Just Jen!

I Know This ::Sounds:: Ungrateful On Many Accounts. It is.

2011-12-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad the government took 42% of my bonus.

How come they couldn't have just paid me that much more this year?

Its like, "HEY!! LOOK!! We grossed SOOOO much money this year! Lets give half of it to the government in attempt to make our employees less ticked off that they work here!! Ooooooo yeah! Good idea!"

Ya know, I hope 3-4 more grown-up adults get yet another pair of ultra expensive Reeboks purchased at the first of this next month, cuz its on me.
Next time, just pay me more throughout the year. Thanks for my meager, could-be-awesome bonus.

XOXO,
Jen

The Nasty-Nast

2011-12-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

i just came to the realization that anchovies and sardines are indeed NOT the same thing.

which means there are TWO kinds of grimey, smelly, canned-whole fish running around.

..........what kind of world do we live in!?!? Why is there a need for more than one variety of such a repugnant, repulsive, and revolting substance!?!?

you sardine/achovy lovers are sick....... just sick.

Dessert.

2011-11-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

I had something I REALLY liked as a dessert to share with you readers! I use dailyburn.com for nutrition info.

stir together in a small bowl---

*1/2 cup plain 0% Chobani greek yogurt: 70 cal, 0g fat, 4.5 carbs, 11.5g protein

*1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or to taste): 6 cal, 0 fat, .3 carb, 0 protein

*3/4 packet of truvia: 0 cal, 0g fat, 2.3g carbs, 0g protein

Top with---

*1/2 cup raspberries: 31 cal, 0.4g fat, 7.3g carbs, 0.7g protein!!

Thats just 107.5 calories for a satisfying dessert that has filling protein and fiber to boot!

I wanted to wait and take a picture, but I ate it instead!

Must-Haves

2011-10-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

My healthy eating must-haves are as follows:

1) Chobani 0% Plain Greek Yogurt: Its awesome and extremely versatile and delicious in a million ways. It has over twice the protein of regular yogurt, less sugar, and more fiber. Did I mention its awesome? I eat it by itself or with cereal or mix in sugar free jello powder or freeze it or use it to make taziki sauce or as a sour cream /mayo substitute in recipes or as a....... SEE? the possibilities are endless. Its the perfect dairy product.

2) Oatmeal: I like to throw in blueberries, cinnamon, and 3/4 of a Truvia packet as I cook it. Whole grain? Check. Protein? Check. Fiber? Check.

3) Tomatoes: I eat these like they are going out of style.

4) Flax seeds: I usually just toss them in to whatever dinner entree I am making or sprinkle some on my sandwich. I just put them into my Greek burgers today, though I thought the texture was a little weird for a burger. But who can say no to the highest plant source of Omega 3 fatty acids?? not to mention the phytochemicals and B vitamins and.... really!! I could keep going.

Hrm.

2011-09-29T14:35:00.001-07:00

I've been eating tomatoes like they are going out of style.

I had a hospital stay this week. More on that later, maybe....

Favorite Breakfast

2011-09-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

As you could have guessed, I have started to lose weight. I started working nights at the hospital and started to gain a few more pounds. Not only am I losing my "night shift weight," (I have almost lost those pounds completely!) I am going to lose what I need to lose to be awesomely healthy.

Anyway, I think I am going to start to blog about my weight loss journey and see where is gets me.

Goal: -42 lbs (yeah. 42!!!! wow. i know.)
Where I'm at now: -7.6 lbs.

So. I shall tell you about my 2 favorite breakfasts.
1) Oatmeal+berries+3/4 Truvia packet, along side 1 egg+ 1 egg white
2) Whole wheat toast (or whole wheat waffle) + reduced fat peanut butter + banana + honey,
all stacked together like this:

and that's what I'm talking about.

PIZZA!

2011-09-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

I am dedicating this post to pizza. I admit pizza is fabulously delicious in practically all its forms. (I find that the crazy-person's grease-lovers pizza is not so nice!) Pizza an excellent food. It deserves its own blog post. You can get a good dose of carbs, veggies, fruit (tomatoes! duh!), and protein all in one punch. These nutrients can be drowned in a lot of fat (especially the saturated kind!!) and unneeded calories. So as much as I LOVE my homemade pizza dough-homemade pizza sauce creations doused with all sorts of cheese and all other goodness, I wanted to provide you (and myself) with easy, healthy, yummy alternatives for when you don't want to go all-out on your calorie and saturated fat intake.

So. I have two favorite low cal pizza recipes so far, and this is one of them:

Friends, meet the ultra-healthy, ultra low-calorie delicious pizza knock-off. Its a variation of an English Muffin Mini-Pizza, except it kicks all the other ones in the butt.
Here is your ingredient/calorie/directions breakdown:

4 sprays canola oil: 8 cals
100 Calorie English Muffin: 100 cals. duh.
2 big ol' tomato slices: 8 cals
Italian-type seasonings: garlic powder, basil, oregano black pepper: zero cals
low-fat cheddar cheese
low-fat mozzarella cheese

I only used 1/8 cup of shredded cheese combined: 17 cals

onion slice: 3 cals
green pepper slice: 3 cals
3 slices turkey pepperoni, chopped into tiny bits: 12 cals

Spray the front and back of each muffin half with canola oil cooking spray. Then pile your tomatoes, seasonings, cheese, veggies, and pepperoni. Cook in a 500 degree oven for 6 minutes. I like to give any mini pizzas a 30 second blast of BROIL tacked on to the end of the cooking time. Enjoy!

The nutritive qualities this creation possesses, according to dailyburn.com, where I entered in all the ingredients appropriately:

151 calories. 2.7 grams of fat. 28.2 grams of carbohydrates. 9 grams of protein. 5.2 grams of fiber. 100% yummy.

**add 1 tablespoon of Ragu pizza sauce (not that it needs it, really!) to each half and get:

176 calories. 3.2 grams of fat. 30.5 grams of carbohydrates 9.5 grams protein. 5.7 grams of fiber.

Nigh Shift Noshing

2011-08-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

"I will not steal my coworkers's reese pieces," is the mantra I recite in my head as she goes down to smoke, leaving a rather large, multiple-serving reese pieces bag merely a snatch away.

"Lynn will forget her honey bun exists if i... just..." ::SLAM!!:: bun down the gullet. Chewing may or may not have been involved.... I couldn't possibly remember; it all happened so quickly.

delicous or detestable?

