I know I haven't blogged in a super long time, and for two reasons:
1. I tend to only focus on the negatives and not enough on the positives.
2. Grad school is BUSY.
Seriously these last two weeks have been incredibly insane. But that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about how I feel.
And the truth is, I'm happy.
I'm happier than I've been in years. I don't remember the last time I felt this content with the majority of the things in my life. Especially this week.
Yesterday I bared by soul to my class in my personal occupation presentation. It was on writing, and how writing filled this gaping hole where music and performing used to be. It was an exploration and reflection on how writing influenced me and became the forefront and marker of who I am as a person. I even did something crazy. I re-wrote a terrible short story I did as an assignment in high school and gave it to all of my classmates, including my teacher. That was a big step. But the part that made it all worth it? My class loved it. I got nothing but positive feedback from a lot of my classmates, saying that I inspired them to write and that they had never seen me so excited about something and that I in turn excited them. It made me exhausted after that rush of adrenaline, but the positive feedback I got gave me courage when presenting alone, something that I've been afraid to do for years.
And today? Today we reviewed for our kinesiology final. And during that, as we struggled to remember range of motion and nerve innervations and the anatomical structures of the upper body, I began to feel an enormous rush of affection for my class. All of them. Even the ones I don't talk to as much. This was further enforced when, during our break, one of my classmates approached me to tell me how much he loved my presentation and to slip me a CD with the title "Perchance to Dream..." Later in an email, he told me that it was the final mixed version of an album that he's been working on since June, and that only a few people in his closest circle have heard it. I was so touched that he would entrust this to me. I'm currently listening to it now, and it's incredible. It's so hauntingly beautiful. I have so many talented classmates, all with different and awesome interests that they are currently sharing with us during our presentations.
So, current update:
- life is crazy, with tons of assignments and NaNoWriMo looming over the horizon
- I have friends, lots of them, some closer than others. And when I say closer I mean we live around the corner from each other
- I feel such love and affection for all of them
- through these past two weeks I feel like we've bonded through our mutual hardships and that we can confide in each other
- I love my major. If these are the people that I'm going to work with in this profession, then I welcome it
And now I should probably get to studying for my midterm on Thursday. Move them arm bones!
Tuesday 25 October 2016
Thursday 8 September 2016
"It Depends"
So today I got to delve back into the wonderful word of Lifespan after feeling so detached from it for a week. As we talked about infant development and the difference stages they go through, it got me thinking about all the different and contradictory parenting techniques that are out there. To co-sleep, to not co-sleep. To vaccinate, to not vaccinate. All these difference myths. Do any of them work?
It depends.
This is something my Lifespan teacher says so often it's her motto. I think it's just to push the point home that if you've met one baby...you've met one baby. Every baby develops differently and responds differently to things. It's our job as caregivers and parents to recognize and respond to those needs.
Anyways, it was something I found interesting.
On a personal note, I got my insurance taken care of. Or more like it was taken care of without me knowing about it. But I've been covered since the beginning of the month so I'm good. I'm feeling less stressed about adulting things. Though I've not started to feel good (scratchy throat) so we shall see where this takes us. Baby lab tomorrow, we get to watch a 2 month old!
It depends.
This is something my Lifespan teacher says so often it's her motto. I think it's just to push the point home that if you've met one baby...you've met one baby. Every baby develops differently and responds differently to things. It's our job as caregivers and parents to recognize and respond to those needs.
Anyways, it was something I found interesting.
On a personal note, I got my insurance taken care of. Or more like it was taken care of without me knowing about it. But I've been covered since the beginning of the month so I'm good. I'm feeling less stressed about adulting things. Though I've not started to feel good (scratchy throat) so we shall see where this takes us. Baby lab tomorrow, we get to watch a 2 month old!
Monday 5 September 2016
Labor Day
Today is one of those days where you really are grateful for the fact that you don't work in a thankless serving job where you have to wait on people on a federal holiday. The restaurant-that-shall-be-named has recently started it's endless pasta bowl promotion and I am so glad I don't have to work it this year. I realized this yesterday at a cookout my parents were having. I'm a free agent to do what I please. And that is study and become an Occupational Therapist.
Today I read and completed an outline on a really great article. It was published in 1997 and talked about how OT had lost its meaning, how the activities had no meaning and how to get back to having meaning. It was great, and for the first time ever I was able to incorporate something that I had learned waaaay back when I was a business major. See there was this guy named Maslow and one day he came up with this pyramid he called the Hierarchy of Needs. It stated that there were five different levels of needs for the human being. Physiological, Safety and Security, Social, Esteem (both self and other) and self-actualization, the final level being equivalent of reaching nirvana. The theory stated that once you met one type of need, you could move onto the next. The catch however was that you couldn't move back down. As a business major, this drove me crazy! As an Occupational Therapist, this theory rocks! It's baseline for what you need to work on? Can the client independently self-care? Yes? Great! Do they talk to strangers and trust everyone regardless? Yes? Let's work on that. It was so cool to see those parallels from my former major and my current study when I thought the two were as different as apples and carrots.
Once I had finished the outline and submitted it, I realized two things. One, I had forgotten to include my reference for the citing I did in the outline (oops) and two, I was done for the next two days pretty much. Party! Or the equivalent of it, which was play Final Fantasy for a few hours. I have one journal article to read tomorrow and I'm good!
But now it's time for bed. The four day weekend has been swell, but it's back to the grindstone tomorrow!
Today I read and completed an outline on a really great article. It was published in 1997 and talked about how OT had lost its meaning, how the activities had no meaning and how to get back to having meaning. It was great, and for the first time ever I was able to incorporate something that I had learned waaaay back when I was a business major. See there was this guy named Maslow and one day he came up with this pyramid he called the Hierarchy of Needs. It stated that there were five different levels of needs for the human being. Physiological, Safety and Security, Social, Esteem (both self and other) and self-actualization, the final level being equivalent of reaching nirvana. The theory stated that once you met one type of need, you could move onto the next. The catch however was that you couldn't move back down. As a business major, this drove me crazy! As an Occupational Therapist, this theory rocks! It's baseline for what you need to work on? Can the client independently self-care? Yes? Great! Do they talk to strangers and trust everyone regardless? Yes? Let's work on that. It was so cool to see those parallels from my former major and my current study when I thought the two were as different as apples and carrots.
Once I had finished the outline and submitted it, I realized two things. One, I had forgotten to include my reference for the citing I did in the outline (oops) and two, I was done for the next two days pretty much. Party! Or the equivalent of it, which was play Final Fantasy for a few hours. I have one journal article to read tomorrow and I'm good!
But now it's time for bed. The four day weekend has been swell, but it's back to the grindstone tomorrow!
Sunday 4 September 2016
The Long Weekend
The second day of the New Mexico OT conference was pretty much just as awesome as the first one. Instead of going to the talk regarding hippo-therapy (horse therapy), I went to one more suited to my needs. Managing stress. Fitting yes? The lecture was all about using breathing and other techniques to relax and manage stress through a short course known as KORU. We did breathing exercises that were so relaxing and just as I was going to ask where I sign up I found out that we don't have KORU here. In fact, the OT heading the speech is from Las Vegas. But one of my instructors was in there so maybe she can help get some training on board to have a course at UNM.
