Oh good grief, it's been over a month. I do apologize for the lack of updates.
So, first and foremost, LPN school. It's going well so far; it's only been three weeks but I've already had about ten tests in both my classes, and thankfully I'm passing them with A's, but that's liable to change anytime, so I do spend a lot of time studying. I was (and am still) excited about our uniforms-- we get to wear scrubs and be all official and stuff!!! Thankfully they're very comfortable, and it's easy to transition from school to work, since I pretty much wear the same thing at both locations. My classmates are pretty fun; most of them are either retired military, as we're about an hour outside of Quantico, or moms looking for a career. So far the group I more or less "hang" with consists of Jay, a Korean mother who is always happy about everything; Steph, the mother of a special-needs child and my main study-buddy; and Mike and Courtney, who only come twice a week for Anatomy to fulfill their pre-requisites for an RN program. Mike is very smart and outgoing, and Courtney is pretty shy but sweet. So far we're taking Trends in Nursing, which is basically a common sense class for nurses, and Anatomy and Physiology. The Trends professor is a former hippie from the 60's, but she is really fun and works at Snowden Mental Health clinic. The Anatomy professor is nice, but her class gets annoying when she starts reading verbatim from the text during lecture. We all can read the text, we need a lecture based on the text without it just being the text. If the class only required us to know the info from the book, we wouldn't need this lecture. Ah well, that's just me being nitpicky. Still having fun, and looking forward to clinicals next semester. The one downside is that I get up at 5:30 every morning to get ready for class. When I hit the road at 6:30, the traffic on the 95 is just starting to back up, so I know I'm leaving at a good time, even if I do get there about an hour early.
Work is going well. I work at Doc's dental office a few hours each day, cleaning, setting up trays, seating patients, that sort of thing. In October there's a a class for dental x-rays that I'm taking and he's paying for, so I can use the x-ray machine and take pictures of people's teeth, so that's pretty exciting. The patients are all really nice, and some of them bring their young kids in and I have to babysit them, which is always fun. There was this one girl, she couldn't have been more than 4, and we played with the stuffed animals and the toy cars in the office and just had a blast. She was so cute. And just this week, a new mom brought her 9-week-old son to the office. He was smiling at all of us and just being absolutely adorable. It's little moments like that that make the job awesome.
Been slowly learning to budget; right now I'm living off of $20 a week, and only spend about $100 a month in gas. Between tuition and rent and insurance, I'm still very well off financially. I feel really blessed. The only downside to where I live is that there's no internet, so special thanks to Starbucks and Panera for having free wi-fi as well as good edibles.
The one thing I feel bad about this whole move is the fact that it was so fast. I more or less hastily shoved all of my things into my car and drove off without hesitation and without saying goodbye to a lot of people. I do miss people back in California, but I don't regret leaving one bit. I'm also looking forward to fly back for Christmas, which should be fun.
It feels wonderful being here and having a purpose in life again.
Warm Regards,
Liz
Showing posts with label why yes i am awesome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label why yes i am awesome. Show all posts
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
#12- Road Trips, Part 2: The Move
I have mentioned that I like driving long distances, right? This road trip has not made my love of driving any less, but it has made me completely exhausted.
Let me explain.
Three weeks ago a friend of the family, Doc, offered me what I consider to be an absolute godsend. He knew about my unsuccessful attempts to get a job within an ambulance company and my unsuccessful attempts to get into a CNA or RN program around San Diego, so when he came to visit, he offered me a job at his dental office, a room at his house, and offered to pay for my nursing school tuition. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity, but, because the world hates me, there is a big setback.
Doc lives in Virginia. I lived in California. All of my worldly possessions were in California.
Thus began the epic quest of packing and driving across the entire country.
Day 1 I spent driving to Lake Havasu to pick up my travel buddy, Sibling #5, while the family was out there on vacation. Day 2 was spent hanging out with all my younger siblings for the last time until Christmas. We went to the movies to watch Cars 2 and had a good time. Also had to take an extra look at the radiator just to make sure that the damn thing wasn't still leaking.