        Who am I? I am the night shift nurse attempting to defy everything my body is telling me to do. By day, I abhor prepackaged "baked goods" and candy bars and anything like unto it. By night, I might swipe the donut as you raise it to your awaiting jaws. Nevermind the raging and/or bottoming-out grehlin and leptin hormones begging my body to consume such filth!
       I have resolved to defy the odds, spurn my inner desires, and meet eyeball-to-eyeball with the brute called night-shift nourishment. Thereby, my body will not amount to epic proportions as my career does. I question the non-existence of snack time! I propose that consuming more than a day's worth of calories during one break is less than optimal! I admonish those who believe caffeine and real food are created equal!
Maybe I'll start the healthiest, most-popular night shift ~~fad~~ lifestyle change my hospital has ever seen!

.....or maybe I'll continue to do what I am about to do:
                             sneak off to eat a banana by myself.

~cooking~

2011-05-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Little do you know, but I like to cook/bake, and this is why:

1) I'm naturally good at it, if I do say so myself. (P.S. I find that I am minimally talented at a lots and lots of things, as opposed to being ultra-great at any one particular thing. So yeah.)

2) I like making stuff in general, so why wouldn't I like making some food now and again?

3) I like compiling the recipes of the things I make and say how I adapt them.

So yeah-- I have a cookbook that I am writing/adapting. I've been working on it on and off for a year, and I am considering starting a blog with it, but I know you guys want pics of the ultra awesome things I make, which would mean that I need to acquire a camera first.

Eventually, I will need a name for this book/blog, so please start brainstorming and add your comments.

Note: Pioneer Woman (that title=bleck.) is already taken, along with For The Love of Cooking, Bitten, This Week for Dinner, and Steamy Kitchen.

Shoes, Ships, Sealing Wax, Cabbages, and Kings

2011-05-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

I love my XBox Kinect, but it creeps me out because it looks for me when I turn it on.

I have new ideas for my life EVERY day, but for some reason I am slow at making decisions right now, so I don't know what I want!! (main topic of interest: grad school-- where and in what? i dunno!) All of them are pretty exciting ideas.

I bought a new book to read today.

I have ordered some transcripts to be sent out and began a graduate school application today.

I'm about to sign up for the GRE. Maybe the GMAT too.

THIS SUMMER WILL BE EPIC.
texas road trip, beach trip, etc.

Maybe I will continue the "12 New Things" blogging this year. I have some catching up to do.

A Shout Out to Carl and Mrs. V.

2011-05-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

I don't feel I'm particularly unique or smart or all too talented but I'm not too dumb, I'm good at some things, and you didn't pass 20 of me on the way to work this morning. Furthermore, I DO have a combination of experiences that are definitely unique to me. This being the case, I feel I have some sort of perspective that I can lend to society (in one form or another) and not only does it have a voice-- it has undeniable value. Therefore, presenting what I have learned from my set of experiences is a worthwhile endeavor.

I have had the opportunity to volunteer concerning the tornado disaster in my area with three different organizations. I gave out tetanus shots with one organization, provided general medical assistance with another, and general laboring with another. After the tornado hit, I was anxious to use my semi newly-acquired nursing skills to help the victims. After all, I did not become a nurse to get a paycheck. I threw on my scrubs and stethoscope and got to it in Cordova, Alabama. Later, I donned scrubs once again to go to Shoals Creek, Alabama with a hospital crew. [I got hit in the head twice!! OK. One was my own fault.... darn fence wire!! I'll fight back!] This brings me to the third organization: Mormon Helping Hands.

I have participated in Mormon Helping Hands in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina hit. This time the disaster was much closer to home and affected me much more directly. On Highway 22, where I have focused the majority of my relief efforts, 22 people died. Such detrimental losses have been experienced, BUT their hearts are not broken. I met Carl and Mrs. V who lost their home and friends, but somehow survived the storm in a rickety old storage unit as they watched their trailer be wrung out like a rag and dumped upside down before their very eyes. How grateful am I that I met Carl and Mrs. V! I have learned so much from their compassion, attitudes, and their testimony. Their strength in the face of this horrific event is simply inspirational. When I met Carl and Mrs. V, they were sleeping with no roof over their heads on a mattress they salvaged by a fire in a place called "the backyard." (Its not the back of anything now.) Providing service to them has been such a pleasure and such an overwhelmingly positive experience that I could not imagine a better way to spend my Saturdays.

By providing aid, I have learned how to receive help when I need it. (In my mind I deem myself as "independent" and "not needing help... ever.") I have seen how to face any and every day with hope and gratitude and humility. Accepting help doesn't mean you're a weak human being. It doesn't mean you've failed, and it doesn't mean you're not good enough. It DOES mean you are human. It means you can let go of your pride and that part of yourself that promotes 100% independence 100% of the time. These concepts are what I have learned from volunteering with Mormon Helping Hands and I would trade 1 MILLION Six Flags trips for it. ;)

.........you know how much I like Seis Banderas, don't you?

Buying a WHAT!?!?!?

2011-05-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

yeah. You might have heard. I am thinking about buying a house. I drove buy the particular one I am thinking about today, and I will take a tour on Wednesday!!

I'm excited and SOOOOO unsure if this is what I want.
But is this house awesome? Why yes. yes, it is.

Job update: I just tried a month in an Adolescent Pscyh Acute Care unit. It was a great experience. I definitely grew as an individual and as a nurse. I also revamped their shamefully written handbook, because I couldn't believe my hospital was handing out such a poorly written document! I am starting in the operating room this week! I really hope I like it!

I'm thinking about getting a
~~psych nurse practitioner~~
~~neonatal nurse practitioner~~
~~business~~
degree.

I think I am saying that I am DEFINITELY going to start graduate school soon, but I don't know what for yet!

I have been seizing the day. I went cliff jumping. (Check out my facebook for pics!) I am redecorating my dining area and bedroom. I am painting a tray. I'm eating healthier. I visited my brother and his family.

I love my life.

Side note: I hope to turn this blog into a photography blog soon.

Ahhhhhhh, the good ole days.

2011-02-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Remember when your older brothers would try to convince you to purposefully hyperventilate and let them choke you long enough so you would pass out, but not die?? and then one time you would let them try just so you have a possibility of waking up and they leave you alone?

wait. you don't??

oh, yeah. that was just me.

