Finished

Got this on the Nook for my birthday. Started it last night and finished it already. I hope the next book is better. I feel like she is building us up to a really good story line at some point. The last two books have kinda been blah. But I can't wait for the next one.

Bittersweet Bitch Fest

So the kids are with my X this week at a rental house here in town. He, his wife, their two newborn twins, and his parents came in for graduation. We have mingled and its been OK. But I am really ready for him to go home and for things to get back to normal.

Since he carries the insurance for the kids and it was time for Daniel to get his braces off, and since I had to work. His wife took Dan for his appointment. 6 hours later and a TON of fillings and deep scale cleaning (the boy totally did not comply with the braces protocol apparently), and they came back to the house. His father swoops in like he's actually been the one to EVER really be there for the kid, like "Oh all he wants is his father. His father will make it better."

Why does this bother me, to allow his father to feel the hero? Even when I know better. Or the consoler? I mean hell Daniel didn't even want him to talk to him or anything, he never does when he is in pain. But you know it still bothered me. Mostly because his father has been a deadbeat who only comes around for the occasions! Ya know? Tells the kids he has no money to help with cars and school and spends money here like he's got tons to spare? But wants me to go half on everything medically related. Where was he when I spent $3000 on the braces to begin with and just dropped another $600 yesterday? Yeah they can pay the remaining $800, I have no guilt.

With regard to how he acted when the kids were growing up, and how he "acts" more involved with the new babies. His Mom was like, "Oh he's so much better now. He was young then." Ok so being 24 was an excuse for being a total useless ass of a father when they were born and in the 17 years since? I mean come on, I didn't get cut any slack and I was 18 when my daughter was born. But I don't need any excuse. I did the best I could and I did pretty damn well. Even if you don't like it!

There will always be some residual resentment I think, no mater how brave and civil I may seem to appear. I ONLY do it for the children.

So I will let them have their moment in the sun, and let them buy the kids whatever clothes they can, whatever dental supplies he needs. I have been doing it all along and could really use the help.

Well she did it...

The Graduate.
Like I figured I would I cried so much.
I am so proud of her and excited to see where her future takes her.

My babies have grown-up so much, so fast.

In pictures

A Cultured Experience

What a blast Momma Mia! was at the ASU Gammage Broadway Tour. The girls (my daughter and her bestfriend since 5th grade), were all dressed in their prom dresses and got so many compliments. They had a ball. We had a ball. It was a great night for the two graduates.

Next up is Les Miserables as a birthday present for me, but the girls and I are going. I can't wait!



*****
In other news the out of town guest are arriving this afternoon. We are having the graduation party tonight, just a BBQ, and then Graduation is on Tuesday. Company is leaving Memorial Day and I have to work all week. Should be crazy, but should be a blast. I am soo going to cry when I see her officially cross that stage. Heck I got all choked up ordering the dang cake for the party!
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What's in an A?

As the end of the semester comes around and grades are posted for some. I thought I would reflect on the concept of "A"'s. In Nursing School the A is an elusive object, much sought after, and hard to achieve. So when you get one flaunt it wide, loud and proudly to the rafters. After all when a "F" is a 75% and below, there is a very small margin throughout the grade spectrum for passing. Ha! And you thought Nursing School was easy?

In prereqs "A"'s were 90% and above. An "F" was below 60%. You know, just like everyone else.

In Nursing School "A"'s are 93% and above in some schools. I know that was true for mine. So with a 92.75% I never did manage to reel in that elusive true Nursing School "A" in lecture. But I will continue trying ;-)

So What constitutes an A in your Nursing School? What is failing?

Go ahead and brag, it's OK.

Do you ever wonder why...?

You put yourself through the drama of pre-reqs, the pain of nursing school, the lack of sleep and the total separation from family given the current job market outlook?

Do you wonder if you are doing all of this for nothing? That all those NO NEW GRAD positions will remain? Or if you only have an ADN that the BSN is the only ticket to ride? Will your RN sit for years unused aging you out of the running for those programs if they finally do reopen?