Day 3 was spent driving a stretch of Route 66 along the 40 in northern Arizona. When you think Arizona, what do you think about? Desert, right? Wrong. There are forests there. Forests! I never knew about them! And before we got back on the 40, we stopped at a Roadkill Cafe. Those actually exist! I always thought that it was just a joke on a t-shirt, but sure enough, they do exist. And the food is grand. Once we reached Flagstaff we headed south to Florence to visit my friends K and Sergeant, and we stayed the night there.
Day 4 was mostly spent driving out of Arizona, because we decided to be adventurous and take the scenic route up the 60. Driving through New Mexico sucked, because there were storms everywhere. I haven't quite recovered from my last journey through storms that bad, so Sibling #5 drove while I remained stiff and tried not to scream. Finally we reached our hotel in Amarillo around midnight and we passed out.
Day 5 we were late getting on the road due to a mortal injury. As I was putting my things in the car, my suitcase, which maybe weighs about 60-75 pounds, swung with enough force to rip my left big toenail up without ripping it off. The sucker was sticking straight up while my toe was bleeding like crazy and I was howling in pain. Sibling #5 actually helped me push it back into place, which hurt even more. And it didn't help that he put it back crooked. (Not like he meant it, it just happened that way.) Luckily I'm a medic and remembered I had a first aid kit in my car and was able to clean it with hydrogen peroxide before wrapping it. Unluckily hydrogen peroxide stings like a bitch. After that we drove through Oklahoma to Missouri, which cost us $8 because of the tolls, and stayed with family.
Days 6 and 7 were spent in Illinois with more family, an aunt and uncle in one town and a set of cousins in another. It was fun, for the most part, and rather relaxing, except for the fact that I still had a hurt toe. It's funny how the smaller parts of us hurt the most, especially the toes.
Day 8 is today, and we made it to West Virginia, where I'm sitting in a Best Western taking a break. Technically we could have gone the 14 hours from Illinois to Virginia in one go, but Sibling #5 and I have been in close quarters for a week now and we're getting on each other's nerves. Just today I've been snapping at him and he's been growling at me, so this is better for the both of us.
Tomorrow, Day 9, the road trip ends and I get to unpack my car. Hooray for me.
All in all the whole experience has been quite an adventure, because I cannot go anywhere without something exciting happening.. My radiator hasn't been giving me too much trouble, thankfully, and the only real trouble I've been having is my toe, which is making me hobble horrendously.
As summer draws to a close, I hope everyone out there makes it home from vacation safe. As for me, this is a new and exciting leaf I'm turning. LPN school starts next month.
Warm Regards,
Liz
Let me explain.
Three weeks ago a friend of the family, Doc, offered me what I consider to be an absolute godsend. He knew about my unsuccessful attempts to get a job within an ambulance company and my unsuccessful attempts to get into a CNA or RN program around San Diego, so when he came to visit, he offered me a job at his dental office, a room at his house, and offered to pay for my nursing school tuition. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity, but, because the world hates me, there is a big setback.
Doc lives in Virginia. I lived in California. All of my worldly possessions were in California.
Thus began the epic quest of packing and driving across the entire country.
Day 1 I spent driving to Lake Havasu to pick up my travel buddy, Sibling #5, while the family was out there on vacation. Day 2 was spent hanging out with all my younger siblings for the last time until Christmas. We went to the movies to watch Cars 2 and had a good time. Also had to take an extra look at the radiator just to make sure that the damn thing wasn't still leaking.
Day 3 was spent driving a stretch of Route 66 along the 40 in northern Arizona. When you think Arizona, what do you think about? Desert, right? Wrong. There are forests there. Forests! I never knew about them! And before we got back on the 40, we stopped at a Roadkill Cafe. Those actually exist! I always thought that it was just a joke on a t-shirt, but sure enough, they do exist. And the food is grand. Once we reached Flagstaff we headed south to Florence to visit my friends K and Sergeant, and we stayed the night there.
Day 4 was mostly spent driving out of Arizona, because we decided to be adventurous and take the scenic route up the 60. Driving through New Mexico sucked, because there were storms everywhere. I haven't quite recovered from my last journey through storms that bad, so Sibling #5 drove while I remained stiff and tried not to scream. Finally we reached our hotel in Amarillo around midnight and we passed out.
