Book Club

I hosted book club this month and while I didn't read the book this time, it was a lovely night.  While the roommates were upset that book club "trumped" family dinner, I made enough food for everyone an dall was well.  We were suppose to read Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts.  I even presented the book and still didn't ready it, but those that did really enjoyed it.  Our book club is 20% talking about the book and 80% socialization anyways.  I was going to just order pizza for everyone, but got ambitious and decided to make it.  The pizza sauce was a little spicy and Ill adjust the next time I make it, otherwise it was delicious.  I made three types of pizza:
~ Four cheese with ricotta, asiago, fontina and mozzarella. 
~ greek-style: artichokes, kalamata olives, prosciutto & arugula
~ veggie: roasted red peppers, fresh spinach & baby portabella mushrooms
Don't think I'm super creative with the toppings, I more or less passed by a Homemade Pizza Co. store and took a menu.  Knowing how my family eats pizza I thought I made the perfect amount, but it turns out I was eating pizza for the rest of the week.

The next host presented the books for next month and we all admitted we weren't huge fans of any of them.  To be fair, the presented didn't know she was presenting and the books were all chosen last minute.  I threw out a few suggestions of good book recommendations I recently got and we ended up picking one of those.  Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah got the winning vote and Im looking forward to reading it.  10% in on my kindle and already engaged.

The First 8th Cohort Forum

Every quarter the head of our program meets with the each cohort to allow a platform for the students to voice their comments and concerns about how the program is going and get an overview of what next quarter is going to look like.  Now I've been with my cohort for a couple of months, four days a week.  Needless to say, you get to know people pretty fast.  Knowing that we have a few "squeaky wheels" in our group, I was not looking forward to what I foresaw as a B.M.W. session (bitch.moan.whine.).  It started off pleasant and professional, but soon turned into what I anticipated.  I sat there quietly rolling my eyes at half of my colleagues.  I understand that we are paying close to a thousand dollars a month for tuition, but some people were getting so defensive and nit picky about stuff that I felt my time could have been spent elsewhere.  Maybe it's because I've been on the other side of it as a teacher, but I wanted to put duct tape over a few peoples mouths and remind them that they are adults in a professional graduate program.  My eighth graders weren't even that ridiculous!

Now what they were complaining about... tensions are high because of the high expectations Rush enforces on their students.  You need to get a B or above in our Core Concepts class or else you are pushed back a cohort and need to retake it.  With that being said, the government doesn't see a C or D as failing so you would have to pay out of pocket to take it again.  Also, our cohort is in a unique situation because Rush is transitioning from 10wk terms to 15 wk terms so people wouldn't be able to continue the program until September.  Yes, kinda a big deal, but complaining that your teachers aren't fair and rude is not the way to go about it.  Frustrated with the second test, I made an appointment to meet with my teacher and go over it one-on-one right as I turned it in.  I saw how unproductive "test review" was for the first one and just didn't want to put myself around that negative energy.

The trick with our core tests is you need to learn how to "think like a nurse" however we are all novice nurses and have hardly had the experience to do so.  I explained to my teacher that I felt there was a huge disparity between the blunt facts that were taught in class and the level of cognitive thinking that was expected on the test.  I may or may not have asked for an IEP too (an education plan for special ed students :o).  She was like, sounds like someone use to be a teacher.  When we met she kindly went over with a group who had the same idea as me why the right answer was right and the wrong answer was wrong.  It was far more beneficial than the free for all test review.  My grade currently stands at a solid B going into the final.  An A is out of the picture but I've already come to terms with that.  Now it's time for the sprint before the finish...

Valentine's Day

To be honest, Tuesday was just another day.  I had a test that day and another on Wednesday so I was kinda in the zone.  I did manage to make a few homemade Valentines for some friends at school.  One guys had a lot of animosity towards the "holiday" so I felt he needed a little something to make him smile on that day.  I started crafting during my theory class which I and probably the rest of the class all have 100% in.  Since I'm super creative I was able to knock out the rest at home without jeapordizing study time.  It's the thought that counts anyways. 

