inveniam viam

I got a 3.66 for the semester; 4.0s in algebra and anatomy and a 3.0 in physiology. The physiology grade has me annoyed because I would have got` a 3.5 in I hadn't totally tanked in the final.

All the nursing application stuff is done except the basic life saving for health professionals (that's a CPR/First aid card - a one day seminar) -- I'll take that in June or July, and it's ok if it's late. But I really don't know if I'll get in this semester, and it's driving me a little crazy. I'll know by the end of June.

The day after finals, I came down with a cold. Not just a cold, but one of those sudden bone weary, congested, hacking cough things that stopped me in my tracks. Bleh. So now it's Friday and I work tomorrow -- and then next week I have three days off. I will spend them gardening as much as I can and thinking of Wiscon as little as possible. Really, though, have a great time, folks, and tell me all about it.

I'm off to sign Luke up for the summer children's theater. He did their spring show, working on prop construction, and he really liked it, so he's doing that again. I need to get some butcher paper or something because we're doing one of those history timelines that shows what was happening on all the continents.

I'm very pleased to announce that I got a 90% on my last algebra test, which means I'm getting an 4.0 in the level of math that I took in my junior year of high school. Yay me! Really, I'm both extremely pleased and eye-rolly at the same time. But the really pleased part is definitely winning. And the 4.0 will be very good for my nursing school entrance points. It looks like I'll get a 4.0 in anatomy too, but only a 3.5 in physiology. Still, exceeded my expectations for the semester and my hopes are high for getting in this autumn.

Last day of classes is Monday, May 11.

Last week I told my client's mom that I was only going to work four days a week this summer, and that July 31 would be my last day. We have a fair relationship; she does crap that irritates me like whoa, and I'm odd to her. But we both try to get along. So she won't exactly miss me, but she knows that my leaving will be hard on her son, who's become very fond of me (and visa versa.) And I know that she'll miss my steadiness and work ethic. I'll try very hard not to dance out the door.

Last week, the city came and "cleaned up" my guerrilla garden so now it's not so guerrilla. They took about $50 worth of fencing, landscaping cloth, and lumber as well as all of my bags of leaves that were going into the vertical garden towers, and they cut down the PVC tower that I had up but not yet put together with the fencing. But today I licensed the garden with the Ingham County Land Bank Garden Project and I'm kinda kicking myself for not doing it sooner because it will be a wonderful resource of not only information (like, there's a guy who's gonna show me how to start up bees) but also they'll give out all kinds of free stuff, like *3 yards* of free compost, very cheap organic seedlings ($3 a flat) -- Also, he said that there were folks he knew who where experimenting with aquaponics, so there's another resource. And! Garden Dude said that when I'm ready and if the neighbors are cool with it, he'll help me with setting up for chickens. It was so fun to talk to someone about my garden, to watch the small smile of appreciation when I described my rain-catch and swale system. And the garden shed is ok to put up. So -- vertical garden towers, bees, chickens, 4 20' long double dug beds, greenhouse and aquaponics pond, and the stackwood garden shed. It's all gonna come together this summer.

Everyone should come on over sometime in late August. We'll barbecue and I'll hand out zucchini.

Into the final slog, week 12 of 18:

intermediate algebra: 86.7%
human physiology: 87.4%
anatomy: 84% (but I have a test this week, so we'll see)

There's a chance I can get a 4.0 in physiology, and a slimmer chance I can 4.0 in algebra. The memorization for the anatomy class is very tough for me.

I really need to cut back at work, but ... bleh. It's complicated. Also, damn, I'm sooo tired.

I've had a meeting with the nurse adviser and unless I have some kind of psychotic break and screw up the remainder of this semester, I'll most likely be attending nursing school come September. Or close the wall up with our English dead.

Right now, I'm taking intermediate algebra, anatomy and physiology, for a total of 12 credits. I'm also working around 30 - 35 hrs a week and eating waaay too much fast food in the car.

In the fifth out of sixteen weeks, so about 1/3 of the way along, my semester looks like this:

intermediate algebra: 85%

anatomy: 87%

physiology: 86%

I usually do better in the beginning of the semester and then loose points as I get worn down by the schedule and sleep deprivation. We'll see. I'd love to finish with a 3.5 gpa for this semester, but I'll be still able to get in with a 3.0

I took anatomy and physiology back in 2007 as part of my BS from NMU, but I have to take them again because they just expired or my knowledge of them expired. Whatever. Anyway, once I get in to nursing school, because I already have a BS, I just need another 20 credits to get my RN.

Then we'll be cookin' with gas.

But every time I see DW, I think of Doctor Who.

Home: I'm feeling pretty good, even though Mike's going back home today. But he was here for over a week, and it's been wonderful.

Work: No work today!

School: Only two weeks left of this semester. I have no idea about my grades. I'm thinking that I'll be doing so-so. Which, really, is okay for me right now.