Day 5 we were late getting on the road due to a mortal injury. As I was putting my things in the car, my suitcase, which maybe weighs about 60-75 pounds, swung with enough force to rip my left big toenail up without ripping it off. The sucker was sticking straight up while my toe was bleeding like crazy and I was howling in pain. Sibling #5 actually helped me push it back into place, which hurt even more. And it didn't help that he put it back crooked. (Not like he meant it, it just happened that way.) Luckily I'm a medic and remembered I had a first aid kit in my car and was able to clean it with hydrogen peroxide before wrapping it. Unluckily hydrogen peroxide stings like a bitch. After that we drove through Oklahoma to Missouri, which cost us $8 because of the tolls, and stayed with family.
Days 6 and 7 were spent in Illinois with more family, an aunt and uncle in one town and a set of cousins in another. It was fun, for the most part, and rather relaxing, except for the fact that I still had a hurt toe. It's funny how the smaller parts of us hurt the most, especially the toes.
Day 8 is today, and we made it to West Virginia, where I'm sitting in a Best Western taking a break. Technically we could have gone the 14 hours from Illinois to Virginia in one go, but Sibling #5 and I have been in close quarters for a week now and we're getting on each other's nerves. Just today I've been snapping at him and he's been growling at me, so this is better for the both of us.
Tomorrow, Day 9, the road trip ends and I get to unpack my car. Hooray for me.
All in all the whole experience has been quite an adventure, because I cannot go anywhere without something exciting happening.. My radiator hasn't been giving me too much trouble, thankfully, and the only real trouble I've been having is my toe, which is making me hobble horrendously.
As summer draws to a close, I hope everyone out there makes it home from vacation safe. As for me, this is a new and exciting leaf I'm turning. LPN school starts next month.
Warm Regards,
Liz
Sunday, July 3, 2011
#11- Why Summer Sucks.
It's hot. I do not do well with hot. Being of primarily Northern European/Scandinavian descent, the sun and I do not get along well. I do not tan, ever. Ever. I tend to burn, painfully and agonizingly, and usually in the most embarrassing and inconvenient places. I am also more prone to heat exhaustion than most people will believe. But gee, you might say, I grew up in Virginia and I live in California. I should be used to it by now. Well, I would say, being used to it does not mean I have to like it.
Last summer I went to Oklahoma to visit a pair of dear friends of mine, and the first thing we did was go on a hike through the Wichita Mountains. One of these friends was, at the time, a drill sergeant in the army, so he takes going on a hike seriously. We had SPF 95 sunscreen (something I was eternally thankful for), bug spray, an extra backpack full of water and Gatorade, and camel packs-- large water bottles that one carries like a backpack with a straw one sucks the water through. Smart, right? Well, we liked to think we were being smart, and we were. Here's what went wrong. We left around three in the afternoon, which meant we were out at the hottest point in the day (usually from three to five pm). In Oklahoma, believe it or not, it can get pretty damn hot during the summer; I think we were hiking though 100 degree weather, at least. Add a healthy dose of humidity on top, which made it hard to breathe, and you can imagine how hard it was.
Regardless, it was a good healthy walk, and despite a lot of the area being scorched from a recent fire it was still pretty country. We got up high enough to get a marvelous view, talked a lot, joked around, and had a good time.
And then I realized I was severely dehydrated and hadn't been drinking nearly as much as I should have. I was afraid I was going to drink too much and get stomach cramps, but then I unwittingly went to the other extreme and barely drank a drop.
This was before I took the EMT course, so I didn't know the signs for heatstroke, but now that I look back on it I'm fairly certain that while I wasn't quite there yet, I was well on my way. The good sergeant had me sit down and gulp water and Gatorade as much as I could for a while, but it wasn't getting much better. Plus it was starting to get dark, so we had to huff it back since we didn't have a flashlight. Not good for me. Thankfully, we stopped more frequently for water breaks and I was able to rehydrate relatively well, and we managed to make it back to the car before I passed out. To my credit though, I walked over four miles over mountainous terrain in God-awful heat that nearly killed me and-- I have witnesses who will testify for me-- I did not whine once. I used to whine if I had to walk to the store. I'm so proud of myself.
