"The Sniff"

Next week is my last clinical of the semester, and while I am excited to be moving forward in my education, I am a little sad to be moving on from "The Sniff" (SNF; Skilled Nursing Facility). I enjoy my learning experience there, and I genuinely enjoy interacting with the patients. Many of them there are in their 80s and above. It's fascinating to talk to these people and hear stories of their lives; World War II, The great depression, life in foreign countries, etc. I just love it! It's like my very own private history lesson from a first person point of view. I enjoy hearing stories of their marriages. Many of these patients came from a time where marriage was sacred, it's unlike today where people don't necessarily take their vows quite as seriously with rising divorce rates. I had the pleasure of meeting not only a patient who was over 100 but, had also been married for seventy-five years. Isn't that fantastic? I can only hope that I would ever have that kind of time with my husband. What a blessing. It really is an honor to be working with this group of people. I've learned so much being with them, both about nursing and about life in general. I don't think I could have imagined a more enriching learning experience. I really hope that next week, my last week, will be the best of all. I can't wait to move onto a clinical hospital setting. Next semester has lots of great things in store for me too. In fact, during next semester is when I will finally be welcoming my husband home. Exciting things in store for me indeed.

It's not goodbye...

It's I'll see you later. One of my VERY best friends left Camp Pendleton this morning, and it was heart breaking for me. She was the first person I met when I moved here, we become fast friends and over the years became very close. I had the pleasure of watching her little girl grow up, and mature into a brilliant little young lady. These are the type of friends who transcended the lines of friendship and became family. If there was anything that my husband or I needed over the years, they were there without a doubt no questions asked ready to take care of business. There's going to be a giant void that is going to be next to impossible to fill. They will never be replaced, and I hope that some day we will be stationed together again, and that the years in between will only be filled with many visits, frequent phone calls and more enjoyment.

I will miss you guys, and be forever grateful for all the love and friendship that you have shown Ben and I. We ♥ you, and you will always have a home with us, wherever we are.

My favorite little girl saying goodbye to "Unka Ben" in 2008

Ben and Noel, fishing on the pier back in 2007

The first day I met these two at a BBQ on Camp Del Mar

and, that's my girl! I miss you already.

MilSpouse Friday Fill in #8

This is my first time participating in this post questionnaire. Hopefully I can find time to make it a regular thing. If you'd like to participate, check out the original post here.

1. What is ONE thing you'd like civilians to understand about being a military family?

There are a lot of stereotypes about military wives that I'd like to address. One that is most important, is that we are all uneducated housewives that sit at home eating bon bons, gossiping and mooching off a government paycheck. Sure, there are wives like that in the military, but I've met those kind of wives outside the military as well. Many military wives of enlisted men actually have quite a bit of education. I've seen lawyers, businesswomen, nurses, and everything in between. Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees and even PhDs. Military wives are a very diverse group, and to assume that we are all alike is just incorrect thinking all together.

2. What is your favorite mistake?

Wasting my time and money in Japan. I went there for a reason that ended up being one of the biggest mistakes, however I left with some really good new friends and a great life experience. I think if I had to do it all over again, that I would, even though I knew it was a bad idea.

4. If you could be a winged animal, what would you be?

I think I would be an eagle so that I could soar all over the place looking down below me and enjoying the scenery.

5. What is a question you'd like to see in a future MFF?

How did you meet and marry your husband?

FAIL blog

Okay, so I didn't fail. I got my test back and I got the lowest possible score I could have gotten to still pass... AND after all that panicking that I did, I calculated my grade going into finals as a 90%, and that includes the 15 extra credit points that I am going to do over the weekend. WOO HOO! An A going into finals.

So, what was I stressing out about again? Oh, that's right. I'm an anal perfectionist and if I don't perform perfectly I freak out. I really need to work on that. *phew*

So, with that being said I pestered my friend for my facebook password today thinking that I was still doing well and that if she would only just let me off the hook that there was no way I could not pass the class with a 90% going into finals. Even if I literally FAIL the final, I will still pass the class with a 75% or better. It didn't work. I still can't have facebook back until September. I seriously feel like an addict... I wonder if they have rehab for facebookers?

Happy that I'm not in the danger zone, and now I can relax for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day for me. I'll tell you all about it some other time; most likely tomorrow.

LOOK!!!!

Because I don't have a facebook anymore to broadcast this, and I am very excited, I must broadcast here. I took a study break and went to go eat lunch at Coco's with a friend, next door was a GameStop. I went in and I pre-ordered TWO copies of the Cataclysm expansion of my most favorite game ever! I'm stoked! Two collector's edition (one for me, and one for hubby) Cataclysm expansion sets! WOOT!

So, you are probably thinking, "What? You don't have a facebook anymore?". Yep, that's right... it's GONE. Well, ok it's not really gone. I had a trusted friend change the password on me and I am not allowed to have it back until after finals are over. With that being said, I must get back to my studying and stop wasting time on my blog, before I have to take this away from myself too.

Wish me luck! As on finals. :)

(Yes, Taryn, I just blogged about WoW)

Wordless Wednesday

WHY!!?!?! why? why? why?