I've got myself signed up for 16 credits this summer: the required Health class, Social Neuropsychology, and retaking Pharmacology and Human Growth and Development. I might also take an independent study for my nutrition minor, which would put me at 18 credits. The interesting thing is that they are *all* online courses. I'm curious to see how I'll do with that.

Writing: Grant and I are finishing up our edits, and throwing Count The Stars to the VP-XII crit group sometime toward the end of the group.

Serene's beautiful 42 Magazine was delivered to my house yesterday. It really is lovely. And my story is right at the middle of the magazine, where it falls open. And the artwork is wonderful! I love it.

I should hear something by the end of the month about the two pieces I entered into the NMU short story and essay contests. I should also hear something from Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet and The Pedestal by mid-May or so.

Now that CTS is off and running, it's time to work on something else. I think I'll tackle the re-write of Matilda and then the If's alien-Russian Mafia story.

--I've got three psych classes this semester, and nothing else (well, other than work and kids and car repairs.) Today, I had tests in both social psych and research methods, and I've got to read a paper and write a short essay tonight for my psych of the individual class.

Today in social psych, we watched the original tape that was made of the Milgram study. I wonder at what point I would have stopped. I'd like to think that I wouldn't have done it at all, but I know for a fact that I would've. Everyone did. Every single one.

I've got a paper that's due for the social psych class on the 20th, and I've got to start working on my two other presentations. The presentation on psych of the individual is just mine, but I have to work with three others on the research methods presentation. I'm usually good at working with groups, but one of my group members is hrm, I'm not sure how to put this. Arrogant and rude, I suppose. *grin* I'm arrogant, too, but I'm not rude. I feel like I want to wear a t-shirt that says "Just because I'm cheerful doesn't mean I won't rip your annoying head off and shove it up your ass."

-- My #2 son and his girlfriend are coming up from Gaylord for the weekend. Mike will be home on Saturday, too. Which means I need to do some housework. Bleh. I should hire someone to come help. It's not too much for me to do, but it's more than I want to do. Aw, who am I kidding, I'll never find someone by tomorrow afternoon.

-- Just sent the first round of edits to towersofgrey for the once over. So far, we have a completed work of about 11K. As I said before, an awkward length. I have to say, it's a strange kind of intimacy, working with another writer. Have you ever got that feeling of crushing on a character? It's silly, right, 'cause he's not real. Well it's kindof like that with my collaborator - a strange kind of writing intimacy that feels not quite real. I write something, and I think, oh, he will have fun with this or I'll get something back and grin furiously because I just knew he was going to do that, or weirder still, that's what I was gonna do. The very best part but also slightly disconcerting is how we make each others' writing better.

-- the steampunk faery ghostbusters story goes out to F&SF tomorrow. Black Holes says I should have a response in a couple of weeks. I buy the first round at Wiscon if they bite!

I may very well have to take chemistry again. I don't friggin' believe it. I crashed and burned like a flaming crash-and-burned thing. I actually did worse than the first time I took it, in 2006. It'd almost be funny IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE CHEMISTRY AGAIN.

*sigh*

I shuffled around campus yesterday, and found out that I will graduate with my BS in psych (minor in nutrition) in August '09. Then I will graduate with my LPN in May of '10.(1) This winter, I'll have three psych classes, and in the summer, I'll have my last psych class, the required Health Promotion class, a directed study on substance abuse and .... Chemistry! Joy.

The short story that I was working on with towersofgrey has exploded into a novella. We'll have over 6000 words when this next bit is finished, and I don't see the end for another 12k-15K at least. The only problem that I have with this is that I'm not sure what kind of market is out there for that length.

I'm still loving the process. When I got stuck in other stuff I was writing, I always went to Mike and bounced ideas off of him, and that was ok, but *wow* is it different bouncing ideas off of another writer. Like fantastically, brilliantly and other Doctor Who words different.



(1) -- NMU won't let me get my LPN certificate and BS concurrently, because then they couldn't charge me at post-baccalaureate rates for my certificate. I'm rather hopelessly angered by this. Perhaps I could blow up the chemistry lab in retribution.... (well, I know that I could....)

Last fall, Mike and I were talking about school. He'd been planning on going back and getting a degree in computer aided manufacturing. Maybe it's just that I couldn't imagine being happy with a career in computer aided manufacturing. Anyway, I said, "What do you really wish you could do?"

"Fly."

We were on IM, so there was no way for me to really gauge his mood by voice or expression, but there seemed a kind of wistfullness in his one word reply.

"So do it," I typed back. "Go to commercial flight school."

There was a long pause. Then, "That's a good idea."

So, we're in the process of picking a flight school. It's expensive, holy wah. But what the hell is money for, ya know?

And then, about a month ago, we were talking about one of Len's doctors. "I bet you'd get into that kind of thing," he typed.

My heart kinda twinged. "Yeah, well, there's no way I can go to medical school now."

"Think about it -- after I get out of flight school, and get a job. It's doable."

Now it's all I can think about. Medical school. Huh. I'd be at least 51 by the time I finished my residency. But I applied to NMU this week and requested my transcripts from UofM, and next week I'll talk to the premed advisor.