So on V-day, I took my test, studied at an Argo tea for a bit, and then went to tutor.  It wasn't until I hopped on the el after tutoring that I realized it was Valentines day.  There were a bunch of guys with flowers, balloons, candy etc.  You know the typical v-day paraphernalia.  I headed home for family dinner around 8pm.  Tyler was up and he really out did himself.  Originally he was thinking some kind of salad, but since it was Valentine's Day and we were all single he opted for comfort food.  My boyfriend for the night was bacon mac and cheese from scratch, Matt's boyfriend was homemade fried chicken and Tyler's boyfriend was jalapeno cheddar cornbread.  Anne came too and brought us wine and chocolates.  I could only imagine what was going through the comcast guy's head.... "what are these north side, preppy, white kids up in lakeview doing eating a homemade southern style dinner on a Tuesday night!"  We offered him some cornbread too.  The meal was great, but I'm going to have to start enforcing health requirements for the sake of my waistline.
  

The Ultimate Renewable Resource

Donating blood is probably the EASIEST thing someone can do to save a life.  According to the Red Cross, someone needs blood every minute or every day and only 3 out of 100 Americans donate.  If that doesn't make you want to go out and give your priceless blood, then you're just cold-hearted.  It takes no more than 15 minutes of your time and can mean a lifetime to someone else.  Plus it's good for your body too! 

Rush has a blood center right on campus and if you donate there, your blood will stay and be used at Rush.  My friend Nadine and I found this super convenient so we made an appointment together after class.  Now I haven't donated blood in years since the last time I tried they said I couldn't because I went to the Dominican Republic.  I was a little nervous as to how I was going to take it.  While my veins are small, I have pretty good flow and the bag fills up in no time.  After the bag was full and the guy was just filling up the viles, I started to get really light headed.  Now I'm no stranger to passing out and know my body really well so they got me some juice and delicious cookies.  The cookies were so good I asked if I had to fake another pass-out to get one more, but they kindly offered me seconds without all that nonsense. I actually got woosie a little later while studying but knew how to recoup and didn't pull a "Chelsey" (ask her to tell her blood donating story). 

Another perk of donating blood at Rush is they give you a free parking voucher!  My commuting costs are more than I'd like them to be a month because I drive on days that I work and while I get a student rate, it's still about $8 to park for the day.  I wish I could donate blood every week to cut costs, but I suppose I can let my body regain its nutrients from the blood loss and wait eight weeks to make my next appointment.

Trying Something New...

While studying at Starbucks on Friday night I came across a flyer for the Windy City Rollers.  They were having their season opener at the UIC Pavilion on Saturday.  It was a subculture I had always been curious about and after watching the movie Whip It with Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore, "attend a roller derby" became an item on my bucket list.  I called a few friends to see if they were interested and pondered if I should take a pass and study the night away since I have two tests next week.  Then Anne and I decided what the heck, lets go to the derby.  It was a last minute, impulse thing, but those sometimes make the best nights.  We both were going in blind and had no idea what to expect.

To be honest, I first thought it was going to be a little more exciting with a bunch of vicious girls attacking each other with little rhyme or reason.  It looked like a bunch of girls skating around in circles.  Then I sat and actually read the booklet they handed out at the doors.  It went over how to play, what the penalties were and what the player's rolls were.  Once I understood the game it got really exciting.  I found myself shouting out to the jammers and making calls before the players did.  It was a blast.  My favorite player was Zombea Arthur.  She was one of the smallest players, but was a feisty little thing.  Their names were all great and even the refs had nicknames, Vince Meat and Admiral Snackbar were among my favs.  The mascots for each team were great too.  They were full of energy and very interactive with the crowd.  There was so much going on, I didn't know where to look.  