I am beyond frustrated with school. I failed yet another test, at least I think I did. The test might as well have been in another language because I didn't recognize any of the material from the study guide, and I had that thing memorized! Perhaps I am failing to really comprehend the material at a level at which is necessary. Maybe I am just a monkey who can sit there and memorize and repeat and it's just not good enough. This has all been really discouraging for me lately, and extremely stressful. Failing this class means the end of nursing school for me. If I don't pass, not only will I have to re-take it to continue, but I will owe the VA the cost of the class and also have to pay out of pocket to take it again. Honestly, I can't afford that either monetarily or time wise. I have about a year and four months left in school, and I am counting (gambling) on the fact that the Marine Corps won't move us in that time... add 4 more months onto that... yeah, I am not sure how well that will work.

So, before this exam I had an 85% in the class. I did the math, and if I get 0 points I will still have a 79%, which is passing. 75% is passing in nursing school. So, that puts me in dangerous waters for the final, which is not cumulative. Talk about stress on top of stress.

I just want this semester to be over with, and my 75.00% in this class... and I will be on my way and never look back. I've wanted to be a nurse for so long, and I never thought I was smart enough which is why I waited until nearly thirty years old to decide to go for it, and now this. It just makes me feel like my fears of not being smart enough are starting to come true.

Ok, now off I go to sulk and study because really, I don't want to fail. I NEED to be a nurse. Not want, but NEED!

Getting to know YOU.

If you'd like to participate, please visit here.

1. Do you think mustaches are sexy?

No, I think facial hair is gross.

2. What's the last concert you've been to?

The Country Throwdown in Irvine this summer.

3. What was your favorite 80's sitcom?

That would probably be Small Wonder.

4. Were you named after anyone?

Not that I know of, I think my middle name was after my Dad, but not sure.

5. When you buy new clothes, do you wash before wearing?

No. I like to wear them right away.

6. If you didn't blog, what would you do with your spare time?

Probably the same thing I do now, I don't spend an awful lot of time blogging.

7. What is your favorite department store?

Nordstrom's

8. If you were to get Laser Hair Removal... where would you get it?

Legs!

First Clinical

Wow. That was quite the experience, there is so much that I'd like to share but can not because of patient privacy. However, it was very interesting. I feel like I learned so much in just a short eight hours. My feet hurt, my feel haven't hurt like this in such a long time. I was on my feet practically ALL day. Now, I am finally on my couch with my feet up, relaxing and it feels sooo gooood.

Clinical was really exciting, I think I got very lucky to have the instructor that I did get. She was extremely helpful in finding specific heart and lung sounds for us to listen to, she walked me through my physical assessment with my assigned patient, showed me exactly where to feel for things and what to look for. I felt like a pro with her by my side.

I know I haven't updated lately, like I usually do but I've been super busy and I am going to cut this one short because I really just want to get to bed; I've been up since 3:30am. Mornings and I just do not get along. Finally, my weekend has begun and I can't wait to just veg out for the rest of the day and not think about school.

Wordless Wednesday

♥

OPSEC, why is it so hard to comprehend?

How lucky are we to be spouses in a command where they have a facebook page for us to communicate on? I think it's great, and I've actually blogged about it in the past. It's really a luxury that I think a lot of first timers don't appreciate. First, OPSEC was being violated in a way that made them remove photo posting privileges; some things are just not appropriate to post and unfortunately for everyone, some people can't tell the difference.

Recently, the same issues have been occurring except now as homecoming is approaching people are speculating and posting dates. Who knows if the dates are true or not; most likely they are rumors because the command has not released any official homecoming dates yet. But, that is besides the point. The fact of the matter is that posting dates of troop movements is a very dangerous practice. I wonder if sometimes these women understand the logic behind why we shouldn't do such things, or if they even care. Perhaps they are just incapable of seeing the bigger picture due to immaturity, ego or improper education by their Marine about the importance of such things.

I am in no way an OPSEC expert, but I go by "when in doubt, don't" when sharing information both online or face to face with people regarding my husband's deployment. I don't post dates, I don't post photos, locations, mission details, or anything else of the sort and I certainly do not speculate or spread rumors that I might hear about anything deployment related. I think that if more people stuck to those simple things, less information would leak. I just don't understand what anyone gains from posting such things on public forums.

Coming in September

So, I've decided to use my blog from time to time to plug my business (I promise it won't be very often) . So, here are some of the things coming up in September 2010 from Scentsy.

Get to know you Sunday.

To take part in the fun, check out this link.

1. If you were to win an award today, what would it be for?

Today's award would go to me for studying and memorizing the most material in the shortest amount of time. Today, I will be catching up with all my slacking off I did yesterday when I should have been studying.

2. What is your shoe style?

Flip flops, or some cute wedges.

4. If you could take over someone's body for a day, whose would you choose?

I think I would take over the little girl's body who is staying with me, it might be fun to see what it is like to be four again.

5. Love or be loved?

Both; love is a two way street.

6. If you were on death row, what last meal would you choose?

Cannoli, just cannoli.

7. Have you been on vacation this summer, if so where?

In May, I went to Maine... that was kind of a spring vacation though.

8. What is your favorite food related guilty pleasure?

ooohhh... there are too many to list. But, cannoli lies on the top .