During the lunch we were treated to our first NMOTA meeting. It was very official, with making motions and all in favor stuff. It was pretty cool. We elected a new president (who wasn't even there...) and a new secretary and just as the meeting was going to be adjourned the now-former president (and one of the faculty at UNM) started chucking shirts into the crowd which got on the over salty chicken we were having. Then she pulled out the water bottles and luckily she didn't throw those because they were metal. I was able to snag one and well, give it to J because I have one that love and won't give up. Unfortunately the shirts she threw out were the last of the ones I was going to buy, so I ended up getting a pretty cool shirt being sold by the second-years to raise money for their graduation.
That afternoon I sat in on a talk about using Virtual Reality and technology for Occupational Therapy. It was just as fascinating as the other ones I had been to, plus we got to play with cool toys! It gave me even more ideas of what kinds of things I want to do as an OT, and what I want to see developed for OT. And just like that, the conference was over. I turned in a survey, picked up my NMOTA membership pin, and headed home.
Today I did some of my group paper and for the most part relaxed. I know that starting Tuesday it'll be back to the hectic life that is grad school. But I'm really glad that I was able to experience the conference in full. The only thing I didn't like was that hardly any of my classmates went, while the students from Western New Mexico University were all there in matching shirts. Maybe I can advocate for a better turn our next year. I feel like budding OTs would benefit so much from going.
And that's it really. I'm super tired so I'm going to go to bed. Until next time...
During the lunch we were treated to our first NMOTA meeting. It was very official, with making motions and all in favor stuff. It was pretty cool. We elected a new president (who wasn't even there...) and a new secretary and just as the meeting was going to be adjourned the now-former president (and one of the faculty at UNM) started chucking shirts into the crowd which got on the over salty chicken we were having. Then she pulled out the water bottles and luckily she didn't throw those because they were metal. I was able to snag one and well, give it to J because I have one that love and won't give up. Unfortunately the shirts she threw out were the last of the ones I was going to buy, so I ended up getting a pretty cool shirt being sold by the second-years to raise money for their graduation.
That afternoon I sat in on a talk about using Virtual Reality and technology for Occupational Therapy. It was just as fascinating as the other ones I had been to, plus we got to play with cool toys! It gave me even more ideas of what kinds of things I want to do as an OT, and what I want to see developed for OT. And just like that, the conference was over. I turned in a survey, picked up my NMOTA membership pin, and headed home.
Today I did some of my group paper and for the most part relaxed. I know that starting Tuesday it'll be back to the hectic life that is grad school. But I'm really glad that I was able to experience the conference in full. The only thing I didn't like was that hardly any of my classmates went, while the students from Western New Mexico University were all there in matching shirts. Maybe I can advocate for a better turn our next year. I feel like budding OTs would benefit so much from going.
And that's it really. I'm super tired so I'm going to go to bed. Until next time...
Friday 2 September 2016
NMOTA Conference
Today classes were cancelled because the faculty all attended the New Mexico Occupational Therapy Association conference and we were invited to. It was pricey to attend even as a student but I learned today that it was worth it.
This conference has been AMAZING. There are so many OTs here and a lot of the speakers have been amazing. The keynote speaker this morning was talking about creativity and how we have to focus on occupation and not the tasks and tools being used and it completely alluded to what our Kinesiology teacher was talking about. There was a great panel on how to integrate OT into the classroom and actually getting in the student's classroom in order for them to not miss out on work. It made me appreciate how the teacher's at the school I was an aid at allowed OT into the room for services. The next panel was on Resources for Recovery in Mental Health patients who were either veterans or homeless. While I don't really see myself in that sort of field it was really interesting to hear about that field. As an OT in training I want to keep my option open as well as my mind. After all, I never saw myself working with autism clients and now I really want to do Camp Rising Sun because of my time in the school system in Albuquerque.
Overall today really cemented how blessed and lucky I am to be going into this profession. Everyone I have met at this conference and heard from has been amazing. It's also inspiring to see all my professors there, some of them who were even speakers! Overall it was fantastic day and I can't wait for tomorrow.
As a post script, I'll be kind of changing things up on this blog. I feel like every time I start blogging again, I get really sad because I feel the pressure to post only good things about my day. So instead I think I might just post about what I learned that day and maybe a personal note at the end if I feel like this. Not only will this help me remember and retain things more, but it will maybe reinforce the title of the blog in general.
Anyways, it's late. Plus my roommate threw a party for all of this classmates meaning I may have had a bit too much to drink. Good night for now.
This conference has been AMAZING. There are so many OTs here and a lot of the speakers have been amazing. The keynote speaker this morning was talking about creativity and how we have to focus on occupation and not the tasks and tools being used and it completely alluded to what our Kinesiology teacher was talking about. There was a great panel on how to integrate OT into the classroom and actually getting in the student's classroom in order for them to not miss out on work. It made me appreciate how the teacher's at the school I was an aid at allowed OT into the room for services. The next panel was on Resources for Recovery in Mental Health patients who were either veterans or homeless. While I don't really see myself in that sort of field it was really interesting to hear about that field. As an OT in training I want to keep my option open as well as my mind. After all, I never saw myself working with autism clients and now I really want to do Camp Rising Sun because of my time in the school system in Albuquerque.
Overall today really cemented how blessed and lucky I am to be going into this profession. Everyone I have met at this conference and heard from has been amazing. It's also inspiring to see all my professors there, some of them who were even speakers! Overall it was fantastic day and I can't wait for tomorrow.
As a post script, I'll be kind of changing things up on this blog. I feel like every time I start blogging again, I get really sad because I feel the pressure to post only good things about my day. So instead I think I might just post about what I learned that day and maybe a personal note at the end if I feel like this. Not only will this help me remember and retain things more, but it will maybe reinforce the title of the blog in general.
Anyways, it's late. Plus my roommate threw a party for all of this classmates meaning I may have had a bit too much to drink. Good night for now.
Monday 29 August 2016
Mana Mana
Every morning in Lifespan our teacher asks us on this app we use how we're feeling. There's a chart with pictures of Muppets and everything. There's one I always pick, and it's the Mana Mana one. You know, from the old Muppet Show? It kind of describes the blegh feeling I feel sometimes. And I definitely feel Mana Mana right now.
I wish I had an easier time making friends. I know I'm an acquired taste because I'm weird and nerdy but I can usually get along with other nerdy people. And so far no one has presented themselves as nerdy in my class. Or at least, nerdy with a desire to meet other nerds. It's an adjustment. I'm trying to be normal but I'm not normal. I'd rather talk about Harry Potter than boys and Instagram pictures any day. I'm sure I'll eventually find someone that I talk to every day and eat lunch with, but until then I feel like I'm back in high school. I need to make friends. I'm with these people for another two years. There's bound to be someone right?
Anyways, this thought plagued me so much that at one point I was unable to move for a while. But I guess I should stop worrying and be myself.
But what is myself is someone they don't like?
I'm sure I'll figure it out.
I don't really have much to report today. Maybe tomorrow.
