tell me--should I contact my own lawyer just in case this jackass decides to sue me anyway? And if he does sue me, can I get him disbarred for wrongful suing?
Anyway, all of this is making for a pretty anxious period of life, especially the not knowing about nursing school. Bleh. My nerves are so shot.
So now that I'm done with classes for the moment, the burning question is--why haven't I been blogging?
That's a good question. The answer is fairly simple--life has gotten in the way. Since my last entry, I have 1) Decided to move in with my sister and brother-in-law to try and save money (more on that shortly). 2) Heard back (in the negative) on two more scholarships, making me 0 for 3 in the scholarship department. 3) Said good-bye to a friend who moved to Norfolk, Virginia. 4) Not heard yet about nursing school, which is slowly but surely giving me an anxiety disorder, and 5) Been mistaken for another person in a lawsuit (more on that shortly, as well).
Regarding moving. It was a tough decision to make--I've been in my place for 7 1/2 years, and I really enjoy both the amount of space and the not having a roomate aspect as well. But especially since I'm not getting any money above the paltry student loans I qualify for, I am in dire need of saving some money. If I get into nursing school, I will have to drop my work hours, dropping my income substantially. If I don't get into nursing school, the savings will allow me to pay off some debt. But it's not going to be easy. For one, I'm going to having my OWN bedroom, office, living room, bathroom, and kitchen; to having to SHARE a living room, bathroom, and kitchen (I do still get my own room). And most of my stuff is going into storage, so I don't know if I'll feel at home. My sister and bro-in-law WANT me to feel at home, and we are going to use SOME of my furniture, but unfortunately my sister is allergic to my new (used) couch, which means we won't be using it. Also, they are getting a bigger entertainment center than mine from a friend, so we won't be using that. And they have a kitchen table that's bigger than mine, so we won't be using that. And they don't have room in the living room for another chair, so my recliner won't be used. And my new room is too small to fit the computer, the dresser, the nightstand, and a double bed. Honestly, I don't know what the fuck we're going to do about that. Moving day is September 11, and I have SO much packing to do before then. Not to mention cleaning and at the very least weeding my sadly neglected garden (I guess it doesn't say anywhere that I HAVE to do that, but it seems like the right thing to do). Life is changing, and it's scary.
As for the lawsuit thing, some genius lawyer in Lawrence, Kansas came to the brilliant conclusion that I was a business partner in something called S & P Motorsports, L.L.C., and that I hadn't paid some insurance company the money I owed them. Please. Like I've ever been a business owner? And if I were, like I'd ever not pay my insurance premiums? I called the genius the next Monday (letter arrived on Saturday) and patiently explained to him that I was not the Thomas Phillips he was looking for, and would he kindly fuck off (ok, I didn't say that last part, but I wanted to). I also had to assure him that the OTHER Thomas Phillips in Columbia was my elderly father and was definitely not involved, either. Jackass. Hopefully, though, I've heard the end of it. But maybe someone with legal knowledge (*cough*Desi*cough*) could tell me--should I contact my own lawyer just in case this jackass decides to sue me anyway? And if he does sue me, can I get him disbarred for wrongful suing?
Anyway, all of this is making for a pretty anxious period of life, especially the not knowing about nursing school. Bleh. My nerves are so shot.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Yes, blog, there is a Tom
That's right. I'm finally posting another entry in my sadly neglected blog. Classes are over (yay!) for now. I know I got an A in Chemistry. My Lifespan Psych class is either an A or a B depending how she grades my paper. As these were the last prereqs, it now just becomes a waiting game. I think I'm a strong candidate, but nothing in life is guaranteed (except death and taxes of course). I still have to have an interview, so I'm working on not becoming a blithering idiot for that. :-)
Now, for some rare political talk. I usually keep politics out of my blog, since I have friends from all over the spectrum and I don't want to offend any of the more right leaning ones, but I've been watching the speeches from the DNC (which, if you're curious about them are available online at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5538610/).
Monday's speeches: Regardless of whether you like the man or agree with him, I challenge you to not admit that Bill Clinton is one of the greatest orators now living. The man knows how to give a speech. :-) Carter's speech was fairly dry, but he said a lot of good things, which is typical of Carter. Hillary's speech was OK, and Al Gore even managed to look alive for a change. The main thing that astounded me about those two was how not anti-Bush their speeches were. I know Kerry's camp wanted them to be positive, but I'm surprised they were willing to hold back the rhetoric so much.
Tuesday's speeches: Ron Reagan (son of late former president Ronald Reagan) gave an impassioned speech on the importance of stem cell research, something he, his other siblings, and his mother have all called for. It was short, but very well said. I especially liked how he called out those who use the issue as political leverage, while at the same time validating those who are opposed to it for religious or moral issues. Ted Kennedy spouted a lot of liberal rhetoric, which is what he usually does. Personally, I agree with a lot of it, but it doesn't necessarily make for an effective speech. :-) Dick Gephardt is boring. Period. I don't care that he's from Missouri--the man is dull. Dean's speech reminded of why I initially supported him--he lit a fire under the ass of the Democratic party, a fire that badly needed lighting. Teresa Heinz-Kerry has a very relaxed oration style that puts off some people, but I like it. She's very strong and very adament about what she believes in, and she's comfortable enough with who she is that she doesn't need to be loud or angry. But you can see the passion below the surface. I know the pundit have been kind of "bleh" about her speech, but I thought it was excellent, if subdued. Barack Obama--where have they been hiding this guy? Wow. That was a speech. I strongly urge anyone from any walk of life to watch his speech. He spoke to not just democrats, but to everyone. It was a fantastic speech, and very passionate. Obama has a national political future, mark my words.