There even was half-time entertainment.  This woman did an amazing show where she would spin and twirl inside a giant hoop.  I didn't even know that was a talent someone could have.  She was amazing and I kept noticing my jaw dropping with each stunt she did.  We thought we would stick out like a sore thumb, but the diversity in the audience was huge.  There was everything from groups dressed up looking like they were going to a fancy bar afterwards to groups who took the whole hipster theme to the next level.  I like to think we laid somewhere in the middle.  The roller derby was fantastic and I would for sure go again if anyone is interested.        

Breaking Point

I feel like one day it's Monday and the next day it's Thurday already.  Each week is a whirlwind and while I'm exited to be advancing in my program so quickly, I also have the conflicting emotions related to the feeling of time running out.  I think I finally hit a "bad day."  Yesterday began with a test review for my core nursing concepts test.  I can not even begin to explain how difficult these tests are to take.  The questions are very subjective and since nursing is not a black and white profession it seems like a multitude of answers could be correct and if applied to real life practice, Im sure they are.  We literally have to shrink outselves to microscopic size and crawl into our teachers heads to see what they would do to get the question right.  There were many arguments between the students and the teacher trying to justify answers, the teachers were of little assitance to give advice on how to study differently for the next exam.  They would say study your notes, but the notes wouldn't address some of the questions on the exam and we were told that our book was not always right so not to rely on that.  It was just.  plain.  frustrating.

After that it seemed like the entire cohort was in a crappy mood.  At lunch I didn't feel like engaging on conversation and tried to get a quick review my lab test which though worth only 2% of my final grade, was an added thing to do.  At lunch I decided I needed to make an appointment for a 90-min facial at the aveda institute to calm my anxiety.  They are amazing, so relaxing (minus the extraction, but I love that part too!), and really cheap since it's the institute.  They said they could get me in Thursday at 1pm.  Fabulous!!

My lab class ran thirty minutes late becuase we had to get our blood pressure readings approved and a whole other slew of things to do like using a hydrolic lift when we only have one to practice on.  From there I headed straight to the sausage factory.  I knew it was going to be a long day, but then Nicole texted me saying the kitchen was running late and I could come in a little later if I wanted.  I didn't see the logic in driving all the way north for a few minutes, just to turn around and come back to where I was so I went into work at the same time regardless.  Since the kitchen was behind I hopped on the assembly line to help tie the end of the casing for the polish sausage while the day-time smokehouse operator was still there.  This is the "Lucile Ball" job that I told most of you about during my training.  Then I started to cook... and cook... and cook... and cook.  I actually was there so late (or I guess early) that the rest of the staff left for the night and came back for their next days shift and I was still there... cooking!  I worked until 7am with a mere 20 minute break to rest my head the whole time.  Everyone saw how drained I was and told me to go home and they would clean the smokehouses and bring the rest of the cages down for me.  God Bless!

Now let me tell you, morning traffic in the city is a pain, but being among all the commuters who are off the work all fresh after a good night's sleep when Im merely on my way home from work with no sleep is infuriating.  All I could think was "Oh no you didnt!?" when the lady putting her make-up on cut me off on interstate 90.  She clearly didn't know where I was coming from.  I drove on with dignity but felt like the girl to the right on the inside.  

When I got home I could not get to my bed fast enough.  Im pretty sure Tyler was up already and getting ready for work, but I had no desire to communicate with anyone.  I crashed in my bed and set my alarm so I didn't sleep through my facial appointment in the afternoon.  If I had known I would have worked that late I would have reconsidered scheduling it for a different day or time, but it was what it was and I knew I would relax and enjoy it.  I get to Aveda only for them to tell me they misscheduled me and couldn't get me in for the full 90 minutes because the students had a special class this afternoon.  Are you frickin kidding me?!

I took a deep breath and carried on with the rest of my plan for my "day off."  Panera for lunch and a solo study session.  I have two big tests next week.  Patho and core usually alternate each week, I have learned to manage that quite nicely, but next week I have them one after the other.  I started with core since I usually do a study group for patho on friday after clinical and either saturday or sunday (this week I have a feeling it's going to be both).  The lecture I'm on now is Sleep and Sex, I guess they kinda go hand and hand.  But I've decided to take a blog break.  There is something about studying sleep when you've had none that is a bit agitating.