I wish I had an easier time making friends. I know I'm an acquired taste because I'm weird and nerdy but I can usually get along with other nerdy people. And so far no one has presented themselves as nerdy in my class. Or at least, nerdy with a desire to meet other nerds. It's an adjustment. I'm trying to be normal but I'm not normal. I'd rather talk about Harry Potter than boys and Instagram pictures any day. I'm sure I'll eventually find someone that I talk to every day and eat lunch with, but until then I feel like I'm back in high school. I need to make friends. I'm with these people for another two years. There's bound to be someone right?
Anyways, this thought plagued me so much that at one point I was unable to move for a while. But I guess I should stop worrying and be myself.
But what is myself is someone they don't like?
I'm sure I'll figure it out.
I don't really have much to report today. Maybe tomorrow.
Sunday 28 August 2016
Better days behind, better days ahead
I've been slacking off blogging and I have no one to blame but myself for that. So sit tight, it's gonna be a long ride. At least until the Advil PM kicks in, so maybe 20 minutes.
Thursday was awesome. I really feel the least stressed when I'm in class. Is that weird? I'm sure it is, but maybe it's because I'm loving what we're learning. Different developmental theories and applying them to OT in Lifespan, meeting with my group and talking about who we're going to interview and how to keep in touch in Evidence Based Practice, and getting called a good OT in Kinesiology because I figured out how to help a two-fingered patient learn the guitar. Thursday was just a good day in general, even the evening turned out okay. I got out early so while waiting for J I snuggled up in a study pod and looked over a great article about the Philosophy of OT which still holds up almost 100 years later.
Friday was really good too. We had two guest speakers that talked to us about stress and development, as well as epigenetics. We got to tie it all in to OT as well. The class didn't end on a high note (talking about still births and miscarriages), but I did get to explain to the class about spina bifida which was coo. Then I got my badge fixed. Turns about my access was never activated. Thank God I didn't have to get a third replacement badge. Then I got to visit my kiddos at my old school. They were nuts today! Still it was good to see them.
Saturday I went to a funeral which was sad. And that night was the Harry Potter edition of Geeks who Drink. That I admit was pretty fun. Good food and good company. Our team name was Highway to the Granger Zone. Funny right? We didn't win but we placed around 7th and were pretty high up there until the Random Knowledge round kicked our ass. Still, it was pretty fun.
And now we're at today...yeah here we go.
I was pretty lazy today. I didn't actually get up until around noon. Then I started my outline of the article I read on Thursday for our group discussion. The only thing was I couldn't concentrate, I had a headache, and my roommates were being pretty loud. They actually weren't yelling but they talk loud and when your house has concrete floors, it carries. No big though. I packed up my stuff and headed to the library where it was nice and quiet. I finished up my outline and sent it in...until I realized that there was a whole section that I had left out and I had accidentally double spaced when I should have single spaced. I sent in the single spaced version but that left out section had me feeling pretty bad about the rest of it. It stressed me out. On top of that now my ID badge is saying that I don't have the $10 worth of free printing that I should have. Like are you kidding me?! Whatever. I printed at home.
So yeah, even though my week ended great, there are still things out there that are stressing me out, like waiting for insurance to approve me so I can sign up for insurance and UNM threatening me with their overpriced insurance if the waiver I filled out doesn't get to them in time. Just ugh.
But I'm focusing on the good times that are to come. I will get better at this grad school stuff, and come out of it a great OT. So until next time, good night.
P.S. I have accepted my fate as a UNM student. I still have trouble saying I'm a Lo...you know, but I'll be an Aggie at heart (I did my undergrad at NMSU, Go Aggies!). By the way, accepting my fate means I've painted my nails red and silver. Though I feel like I did a crappy job as an unconscious protest.
Thursday was awesome. I really feel the least stressed when I'm in class. Is that weird? I'm sure it is, but maybe it's because I'm loving what we're learning. Different developmental theories and applying them to OT in Lifespan, meeting with my group and talking about who we're going to interview and how to keep in touch in Evidence Based Practice, and getting called a good OT in Kinesiology because I figured out how to help a two-fingered patient learn the guitar. Thursday was just a good day in general, even the evening turned out okay. I got out early so while waiting for J I snuggled up in a study pod and looked over a great article about the Philosophy of OT which still holds up almost 100 years later.
Friday was really good too. We had two guest speakers that talked to us about stress and development, as well as epigenetics. We got to tie it all in to OT as well. The class didn't end on a high note (talking about still births and miscarriages), but I did get to explain to the class about spina bifida which was coo. Then I got my badge fixed. Turns about my access was never activated. Thank God I didn't have to get a third replacement badge. Then I got to visit my kiddos at my old school. They were nuts today! Still it was good to see them.
Saturday I went to a funeral which was sad. And that night was the Harry Potter edition of Geeks who Drink. That I admit was pretty fun. Good food and good company. Our team name was Highway to the Granger Zone. Funny right? We didn't win but we placed around 7th and were pretty high up there until the Random Knowledge round kicked our ass. Still, it was pretty fun.
And now we're at today...yeah here we go.
I was pretty lazy today. I didn't actually get up until around noon. Then I started my outline of the article I read on Thursday for our group discussion. The only thing was I couldn't concentrate, I had a headache, and my roommates were being pretty loud. They actually weren't yelling but they talk loud and when your house has concrete floors, it carries. No big though. I packed up my stuff and headed to the library where it was nice and quiet. I finished up my outline and sent it in...until I realized that there was a whole section that I had left out and I had accidentally double spaced when I should have single spaced. I sent in the single spaced version but that left out section had me feeling pretty bad about the rest of it. It stressed me out. On top of that now my ID badge is saying that I don't have the $10 worth of free printing that I should have. Like are you kidding me?! Whatever. I printed at home.
So yeah, even though my week ended great, there are still things out there that are stressing me out, like waiting for insurance to approve me so I can sign up for insurance and UNM threatening me with their overpriced insurance if the waiver I filled out doesn't get to them in time. Just ugh.
But I'm focusing on the good times that are to come. I will get better at this grad school stuff, and come out of it a great OT. So until next time, good night.
P.S. I have accepted my fate as a UNM student. I still have trouble saying I'm a Lo...you know, but I'll be an Aggie at heart (I did my undergrad at NMSU, Go Aggies!). By the way, accepting my fate means I've painted my nails red and silver. Though I feel like I did a crappy job as an unconscious protest.
Wednesday 24 August 2016
I'm such a hot mess right now
Seriously I lost it this afternoon and it threw me off for the rest of night. But more on that later.
Not gonna lie, today was awesome. We started late, and only really had one class. Yes graduate seminar has stuff for us to complete but it was in that class that I really felt like I could finally do what I've wanted to do for a while. Study OT. That is my focus. I can do that all I want and it's gonna be amazing. The afternoon was great too. We got into groups to discuss the history of OT which is FASCINATING. At the same time no wonder nobody knows what we do, we've been everywhere! I really want to talk about the origins right now but I need to get to bed soon, my first class is at 8 tomorrow morning.
So it was after class when the problems started. I went to print some stuff out in the library and wouldn't you know it, my badge doesn't work. I have to go back to security and they'll fix it. No big deal right? Right. Then we went home where my only duties were to make a new account to apply for that job I want (done), do the reading for tomorrow, and begin signing up for health insurance.
And this is where it all went wrong.