Well guess what folks!!! Somebody. Died.

Check it out: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/02/mom_wants_to_speak_out_about_d.html

Night Shift

2011-01-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

-- I worked my first night shift. More money per hour, but I get an ultra jacked-up sleep schedule.

I'm about to leave for a quick jaunt at the gym, then I'm ready for another night shift hoopla!

Note to self: never look for a fun photo to put up with your night shift nurse post. never.

Resolution of 2011: An Even Better, HEALTHIER version of Jen.

2011-01-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul” G.K. Chesterton

OK. So I don't have a HUGE plan, but I want to be healthier. Like the ultimate healthy person machine.

However, I am referring to all aspects of health. The plan is to make some small goals each month and incorporate them into my life long-term if it is beneficial.

This month I shall focus on physical health--

--Eating healthier by cooking all-out balanced meals 2 times a week. That way I can have healthy left-overs too.

--Hitting the gym 3x's/wk. So far this week, I have gone once.

--Filling my cabinets with healthy food and taking food with me (snack/lunch) to work!!

K! So lets see how it goes..

Gym and grocery shopping tomorrow.

(I'm also about to start working at the heart transplant unit on nights... eek! So I shall install a crazy good curtain in my room so I can sleep!)

2010 Resolutions: 12 New Things

2011-01-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Ok. so I DID do 12 new things last year I swear. I think I was on number 8 and stopped blogging about the things that I did.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters hasn't been done because I missed my appointment and I never rescheduled. BUT... I'm still not opposed to doing it...

I WAS going to go skydiving for the first time-- I had a day picked out and folks to go with, etc etc, and then my electrophysicist told me not to!! Initially I was going to go anyway (if you know me, you would expect this to be my initial reaction) but ultimately, I figured I shouldn't defy my electrophysicist and kept my feet firmly planted on solid ground.

So. I think I was on number 8???
8) KRUNK! Dance class-- i like it, its fun. I attended semi-regularly at one point. One day I took the class from the creator of Krunk herself!!
9) Buying my first car (Yes I have had a car before, but I admit that it was a wonderful gift from my parents, one that I appreciate them greatly for) I heart my corolla. RIP my dear, dear focus :(
10) Living in Vestavia!! I have a new apartment in Vestavia and I love it. Except for listening to this couple banging upstairs... yeah. I'm NOT listening in, but you can't help but notice..... ew. Needless to say, I have a difficult time looking my upstairs neighbors in the eye.
11) Solo road trip!! I drove up to Memphis by myself to stay with Em. Its only a 4 hour drive by myself, but it is the only time I have gone on a road trip with just me in the car. It was nice. I love road trips and Em and I did a lot of fun things.
12) Buying something off of CraigsList... hrm. It was good. I bought a kitchen table. Little did Julie know that I would be painting her beautiful maple table solid black!!! hahahaha.

Well 2010 was more excellent than even I could imagine, and originally I said that the only resolution I was gonna make was to make no more resolutions...
However, I think shall. I liked my 12 New Things in a year thing. I liked the one-a-monthness of it. Even though I didn't always write about them on my blog, maybe I shall continue a new once-a-month check-in type of thing.

New resolutions to follow.
Much loaf, my dear readers :)

2010-11-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

I'm an incredibly happy person.

I love what I'm doing. I like the decisions I've made.

I worked hard to get here and I freakin deserve it.

Here's to hoping you get where I am with my life: loving. it.

Memphis with Em

2010-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Support local artists!! Buy their $700 rings. This was fun.

I'm gonna have to try any food item that deems itself to be TASTEE.

Beale Street: alcohol is available everywhere of course!! Its the place to go if you want to see a few goats or purchase some genital candles!

The goats are located here at this wonderful restaurant! We ate some BBQ nachos and o-rings.
It's good for you AND yummy.

Our best festivity of all was going to see WICKED at the Orpheum Theatre.

The ~GORGEOUS~ Orpheum Theatre!

New Thing Number 8: Being a Nurse

2010-09-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

So here is the timeline:
July 12th: interview for highly sought-after job.
July 27th: JOB OFFER!! (My job offer got extended a week later than other people, so I assumed I did not get it... hrm.)
August 6th: Senior Recognition-- the most interesting graduation speeches ever... hum...
August 7th: My official graduation date!!
Sept 1st: Pre-employment physical. It was a little bit of a hassle because when they were taking my blood pressure, they happened to have noticed my heart beating only 42 times a minute.... so yes. hassle.
Sept 13th: Orientation began. I am still in orientation today. We did computer training. Some people forget that I already know how to right click and scroll.

I'm passing my boards on the 27th. Notice that I did not say may or may NOT pass. I am passing. Mostly because not passing boards is not an option.

So yes. New thing number 8 of the year is being a nurse. So far so good and I am glad to be making some monies. Now I have a lot of decisions to make regarding housing, car, grad school, life, etc etc etc!!! AAAAAHHHH!!! Lol. I am loving it.

Erica is about to come over to study!! We have been pretty good NCLEX study buddies the past little bit...

I'll be honest... its the most productive studying I've done post nursing school.
We are awesome and we are passing boards on the first time.
Congrats to my friends who have already taken their test and passed!!

Hair Cut.

2010-08-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

New thing number 7: Cutting my own hair.

So lets be honest, I haven't worked in a couple months (I was in nursing school, and then after I am PRN, so they aren't obligated to give me hours... and ... yeah.) and I DESPERATELY needed a hair cut. So yeah. I didn't do too badly. It looks pretty much the same, just slightly shorter.

Pics?? Not right now, sorry.

ALSO-- Trivia Night!!! Its so fun. We ALMOST won tonight, and we half-won last time.
I must say that I must go back again so we can get the full win.

Tomorrow morning I have my pre-employment physical and I start my paperwork. My new job is under way!

--NCLEX studying. hooray.

Things Are All Sorts of Good.

2010-08-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

I'm awesomely happy with 92% of my life right now... which is pretty dang phenomenal.

I mean, look at what I have done/am doing!! I...

1) graduated

2) registered for boards

3) attained a highly sought-after, fantastic opportunity/job

4) had my Doctors Without Borders Webinar last night

5) hanging around some PRETTY FANTASTIC people. [what an understatement!!!]

6) have time to climb out of my social interaction deficit.

so could life be better??

I'm always gonna say yes! but I don't really know how...

