Summer Quarter is Ending.. Finally

I am excited that this is the last week of school, however I am feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I have to get done in the next 36 hours.  I had to really take a break this morning and just kind of veg for a couple of hours.  I am going to get back to the books now, but I hope to post more on my school break.

Cody’s Graduation

This is from my oldest sons graduation from Massage therapy school this summer.

Chemistry Summer Term.. what was I thinking

So I have been overly consumed with school since last fall.  Like taking 17 credits last quarter.. and now.. I am really seriously crazy.

I am in the middle of.. as in tomorrow is my mid term of Chemistry and Intermediate Algebra.. I am a glutton for punishment...

On the horse front.. all is well at our house.. Beau has turned into a Western Pleasure/ Trail Pony.. and it is lovely.. absolutley lovely. 

We were going to show this August, but I have my Chemistry final on the Monday after the show.. so that is not going to happen.  Instead.. we are going to take a Griswold style vacation.

Macgyver.. Paco and myself are all driving to Minnesota.. Yep.. Driving.. to Minnesota from Wa in August.. in a small car.. with no cruise control..straight through.. Macgyver doesn't want to stop.  He just wants to drive all the way there, taking turns... how fun will that be.

Like I said.. I am a glutton.. but oh.. the pictures I will take.. and the fun we will have when we get there.  We are going to visit my bestest friend in the entire world.. and some family and some other very good friends.  It is going to be great to go to my other home!!!  I cannot wait!

In other news.. dogs are wonderful, my #1 son has graduated from Massage therapy school and is moving North about an hour in a couple of months to continue his education and to spread his wings a little.. I have a small tear in my eye.. a small one.. because when he moves.. I am taking over his room and turning it into my study cave...

I also have to open my file at school to declare my intent to apply to the nursing program.. and I hear that they are changing up the pre reqs and the admission criteria.. in which case I will cry a little and get on with it.


So back to Chem.. I Heart it.. I really do.. especially Lab.. but OMG is 12 weeks crammed into 7.5 weeks and the norm is going 5 days a week.. we only go 2 and have to do the rest on our own.. it is a little brutal in the amount of work department.. but so far.. I have an A- in Chem.. in Summer.. so I am going to sign off here and get back to my studying for the midterm.. and hopefully be better about updating this..

Ciao for now..

A whole lotta School going on right now

I think I mentioned that this quarter in school I am crazy.. I have decided to carry 17 credits because well, I need to keep on with the pre-reqs for my program and I wanted to get a new skill as well.

That new skill is Phlebotomy.  I love it.  This is week two of class and I have drawn blood several times already.  All of the fear I had of poking someone with a needle is going away.

I cannot express enough how wonderful my class is.  We have the best group of students and amazing instructors.  I can honestly say that each and every person in my class will make an excellent health care provider.  I am also taking an intermediate algebra class and intro to psych.

Both of these classes are pretty great.  I am thinking that I like psych even more than I thought I did.  We have a pretty great professor, which always helps and the subject matter is more physiological in nature at this point, so my earlier Anatomy and Physiology classes are helping.  I really enjoy learning about the human brain and about cause and effect, modeling and sensory/perception. 

Math for me has always been a struggle.  I fought the math and the math won almost all the way through school.  Going back to school after twenty years, I was fearful of my math history, and I didn't think I would ever get to a place where I would actually love math.  I am a linguistic lover, not a number lover.  That said... wow.. I sure wish I felt this way about math 20 years ago...  I can honestly say, something clicked for me last quarter and I started to get it... really get it... and now?  Now I Lurrrvvee math.  I really like it.  There is something about the order and rules of it that appeal to my 40 something brain that didn't appeal to my younger self.  Weird, I know. 

I actually look forward to math homework now.. Absolutely CRAZY! 

Being a non-traditional student is an adventure in itself, but the thing I love most?  I love the connections I have made at college.  I have told both of my boys.. college is so different from high school.. even when you are older... It is very interesting.  My first go round with college I met some people, some of which I still know, but this time?  I cannot believe how many friendships I am making.  How many wonderful people there are out there who are trying to better themselves through education and new career choices.  How many lovely people who have had amazing life experiences who share the same classrooms.  And to my girls in my communication class group.. Super cool, overachievers, fabulous women, and I still talk with them..

College the second time around is one of the best things I have ever done for myself.. EVER.  I am so happy I did this!

Spring Break

So right now, I am in the middle of my spring break.
This next quarter will be the third full time quarter of my back to school to become a nurse journey.  This blog will probably change a bit, as I am a full time student now and that is really what is on my mind most of the time.
Studying, studying and a little more of that studying.