I filled out an application on the Obamacare website and while I do qualify for Medicaid I need to wait for an approval before I can sign up, which would be fine except I lose coverage at the end of this month and you know something's gonna happen before then. It was then I decided to waive the UNM insurance while I still could, which means they needed my current information. It was then that my ONLY copy of my insurance card grew legs and walked away saying fuck you in the process.
I tore apart the room looking for it. It was bad, there were tears. I'm still hormonal because my body can't decide whether or not to finish my period. I finally called the insurance company and was able to get a copy printed out from online, photographed, emailed, saved, and sent as proof of insurance. That was a hassle though, and now I have to wait for forever and a day just to see if I can have coverage for the school year. I really hope so, paying the super expensive student insurance isn't in my budget. Anyways, that whole fiasco threw me of for the rest of the night. I had so much reading, and pretty cool stuff at that too, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just felt so disoriented. Even now as I write this I feel like such a hot mess.
I blame the chaos I felt on hormones, but also on my inability to cope with stress. I'm SO not used to being a full time student anymore. I need to learn to get back into the swing of things. I need to learn to be able to study in my own home. I need to learn not to freak out! Of course I say that now, but in the moment of stress I feel like I'm falling apart.
I'll get better. School is great and I'm loving the work. It's all the crap I have to do in order to be a damn grad student that's stressing me out so much!!! Health insurance, more training, immunizations, background checks, all this crap I spent all summer taking care of and then finding out it's not taken care of because more stuff has to be done! The site for waiving insurance wasn't up, they didn't send out the emails in time, they need the results of the background check that we were told we wouldn't need, they need all sorts of stuff for immunizations! What more do they want from me?! I just want to be an OT!!!!!!!
Ugh. Okay, it's late, I need to be up in seven hours, and I probably won't sleep because J has moved to the constant coughing stage of his being sick. I need sleep.
Things always look better on the other side of the night.
Not gonna lie, today was awesome. We started late, and only really had one class. Yes graduate seminar has stuff for us to complete but it was in that class that I really felt like I could finally do what I've wanted to do for a while. Study OT. That is my focus. I can do that all I want and it's gonna be amazing. The afternoon was great too. We got into groups to discuss the history of OT which is FASCINATING. At the same time no wonder nobody knows what we do, we've been everywhere! I really want to talk about the origins right now but I need to get to bed soon, my first class is at 8 tomorrow morning.
So it was after class when the problems started. I went to print some stuff out in the library and wouldn't you know it, my badge doesn't work. I have to go back to security and they'll fix it. No big deal right? Right. Then we went home where my only duties were to make a new account to apply for that job I want (done), do the reading for tomorrow, and begin signing up for health insurance.
And this is where it all went wrong.
I filled out an application on the Obamacare website and while I do qualify for Medicaid I need to wait for an approval before I can sign up, which would be fine except I lose coverage at the end of this month and you know something's gonna happen before then. It was then I decided to waive the UNM insurance while I still could, which means they needed my current information. It was then that my ONLY copy of my insurance card grew legs and walked away saying fuck you in the process.
I tore apart the room looking for it. It was bad, there were tears. I'm still hormonal because my body can't decide whether or not to finish my period. I finally called the insurance company and was able to get a copy printed out from online, photographed, emailed, saved, and sent as proof of insurance. That was a hassle though, and now I have to wait for forever and a day just to see if I can have coverage for the school year. I really hope so, paying the super expensive student insurance isn't in my budget. Anyways, that whole fiasco threw me of for the rest of the night. I had so much reading, and pretty cool stuff at that too, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just felt so disoriented. Even now as I write this I feel like such a hot mess.
I blame the chaos I felt on hormones, but also on my inability to cope with stress. I'm SO not used to being a full time student anymore. I need to learn to get back into the swing of things. I need to learn to be able to study in my own home. I need to learn not to freak out! Of course I say that now, but in the moment of stress I feel like I'm falling apart.
I'll get better. School is great and I'm loving the work. It's all the crap I have to do in order to be a damn grad student that's stressing me out so much!!! Health insurance, more training, immunizations, background checks, all this crap I spent all summer taking care of and then finding out it's not taken care of because more stuff has to be done! The site for waiving insurance wasn't up, they didn't send out the emails in time, they need the results of the background check that we were told we wouldn't need, they need all sorts of stuff for immunizations! What more do they want from me?! I just want to be an OT!!!!!!!
Ugh. Okay, it's late, I need to be up in seven hours, and I probably won't sleep because J has moved to the constant coughing stage of his being sick. I need sleep.
Things always look better on the other side of the night.
Tuesday 23 August 2016
Deer in the Headlights on the second day
I have about 20 minutes to write this before I go and start dinner. I have homework but J is still really sick and our roommate is submitting his thesis tonight while his wife is still at work. Ergo it's up to me. Which is why we're having Frito Pie because it's easy to make. Heat up the chili and cut up the onion and you're good to go!
So today I feel like was the more stressful day. In the morning we had Evidence Based Practice in which we'll be doing a lot of writing and our first project is due in two weeks. It's group project involving an interview with a practicing OT. My group got rehabilitation and participation, or something like that. It's a long title. Luckily we'll all get into our groups Thursday and figure out our topic. This is the class I feel like I'll have the hardest time explaining.
After lunch was Kinesiology. This is the one I was the most nervous about. And right I was. She started talking and I went instant deer in the headlights. I realized that I had forgotten about most of what I learned about muscles in A&P and just froze. It really stressed me out. Then she started talking about this practical and what happens if we don't pass enough times and how hard the tests are and by now I'm internally screaming and asking why I'm doing this in the first place.
So now I was stressed out so naturally I did the best thing possible and ran myself ragged at the gym. Shin splints suck. Still did it though! Now I'm home and need to start my reading, which I plan to do after dinner and to some soothing music.
So I have almost officially gone to all of my classes. The only one I have left is graduate seminar, which is only an hour a week. Back to Occupation and Health tomorrow so at least there's that.
All of this work has me wondering if I'll be able to do NaNoWriMo. November is when all the projects are due so it'll definitely be a challenge. I will attempt to do it though. I have two big assignments due right at the start of November so at least those will be out of the way.
And now it's time to start heating up the chili. I decide to write this early so that I can focus on my studies tonight.
Welcome to graduate school.
So today I feel like was the more stressful day. In the morning we had Evidence Based Practice in which we'll be doing a lot of writing and our first project is due in two weeks. It's group project involving an interview with a practicing OT. My group got rehabilitation and participation, or something like that. It's a long title. Luckily we'll all get into our groups Thursday and figure out our topic. This is the class I feel like I'll have the hardest time explaining.
After lunch was Kinesiology. This is the one I was the most nervous about. And right I was. She started talking and I went instant deer in the headlights. I realized that I had forgotten about most of what I learned about muscles in A&P and just froze. It really stressed me out. Then she started talking about this practical and what happens if we don't pass enough times and how hard the tests are and by now I'm internally screaming and asking why I'm doing this in the first place.
So now I was stressed out so naturally I did the best thing possible and ran myself ragged at the gym. Shin splints suck. Still did it though! Now I'm home and need to start my reading, which I plan to do after dinner and to some soothing music.