Side note: New thing number 6 is doing the Big Brother Big Sister program. My interview is Monday!!

2010-08-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the scariest 5 minutes of any young child's life right here

Well, it always freaked me out when I was a kid...

and you wonder why there are so many crazy people around!!

Jennifer Harmon, [almost] RN

2010-08-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

“Time is not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one feels, and what one achieves.”

I've spent 5 years getting a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing. I have a ~very~ sought-after job: I am an RN Intern at UAB. I start orientation on the 13th. These past 5 years have been *absolutely* insane. These years have been the both the BEST and WORST years of my life. I have made amazing friends; these friendships will endure for years to come. These people have supported me in so many incredible ways. My friends have been SO very important to me these past 5 years because they have helped me learn to grow when crazy things happened to me and whatnot, rather than me not meeting the challenge.

This Friday, I will not just celebrate graduation from UAB with a BSN.
I'm celebrating:
--the incredible friendships I made, and the amazing old friends I've kept.
--my family that supports me in what I do.
--the fact that I worked through some difficult sh*t. you have no idea.
--the individual successes all along the way in nursing school.
--hitting all the important nursing career milestones. giving REAL chest compressions, having a patient die on me, starting my first IV, getting blood when the person is a REALLY hard stick, having so many "firsts"...
--the fact that I don't have to wear that heinous all-white uniform anymore
--not dying from mono. or another something something I won't mention here... or even yet another something... or when I totaled my car.
--that I learned how sometimes you have to just let people go out of your life. Its better for you and better for them.
--wearing out my first pair of nursing shoes.
--that I can genuinely love people.
--that I love who I am.
--my compassion.
--that I LOVE what I do.
--I will have time do more things that I love and spend time with people I love.
--that I have a job in this rough economic time!!!
--that I learned to use a planner.
--I learned how to learn. I learned HOW to think. I learned how to REALLY read.
--my appreciation for the arts, music, singing that I gained.
--my emotional, mental, spiritual, and social growth.
--what is to come.

Bad Things.

2010-07-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

Bad things happen to me at the end of every semester of nursing school.
--Last semester: got my car nice and totaled!!
--semester before: I was in the hospital.
--semester before that: grandpa died during finals, and I hydroplaned on the way to the hospital and seriously almost died myself.
--and the semester before that: too bad to say/ ended a friendship that was pretty important to me at the time. for some reason.

So excuse me as I get ULTRA nervous and stressed the next few weeks as the semester draws to a close....
as i don't wanna get in another wreck or go to the ER or have someone die on me...

on another note: i have tried new thing number 5: dying eyebrows.
1 time it looked good and the other---well if you see me, you'll know!!

Some Things You May Not Know

2010-06-25T00:43:00.000-07:00

I've been in a pageant. I've never been white water rafting. Yellow is subconsciously my favorite color. If money was no object, I would be a "life coach". I <3 photography. I've been spending ~40 hours a week in the hospital this summer for "work". I miss playing guitar. I miss my best friends. I think some people you are MEANT to meet, and some people you just happen to meet. I used to be a pescevegetarian.... for 4 hours. My favorite sport to play is basketball. I love traveling. I love trying new things. I do not like hotels. If it didn't matter that I ate all that sugar, I would eat FrootLoops every day. I think I used to be more funny. I like ultra girly-girl stuff, but I'm not "high maintenance". I prefer sleeping 8 hours a night. There's this TV show that I LOVE to watch, but I'm not gonna tell you what it is. I try really hard not to be such a darned people pleaser. I like giving advice. My favorite part of my job is not having anybody tell me exactly what to do. I'm terrible at drawing. I want to go skydiving. I want to be more of an outdoorsy-type chic when I get done with school and go hiking and camping and mountain biking and stuff. I'm not naturally athletic, but I can get good at a sport if I practice a lot. I REALLY like reading. I can't wait until I get to buy my next car. I'm fairly patriotic. I want to be one of those people that get up and exercise every morning before work, etc, but I am SO not a morning person.... I'm think I have been subconsciously scared of success. I'm not a cry-er. The end for now.

Health

2010-05-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

I would like to tell the world that YOU are responsible for your health. There is no health without mental health, so get off your crazy, jacked-up arse and fix it.

The FOURTH New Thing

2010-05-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

So I have another new thing in my life: Being a PCA. I finished my general hospital orientation and I will start my unit orientation soon. Everbody I've worked with has been absolutely great so far!! Next, I do my unit orientation and I'll be out on the floor. This will be a new and great experience. I will continue to work with cancer patients. (I worked with similar patients this past semester.) Anyway... maybe I will write a more intriguing post soon ;)

#3

2010-05-02T11:22:00.001-07:00

New thing number 3 is SPINNING. I <3 spinning.

CRAZY.

2010-04-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

I am going absolutely bonkers. Seriously about to go nuts. I need something new. I need someWHERE new.
Trussville/Birmingham/Hoover (and the entire state of alabama) is most definitely just NOT cutting it!!
About about to close my eyes, point at a map, and that's where I'm gonna go.

BUT I've been planning on going to New Orleans this weekend! WEW!! Perfect timing...

Jogging.

2010-04-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

OK. So I previously posted that I was "bad at new thing #2". However, this is not completely true....

I have been jogging, but like 4-5x's per week and I'm jogging farther and make better times on my mile runs.... so yeah, its not a total fail!! and I've been jogging by myself or with Brittany, and its great to have a jogging buddy again~!!

Also... Erica and I go to CRUNK! class and it is pretty fun... I get to work on my "moves"...
The dudes that teach it are soooo funny. I end up laughing half the time

Well, perhaps I minimally entertained you... but I promise to write something interesting soon!

Fail.

2010-03-29T20:09:00.001-07:00

......I suck at new thing #2.

New thing #2

2010-03-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

New thing number 2 is trying out hardcore running. Due to my lack of being in shape, i guess I have to work up to it. I mean, I hop on the elliptical or do a class at the gym or go for an occasional jog, but this is serious. [I was gonna try out having a personal trainer, but I guess I'm gonna hafta wait until I get out of college...]

