September 29, 2008

This is the day that my oldest son had his final defense of thesis for his doctorate degree. It was a wonderful experience. My son, lecturing to an audience of scientists. Sigh. I am so proud. His doctorate is in research pharmacology. His thesis was on, well, something to do with the receptors involved in pain. It was wonderful. A mother's dream come true.

It's Friday night and I am sooooooooo tired

Somehow my weekends just aren't as fun anymore. All my 'stuff' outside of school gets left for the weekend AND I have to study for two tests next week. Statistics and Physics. Barf. Dishes piled in the sink, clothes to be washed, floors to be vacuumed and dust to be gotten rid of. BLAH.
I wanna go home now.

It has been too long

since I have sat down and blogged. The weeks fly by. I have so much to do all the time.
Let's see, where to begin...
Carlton and Micah are getting along. I don't think they will ever be bosom buddies, but, they shared the bedroom window sill when I took the small air conditioner out. That's a start. I noticed that Carlton has a scratch across his nose. Gee, I wonder who that was from? I am willing to bet that Carlton has realized that he cannot bully his big self around and get his way all the time.

Micah has runny eyes all the time. At first, I thought it was an eye infection, but the vet thought otherwise. I don't know. The liquid seems clear at first, then turn light brown. Reminds me of a Shih Tzu that I used to have many moons ago. I wipe it, but that seems to irritate the eye more. What to do, what to do. Anyone?

p.s. This photo was given to me from the shelter. He is a much happier cat now...

School is hard. Having nuclear statistics and instrumentation and the radiologic physics right after one another sometimes gives me a headache. My brain screams Nooooooooooo!

The internship is great. I am at a space where I am performing most of the scans now and beginning to do the radiopharmacology that goes with it.

I have drawn blood twice now from my fellow classmates, with good results. Unfortunately, my own veins are somewhat deep and I wound up with a no draw the first time and a bubblegum size hematoma the second. Dang. I wonder if I can beg off of having my blood drawn?

Tests are upcoming...

The Whirlwind that is my life...

has been filled with internship at a hospital in which I have been given both respect and opportunity. I had done my first internship at that very same hospital and I am amazed at the difference a year has made. Where once I knew nothing, now I know next to nothing, lol. jk. I am able to bring patients in, explain the test to them, and perform everything for the test except to inject the actual radionuclide.

In class today, I drew first blood. Yes, really. I drew blood for the first time and was successful at it and didn't hurt the patient. I was psyched! After ten minutes I reminded myself that that was one person who happened to have very good veins, close to the surface. Before the 7 weeks is up, we have to draw from everyone. There is one particular person that has already announced that she is difficult. So, we will see how good I am as the weeks go by.

The cats are getting along. They are not bosom buddies, but, hey they are two males. At least they can walk by each other and not attack. I left home with the two of them in the same area for 4 hours and I came back to no tragedies, no toppled furniture or broken lamps. I think it is terrific. In time, I hope they can become fond of each other and be good company.

Rescuing Micah has made me feel so good. He is such a dear. How anyone could move on and just abandon a cat at a shelter is a shame. He had just stopped grooming himself a few days before I got to him. He had been there since April of this year. Now, in these few short days he looks wonderful, clean and plays with toys.

Carlton was a little insulted and wouldn't pay any attention to me when I called him for a few days, but he is back to himself now. If I had a camera, I would post a picture, but I have to wait until someone with a camera comes around.

Didn't I tell you?

I have started Venipuncture/Phlebotomy...
bring me your veins
HA HA HA
Actually, I am thinking that I might be good at this. I have an ability to visualize things unseen and hopefully this will help me be a good phlebotomist.
I need practice. Any volunteers?

We Adopted!

Now let's just hope they can live with each other...
We went to the local animal control office where they were having open adoption time. Well, Carlton wasn't allowed out of his cage. I can see their point. Cats are not like dogs, they aren't pack animals. He hissed. He will just have to get over it.
The new cat's name is Michael. Funny thing, that is my son's name. One of them will have to change...
I used to call my son Mooka Meeka Micah Lutch. Don't ask me why. It was something that my uncle used to call my brother Michael. Probably handed down through the centuries to all Michaels in the past, I don't know. Why tell you this? Because the new cat will be Meeka Micah. Not as civilized as Carlton's name, but, heh. The cat formerly known as Michael won't know. Meeka Micah is 4 years old and had been at the adoption center since April. Poor thing.
So now, they are both microchipped and immunized and neutered, who could ask for more?
I hope I did the right thing by both of them.

ARGGH Physics!

It is Day Two and already my head is trying to keep from spinning into orbit. OMG. Much of what the professor is talking about is stuff that I have learned and not too long ago either, but to make my brain pull it out of the file cabinets makes my hypothalamus complain. (snicker) I am writing this in public so that I will be committed to doing it in private. I WILL STAY A STEP AHEAD OF ALL MY WORK. Or, at least, I will almost always.
First, I have to be able to buy the book. I am going to try today a 5pm because any time previous to that has a line that promises a wait time of over an hour to get your foot in the door. Tiny bookstore, gobs and gobs of students.
I have attempted ot bypass the 200% markup of engineering paper in the bookstore, but Staples is out and that is the only office supply store close by. Forget the usual CVS, Walmart etc stores, they carry the quadrille graphing but not the engineering. Poop!

First Day Is Over

It's always a good thing to get the first day of school over with. Went to classes, got syllabi, saw how much books would cost, got parking sticker, updated student I.D.
Oh, and what would a first day of school be without a fire drill? Did I tell you that my physics class is on the 6th floor? BTW, I did make it UP the stairs to the 6th floor, for which I am sure I will be sore tomorrow. It's a truly easy way to get a cardiac workout in.
I also got a parking sticker to LOT 1, THE most coveted lot at the school. Last year I had lot 4 which wasn't even paved. Winter time when it was warm was especially fun in the mud.
I am thinking that I will get a companion for Carlton. He is such a slug and I am hardly any company to him when I have to keep pushing him off of my lap to do homework. I had a trial run yesterday with a cat whose Mommy was looking for a home for her, but she totally freaked out. That was stressful for me and the poor cat. I am going to ask for advice from shelters as to how to proceed.
I am totally lonely for my gf. After being a month with her in Florida, this apartment feels so empty. Imagine what I would feel like if I had left Carlton down there with her. I had been thinking of it because he is so bored here with only one window that overlooks a parking lot and me gone so much and busy the rest of the time. She told me that I would regret it if I left him. She was so right.
At least school and internship will get me out and around people. Pity there are no other single women in this apartment buiding that are my age, but then, I am an anomaly being in school at my age.
I took myself to the movies to see Dark Night yesterday. Great movie! I love Batman movies anyway, and I was surprised to like the Joker in this movie even more than the Jack Nicholson version. I was even more surprised that Batman's gf was killed. Or, former gf, but he didn't know it at the time. I also liked tha fact that he took the fall for the deaths in order for the city to have a human hero.
I totally lost my resolve to lose ten pounds in Florida. ACK! Seems every time I visit there I gain a few pounds which I fight to take off before I go there again. I wish someone would invent an appetite supressant that was organic and good for you. I love food too much, never mind that I eat to keep myself company.