However, I feel like those mountains issued me a challenge. One of these days I'm going back to that trail, and now that I know what not to do, I'm going to win.
In the meantime, have fun hanging out in the sun, everyone! If you need me I'll be inside with the air conditioning, getting paler and paler by the day.
Warm Regards,
Liz.
Last summer I went to Oklahoma to visit a pair of dear friends of mine, and the first thing we did was go on a hike through the Wichita Mountains. One of these friends was, at the time, a drill sergeant in the army, so he takes going on a hike seriously. We had SPF 95 sunscreen (something I was eternally thankful for), bug spray, an extra backpack full of water and Gatorade, and camel packs-- large water bottles that one carries like a backpack with a straw one sucks the water through. Smart, right? Well, we liked to think we were being smart, and we were. Here's what went wrong. We left around three in the afternoon, which meant we were out at the hottest point in the day (usually from three to five pm). In Oklahoma, believe it or not, it can get pretty damn hot during the summer; I think we were hiking though 100 degree weather, at least. Add a healthy dose of humidity on top, which made it hard to breathe, and you can imagine how hard it was.
Regardless, it was a good healthy walk, and despite a lot of the area being scorched from a recent fire it was still pretty country. We got up high enough to get a marvelous view, talked a lot, joked around, and had a good time.
And then I realized I was severely dehydrated and hadn't been drinking nearly as much as I should have. I was afraid I was going to drink too much and get stomach cramps, but then I unwittingly went to the other extreme and barely drank a drop.
This was before I took the EMT course, so I didn't know the signs for heatstroke, but now that I look back on it I'm fairly certain that while I wasn't quite there yet, I was well on my way. The good sergeant had me sit down and gulp water and Gatorade as much as I could for a while, but it wasn't getting much better. Plus it was starting to get dark, so we had to huff it back since we didn't have a flashlight. Not good for me. Thankfully, we stopped more frequently for water breaks and I was able to rehydrate relatively well, and we managed to make it back to the car before I passed out. To my credit though, I walked over four miles over mountainous terrain in God-awful heat that nearly killed me and-- I have witnesses who will testify for me-- I did not whine once. I used to whine if I had to walk to the store. I'm so proud of myself.
However, I feel like those mountains issued me a challenge. One of these days I'm going back to that trail, and now that I know what not to do, I'm going to win.
In the meantime, have fun hanging out in the sun, everyone! If you need me I'll be inside with the air conditioning, getting paler and paler by the day.
Warm Regards,
Liz.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
#8- Road trips: Then, Now, and Later On
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I grew up in Virginia, where the summers are muggy, suffocatingly humid, and full of mosquitos and thunderstorms. I had accepted it for the most part. My parents, on the other hand, both grew up in California, which gets just as hot but is at least dry enough to breathe in, and even living in South Carolina for a while didn't acclimate them to the southeast coast summer weather. Every other summer we'd drive to California to visit family, and when we didn't go to CA we'd drive to North Carolina where we'd rent a beach house for a week or so.
Yes, yes, you did read that last sentence right-- all of us piled up in the van would drive either to California or North Carolina.
For some reason the trips to and from NC never really stood out in my mind. Sure, I remember actually being there, but I can't ever remember the drives, since they were relatively short. It was always the drives to CA that I remember the most. Three days of driving across country was... well... I never thought it was so bad. We'd at least have each other to mess around with, tapes to listen to, a sibling's shoulder to sleep on, games to play, snacks to much on, and a couple hours to get out and stretch our legs. I do remember how we'd all get excited whenever we came to a state border; we'd watch for the signs that said "You are leaving this state" and count down to when we'd pass the signs that said "Now entering this state". That was always fun, and it was a good way to remember which states were where. But I can only imagine the dread my parents felt every trip we made. Squalling babies and squealing kids can get pretty grating on people's nerves after a few hours, let alone three whole days. It's times like this I like to look back on my childhood and wonder at how my parents never left us at some rest stop in the middle of God-knows-where while they went off to some party scene in Mexico.
But that was then.