So I've heard it takes three weeks to make a habit...
so every day for three weeks, I'm gonna run EVERY DAY. Now I know that hard-core runners are supposed to have rest days and what not... and I'll get to that... but first I'm making it a habit. I'll edit this little post to log my runs and give the location and distance, etc.

here we go:

Sunday, March 7; Outdoor 1/4-mile track: jogged 1.25 miles, walked .75 miles
Monday, March 8; 2-mile Mountain Bike Trail: mostly jogged
Tuesday, March 9; Rec Center 1/8-mile track: jogged 1.25 miles, walked 1.25 miles
Tuesday, March 9; run #2!! Rec center 1/8-mile track: jogged 1.25 miles, walked 1 mile

A Late New Years Resolution

2010-02-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

Approximately 3 weeks ago I decided to make a New Year's resolution: try 12 new things this year. I'm not just talking about that new elliptical machine at the gym (though I really liked it... it doesn't count.) So. I shall be averaging one per month, and I decided to start easy: serious indoor tanning.

Now I've had one life experience I label as "the tanning bed incident". I also label it as "the week of burning hell" or "my 10-minute lapse in judgment". This sweet-talkin' (secretly bitter) man told me to stay ten minutes in a high-power bed and I ended up with blisters all over every inch of my body with nothing but some expired aloe from a vindictive red-head to heal the wounds. So this time I am commencing in some SERIOUS indoor tanning, and I decided to do it right. I gathered all my information, gathered the supplies, and found an old acquaintance to hook me up with a 1-month student-discounted membership to the Sun Factory.

While I don't glow in the dark anymore, I'm not particularly tan. (Though I must say that this little tanning foray did not go unnoticed by my friends and acquaintances.) One of my favorite parts about this process has been the responses I get from other people that concerns my "tanning" (might I mention that "pinking" is more accurate???)

From my oncology clinical teacher the day after a too-long stint in the cancer coffin... "Would you like to talk about anything? You look red."
to which I replied "No...it's my life." and responded with a blush that only deepened my pallor.

From that dude I have class with.. "Have you been tanning? You look tan. Are you going to the beach??"
While I responded with "I'm going to Texas," inside I was thinking, "Hooray!! I've been called TAN for the first time ever. Goal: attained."

My most favorite part has been the part where the **uNiVeRsE** has told me to stop. (Also known as Erica, B., Lili, Marcus, my mom, and the American Dermatological Association) Matter of fact, the VERY week I started clinicals I had a patient with melanoma that I had to take care of, and I was coerced into looking up the risk factors. and what are the risk factors you might ask? Blond hair, blue eyes, freckles, fair skin that burns easily, and multiple blistering sunburns before the age of 20. AKA: MEEE!!! You want to see what the risk factors for melanoma are!?!? picture of Jen. there ya go.
Also, ~right~ as I was pulling into the parking lot of the Sun Factory (aka Melanoma Factory) the commercial from the American Dermatological Association comes on telling me:

Don't be stupid with your skin,
It's the only skin you're in....
UV lamps from the tanning bed,
they can turn your skin beet red,
wrinkles come from the UV light,
and age spots make you a frightful sight.
UV light: it gets worse!
skin cancer is a wicked curse.
Don't be the one that's tan and dead,
Use your brain, use your head.

So lets settle the score...
Pros: not glowing in the dark, not having tan lines, those short-term feel good endorphins, and "ensuring I have plenty of time in the 'sun' so my body can make the vitamin D it needs. I mean, a relatively high percentage of Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency, and I shan't be one of them " [that last one was my original justifications for trying tanning...]
and the Cons:
--that burnt feeling I get after staying in too long
--the "why are you pink??" comments after staying in too long
--skin not as smooth
--the risk of age spots that will "make me a frightful sight"
--the heightened risk of melanoma, since I am one all-encompassing risk factor (except for the family history part)
--costs money, and lets face it: I'm a poor college student.

So all-in-all...tanning: NOT WORTH IT. and I'm not keeping it in my life.

1 new thing down, 11 to go. maybe I will find some new things that I want to keep in my life...

So I shan't be the one that's tan and dead
I'll use my brain, use my head!!

isotretinoin.

2010-02-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

i'm usually a happy person.
but for the life of me, i can't be that person right now.
and i'm asking you to just be there and make me laugh....

please.

Studying

2010-01-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

There once was a girl named Jen
who studies now and again
when the test comes around
there's no doubt she'll be found
Cramming the info in.

That is my quickly written limerick about me studying for my first test in my adult nursing class...
which is what I should be doing now...
but instead, I am updating my blog with silly poetry...
I'm SOOOOO tired of studying and reading and studying and reading and studying and reading and studying and reading and studying and reading and studying and reading and studying and reading...
I'm only on my first test and I've only had one day of clinicals and I already feel like I need a break.

I think I am experiencing burnout. this is not good. not good at all...

but friends, the good news is that I am ACTUALLY hanging out with peeps tomorrow night... which is good, cuz all I've been up to since saturday is studying!! [well i guess I hung out with a couple folks Sunday evening, but lets face it...50% of that time was me studying at their apartment]

I'm missing out of the UAB basketball game tonight... grrr...
but maybe I'll start out the semester with a good grade on this test??
i'm sceered cuz 24 people failed this class last semester. That is almost 1/4. YIKES! [and I'm not talking about the pencil.]

I Want...

2010-01-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

to graduate and get my license fairly quickly.
to go to New Zealand.
to go to Ireland again.
to live somewhere refreshing.
to be good at photography and have an awesome camera that I KNOW HOW to use.
...I also want a couple of other things...

but then... MAYBE. MAYBE I'll go to graduate school. or do Doctors Without Borders... or something.

but there's nothing I want more than............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ;)

Getting into trouble....

2009-12-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

So there is this one particular area of my life that causes me to be ~seriously~ 100% bored...

boredom = eventually getting into trouble. lol.

so i shall fix it... yes...

As Promised

2009-12-17T22:47:00.000-08:00

I wrote a quick poem so I could relate the experience.

Oh Topsey's Exotic Ranch!!
How I miss that alluring land
where a zebra curiously befriends a yak!
no sweeter music graces my ears
than the screams that peirce mid camel attack.
No finer emotion will you feel
as goats follow on the path of your drive back.
Oh how I miss that alluring land
where a zebra curiously befriends a yak!

Now I expect you all to lower the lights, put on your berets, and beat on your congo drum. Snapping your fingers is appropriate if no drum is to be had.