So I have almost officially gone to all of my classes. The only one I have left is graduate seminar, which is only an hour a week. Back to Occupation and Health tomorrow so at least there's that.
All of this work has me wondering if I'll be able to do NaNoWriMo. November is when all the projects are due so it'll definitely be a challenge. I will attempt to do it though. I have two big assignments due right at the start of November so at least those will be out of the way.
And now it's time to start heating up the chili. I decide to write this early so that I can focus on my studies tonight.
Welcome to graduate school.
Monday 22 August 2016
First day of school! First day of school!
WELCOME TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!
If you can't already tell, I'm excited about graduate school. This had been four years in the making and I'm ready for it. The first day of class went really fast surprisingly. Although our first class started at 10, we had to be there at 8 so that the faculty and staff could introduce us. We introduced ourselves as well and stated our favorite occupation. Mine of course was writing, even though I assured everyone that I wasn't very good.
Our first class was Occupation Across the Lifespan. Literally. We start at the beginning and end at death. We went through a few things like theories of development. There are certain milestones that a person hits growing up, such as reaching or standing or walking. We watched this old video where there was an experiment done between two twins. One was given special daily training while the other had a normal childhood. The study concluded that even though the child given daily training developed certain milestones and problem solving skills quickly, the other child developed them as well, although they weren't as sure of themselves. It was pretty interesting.
The afternoon class was Intro to Occupation. Our instructor is pretty cool. We did some activities and then talked about defining occupation. Turns out it's not as easy as it seems, since it's so broad! No wonder OTs can't describe what they do. In the end we came up with a pretty broad definition and ended with defining occupational therapy. I honestly can't remember what we can up with and I don't have the motivation to go into my backpack and get my notebook out, so you'll just have to take my word for it.
I spent the evening making sure I didn't have any readings for tomorrow and well, playing Final Fantasy. All in all it was a great first day. I'm pretty tired though.
Tomorrow is Evidence Based Practice in the morning and Kinesiology in the afternoon. Kinesiology is the one I'm looking forward too, mostly because of the anatomy bit.
I think tomorrow I'm going to start getting back to the gym. I'm anxious to get back into the swing of things. I really want working out to be a part of my routine again.
J is sick. Really sick. I feel so bad for him since he's starting his second year and at the same time begging him to not make me sick!
Anyways, it's been a long day, and I'm feeling the need for sleep. Time to dry my hair and get some shut eye. Until tomorrow!
If you can't already tell, I'm excited about graduate school. This had been four years in the making and I'm ready for it. The first day of class went really fast surprisingly. Although our first class started at 10, we had to be there at 8 so that the faculty and staff could introduce us. We introduced ourselves as well and stated our favorite occupation. Mine of course was writing, even though I assured everyone that I wasn't very good.
Our first class was Occupation Across the Lifespan. Literally. We start at the beginning and end at death. We went through a few things like theories of development. There are certain milestones that a person hits growing up, such as reaching or standing or walking. We watched this old video where there was an experiment done between two twins. One was given special daily training while the other had a normal childhood. The study concluded that even though the child given daily training developed certain milestones and problem solving skills quickly, the other child developed them as well, although they weren't as sure of themselves. It was pretty interesting.
The afternoon class was Intro to Occupation. Our instructor is pretty cool. We did some activities and then talked about defining occupation. Turns out it's not as easy as it seems, since it's so broad! No wonder OTs can't describe what they do. In the end we came up with a pretty broad definition and ended with defining occupational therapy. I honestly can't remember what we can up with and I don't have the motivation to go into my backpack and get my notebook out, so you'll just have to take my word for it.
I spent the evening making sure I didn't have any readings for tomorrow and well, playing Final Fantasy. All in all it was a great first day. I'm pretty tired though.
Tomorrow is Evidence Based Practice in the morning and Kinesiology in the afternoon. Kinesiology is the one I'm looking forward too, mostly because of the anatomy bit.
I think tomorrow I'm going to start getting back to the gym. I'm anxious to get back into the swing of things. I really want working out to be a part of my routine again.
J is sick. Really sick. I feel so bad for him since he's starting his second year and at the same time begging him to not make me sick!
Anyways, it's been a long day, and I'm feeling the need for sleep. Time to dry my hair and get some shut eye. Until tomorrow!
Sunday 21 August 2016
On the eve of the rest of my life.
Tomorrow starts the first day of the rest of my life.
Tomorrow I start graduate school.
I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm tired. But I still have wet hair.
I'm excited to get back into a routine. The past month in which I have had no job has shown me I don't do well with no routine. J says I'm going to have more routine than I can deal with but I'm okay with that.
I'm nervous because I'm shy and making friends doesn't come easily to me. I think I made a friend at orientation but we shall see tomorrow. J thinks that once we all start I'll make friends easily. One can only hope my NMSU status doesn't weight to heavily at the rival school.
I'm tired. Last weekend was crazy and terrible and I haven't really slept well since then. I've been trying. Pretty sure that the small spot of blood on my eye is from lack of sleep over the past nearly two weeks. But I slept well last night and I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight. As soon as I can dry my hair and get to bed.
I still can't believe this is happening. I'm in. After four long years of preparing and applying I can finally start my career. I get all giddy when I come to the realization that I start soon. J is really happy for me too.
I better dry my hair. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day. My first class is at 10 but I need to be there at 8 because the faculty wants to meet us.
Now if I can only get a job on campus with my work study, everything will be great.
Good night.
Tomorrow I start graduate school.
I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm tired. But I still have wet hair.
I'm excited to get back into a routine. The past month in which I have had no job has shown me I don't do well with no routine. J says I'm going to have more routine than I can deal with but I'm okay with that.
I'm nervous because I'm shy and making friends doesn't come easily to me. I think I made a friend at orientation but we shall see tomorrow. J thinks that once we all start I'll make friends easily. One can only hope my NMSU status doesn't weight to heavily at the rival school.
I'm tired. Last weekend was crazy and terrible and I haven't really slept well since then. I've been trying. Pretty sure that the small spot of blood on my eye is from lack of sleep over the past nearly two weeks. But I slept well last night and I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight. As soon as I can dry my hair and get to bed.
I still can't believe this is happening. I'm in. After four long years of preparing and applying I can finally start my career. I get all giddy when I come to the realization that I start soon. J is really happy for me too.
I better dry my hair. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day. My first class is at 10 but I need to be there at 8 because the faculty wants to meet us.
Now if I can only get a job on campus with my work study, everything will be great.
Good night.
Tuesday 12 July 2016
Thin Skin
That's the best way to explain the past week. I have thin skin.
I need a change. A step away from the social media.
I deactivated my Facebook. Too many arguments there. I used to be able to ignore something I didn't like. No longer. Too many things upset me on there and I don't know how to not get upset. The world really fucking sucks as of recently. My skin is paper thin and I need to learn how to toughen it up.
I need boxing classes in order to avoid punching people in the face. Curb my violence.
I need yoga classes in order to find inner peace with myself and others.
I need money to do both unfortunately...still might be worth it though.
I need to toughen up my skin, to let things slide, and to not get so offended and mad at things. I have books to read and shows to watch. Projects and coloring books to finish.
