My last day of 2007.

It’s gray and pretty ugly outside in Chicago right now (it’s 7.46am).  I got up a little early today to pack my suitcase.  I have to say… I rose to the challenge of getting everything to fit…  every year I buy one expensive glass Christmas ornament that I find during my wanderings in the city… they are marked 50% off…but usually they start out being around $75…so, it’s still a bit pricey.  Anyway, it’s a goal of mine to always get it back to Philly in one piece… this year is no different.  I rolled the ornament in multiple layers of tissue paper and then stuffed it into my thickest sweater that I have.  This usually softens the blow a little.  So far I’m 5 for 5… :O)

Regarding National Treasure 2.  It was a popcorn movie.  Fun and entertaining… that’s the point… that there wasn’t a point. 

I did see an amazing movie last night:  Juno.  It was nearly a perfect movie going experience except for the woman behind me who had this laugh that is nearly impossible to describe.  It was so aweful and she did it at the most inappropriate times… the people sitting directly in front of her (& next to me and my friends) moved…  They went down to the front row.

My flight is at 12.45… I get home and have enough time to decide which NYE party I want to attend…  I might be lazy and not go to either of the ones I’ve been invited to.  NYE doesn’t hold the same spark that it once held for me. 

Ok folks.  That’s about it.  Ta-ta for now.

Greetings from the frozen Windy City

It’s been a bit since I’ve posted last.  I’m wondering if any of my nine readers are still with me?  You know… being single and all… I really don’t lead that interesting of a life to post everyday.

So, you might ask??  Hmmm.. you wonder what I’ve been up to lately?  Let’s see.

1.  Flew home on 12/21.

2.  Brother and his family came in on 12/22.  We spent the afternoon on State Street looking at the Christmas decorations.  After that we went for dinner. 

3.  Christmas festivities were held here at my parents’ home on 12/25.  Our twelve closest relatives were invited over for roast and the fixin’s.  

4.  12/26.  My mom and I did our after Christmas adventure to the city for shopping.  (see… I told you I’m boring…)

5.  I had fabulous sex.

6.  See… #6 SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO didn’t happen.  Just wanted to see if you all were still reading.

7.  Went to the Shedd Aquarium for the first time since I was a teenager.  The penquins acted a lot like penquins should. 

8.  Saw a few movies so far…on 12/26 saw “Walk Hard:  The Dewey Cox Story.”  Which, I’m sorry it’s doing so bad in theatres… It actually was quite a funny movie.  I & the other 4 people in the theatre all thought so.  Last night I saw the second “National Treasure” movie.. Again, thought it was very entertaining.  I’m not in a serious thinking movie mode right now.  Tomorrow I’m supposed to go see “Sweeney Todd”..  v. much looking forward to Johnny Depp and blood letting.

Well, that’s about it.  I fly back to Philadelphia on NYE.  On a more serious note, I’m having surgery on January 3rd at Jefferson Hospital.  I’ll be staying overnight there.  If all goes well, I’ll come home on January 4th and then spend the rest of my school break recuperating.  So, readers (well, if ANYONE is still reading)… say a prayer for me on the 3rd.  I’m quite nervous.

Ta-ta for now.

ps… my final grades for the semester:  2 “A”s & 2 “B+”s…. 3.69 GPA… not too shabby!

Finished.

Congratulate me. 

Finished my first semester of nursing school.

I’m actually pretty impressed with myself. 

(in a good way… not in a “proud-look-at-me” way).

Merry Christmas. 

just a short break… and then back to studying..

Jamie you were close.

A transureteroureterostomy (or as best as I can explain it) is when both ureters (we have two kidneys—or if you are in my family… my dad only has one… my mom… has three!!!—two ureters going to the bladder, & then one urethra). This procedure that I can barely pronounce bring both ureters to the surface of the skin but there is only one opening… so, somehow the surgeon connects both of the ureters… in a regular ureterostomy a person will have two openings through the skin… not so cool in my book.

That’s it..

Pharm test in about 11.5 hours.

Good night all.

Try saying this fast 3x…

transureteroureterostomy.

yea. i can’t either.

goodnight. wish me luck. 2nd test tomorrow morning at 8am.

My favorite song.

Hands Down.

Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison.

I don’t think you can get more perfect than that!

Just thought you all should know.

Now back to my previous activity. Studying HIV & Cancer. Thank God I have Van Morrison to cheer me up.

