Car troubles

My car wrecked. I'm not quite sure how I'm dealing with it yet, but I think things are going well.

Man is off getting the rental car and clearing out the old van, which is most assuredly totaled.

I was coming home from the first day of school when someone ran a red light and slammed into the front side panel on the driver's side, and caved in the sliding door on that same side. I was alone in the van, thank goodness for that, and literally walked away from it with nothing more than a bump on the head and some minor sprains and seat belt bruising.

The EMT and paramedic with whom I rode to the hospital were really great. They were calm and of good humor, politely chuckled at my attempts at levity and answered my questions about all the neat equipment around me.

The fact that I had to wait a while to get checked out was a very good sign that I was alright. Despite deep nausea and some unsteadiness, I was not concussed.

Sleep last night was troubled by memories of impact and the shock of how I felt immediately afterward. But the most irritating thing I've had to deal with today is the fact that I have a quiz due in psychology class tomorrow and all of my books are in that van at the impound lot.

Man will be going out tonight with a friend who used to be a car dealer. We have our eye on a Honda Odyssey that looks quite lovely, though of course it's used.

Today I'm just trying to distract myself from the long phone call where I got to make a recorded statement of my account of things. Mostly I want to nap, which I really can't do until Man returns.

Oh, and I want to clean my house. You know, because I can't do it very much right now. :D

My classes went very well. The teachers/profs/dr's all seemed nice. My English teacher is a real treat, like the love child of an old general and a tin foil hat bunker junkie. He's good at facilitating class discussion and doesn't live and die by MLA format. My psych teacher has extensive experience in many areas of family counseling and social work, both clinical and research. My math teacher is one of those tired old men with a cute sense of humor and an amusing derision toward young people and their newfangled gadgets. He claims he has a healthy respect for technology, but I believe that respect begins and ends with graphing calculators.

Folks, I'm off to rest my back. I spent the first part of the morning being visited by friends and on the phone with the insurance company, and the second half of the day trying to maintain the home. Some muscles aren't ready for that yet, so I'm going to snuggle up with my rescued psych textbook so I can pass a quiz tonight.

How do I say this for the 10th time?

I feel a little like the first time I went to high school.

My heart is pumping erratically. I feel little pulses of adrenaline every time I think about sitting in one of those chairs with the tiny desk built onto it, surrounded by people who, in that setting, are my peers. I've purchased one Avery Durable EZ-Turn Ring binder for each class I'm taking, printed out labels for each one, and housed them on their very own shelf of honor 'neath my great* stack of text books. I've perused the portions of my online class which are available before the beginning of the semester and become familiar with every avenue of communication the school might employ in their potential efforts to contact me.

Generally speaking, I'm a nervous wreck but the outward signs are limited to incessant fidgeting, greater than usual distraction, and a blogging spurt.

Gentle, internal reminders that anxiety won't accomplish anything havn't helped at all. My inner voice recalls speech classes or cross country moves that made me so nervous that my inner voice became my outer voice for a time, much to the amusement and horror of my patient husband and bewildered children. All of that energy was spent for naught, but my inner voice never gets to tell me that because, as soon as I start hearing it with my ears, I make it quiet down before anyone outside the immediate family hears me.

But the time has come in my life where higher education may be achieved.

So...


Here we go.



*by great, I mean huge. Not gnarly. And by gnarly I mean phat.

Gosh, I'm easy

There are so many websites that are calling for the donation of anything and everything that could be useful for the rescue efforts in Haiti right now. Even Hulu has ads for the relief effort. It can be difficult to know to whom to give during this time of frenzied need (as well as when things are a bit more calm, when need is still great) so I've been looking around a bit to see where my means might be best used.

Then I went to Costco for a few basics. The cashier asked if I'd like to make a donation to the Red Cross along with my purchase. YES!!! Wow, that was easy.

I sort of wondered when I'd get around to donating otherwise, with my hectic and selfish life running to and fro in a haze of information and sensory overload. Which organization was perfect enough to deserve my dollars? But, more importantly, which organization was going to make it super easy for me to throw money at them?

My church has a website that makes giving easy and steady. This link right here shows the precise location of where one might give, knowing that every penny of every dollar goes to help for those who need it.

I admit, with shame, that the aid I have sent was neither great nor swift. My lack of planning has meant that this month is a little tighter than usual (partially thanks to the purchase of text books, partially due to a birthday) which has had a negative impact on what good I could do with my pocketbook.*

Onward into the future, where I will still make odd and perhaps unfortunate financial decisions, but hopefully with greater awareness of how my blessings might bless others.