So maybe the next time I think about getting on social media, I may just open up my Kindle app instead and read. Or open up Safari and start reading the Fairy Tale manga. I'll take advantage of the free books Kindle has available, no matter how bad they might be. I'll read more. Make myself scare on social media. Those who care about me know how to reach me.
Until I can toughen my paper thin skin, social media is not the place for me.
I need a change. A step away from the social media.
I deactivated my Facebook. Too many arguments there. I used to be able to ignore something I didn't like. No longer. Too many things upset me on there and I don't know how to not get upset. The world really fucking sucks as of recently. My skin is paper thin and I need to learn how to toughen it up.
I need boxing classes in order to avoid punching people in the face. Curb my violence.
I need yoga classes in order to find inner peace with myself and others.
I need money to do both unfortunately...still might be worth it though.
I need to toughen up my skin, to let things slide, and to not get so offended and mad at things. I have books to read and shows to watch. Projects and coloring books to finish.
So maybe the next time I think about getting on social media, I may just open up my Kindle app instead and read. Or open up Safari and start reading the Fairy Tale manga. I'll take advantage of the free books Kindle has available, no matter how bad they might be. I'll read more. Make myself scare on social media. Those who care about me know how to reach me.
Until I can toughen my paper thin skin, social media is not the place for me.
Friday 24 June 2016
An update of June
I didn't realize that I hadn't updated this blog since before I got back from my trip. Oops. Not that anything exciting has happened, but still, blogging is good for the soul. So let's catch up shall we?
I turned 27 the day after we got back. It wasn't bad, and I got a sweet backpack out of it for school. I also got a book for the ages, The Bitchy Waiter. I've been following Darron's blog for years and to have his book with some of my favorite stories in it is awesome. I got many other gifts but those were the ones I was most excited about.
June 14 marked the beginning of ESY. Through bargaining I was able to be with the kid I was supposed to be with, and three of her classmates. I'm not going to get into how much our on-site administrator messed up, she wasn't even there for the first week and we weren't even in our original classroom. The first week was rough, with no printer, a teacher who has never taught elementary, let alone autism, and an EA who just wanted to leave early. But I had my kooky pants, so I was happy. This week was better, we got back into our old classroom which has more materials, we have a new administrator who really knows what she's doing, and it's just all around better. Only nine days left.
J turned 26. It was a pretty good birthday for him...let's just leave it at that.
And now, for OT things.
I'm registered to take my CPR class July 1st. Monday I'm going to call my doctor to get my shot record and make sure I'm up to speed. The only foreseeable problem is my name...I know that my name is Kathryn and that there are at least a dozen different ways of spelling it, but it still annoys me when they get it wrong.
So last week I went to get my badge picture taken and after walking over from the OT building to the hospital, I notice that my name is spelled wrong. I had to walk all the way back in the sweltering New Mexican heat to have them fill out a new form and then walk back, hoping that the fact that I sweat like a man won't mess up my hair and makeup. So I get it fixed and the security guard says that my name is already in the system. So I get my picture taken, they print out my badge, and halfway back to my car when I see that my name is spelled wrong, which means that it's spelled wrong in the system...sigh. And my adviser is two steps away from popping out a baby and going on maternity leave. So at some point, I need to email her and see what I need to do to get my name fixed.
Oh, and one more thing. My car. I finally was able to figure out what the problem is, and it isn't the ignition switch. Turns out it is actually the radio. It's malfunctioning, Even though it's turned off there's a part of it that is still on when the car is off which is draining the battery. But I know what it is and I can maybe go somewhere and have them disconnect it until I can figure out what kind of radio I want to replace it.
And that's really it for now. I'm still excited about the comment I got on my last post, woot! Until next time!
I turned 27 the day after we got back. It wasn't bad, and I got a sweet backpack out of it for school. I also got a book for the ages, The Bitchy Waiter. I've been following Darron's blog for years and to have his book with some of my favorite stories in it is awesome. I got many other gifts but those were the ones I was most excited about.
June 14 marked the beginning of ESY. Through bargaining I was able to be with the kid I was supposed to be with, and three of her classmates. I'm not going to get into how much our on-site administrator messed up, she wasn't even there for the first week and we weren't even in our original classroom. The first week was rough, with no printer, a teacher who has never taught elementary, let alone autism, and an EA who just wanted to leave early. But I had my kooky pants, so I was happy. This week was better, we got back into our old classroom which has more materials, we have a new administrator who really knows what she's doing, and it's just all around better. Only nine days left.
J turned 26. It was a pretty good birthday for him...let's just leave it at that.
And now, for OT things.
I'm registered to take my CPR class July 1st. Monday I'm going to call my doctor to get my shot record and make sure I'm up to speed. The only foreseeable problem is my name...I know that my name is Kathryn and that there are at least a dozen different ways of spelling it, but it still annoys me when they get it wrong.
So last week I went to get my badge picture taken and after walking over from the OT building to the hospital, I notice that my name is spelled wrong. I had to walk all the way back in the sweltering New Mexican heat to have them fill out a new form and then walk back, hoping that the fact that I sweat like a man won't mess up my hair and makeup. So I get it fixed and the security guard says that my name is already in the system. So I get my picture taken, they print out my badge, and halfway back to my car when I see that my name is spelled wrong, which means that it's spelled wrong in the system...sigh. And my adviser is two steps away from popping out a baby and going on maternity leave. So at some point, I need to email her and see what I need to do to get my name fixed.
Oh, and one more thing. My car. I finally was able to figure out what the problem is, and it isn't the ignition switch. Turns out it is actually the radio. It's malfunctioning, Even though it's turned off there's a part of it that is still on when the car is off which is draining the battery. But I know what it is and I can maybe go somewhere and have them disconnect it until I can figure out what kind of radio I want to replace it.
And that's really it for now. I'm still excited about the comment I got on my last post, woot! Until next time!
Friday 3 June 2016
From California to Nevada
What a vacation this has been. Let's go by the days.
Saturday: We didn't do much. J and his cousins played games and I played with my Nintendo DS. I was a little restless due to the craziness that has been by life the past year but I'm slowly learning to relax.
Sunday: We wanted to go to lunch and see a movie. And we did. Only we wanted to take my car and I left a light one. Yup, dead battery. As if my car wasn't going through enough problems. We were able to jump it and drive around to where we wanted to go though. We saw the new X-Men movie and I honestly can't understand the bad reviews it's getting because I actually liked it.
Monday: Again, we didn't do much. I got a new straightener and tried it out. It's one of the ones that looks like a brush. It works okay, but I'll know more when I'm in a modern bathroom.
Tuesday: Great day. We went to the water park with J and his cousin. It made me nostalgic for the days when the Beach was still a part of Albuquerque. I had so much fun and the best part was I didn't get sunburned due to winning at sunscreen application. The boys? Not so much. Luckily J's aunt has Aloe Vera plants aplenty. I think the best part was the wave pool for me. Swimming out there against the waves, finding a tube, getting in it, swimming out even further into the heart of the waves and riding them back. I loved it.