You would think…

that after 15 weeks of nursing school, I would remember the definition of the word “dyspnea”

nope. have to look it up everytime.

that’s it.

see. boring life i lead. b-o-r-i-n-g.

i think it’s time for dinner.

Saturday Night Live…

Well, I’m not as exciting as the SNL on NBC but since the writer’s strike… SNL reruns aren’t all that exciting either… at least with me… there are no reruns.

I’ve spent the majority of my day studying for my Anatomy final on Wednesday morning. I still have four pages of material to outline before I call it a night. The other parts of my day involve sleeping & eating. For all those who are concerned… I finally managed to clean my bathroom today. I know… such an exciting life I lead.

I made a needless purchase at Target the other day. I bought the first season of “Friday Night Lights” on DVD. I think because it was on sale for $18 was what put me over the edge and made me purchase it. Anyway, if you haven’t ever watched FNL… please do when it comes back on in Jan. It’s an amazing show… and it’s not just about football. It’s my background sound tonight as I study.

I know… I’m totally boring. Utterly. Boring. I guess boring can be good? Right? I think I would like one proper date soon. Anybody out there? Maybe it will help me from being so boring.

Ok…gotta get back to studying.

For lack of an original title: “My Dec. 11th”

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to say “hi” before I delve into the brain that I need to memorize for tomorrow’s exam. Actually, it’s only 19 parts of the brain plus 70some bones of the body. Thankfully, I went to my local Borders armed w/ my 40% off coupon and bought these amazing bone flashcards and have been memorizing for a few weeks now… I have the bones down pat… Now, need to get the brain in my brain before tomorrrow.

Today was my last day of clinical for the semester. I was able to sleep in this morning (read: 6.30am!) & have a leisurely breakfast watching the “Today” show before heading to the hospital. Once there we said goodbye to our nurses on our floor and then our instructor took us out to lunch at a restaurant on Passyunk (sp?) Avenue. I can’t remember the name…but it was really good… It was my first experience of eating in South Philly. I think it would be fun to actually go back on the weekend and see it alive with people.

Oh.. and today is 14 days until Christmas. I still don’t feel very Christmasy. I was joking w/ the security guard this morning at Methodist about the Nativity Scene… b/c it’s all set up..but the baby Jesus statue is no where to be found… The guard said very naturally… “Well, he hasn’t been born yet!” Yup. Good Answer… later on in the day, a classmate said to me that the nativity is too religious for her. It just got me thinking… how commercial Christmas is now. I mean, it has been for awhile…but it’s just so crazy. I know Jesus probably wasn’t born on Dec 25… heck… I’ll let the theologians debate that one… but I would think without the birth of Christ we wouldn’t be celebrating a Christmas Day… right? Gosh, ok… my mind is hurting thinking this hard… so, I think I’ll stop.

OK… it’s 6.05pm… I think I need to raid my freezer for some dinner. And a Diet Pepsi.

Ta-ta folks. Enjoy your evening.

I think I’m just really tired & other random stuff.

I pulled my first almost totally “all nighter” in about 15 years. I had a big exam today and I’m not sure how I got so behind this week. The all-nighter (minus 3 one-hour naps from 1.30-2.30am, 4-5am, 6.30-7.30am) didn’t really help all that much today…. I only got an 82 on the test. I passed. I beat the class average, but I still failed myself. With today’s grade, I lost my A in the class. We have one more test in a few weeks… even if I get 100 I still won’t get my A back.

After the test today I went to visit a friend in the Northeast. I felt so bad because I was falling asleep as I was talking to her. When I got home a few hours ago from her place… the first thing I did was fall asleep on the sofa for 2 hours. I feel better but not really at 100% yet.

I’m looking forward to finishing this semester. It’s been such a roller coaster. I’ve never been as lonely as I am now. I know it’s of my own doing of deciding to go back to school and to lock myself in my place to study. I know it’s not going to get easier and I’m just scared that life is passing me by again and I’m here stuck in pharmacology class. Right now I just hope it’s all worth it in the end…because I’m not seeing it.

I think I’ll go to Trader Joes to find some dinner. Well, first I need to find my car. I haven’t driven it since Sunday (I think… or it might be Saturday.. I can’t remember) and it’s not where I remember parking it. I really hope it wasn’t stolen. It hasn’t even had it’s 2nd birthday yet.

Enjoy your weekend folks.