Now, I cannot stand driving through cities. They take far too long to get through, with the stop signs and lights and pedestrians and other cars et cetera et cetera. Get me on the open road with a couple of good CD's and I am in Heaven.
Usually I drive out with my folks to Arizona for summer fun, which is a five-hour drive. I can't speak for everyone, but it really is so much fun getting there. However, there was one drive that has forever haunted me. The weather was crap that day, with several storms all around us but not quite reaching us, and I was preparing to drive back home because I had college classes that started the next day. As I'm heading out with my friend B, out of nowhere this storm forms all around us. If I hadn't been driving Sibling #2's truck (which I should point out is unbalanced due to the lack of any real weight in the back) and if I had been more exposed to driving in rainy conditions, I would've been excited. As it stood, however, I had to be trained in perfect California sunny weather and borrowing a very front-heavy truck. On top of that, it rained heavily. In Arizona. Which is a desert. So there were plenty of flash floods for me to drive through. I'd never driven through floods before. How was I supposed to know that you're not supposed to speed through them? Turns out, that actually makes things worse. After about the fifth time fishtailing through a flooded part of the road, I called my dad and he advised me to take things slow (which really helped when I came to a section where, I'm being completely honest, literally half a mile of road was covered in water). A five hour drive turned into a seven hour panic attack with me spouting prayers at every saint I could think of and calling my poor sleep-deprived father every ten minutes bawling my eyes out because, honest to God, I was going to die.
Another memorable road trip, actually my first one made by myself, was when I drove from San Diego county to Merced for my friend's wedding. What made it so memorable was, not only was I on my own, but I was on my own going up Interstate 5 through a treacherous stretch of road known as the Grapevine, which goes up and over the mountains. It's not exactly the safest route. For one thing, it's incredibly steep, so your engine is put under more stress and is more likely to overheat on you. If you ever go up that route, you will see signs that tell you to turn off your air conditioning and other signs that direct you to stations where you can get extra water for your radiator. If you keep your car in good condition, go slow up the mountainside, and turn off your AC, you should be fine. (DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for your car if your engine fails while you go up the Grapevine in California. I'm an EMT, not a mechanic.) But, because I am prone to *~exciting~* experiences in every fucking road trip I go on, I had problems. I had no idea that the Grapevine was so LONG. I mean my God. I must have spent an hour just going up the damn mountain. Also, my dear friend decided to get married the first week of April, while California's weather is still being bipolar. As a result, there was a windstorm pushing me and my Jeep around. Hooray for me. Also, I think I hit a really big rock, because I know I heard a *ka-THUNK* as I was coming around a bend. Thankfully nothing was affected (I'm sure I would have crashed otherwise), and I successfully made it up and over the damn mountains. I must admit, I've never had a problem with that route again, and honestly it is a beautiful drive.
Later on, I would love to drive everywhere. The US is a pretty big country with long roads. I mapped out a trip with Sibling #6 around Arizona, since it turns out he's never been to the Grand Canyon; we'd go there, and then up around Black Mesa, since he's a big Half Life fan. Another big trip I want to take would be along Route 66, since all the cool kids do it. Also, just for fun, I went on Google Maps and mapped out a route to Alaska. Now that trip would be awesome.
Warm Regards,
Liz.
But that was then.
Now, I cannot stand driving through cities. They take far too long to get through, with the stop signs and lights and pedestrians and other cars et cetera et cetera. Get me on the open road with a couple of good CD's and I am in Heaven.
Usually I drive out with my folks to Arizona for summer fun, which is a five-hour drive. I can't speak for everyone, but it really is so much fun getting there. However, there was one drive that has forever haunted me. The weather was crap that day, with several storms all around us but not quite reaching us, and I was preparing to drive back home because I had college classes that started the next day. As I'm heading out with my friend B, out of nowhere this storm forms all around us. If I hadn't been driving Sibling #2's truck (which I should point out is unbalanced due to the lack of any real weight in the back) and if I had been more exposed to driving in rainy conditions, I would've been excited. As it stood, however, I had to be trained in perfect California sunny weather and borrowing a very front-heavy truck. On top of that, it rained heavily. In Arizona. Which is a desert. So there were plenty of flash floods for me to drive through. I'd never driven through floods before. How was I supposed to know that you're not supposed to speed through them? Turns out, that actually makes things worse. After about the fifth time fishtailing through a flooded part of the road, I called my dad and he advised me to take things slow (which really helped when I came to a section where, I'm being completely honest, literally half a mile of road was covered in water). A five hour drive turned into a seven hour panic attack with me spouting prayers at every saint I could think of and calling my poor sleep-deprived father every ten minutes bawling my eyes out because, honest to God, I was going to die.