Wednesday. More car troubles. My car died yet again so we had to take J's cousin's car to San Diego. It was me, J, his cousin, his cousin's wife, J's mom, and the longest most annoying lawn decoration for two hours. We survived though. And had a great time at the San Diego zoo. I loved it there and even more so that I got to see panda bears for the first time. I got a ton of pictures. We didn't get back until late, but even then J's uncle was willing to take a look at my car. He thinks it might be the ignition switch which makes sense because the ignition was ripped to shreds last July when some assholes decided to try and steal my car. We got it started and charged up the battery overnight.
Thursday: We were going to go to the beach but since the boys got sunburned we went to the brewery and tried out some beers instead. As per usual, I learned that I love the dark chocolate beers and DESPISE IPAs. Afterwards was bowling where I was terrible as usual but did improve my score from a 51 to 69. That night was a party for J's grandmother who's birthday is on Sunday. She has the sweetest little dog that I love playing with. She's very sweet too, and in need of some care, as she only weighs 68 pounds. But she agreed to move in with J's aunt which I'm happy about because that way she will get the care she needs and she can gain some weight. She really is very nice and very sweet and I want to see her again, healthy.
Which brings us today: Spent the morning in a car and dropped J off at Excalibur on the strip in Vegas to have fun with his buddies. Then I drove to my aunt and uncle's house where food and comfort were waiting. J's aunt's house was so hot (they hadn't turned on the swamp cooler yet) and my aunt's house is so nice and cool. I even got to gamble some with them. I lost pretty bad. $40 of my own savings plus a $20 my aunt gave me and I got $3.28 out of it. Yeah not for me. And now I'm showered and ready for bed, sitting in a guest room blogging. I get my own bathroom which is nice. And a humidifier that is nice and loud for white noise.
I miss my house. I miss Albuquerque. This is the longest I've been away from home since before I started college. But it's been fun and I know I won't have a vacation like this until after I finish grad school probably. So I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
Saturday: We didn't do much. J and his cousins played games and I played with my Nintendo DS. I was a little restless due to the craziness that has been by life the past year but I'm slowly learning to relax.
Sunday: We wanted to go to lunch and see a movie. And we did. Only we wanted to take my car and I left a light one. Yup, dead battery. As if my car wasn't going through enough problems. We were able to jump it and drive around to where we wanted to go though. We saw the new X-Men movie and I honestly can't understand the bad reviews it's getting because I actually liked it.
Monday: Again, we didn't do much. I got a new straightener and tried it out. It's one of the ones that looks like a brush. It works okay, but I'll know more when I'm in a modern bathroom.
Tuesday: Great day. We went to the water park with J and his cousin. It made me nostalgic for the days when the Beach was still a part of Albuquerque. I had so much fun and the best part was I didn't get sunburned due to winning at sunscreen application. The boys? Not so much. Luckily J's aunt has Aloe Vera plants aplenty. I think the best part was the wave pool for me. Swimming out there against the waves, finding a tube, getting in it, swimming out even further into the heart of the waves and riding them back. I loved it.
Wednesday. More car troubles. My car died yet again so we had to take J's cousin's car to San Diego. It was me, J, his cousin, his cousin's wife, J's mom, and the longest most annoying lawn decoration for two hours. We survived though. And had a great time at the San Diego zoo. I loved it there and even more so that I got to see panda bears for the first time. I got a ton of pictures. We didn't get back until late, but even then J's uncle was willing to take a look at my car. He thinks it might be the ignition switch which makes sense because the ignition was ripped to shreds last July when some assholes decided to try and steal my car. We got it started and charged up the battery overnight.
Thursday: We were going to go to the beach but since the boys got sunburned we went to the brewery and tried out some beers instead. As per usual, I learned that I love the dark chocolate beers and DESPISE IPAs. Afterwards was bowling where I was terrible as usual but did improve my score from a 51 to 69. That night was a party for J's grandmother who's birthday is on Sunday. She has the sweetest little dog that I love playing with. She's very sweet too, and in need of some care, as she only weighs 68 pounds. But she agreed to move in with J's aunt which I'm happy about because that way she will get the care she needs and she can gain some weight. She really is very nice and very sweet and I want to see her again, healthy.
Which brings us today: Spent the morning in a car and dropped J off at Excalibur on the strip in Vegas to have fun with his buddies. Then I drove to my aunt and uncle's house where food and comfort were waiting. J's aunt's house was so hot (they hadn't turned on the swamp cooler yet) and my aunt's house is so nice and cool. I even got to gamble some with them. I lost pretty bad. $40 of my own savings plus a $20 my aunt gave me and I got $3.28 out of it. Yeah not for me. And now I'm showered and ready for bed, sitting in a guest room blogging. I get my own bathroom which is nice. And a humidifier that is nice and loud for white noise.
I miss my house. I miss Albuquerque. This is the longest I've been away from home since before I started college. But it's been fun and I know I won't have a vacation like this until after I finish grad school probably. So I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
Friday 27 May 2016
Vacation
School is out. Work is over. Which means I spent about 12 hours in a car driving to California with J to meet his family. So here's the lowdown on what's been going on.
School got out on Wednesday. I did some cleaning in my room and then no longer felt welcome in there by being ignored by the teacher and getting daggers from the EA. So I turned in my keys and left about an hour early. Should I feel guilty? Yes. Did I feel guilty? Kinda but screw em. That part of my job is over.
I then proceeded to attempt to watch all three Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Extended Editions in a marathon to end all marathons. It was... okay. The giant cockroaches that showed up in the middle of the night didn't help, nor did the fact that I'm not going to be in the room I'm supposed to be in for summer school. I managed to get into autism preschool but they weren't even going to offer me autism! Not sure how that's gonna work out and the teacher/my friend is really stressed but hopefully things work out before the session starts.
And today, like I said, I spent hours in a car driving to California. But now that I'm here I'm glad we got to come. J's cousin and his wife are around our age and so we should have a lot of fun. I'm excited for what's to come.
Well, I haven't slept very weld the past two days, and I might not blog as much since I'm on vacation, but I'm not setting deadlines for this blog this time, so maybe that will encourage me to update more. We shall see.
Good night to you all.
P.S. Wind turbines are fucking majestic and I'm pissed off that New Mexico doesn't have them.
School got out on Wednesday. I did some cleaning in my room and then no longer felt welcome in there by being ignored by the teacher and getting daggers from the EA. So I turned in my keys and left about an hour early. Should I feel guilty? Yes. Did I feel guilty? Kinda but screw em. That part of my job is over.
I then proceeded to attempt to watch all three Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Extended Editions in a marathon to end all marathons. It was... okay. The giant cockroaches that showed up in the middle of the night didn't help, nor did the fact that I'm not going to be in the room I'm supposed to be in for summer school. I managed to get into autism preschool but they weren't even going to offer me autism! Not sure how that's gonna work out and the teacher/my friend is really stressed but hopefully things work out before the session starts.
And today, like I said, I spent hours in a car driving to California. But now that I'm here I'm glad we got to come. J's cousin and his wife are around our age and so we should have a lot of fun. I'm excited for what's to come.
Well, I haven't slept very weld the past two days, and I might not blog as much since I'm on vacation, but I'm not setting deadlines for this blog this time, so maybe that will encourage me to update more. We shall see.
Good night to you all.
P.S. Wind turbines are fucking majestic and I'm pissed off that New Mexico doesn't have them.
