Sunday, Puppy Sunday: we help mommy with laundry

I dropped this quilt on the floor, staged as it was for laundry. The pups were gleeful that bedclothes were on the floor and accessible in the day. They do love their comforts!

Why my recliner has a big divot in the top left side

Well, that's what I get for thinking!

Looks like I was happy too soon. Turns out I AM going to have some 5-day weeks, and some of those days will be 12 hour days. It'll be alright. Those weeks will be marathons, though. The hardest weeks will be over by mid-November, which will be here before you know it. Meanwhile...

Thank goodness for puppy therapy!

One week nearly down...

15 weeks to go...

Tomorrow is an all-day clinical orientation, the first of 4 to take place this week and next.  As far as scheduled required attendance events, next week is THE hump for the semester, with 5 full days of required attendance. (correction - Monday is a holiday so no classes-- HUZZAH! - it's still the fullest week of the semester, though). Then the semester will be 1/8th over with. Yes, I'm breaking it into chunks because it makes the whole thing seem less daunting.

At the beginning of June I ordered doors for my house from Home Depot, and about a month ago they set up the installation.  The installer arrived and one door was the wrong color, and the other swung the wrong way, so both had to be re-ordered.  Hopefully all goes well with the installation. The back door is nearly completed, and so far, so good, but the hardware for the storm door on back was the wrong color.  Fingers crossed on this, but I'll report on that later. The pups are all in a tizzy because there are strangers about, but Himself is here to help manage the livestock and oversee the proceedings, and I'm most grateful.

So far, it's looking like the medical terminology class is going to be fun and very productive. It's a one hour course, so there's dramatically less in the way of assignments/quizzes, etc, but it's going to be quite fruitful since it deconstructs medical terms and fully explains origins and all that jazz, so this should greatly enhance my learning and understanding for the remainder of my school/professional career.  Glad I am taking that.

Today I have cleaned on horizontal surface in my house. The buffet is cleared of non-decorative stuff, and it's been cleaned with a wood polish wipe, and it's like it belongs in someone else's house, or somesuch!

More on the doors later, hopefully completed and with me happy!

Here is your Wednesday dose of varmint-generated cuteness:

Day 2 of school and all is well...

I had my first classes in Med/Surg I and in Mental Health yesterday. Med/Surg was basically going over the syllabus the entire 1.5 hours, but MH got in about 30 minutes of lecture.  In the next two weeks, I have 4 entire full-day orientation sessions between these two classes.  Credit hours for these two classes is 10, but with clinical time, study and classroom, these two classes alone will be more than a full-time job. It's ironic to have such huge time-sink classes and only get 10 hours total, but that's life, eh?

This is the first semester I begin school without working a part-time job. In January, I was training for a job where I was working 28 hours a week, and they wanted me for more (even though the job was advertised as 8 hours/week), and the drain on time and energy was palpable, but that only lasted 5 weeks into my semester. It was enough to derail me utterly and I passed the whole semester by the skin of my teeth, I believe. I won't make that mistake again.

This is going to be challenging, but I think I'm better organized than the previous two semesters, and I'm going to make this work. I'm excited. 17 months to go.  Next week on Sept 1, I can begin saying "16 months to go." Baby steps.  Baby steps.

My snuggly boy

Chuy considers snugglings, scritchins and lovvins as his natural due.  He is a dog who has never been dropped, and knows his proper place in the world is one of comfort and ease. Mochi and Praline are farther under the covers, but I usually wake up with Chuy by my torso, ready to get a little extra attention in the morning. He is so blissful and peaceful. I love my boy!

New glasses

Holly's been telling me for years how great her glasses from Zenni are. I but the bullet and ordered some 2 weeks ago today. I wanted something funky and colorful, so I took a chance on this pair. With shipping and an extra scratch coating on my prescription lenses, my total was $35.95. Kind of hard to argue with a bargain like that. 

I just ordered a spare regular pair in red and a sunglasses pair, and my grand total for all 3 (including polarized mirror lenses on the sunglasses) will be about $160. I may never buy designer frames again. 

Oh, and they'll engrave your name inside the arm of the frame. Neat, eh? 

And just like that, Summer break is over...

Blah de blah blah blah.

*sigh*

My books arrived Friday. I piddled with my classes and updated my calendar. I have to be in class tomorrow at 3pm. Going to the gym in the morning and then home to shower and study, then on to class. 

Wow. Here goes. 17 months to go.  It's supposed to be over 100 degrees every day this week. Hopefully it will at least cool off soon and that will make it slightly less miserable.  On the other hand, I get to wear my cheerful new specs tomorrow.

I feel cautiously optimistic about the semester, but I wonder what I'll feel like this time tomorrow?

Sunday, Puppy Sunday: pardon the nosey-smears!

Praline and Chuy are on the back of the recliner, keeping watch over the yard as per usual. Nothing escapes their notice!

If you see $213 vinegar, this must be Dallas.

Quick trip to Dallas Wednesday through Thursday. Had my hair done so I don't look too tore up at school, had a record-busting 20 minute trip to Ikea for a bookshelf, and got to spend some time with my folks. 

Went to Central Market and gazed with awe upon the oil and vinegar aisle-- one whole side of the aisle. Most of the selection was Middle-Of-The-Road in the $15-$30 range, but I still sort of gasped to see wee teeny bottles of the stuff for hundreds of dollars. The $213 stuff in this photo is aged 30 years. You'd think for that much money, they could provide something fresh, yanno?

Anyhoo- had a delicious meal made by Mom, and moseyed home to my wigglesome pups on Tgursday night. Praline is a mama's girl and nearly levitates when I get home. She wiggled so hard when she was running for me that her backside almost reached me before her frontside. Sweet, nutty girl!

My school books arrive today and I'll start with a chapter or two of my med/surg I textbook today, and tomorrow I'll be able to access my online classes and I'll start working to knock out the self-paced materials as much as possible this weekend to clear the decks for the meatspace classes/clinicals. A bit more organizing and I'll be ready for a successful semester.

Bonus pup photo

School books are ordered. 

Health insurance is set up through July 31 and also the next year of car insurance. 

My school schedule took a last minute shuffle for the better. 

Heading to Dallas to get my hair did and see my folks. Wow. So much to do. School starts Monday. 

Reminding myself to stop and take a breath. 

One day I'll post a picture of pups on a freshly vacuumed rug...

...but today is not that day. 100 degrees outside, and my brownlings still have to do their snug-bug routine. 

Sunday, Puppy Sunday: drowsy doggie

End of a busy weekend, lying on the couch in my slip, Chuy uses me for furniture, and I happily oblige.