As I was writing this poem, I realized that no words could express the horror of having a 1000+ pound yak run up to you with a foot-long lolling tongue streaming from its cavernous mouth chock-full of CrAzY-sHaRp teeth. Most scientists would lead you to believe that yaks are herbivores. THIS IS A FALSEHOOD. I repeat:: FALSEHOOD. As in... its a lie. No scientist that has ~truly~ ever peered into any yak's mouth has reason to believe that they only eat plants. and why are so many intelligent people of our society hoodwinked?? Those that peer into the yak's mouth without delivering a proper snack get eaten. It's that simple. Fortunately, we were equipped with a satisfying spherical snack that could easily be pitched into the yak's trap, and we were able to get away...until we met the camel.

As for the camel... we became good friends after we understood eachother... He could have SOME of our food, but he could NOT steal our entire bags full of food.
so...

yes!! How I miss that alluring land called Topsey's Exotic Ranch~!

I'm SOOOOO glad

2009-11-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

to be out of the state on iron bowl weekend. 'nough said.
Go Blazers??? (I'm actually pretty excited about basketball season!)
Update on Texas later....I'm loving it!

Its....... JUST JEN!!

2009-11-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

**stuff i wanna point out, etc**
--I guess I'll number them.

1) I can be assertive.
2) Passive people rarely achieve their goals.
3) Passive-aggressive and negativity are soooooooo "unbecoming".
4) Anger will eat you up and spit you out.
5) Being insanely busy makes time go by insanely fast. 6 months has SERIOUSLY felt like 3 weeks... tops! My days go by SOOO quickly, they run together.
6) Not all people have the capacity to form a friendship that endures the test of time.
7) Just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to be involved with them.
8) Loneliness happens to everybody... it doesn't matter what your relationship status is or how many friends or how big of a family you have or how much time you spend with these people... and I'm scared of reaching that point where I feel like I have that one person I almost rely on to completely eradicate that from my life-- only to one day find that they've cashed out for one reason or another
9) There are good ways of coping and there are bad ways of coping. Pick the good ways because the maladaptive ways ensure that you must also see yourself fall apart.
10)Spaghetti is gooooooooood.
11)I have ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS and it is awesome....gonna keep it that way.
12)I have some really great friends, but Lili and Carey and Amy and Nathan are the best. Never. I mean NEVER has one of these people EVER let me down.
13)I analyze people sometimes. but this is because...
14)I analyze and OVER analyze, and sometimes I analyze again. I like to call it "assessing the situation" and then the oh-so-necessary "re-assessing the situation" It's a nurse thing.
15)People do what you expect them to do.
16)I've never met a highly refined carbohydrate that I didn't like. dang it. they're not healthy.
17)Exercise is gooooooooood. There are too many reasons to do it,to not.
18)I love people and I love fast-paced. So I am in NURSING!! VOILA!!
19)Nursing is skill-based and knowledge-based. It is the perfect combination for meeeee!!
20)I can deal with blood and vomit all day, but please don't make me deal with excessively flaky gross skin. EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!
21)I am currently an insomniac. DANG IT!! Not being able to sleep when you need to is definitely classified as "detriment".
22)I'm about to go to Texas. This will be awesomeness in one of its purest forms.
23)I don't celebrate my birthday much... I celebrate my birthMONTH. This means that there is cause for joyousness for the month of november in its entirety.
24)I'm not obsessed with movies, nor are they my favorite form of entertainment, but I do enjoy a good movie!!
25) Sometimes I really like diet coke, sometimes I hate it along with all carbonation.

so yeah... peace and monkey grease

out.

There are Things That I Know, and There are Things That I Don't

2009-11-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

So here I shall post my rambling, though this may or may not be the best venue in which to present my thoughts... but it's better than facebook.

I don't feel I'm particularly unique or smart or all too talented but I'm not too dumb, I'm good at some things, and you didn't pass 20 of me on the way to work this morning. Furthermore, I DO have a combination of experiences that are definitely unique to me. This being the case, I feel I have some sort of perspective that I can lend to society (in one form or another)and not only does it have a voice-- it has undeniable value. Therefore, presenting what I have learned from my set of experiences is a worthwhile endeavor.

Religion is not a substitute for mental health. While religion accomplishes many purposes, including helping people cope with whatever life brings their way, it is not something that heals the mind. I'm unsure why so many people in our society are under the ruse that their religion is a fix-all for dark times and troubled places when it includes an ill-working mind. It's as if these people suggest that one should give starving children a box of band-aids and send them on their way. So many examples of this situation can be provided from my sphere of experience alone. No amount of praying stopped that woman from cutting her wrists time and time again. Having an unshakable belief of a god who loved her unconditionally did not relieve her of her despair. Two armfuls of solid scarring tell her story. No matter how much that young man understands that he has agency and believes he must make the right decisions, he will have a lengthy history of horrible 'mistakes' and seemingly hundreds of broken relationships because of his bipolarism. No matter how hard that girl tries to see her god as a 'light in the darkness' she still sinks deeper into despair and has more mood swings. In no way am I discounting ANY religion, but prayer and religion are NOT substitutes for treatment. Therefore, you will not hear me tell a suicidal person to kneel down and pray or think about Jesus. You WILL hear about me getting the suicidal person treatment and immediately help them in a manner that I have been somewhat trained to do. So yeah... lets not give the starving children a box of band-aids and send them on their way.

2 down 1 to go...

2009-11-23T20:33:00.001-08:00

BUSY BUSY BUSY

2009-11-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Ok. so I am taking 15 minutes to update my blog, but don't let it fool you. I have been SOOOOO busy. Its CRAZY!! I apologize to the friends it took me DAYS to call back [or even text back.] My mind is going in a million directions at once. I'm just really glad I chose to work a low-stress job at GAP...
Even on the weekends I have been really busy just doing stuff-- paperwork, studying, cleaning the old lady's house, executing a surprise birthday party, working, keeping a nursery, etc etc etc...
So this is my week starting tomorrow:
class, dr. appointment, run to thrillville, fhe, firestation 8-5 then work 5-9, test, work on project, class, finish paperwork, intramural, work/studying, more work, and then a LONG shift on friday.

Boo for long shifts at GAP.
So due to my non-interesting writing, I leave you with an interesting photo...
or not, cuz i gtg!!
i told you i was busy...

Here I present...

2009-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

THE MOONING MOBSTERS!!!