Tuesday 24 May 2016
I have come to a conclusion...
Today hates me.
Maybe it was the kid that tried to run off campus that I had to chase down, who needed to be escorted back to the classroom where he continued to show signs of violence by hitting and kicking objects. All over a bracelet he left in his jacket.
Maybe it was the kid that decided to attack all of her classmates, run out of the room and into another room, try to bite my breast and undress me so that I had to hold her hands down, and then had to be transported/dragged by four of us to the Social Worker's office.
Maybe it was the kid who had a massive meltdown in front of another class because he wanted to go home...30 minutes before the bell rang.
Maybe it was giant gust of wind that covered me head to toe in dirt.
Maybe it was the dinner I barely ate because it tasted disgusting.
Maybe it was the idiots who were on Final Fantasy that made for such lame dungeon runs.
I don't know, what do you think? It's been a day, and right now, I cannot be more thankful that school is ending. Last week I thought I was going to miss my students. But today made me really challenge that statement. And it's currently still being challenged. But I'm tired. Maybe things will look better on the other side of the night.
Good night.
Maybe it was the kid that tried to run off campus that I had to chase down, who needed to be escorted back to the classroom where he continued to show signs of violence by hitting and kicking objects. All over a bracelet he left in his jacket.
Maybe it was the kid that decided to attack all of her classmates, run out of the room and into another room, try to bite my breast and undress me so that I had to hold her hands down, and then had to be transported/dragged by four of us to the Social Worker's office.
Maybe it was the kid who had a massive meltdown in front of another class because he wanted to go home...30 minutes before the bell rang.
Maybe it was giant gust of wind that covered me head to toe in dirt.
Maybe it was the dinner I barely ate because it tasted disgusting.
Maybe it was the idiots who were on Final Fantasy that made for such lame dungeon runs.
I don't know, what do you think? It's been a day, and right now, I cannot be more thankful that school is ending. Last week I thought I was going to miss my students. But today made me really challenge that statement. And it's currently still being challenged. But I'm tired. Maybe things will look better on the other side of the night.
Good night.
Monday 23 May 2016
The sad thing about typing on my tablet is...
...is that if you want to lay on your back and type because you're tired, you're kind of SOL. But this boots up faster than my laptop so there ya go.
Today was pretty hectic for the last Monday of work. I had to drop off my car to get an oil change and to see if they could get my radio to work, since it has recently decided to lose the will to live. Afterwards J took me to work where I spent a blissful morning in my old room with my old kiddos. I missed working with them. In the afternoon however both the teacher and other EA showed up so I had to find something else to do and I did not want to go back to my old room. Then I remembered that one of my students was in inclusion for the afternoon and off I went to "check on him" and spend the rest of the afternoon with him. Not spending the day in my current classroom was pretty fun and I am dreading tomorrow when I go back to my old room and my fellow EA gives me dirty looks and refuses to talk to me because she's 12 and is mad that I'm not someone she can gossip and talk shit to. Suck it up buttercup.
So a couple of weeks ago my advisor for the OT program emailed us a form that said she was allowed to register us for our fall classes. Not that someone else would take that spot since it's a closed program but it's still easier. I saw it, and promptly forgot about it until she sent us a reminder last week that I saw as I was walking into work. I saw it, and promptly forgot about it again. Today, when she sent us another email about our school emails, I remembered, and just about had a heart attack since it was due last Friday. Luckily since I emailed her right away about it, she put me in to be registered and I was able, through some pretty crazy logistics, to get the form to her. So that's taken care of. Now all I need is to get my CPR/First Aid training and my shots updated. Things are coming together!
Whew, I'm exhausted. Field/Water day tomorrow at work. Let's get ready to get wet.
Until next time...
Today was pretty hectic for the last Monday of work. I had to drop off my car to get an oil change and to see if they could get my radio to work, since it has recently decided to lose the will to live. Afterwards J took me to work where I spent a blissful morning in my old room with my old kiddos. I missed working with them. In the afternoon however both the teacher and other EA showed up so I had to find something else to do and I did not want to go back to my old room. Then I remembered that one of my students was in inclusion for the afternoon and off I went to "check on him" and spend the rest of the afternoon with him. Not spending the day in my current classroom was pretty fun and I am dreading tomorrow when I go back to my old room and my fellow EA gives me dirty looks and refuses to talk to me because she's 12 and is mad that I'm not someone she can gossip and talk shit to. Suck it up buttercup.
So a couple of weeks ago my advisor for the OT program emailed us a form that said she was allowed to register us for our fall classes. Not that someone else would take that spot since it's a closed program but it's still easier. I saw it, and promptly forgot about it until she sent us a reminder last week that I saw as I was walking into work. I saw it, and promptly forgot about it again. Today, when she sent us another email about our school emails, I remembered, and just about had a heart attack since it was due last Friday. Luckily since I emailed her right away about it, she put me in to be registered and I was able, through some pretty crazy logistics, to get the form to her. So that's taken care of. Now all I need is to get my CPR/First Aid training and my shots updated. Things are coming together!
Whew, I'm exhausted. Field/Water day tomorrow at work. Let's get ready to get wet.
Until next time...
Sunday 22 May 2016
The eve of the final week of work
Tomorrow begins the last week of Albuquerque Public Schools and I for one can not be happier that the year is over. I have two and a half days left and then onto freedom and summer. While this year has definitely had its great times it's also had its challenges. The bureaucracy and drama that is APS knows no limits and as much as I try to stay away from it, when the fellow EA in the room thrives on it, it gets annoying. But either way, I'll be spending most of my time in my old room where we keep to ourselves and focus on our jobs rather than gossip.
Once the summer comes I'll be embarking on a road trip through several states including Arizona, California, and Nevada. It'll be fun, and a lot of driving. Once I get back, I need to figure out how I'm going to welcome my 27th year of life and then the summer school sessions start. I already know I'm going to be in my old room which makes me happy. Working with two new people? Not so much.
And once that is all over it's just a period of waiting until OT school starts. I'm excited to begin this new chapter in my life and begin learning. J has already finished his first year and thinks I'll do well.
Anyways, it's late and I'm exhausted. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and I need sleep in order to survive. That and a certain amount of caffeine. While I'll do my best to update this new version of my blog, I can make any guarantees. I can only promise to update it as much as I see fit. I don't like dealing with my laptop in my best of moods, but I like dealing with my tablet so maybe that'll be my medium. We shall see.
Good night for now.
Once the summer comes I'll be embarking on a road trip through several states including Arizona, California, and Nevada. It'll be fun, and a lot of driving. Once I get back, I need to figure out how I'm going to welcome my 27th year of life and then the summer school sessions start. I already know I'm going to be in my old room which makes me happy. Working with two new people? Not so much.
And once that is all over it's just a period of waiting until OT school starts. I'm excited to begin this new chapter in my life and begin learning. J has already finished his first year and thinks I'll do well.
Anyways, it's late and I'm exhausted. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and I need sleep in order to survive. That and a certain amount of caffeine. While I'll do my best to update this new version of my blog, I can make any guarantees. I can only promise to update it as much as I see fit. I don't like dealing with my laptop in my best of moods, but I like dealing with my tablet so maybe that'll be my medium. We shall see.
Good night for now.
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