Tonight: John Edwards. I anticipate that will be an excellent speech. His wife, Elizabeth, is also speaking, as well as Mich. governor Jennifer Granholm and Dennis Kucinich. I haven't seen any of them speak--I'm curious to see how they do.
Thursday: Wesley Clark, Former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. I admire and respect Clark a lot. Cleland, I don't really have an opinion of. I'm not a big Lieberman fan. Oh yeah, John Kerry is speaking, too. ;-) God I want it to be a good speech--I so can't deal with another four years of Dubbya.
That's right. I'm finally posting another entry in my sadly neglected blog. Classes are over (yay!) for now. I know I got an A in Chemistry. My Lifespan Psych class is either an A or a B depending how she grades my paper. As these were the last prereqs, it now just becomes a waiting game. I think I'm a strong candidate, but nothing in life is guaranteed (except death and taxes of course). I still have to have an interview, so I'm working on not becoming a blithering idiot for that. :-)
Now, for some rare political talk. I usually keep politics out of my blog, since I have friends from all over the spectrum and I don't want to offend any of the more right leaning ones, but I've been watching the speeches from the DNC (which, if you're curious about them are available online at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5538610/).
Monday's speeches: Regardless of whether you like the man or agree with him, I challenge you to not admit that Bill Clinton is one of the greatest orators now living. The man knows how to give a speech. :-) Carter's speech was fairly dry, but he said a lot of good things, which is typical of Carter. Hillary's speech was OK, and Al Gore even managed to look alive for a change. The main thing that astounded me about those two was how not anti-Bush their speeches were. I know Kerry's camp wanted them to be positive, but I'm surprised they were willing to hold back the rhetoric so much.
Tuesday's speeches: Ron Reagan (son of late former president Ronald Reagan) gave an impassioned speech on the importance of stem cell research, something he, his other siblings, and his mother have all called for. It was short, but very well said. I especially liked how he called out those who use the issue as political leverage, while at the same time validating those who are opposed to it for religious or moral issues. Ted Kennedy spouted a lot of liberal rhetoric, which is what he usually does. Personally, I agree with a lot of it, but it doesn't necessarily make for an effective speech. :-) Dick Gephardt is boring. Period. I don't care that he's from Missouri--the man is dull. Dean's speech reminded of why I initially supported him--he lit a fire under the ass of the Democratic party, a fire that badly needed lighting. Teresa Heinz-Kerry has a very relaxed oration style that puts off some people, but I like it. She's very strong and very adament about what she believes in, and she's comfortable enough with who she is that she doesn't need to be loud or angry. But you can see the passion below the surface. I know the pundit have been kind of "bleh" about her speech, but I thought it was excellent, if subdued. Barack Obama--where have they been hiding this guy? Wow. That was a speech. I strongly urge anyone from any walk of life to watch his speech. He spoke to not just democrats, but to everyone. It was a fantastic speech, and very passionate. Obama has a national political future, mark my words.
Tonight: John Edwards. I anticipate that will be an excellent speech. His wife, Elizabeth, is also speaking, as well as Mich. governor Jennifer Granholm and Dennis Kucinich. I haven't seen any of them speak--I'm curious to see how they do.
Thursday: Wesley Clark, Former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. I admire and respect Clark a lot. Cleland, I don't really have an opinion of. I'm not a big Lieberman fan. Oh yeah, John Kerry is speaking, too. ;-) God I want it to be a good speech--I so can't deal with another four years of Dubbya.
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Movies, movies
I've watched three NetFlix movies in the last two nights, The Ring, Minority Report, and Secretary. The Ring was very creepy, and very well done. I actually watched it twice--the second time I looked for elements from the curse video that appeared in the "real" world. There were a lot--it was very cool. And although there wasn't a pattern in terms of "x image on x day," the trend seemed to be that the victims would first see the ladder, then the fly, then the chair, then the drowned horse, then the burning tree, then the ring. Even the ones who don't die seem to see all this, since Rachel (Naomi Watts) continued to see all the items but didn't die. And I just have to say, that little girl (Samora) was really fucking creepy. I left the hall light and my bedside lamp on that night. :-)
Minority Report was very good. A little predictable I thought, but good nonetheless. I don't really have much to say about it, other than God Forbid we ever live in a world where you're arrested, convicted, and sentenced for a crime you haven't committed yet. I actually thought one area where the movie dropped the ball was the concept that, knowing your future, you can choose to change it. Why not continue using the gifts of the pre-cogs (although preferably in a way that didn't keep them in a semi-vegetative stage) to predict people who were going to commit murders, and then use that knowledge to allow the person to change the path they're on? *shrug* I dunno. Just a thought. Oh, the other thing--although I love John Williams and he remains one of my favorite movie composers, he was simply the wrong choice for this movie.