(*of course I realize that both of these purchases are for good things. don't hassle me. :) )

more pics

Feeling much better now, except for the sore throat and cough. Oh, well.


My stack of books. I have to take all but the two smallest with me every day that I go. I'm starting to see why those backpacks on wheels are becoming popular. I think the whole thing weighs 30 pounds.

I love some obvious irony, and I'm sure it doesn't escape the wise guy who arranged for it.

In no particular order

Reading one of the books she got for her birthday.

Happy 8th!

Computer monitor

I was watching The Biggest Loser season premier today (and riding my bike at the same time -- there is nothing like watching a 500 pound person snack on a one pound block of cheese that makes me want to do some cardio RIGHT NOW) when my computer monitor went out.

Funnily enough, it went out right as the 500 pound man took his shirt off to weigh in.

True story.

fun things kids do

A torn up box for Mucinex. Thankfully, all of the pills are accounted for.


Notice that the blue paint is vaguely hand shaped. That's because it is.



Who knew that this sort of shower curtain ring would bend and not break? I sure didn't.

The glowing report of an INFJ

You know what's hilarious, this description of an INFJ is well written, articulate, and describes people of rarity and mystery with loving attention to a Feeler's delicate feelings.

This description applies to Jung himself, whose theories gave rise to the Myers-Briggs personality test.

And it's official: I'm registered for classes. I'm trying not to scream inside my head a little, wondering what it's going to take to get solid A's. I did go with the Intro to Human Services. Four classes, including one online.

Time to go buy books!

What I want to be when I grow up

For a few years now, I've wanted to be a nurse. It seemed so clear and so doable.

Now, I'm registering for classes and I find that, due to a few circumstances beyond my control, I can't take the traditional set of classes needed for becoming a nurse within two years of beginning classes.

I'm ok with that. I'm ok with taking a bit more time, thinking things through, and making sure that we're going to be in the same location for the final push toward a degree (a year of intense study, labs, and internships).

However, Man is officially being med-boarded (which doesn't guarantee separation from the military, but it's a possibility.), I got placed in dummy math (didn't we all see that one coming?) which means the classes I need to take (Bio, for one) are outside my range of eligibility for two semesters. I also suddenly realize that, if I were to take these classes in the time frame suggested by the school, Freida wouldn't even be in preschool before said big push. The admissions counselor with whom I spoke said that last year of school is like a full time job. I can't do that to my family so soon.

So, I have some time to kill. I find myself taking three classes which almost every single major requires (math, English, and psych), and I'm 2 credit hours short of a full load. (Which is like two cards shy of a full deck. Get it?)

Man finds himself taking a semester of college with no work hours, so this is my chance to actually take a full load on campus. Online and evening classes will have to come later on, once he goes back to work.

In the mean time, what do I take to fill those two credit hours? The sky's the limit, and this sudden realization has me twiddling my thumbs, wondering if nursing is what I want, specifically and for real.

I could work on a degree in nutrition, or medical assisting, or even massage therapy. I could just remain undeclared and work toward an AA, or an associates degree of general studies. It sounds like such a copout though, and I don't want to be one of those students who doesn't make up his mind until he has about 300 credit hours (like my husband).

Which brings me to one point I've been a little embarrassed to admit to myself -- I owe him an apology for the lectures I've delivered on how indecisiveness is the last thing someone with a family can afford to entertain. I have yet to register for want of one little class in the arts and humanities department.

Being at my leisure to take what I want, when I can, is an odd thing. It's like having a house and stuff inside of it and having the freedom to organize and arrange as I see fit. It's a power that's a little startling but wondrous at the same time. My husband is the provider and he's doing a good job of it, and there's no pressure on me to complete anything to contribute to the household. What a shocking feeling.

Anyway, I think I've finally decided on Intro to Human Services to fill things in. Just because I can and it looks interesting.

Pictures

I finally got a nice look on this one's face. I had to give up on taking pictures of her before she'd let me get a nice one.



Tag is feeling sick, and has for the last couple of days. This was the best I could get out of him.


"But mom," said Princess. "This is my normal face."
It appears that Pebbles disagrees with her.


A sign of things to come?


This is the girl I know.


Princess is learning to knit on a loom. Next come the needles!!


Pebbles was trying to arrange this little photo shoot, but Princess wasn't feeling very cooperative.


2 out of the 3 isn't so bad, right?


This little Thing 4 gets chapped skin around her mouth almost constantly. We've tried to combat it with lotions and ointments, but I fear that this is a battle we won't win until after winter is over.


They're so cute when they're sleeping.