It is interesting going back to college at this point of my life.  I find that I adore school in a way I never have before.  Even the classes I used to dread, are not so scary.  I have been taking refresher math courses since starting last fall and this next quarter will be my first real math pre-req for nursing.  I am so excited.

More than that, I finally am taking a class where I get to practice a real skill.  I have finished my pre-requisites for Phlebotomy and will be taking the technician and externship class this quarter.  It will be crazy busy as I am also taking a psych class and math.. so I will have 17 credits in all, but I am really happy that I am moving along in this journey.

I also find it frustrating too.  There is so much competition for nursing school here in Washington, and most other states I would think as well.  I talk with my Best friend all the time as she is also going through this journey and we keep each other motivated as this is the toughest road I have been on. 

This road is not for everyone I know.  I want to do this because I have a burning desire to take care of people and to be in a position to help others.  I know I can do it, it is just something I wish I could have done 15 years ago.
As I prepare for school to start again, I find that I am enjoying the break, but wish school would hurry up and start.  Now in two weeks, I will probably be wishing for a break again as the work load intensifies.

Has anyone else gone back to school in their 40's and loved it as well?  Any one else make a career change that was so different from what you had been doing?  Was it fantastic or horrible?

I get my stack of books for next quarter on Monday, so I can't wait to see what I will be reading.. lol.. and I keep doing math everyday, so I will not lose the momentum of my new found math skills.

Update on Hurley and online classes?

So Hurley had the second surgery and we went to see him yesterday.  My sister, the baby, my youngest son and I drove down to visit.  He is doing so much better than he was.  I am so relieved.  After speaking to the vet this morning, I am even more encouraged, as she said he is putting weight on the back legs and they are much more optimistic that he is going in the right direction.  Fingers crossed, he will come home in the next couple of days.

He still has quite a long road and recovery ahead, but I am optimistic that we will stay going in the right direction.  Hubby and I are going to see him later today after I ride.

Here is a pic we took yesterday:

He has quite the fan club at the vet.

As for other things... I am taking online classes this quarter and I can't really decide if I really dislike online classes or if I just miss going to campus more than two days a week.  I have two online classes this quarter and one regular class.  I think that after this quarter, I will not take any more online classes if I can help it.  I don't find them nearly as engaging and I don't like not being able to see the instructor when I have a question..and it could just be my age talking.. I am just not as "comfortable" in the online classroom as I am in a traditional class.

Any one else try online classes and find them more difficult?

Happy Sunday everyone...

More Hurley

We are having a set back day.  He is not coming home as planned today.  I am a little worried as they said he will probably need another scan and possibly more surgery today.  Poor Poor Basset.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that he is just being his lazy self, but the doc said he will check on him this afternoon and call us back.

I will update later...

Keeping my fingers crossed.....

Basset update

I went to visit Hurley yesterday with the hubby.  He is doing fairly well so far, and this morning the doc called and said he can stand and has voluntary movement in both back legs.  This is excellent news.  Although he is not "correcting" yet, the vet said not to worry, he is progressing normally and is doing exactly as they would want him to and expect him to.

Because of his cuteness factor, the vet also told me that he is getting a massive amount of attention.  He laughed and said that every time he walks by Hurley's enclosure, there is a tech in with him loving on him.  That makes me happy and they said we can bring his stuffed animals and rope toy in for him.  We hope to have him home by Friday, as long as he is going potty by himself and standing and walking with help, that may just happen.

Mcgyver has built him an enclosure in the living room and I will take some pics of that later today.  It will be a long recovery, but we are very optimistic.

The incision is pretty long, and it was a little bit of a shock to see him all shaved with all the staples, but he seems to be comfortable.. of course he had the pain patch on still yesterday.

Today, he is on all oral meds and is doing well.  I will be visiting today after class, and will take a couple more pics.  I hope he will be a bit more happy today than he was yesterday.

Our Basset is Broken

This beautiful creature who is only three years old, herniated his disk yesterday.  Right now as I type this, he is in surgery to repair it and hopefully he will walk again.

He lost his ability to use his back legs yesterday and we took him to the emergency vet.  After three steroid shots and a round of prednisone, no improvement, we took him to the neurologist this afternoon, and they did an MRI, and called to let us know the result.


His disk material was protruding about 2/3 of the way into the spinal cord.  Surgery was our only real option for him to reach a good outcome.  So we bit the bullet and now are just awaiting news that he is awake and in recovery.

My sweet McGyver has built him a recovery area in our house as it will be a long recovery for him... 4 to 6 weeks.. poor Basset.. I will update later this week 

Take care