This team is comprised of the absolute finest football stars from all across the UAB campus. I just so happen to be the captain!! So yes-- I am a captain of a football team... but it's kinda like Bear Bryant being a leader of a knitting circle. So our team is really awesome and everybody is really fun! Our goal for the season, you ask?? To pulverize the other team well enough so our score is at least one point higher than theirs. Lofty you say? I think not!
Despite the blood, sweat, and tears, dislocated thumbs, destruction of shins, and elbows to the face, our team finds the determination to get out on that field and give one-hundred and ten percent every game!! and we have to! We have so much fun, and this is one of the many things that are redeeming my college experience this year.

Oh geez... so within the first few plays of the first game last Thursday, I am running really hard across the field, only to run head-first into a guy from the other team!! As much as I would like to say how hard I completely plowed through the fella, I got knocked back onto my bum into a mud hole! However, I dare say he thought twice about trying to run me over again.

2009-08-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

I believe that all days are inherently good.
--- I just haven't figured out how this one is yet. Pa died today. He was pretty darn healthy and had an excellent quality of life until the very end. This is Pa and I, at Aunt Lisa's lake house at Thanksgiving. One of the things I will remember the most about Pa is the look he would get in his eye when he was telling me how things really were. I will always remember him for the intense love and devotion he has for his family. Love you bunches, Poppy!!

NEW BLOG ENTRY

2009-07-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

So. EPIC FAIL (cuz I haven't blogged in a while.) It's definitely not because I don't have anything interesting to write about.

It's just that I don't have anything interesting to write about.
However, I must say that this summer is actually infinitely better than last summer, simply because I decided not to work at the good ole BBQ joint called Richard's. That place is enough to ruin anyone's outlook on life. (especially if you decide to try their abnormally sweet collard greens...ew)

SO: I've clean this old lady's house and cut her grass and weed-eat it and edge her yard about once a week... oy. so i've kept my head above water.

THEN... there is the whole nursing school thing. Now don't get me wrong, I *LOVE* the profession I have chosen, but I can honestly say that this summer semester has allowed me to bolster great animosity towards...(well... for lack of a better, non-offensive way to put it) maternal things. I mean hospital-y baby-bearing matters. I honestly don't wanna check your uterus to see if it is boggy or not, and I don't wanna put drops of pee on a little card to test it for various things. and I most DEFINITELY don't wanna see how your lochia is doing today. However, the whole nursing thing on the whole= LOVE.
So to get through the semester I've had to keep my eye on the prize:: GRADUATION and MOVING. SO pheonix, arizona, here I come!! In August of 2010, that is! (Well, maybe... I'm not completely ruling out other places yet)

UNRELATED NEWS: I'm making a third attempt at painting some "modern art" At first I claimed I was creating abstract art, until one of my well-cultured friends pointed out that abstract art is supposed to BE something. So, because of my lack of painting skills, I am creating something that goes under the "modern art" category.

Adieu, my fair readers, and expect another update!!

"I'm Not Dead Yet!"

2009-01-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

So I admit it. I am a slacker. Blogging regularly just MAY not be my strong point.
BTW, I drew the title of this entry of the blog from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Christmas break was long and fantastic. Chris and Val and Stephanie came into town and we had a freakin blast~!
Steve got to come into town a few weeks before they did, and of course that was a grand time as well...

So NURSING SCHOOL!!! AHHH!!! As of right now, you could say that I am kicking its butt, but I dunno if that really counts, considering my first validations are tomorrow and my first big test is MONDAY!! and what's amazing is that I've already started studying for it.
I must say I've taken a few large strides this semester by...
1)reading everything I'm supposed to before class
2)adequately preparing for labs
3)studying the week before the test
4) Early to bed, early to rise!! of course one must consider what I think of as 'early' which would be 10:30 pm and 6:30 am....

So I have clinicals in the Veteran's hospital in Birmingham, and it is really a great facility. I was thinking that I got the second-worst choice of hospital, but actually, it is pretty darn nice.
I guess we'll see what i think of the patrons.....

anyway... I absolutely LOVE what I am learning/doing in nursing school (except how to pack wounds and bathe people...ew.)

I'm just gonna go eat some hay. I can lay by the bay, make things out of clay, I just may, what'd ya say?

2008-12-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun hanging with two of my BFF's yesterday!!
Not only was it AwEsOmE, it was Applebee-riffic! lol

ANYWAY, the semester is over and the grades are in.
I would have done better if I didn't get mono this pass semester and miss 14 classes of statistics and 18-ish classes of microbiology!! SOMEHOW I got an A in Survey of Health Professions, despite my poor attendance and willingness to do homework. I think my amazing project and speech at the end of the semester made up for it, cuz my teacher seemed to love it, and hey! I got a 100 on it!
There is one class that I NEVER MISSED this semester. It didn't matter how destroyed (with mono) I was, I still went to that class:: Microbiology Lab. It's difficult to make-up this class when you are constantly bringing in poo and pee and spit samples and growing cultures of them!! EW. It was really funny because a lot of people seemed self-conscious about what they are bringing in...
(i was going to give an example.... but i thought better of it)

anyway, i'm kinda liking the break so far. Some of the things I have done/going to do over the break (besides the obvious Christmas stuff):
A) I've gotten to hang out with my brother Steve that has been in Iraq serving as a Platoon Leader for the past 6 months. it was so fun!
B) play lots of rock band. woo!
C) work my demeaning job while looking for another, less awful one
D) put up Christmas decorations for Ms. Bell. (Maybe I'll post about her later)
E) Chris and Val and Stephanie are coming in town!! HOORAY!
F) Brett and Carey and Lili are back in town, so I get to hang with them some too!

Semester Winding Down

2008-11-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

FINALS!! WOO!
The semester is almost over~ not that I like finals or anything... but I will definately love having a break!!

I'm completely finished for the semester on Dec. 8th!! WOO!

Favorite Memories

2008-11-16T18:50:00.001-08:00

So... I was neglecting homework and studying, completing a survery, and a question says "what is your favorite memory??"
You see, that is a difficult question. But I came up with some memories that are up there. One recent, one semi-recent, and a childhood memory.

RECENT:
Leinani, Will, Marcus, Destiny, some others, and I went to a haunted house then afterwards we played Risk. It was an amusing and funny night... The haunted house got stuff on me, (EWW!!!) so I had to change clothes. I won't explain it all. ROFL!