I have a job currently, the pay is very good and I know that this job will be waiting for me as an RN with more pay. But I can't help but wonder about everyone else, and in the scheme of things, me. This particular job is not the reason I continue to go to school.

I have a path I want to take, have decided that as long as I am moving forward and love my current job it doesn't matter exactly how long it takes to get my DREAM job as an RN. Of course I don't want to be nearing retirement either.

But I will keep plugging away, apply when needed, wait when appropriate and continue to move forward.

I just hope that moving forward doesn't take me two steps back. With that I mean as an LPN I was a cart pushing pill pusher with 30 residents. Now that's the exact RN available job market.

I just hope that the economy and the job market for nurses turns around. So even as I follow my path toward PeriOperative Nursing and evenutally the classroom. There is a paying job at the end of the road.

Blah... I am really tired... can you tell. LOL

Pharmacology

So the Pharm class information has been posted on Blackboard. I looked at the syllabus and noticed 1 big thing about it. There are 100 possible points for the entire class. Guess what... 75 of them are the cumulative final. I am pretty pissed about this, it sucks that my 98% = A in Pharm is considered too old because it was more than 1 year ago. So in order to keep my A I pretty much have to get all of those 75 points. I mean yes there are 25 possible points for homework, and a "few" extra points could be available for participating in the online discussions. But still, its like its simply a CLEP exam with busy work.

Chemistry starts soon. Yuck!

But good news is I can actually say that I... wait for it.... Love my new job.

Conversations

So the family and I had the big conversation yesterday over a really nice Mother's Day dinner. You know the one, about how this next year and a half is going to be crazy hard, they're probably not going to see me much and I will be dog tired when they do. Home cooked dinners will be a thing of the past and you are on your own for laundry.

They all seemed really on board, aware that they really need my paycheck to make things work, and want me to be an RN, with that eventual further bump in pay it comes with. So they all have agreed to pitch in more when necessary. The concensus was, " Hey we've been through this before." Yeah I am reminded of that, and just how bad it almost turned out too. Can things be that much different?

Now with hubby working 50+ hours a week still, and being who he is. Someone how I doubt it'll be different than it has been. But I think I'll give him the benifit of the doubt. Its not like he doesn't help with household chores now. It's just that when he does laundry, he throws it back into the hamper where it wrinkles and well "gets dirty" again, thus I have to rewash clothes. Not something I want to do. Not something I will have time to do. Not to mention any other cleaning either.

My son is deciding on if he wants to go back to traditional school next year for his Junior year or go to the online charter school. The thing about him is that he is very smart, gets bored easily, and has personaility issues with some teachers and the idea of homework. So while he may be able to pull an A out at the midterm and final, his grades are D's and F's in the meantime. I don't know why they put so much credit towards homework with regard to a grade. Its like he was born to just CLEP, classes or something. I have tried everything to get through to him, but he never was the kind to conform for the sake of conforming. Weird how his goal is to be in the Army and a Police Office. Talk about the ultimate in conformation.

We are also deciding if we want to move when our lease runs out. My husband is sick of moving. Of course I totally understand where he is coming from. But, since we actually have the chance to move 25 miles closer to where we both work and save money on housing and gas. Well, it may be a no brainer. A little bit of work one day, to save alot of money? So we'll see. This is where I see the lazy factor coming in.

T minus 9 days....

And counting until classes start again. First up is the repeat of Pharm. I am going to try and see if I do not have to buy a book for that class and can get by with my old pharm book and a good old fashioned dose of Mosbys. I really don't want to fork out over $66 bucks! WOW, I can tell you my last Pharm class we never even used the textbook, it was all powerpoint and notes. Since this is an online class I have no idea how that will work.

Now 5/31/11 begins Chemistry. I have to go and get the book and lab manual for that one. Gosh I am NOT looking forward to this class at all and just want to get out of there qith a passing grade and one step closer to getting the RN ball rolling along.

Except for the no sleep part...

This placement is perfect. Great kid, great family, great great great!!

Now if I can figure out how to stay awake all night then go to school all day 4 days a week?