Secretary has me very conflicted. It's supposed to be a movie that conveys the idea of Dominant/Submissive relationships as a normal and healthy idea. I don't have a problem with that goal, but I just don't know that the execution of it was very good. Granted, I don't know much about this lifestyle choice, so it may just be my ignorance that has me conflicted. But I don't like how Lee becomes SO submissive. I mean, she even has to call Mr. Grey to ask how much food she's allowed to eat at dinner. Too me this means that not only her sexual self but her ENTIRE self is being dominated by another person. Which to me seems wrong. Everyone needs to have free will in some aspects of their life. Also, the (ever growing) clinician in me can't help but see Lee as a target/victim and Mr. Grey as a Predator. After all, Lee is fresh from an institution, obviously grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father, and has the whole cutting thing going on. Mr. Grey, but wanting to dominate her, is in a sense preying on her very ingrained sense of passivity.
On the other hand, it's clear that they do love each other, and he does make her stop cutting herself. In fact, Lee is obviously finally happy with herself and who she is at the end of the movie. Hence, the confliction. She's happy, but is she mentally healthy? Will she stay happy? As for the other aspects of the movie, it was very well directed, shot, and acted, and I really enjoyed the dark humor present throughout.
I've watched three NetFlix movies in the last two nights, The Ring, Minority Report, and Secretary. The Ring was very creepy, and very well done. I actually watched it twice--the second time I looked for elements from the curse video that appeared in the "real" world. There were a lot--it was very cool. And although there wasn't a pattern in terms of "x image on x day," the trend seemed to be that the victims would first see the ladder, then the fly, then the chair, then the drowned horse, then the burning tree, then the ring. Even the ones who don't die seem to see all this, since Rachel (Naomi Watts) continued to see all the items but didn't die. And I just have to say, that little girl (Samora) was really fucking creepy. I left the hall light and my bedside lamp on that night. :-)
Minority Report was very good. A little predictable I thought, but good nonetheless. I don't really have much to say about it, other than God Forbid we ever live in a world where you're arrested, convicted, and sentenced for a crime you haven't committed yet. I actually thought one area where the movie dropped the ball was the concept that, knowing your future, you can choose to change it. Why not continue using the gifts of the pre-cogs (although preferably in a way that didn't keep them in a semi-vegetative stage) to predict people who were going to commit murders, and then use that knowledge to allow the person to change the path they're on? *shrug* I dunno. Just a thought. Oh, the other thing--although I love John Williams and he remains one of my favorite movie composers, he was simply the wrong choice for this movie.
Secretary has me very conflicted. It's supposed to be a movie that conveys the idea of Dominant/Submissive relationships as a normal and healthy idea. I don't have a problem with that goal, but I just don't know that the execution of it was very good. Granted, I don't know much about this lifestyle choice, so it may just be my ignorance that has me conflicted. But I don't like how Lee becomes SO submissive. I mean, she even has to call Mr. Grey to ask how much food she's allowed to eat at dinner. Too me this means that not only her sexual self but her ENTIRE self is being dominated by another person. Which to me seems wrong. Everyone needs to have free will in some aspects of their life. Also, the (ever growing) clinician in me can't help but see Lee as a target/victim and Mr. Grey as a Predator. After all, Lee is fresh from an institution, obviously grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father, and has the whole cutting thing going on. Mr. Grey, but wanting to dominate her, is in a sense preying on her very ingrained sense of passivity.
On the other hand, it's clear that they do love each other, and he does make her stop cutting herself. In fact, Lee is obviously finally happy with herself and who she is at the end of the movie. Hence, the confliction. She's happy, but is she mentally healthy? Will she stay happy? As for the other aspects of the movie, it was very well directed, shot, and acted, and I really enjoyed the dark humor present throughout.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Improved Outlook
After my visit with my Aunt and Uncle in KC, I'm feeling better. I hit the low point Wednesday evening, when I opened the letter from UMHC saying that I WASN't going to receive the $7000 staff scholarship I had applied for. Then, since I was going to KC the next morning, and it was supposed to rain overnight, I had to cancel plans with a friend who's moving at the end of July so I could mow the lawn.
However, several days in the KC region made a huge difference. The $7000 still sucks, but I'm confident that things will work out. And I'm not feeling lonely now, having hung out with people in KC.
So things are lookin' up! :-)
After my visit with my Aunt and Uncle in KC, I'm feeling better. I hit the low point Wednesday evening, when I opened the letter from UMHC saying that I WASN't going to receive the $7000 staff scholarship I had applied for. Then, since I was going to KC the next morning, and it was supposed to rain overnight, I had to cancel plans with a friend who's moving at the end of July so I could mow the lawn.
However, several days in the KC region made a huge difference. The $7000 still sucks, but I'm confident that things will work out. And I'm not feeling lonely now, having hung out with people in KC.
So things are lookin' up! :-)