SEMI-RECENT:
K. We were at gulf shores. Emily, Corey, and I saw fit to carry a huge, dead jellyfish at least 3/4 of a mile and to the balcony of where we are staying (which was like the 7th or 8th floor, I think...) and just chunking it!! Hearing it splat was the best thing ever. WOW. that was quite a wierd thing we did! It was fun! We named the poor jellyfish... I forgot what it was though.

CHILDHOOD:
Having FHE with the fam, singing this kids song "Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me" and me and chris and steve following my dad around as he is doing somersaults and stuff all over the livingroom as my mom was playing it on the piano.
Also, another good memory is steve, chris, and I having a foodfight practically in the livingroom of our house!! I remember veg-all being involved... I don't remember if we got in trouble or not....

Mono

2008-11-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

This has been taking over my life SO much, I decided to dedicate an entire blog entry to it!!!
Oh my gosh, I have had this for SEVEN WEEKS. INCLUDING FEVERS. The worst case scenario is only supposed to be 4-6 WKS!!
As I am in microbiology now, I found it extremely appropriate to utilize a microscope slide pic of the virus!!

THAT IS IN ME! and it won't go away.
Okay..so last night, I went bowling. I'll be honest, I barely made it through the second game! THEN, the next day.... STILL very tired and i feel like death. So I am chilling at the doctor's office, and before I know it, they inject this stuff into me with a needle that would prolly be used on a small stegosaurus...and THEN this same stuff (which I now must take in pill form) is supposed to make me endlessly hungry!! GRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr. I never volunteered for this.

The other week at church, my hometeacher asked me where I've been and what I've been up to, and I was like "having mono" and then he was all like "haha. that's what you get!"

GET FOR WHAT!? lol jk I know what you guys are thinking, but i didn't just kiss the wrong person and get mono.... i don't think.... i just got it.

The Best Way to Decide Things...

2008-11-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

I have some decisions to make. Most of which are important.
SOOO... what better thing to do than ask the Magic 8 Ball?
It hasn't steered me wrong yet!

2008-11-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

Lucky #7
Things I can do.....
7. I can write awesome papers for school
6. I can sing at least a little better than the general population ;)
5. I can cook... for real. I can cook pretty darn well... just cuz i haven't done it for you...rofl.
4. I can make a three leaf clover with my tongue.
3. I can juggle.
2. I can play guitar a little bit.
1. I can make good grades.

7 Things I can't do.....
7. I can't do a back hand spring
6. I can't go a day without my beloved mac
5. I can't go a day without drinking water
4. I can't burp, really...
3. I can't enjoy cleaning the kitchen.
2. I can't eat macaroni and cheese because it is nasty.
1. I can't not sleep smack in the middle of my bed.

7 Things I LOVE about MY LIFE (replace this word with something you really love!)....
7. I love how I get to do most of the things I want to.
6. I love how I get to sleep in on Tues/Thurs/Sat
5. I love my friends
4. I love that I'm trying to play guitar.
3. I love mine and mostly Nate's songs/ music project
2. I love the fam
1. I love chilling with my peeps, lol

7 Things I say too much.
7. "What's all this?"
6. "I don't wanna go to class"
5. "Really?"
4. "Well..."
3. "Hello!" at work
2. "I can't be one if I don't have one" ~ rather not explain that... though you might could guess lol
1. I can't think of another one

7 Celebrity Admirations....
7. Johnny Depp
6. Will Ferrell
5. Jim Carrey
4. Kiera Knightley
3. Nicole Kidman
2. Oprah...lol
1.

7 Favorite Foods.... not in any particular order...
7. Pizza
6. IceCream
5. Spaghetti
4. Chicken Fingers
3. Grapes
2. Cheese Dip
1. Tortilla chips

7 People to tag....
sorry. not tagging

2008-10-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
''''''''''''''''''''''''
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...it's just a lyrical [truth]...

2008-10-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Woo! I know that all of you die-hard fans of mine are dying for me to post some of my lyrics. I'll be honest, I was wary of this at first, but I guess I'll take one for the team... lol.

I'm good after all.
I'm good after all.

You desire the things that don't matter the most,
your silly dreams will blow up in smoke,
I can't wait for the day
'til I have what you've wanted, all along

(Chorus)

Bridge:
I can't belittle your smile,
but here I take my stand,
Duck out, duck out while you can.

After all that time where we've prevented your loss
I step back now and weigh the cost
maybe we should have let you do what you've wanted, all along.

I'm good after all.
I'm good after all.

...and I thought I knew you all along.

Expecting the Unexpected

2008-10-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

WOAH!! I got into UAB's nursing school. I wasn't expecting a letter until next week, and I happened to be in trussville for an eye appointment, and my dad went out and got the mail, and was like "The same old boring stuff" and I look, and there is this huge white envelope with the UAB emblem. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to get in, but I take the envelope, and I'm like 'Wow. It's thick." and I open it up and the first line is all like "Congradulations!!" La dee dah dee dah... So. Yah. Apparently I'm in nursing school now~ wierd. If i'm doing this, you better bet I'm gonna be one of the best... lol.
BTW..I'm getting close to getting over mono. bleck.

A New Blog is Born!

2008-10-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Wowie, a new blog!!! Lovely. So let me bring you up to speed...
-UAB is going so well this semester! I made a 100 on my stats test (when the class average was 84) , have a 101 average in personal health, a B in microbiology (ya know, thats pretty decent from what i hear) and i am having a blast and a half with my online classes.... okay, jk about the last part.
-I have mono. It sucks. Fevers and being tired...oy!
-I am working at Richards BBQ on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I really don't like it. Imagine a skinny male version of the Queen of Hearts from Alice and Wonderland. That's who i work for. and yes, his hair is THAT bad. lol.

Our Own Disaster
So my friend Nate and I kinda have this music gig going. Nate has been doing pretty much all of the writing, but I put my 2 cents in. We have played at RedLine twice, and we played at a church dance last night! However...there was something different about last night... It was more fun AND we now have a name for our music project!! We are calling it 'Our Own Disaster' and I'll be honest... I have so much fun playing with this!!

Here is our playlist, most of which are originals, unless otherwise noted::
-The Pavement Song
-An Awkward Glance
-Set Sails West
-Your Own Disaster ~Taking Back Sunday
- + more are in the works!!

I have 2 songs that I have written on guitar, pretty much by myself which include 'After All' and some other not entitled work. Also,I just started learning a cover song by Secondhand Serenade, entitled Awake.
I hope you guys enjoy hearing a bit about what is going on with me through this blog!!