Hope I didn't sound like a squeeky wheel in this post, but like I said at the begining, I want to remember these moments in my life, both the good and the bad.  If I've given you the false impression that this has been an easy journey, I assure you it's not.  I feel like Im constantly treading water and don't know how I get through each week.  It is hard.  Alright, I'm done with my pity party.  There is something very therapeutic about blogging and getting it all out.  Now that I feel refreshed it's back to studying the health benefits of sex, one of which is it helps you sleep better.  Words for thought, but enough with that, the grandmas read this blog too ;o)    

Namaste Day!

Half Way Through Q1!

Im a little behind on the blog because school and life have been a little time consuming lately.  On the phone with Carla the other day, after talking about school for over 20 minutes strictly about school she asked, "So how is everything else going?"  I paused and thought, what does she mean, there is nothing else besides school right now!  Well, maybe I lied a little, I seem to have a social event pop up almost every weekend, but I by no means go out to the caliber I use to, nor for as long and I am so okay with that.  I think it's important to have something to look forward to.  It prevents burnout and keeps your mind at ease, or at least that's what the experts say...

I have officially hit the half way mark for my first quarter, yet it continues to be an uphill battle.  As soon as you start to get the hang of things your time is half way up.  I think I've figured out how to study for the tests (I got a B on my second patho exam, a vast improvement from my first one) but now we have the added stress of papers and presentations being due.  By Wednesday of next week I have two papers, an exam and my weekly 30 min group presentation due.  My goal is to hammer out the two papers this weekend so I don't have that added stress during the week and more time to study.

I am also getting use to being mediocre.  My entire life I've been in the top of the class when it comes to school, but now I'm going to school with 70 other students who have been the cream-of-the-crop as well.  I know its not a competition and it really doesn't matter, but it's still a little disheartening when the B on my patho exam put me in the bottom third of the class.          

Strega Nona I am

This week was my turn to cook for "family dinner" and I, unlike Tyler, actually cooked.  This week we had a special guest, my friend Anne.  She wanted to get together and I figured I was already cooking for 3 so what's one more.  We had a delicious salad with blue cheese, candied nuts and dried cherries which could have been a satisfying meal itself.  Then I made a whole wheat pasta with shrimp and broccoli and garlic bread for the main course, which paired well with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.  Now, I'm use to cooking proportions for one and having left overs for lunch the next day, but this was one of the first times I was cooking for 4.  I should know how much pasta grows, especially being half Italian, but I threw a box in the pot and figured I only had a little left in my other box so why not add that too.  I had to add water to the pot twice and felt like Strega Nona.  If you don't know that book but it's on my list of must have's when I have kids.  I wont give it away, but Strega Nona had a magic pasta pot and you can guess the rest...  I didn't even toss half of the pasta with the other ingredients because I cooked so much.  I probably could have fed twelve, not four.  Next time Ill know.  

Dinner was delightful and filled with lots of laughs.  I filled everyone's ears with knowledge of HIV/AIDs since that was what our patho lecture was all about.  My teacher had said the best learning tool is explaining the objectives to non-medical people and that's what I do every once in a while.  My roommates probably want to find the woman who told me that, but they listen anyways.  Matt was always happy to bring the conversations "full circle" and relate it it a conspiracy theory of some sort.  That's his new obsession as of late.  I'm sure Anne was entertained to see what a-day-in-the-life-of was really like.  We ended the meal with some pistachio ice cream which I was virgin to until that night.  It was so amazing that I was craving it in the middle of class the next day.

We topped the night off with Glee's MJ episode which was pretty good.  I liked how they picked some of the less mainstream songs.  I am not a gleek like the other three but was entertained by the song and dance in this episode.  Matt is up for next week and I'm pretty sure the extent of his cooking is in the microwave so it should be interesting.