Another memorable road trip, actually my first one made by myself, was when I drove from San Diego county to Merced for my friend's wedding. What made it so memorable was, not only was I on my own, but I was on my own going up Interstate 5 through a treacherous stretch of road known as the Grapevine, which goes up and over the mountains. It's not exactly the safest route. For one thing, it's incredibly steep, so your engine is put under more stress and is more likely to overheat on you. If you ever go up that route, you will see signs that tell you to turn off your air conditioning and other signs that direct you to stations where you can get extra water for your radiator. If you keep your car in good condition, go slow up the mountainside, and turn off your AC, you should be fine. (DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for your car if your engine fails while you go up the Grapevine in California. I'm an EMT, not a mechanic.) But, because I am prone to *~exciting~* experiences in every fucking road trip I go on, I had problems. I had no idea that the Grapevine was so LONG. I mean my God. I must have spent an hour just going up the damn mountain. Also, my dear friend decided to get married the first week of April, while California's weather is still being bipolar. As a result, there was a windstorm pushing me and my Jeep around. Hooray for me. Also, I think I hit a really big rock, because I know I heard a *ka-THUNK* as I was coming around a bend. Thankfully nothing was affected (I'm sure I would have crashed otherwise), and I successfully made it up and over the damn mountains. I must admit, I've never had a problem with that route again, and honestly it is a beautiful drive.
Later on, I would love to drive everywhere. The US is a pretty big country with long roads. I mapped out a trip with Sibling #6 around Arizona, since it turns out he's never been to the Grand Canyon; we'd go there, and then up around Black Mesa, since he's a big Half Life fan. Another big trip I want to take would be along Route 66, since all the cool kids do it. Also, just for fun, I went on Google Maps and mapped out a route to Alaska. Now that trip would be awesome.
Warm Regards,
Liz.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
#2- I Love the Toaster
Ah, the toaster. It's only purpose in life is to make bread hot and crunchy according to whatever settings its master sets. The toaster we have at the house strangely enough looks like something out of a 1950-60's House Of The Future. It's chrome (because EVERYTHING is chrome in the future) and has funny knobs on it , and even has a button you press when you want to toast bagels, and the bagels don't come out burnt. Even though we've had to take it apart a couple times to fix it, I love our toaster.
Today I was still feeling groggy after forcing myself to take a shower and wash my hair, as it had gotten rather greasy after sleeping last night. So I placed a couple pieces of bread in the toaster and waited. As much as I love the toaster, it's the waiting around that kills me every time. So, after about a minute or so (I dunno, I was still groggy), I said in a rather impressive voice "Toaster, I command you to be done. BE DONE!!"
Sensing that I was anxious to eat, the toaster obliged immediately.
And the toast was perfect.
Thank you, toaster. Your tireless efforts to appease me in the morning will not go unnoticed. If and when it becomes impossible to fix you, I'll personally see you off to Toaster Valhalla.
Warm Regards,
Liz.
Today I was still feeling groggy after forcing myself to take a shower and wash my hair, as it had gotten rather greasy after sleeping last night. So I placed a couple pieces of bread in the toaster and waited. As much as I love the toaster, it's the waiting around that kills me every time. So, after about a minute or so (I dunno, I was still groggy), I said in a rather impressive voice "Toaster, I command you to be done. BE DONE!!"
Sensing that I was anxious to eat, the toaster obliged immediately.
And the toast was perfect.
Thank you, toaster. Your tireless efforts to appease me in the morning will not go unnoticed. If and when it becomes impossible to fix you, I'll personally see you off to Toaster Valhalla.
Warm Regards,
Liz.
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