New Neighbors

I always forget Gainesville is a real town with permanent residents. There are families and children and pets and people who don't even step foot on campus during the day. Crazy! One of these "real" Gainesville families lives next door to us in the new apartment. There is a mom, a dad, and a couple of kids running around. And I'm pretty sure they're pirates.

Ok maybe not pirates, but I'm pretty sure they're looking for treasure.

Alright it's probably not that either. But why else would they be hammering the walls at all hours of the day?

Let's stick with searching for buried treasure, savvy?

1 Day Down - 1,000,000 To Go

I successfully survived my first day of nursing school! Woo!

I accompanied PDubbs on his first Gainesville Bus experience from my apartment. Luckily we're one of the first few stops on the bus route. The people from our stop filled up all the seats, and two stops later, all the standing room was taken too! It was awful watching people waiting at bus stops along the way. The look of excitement as they see the bus coming and the mad-scramble to find their IDs. But very quickly that excitement fades to dejection as the bus doesn't slow down and they can finally read the "FULL BUS" marquee. I know from personal experience that once one bus passes you by, your day is downhill from there, my friends.

Been there. Done that.

Since PDubbs class started earlier than mine, I arrived to my class a fashionable 1.5 hours early. And instead of wandering aimlessly around trying to find the room, I hopped into the library and looked up a floorplan to the building online. SCORE! No more looking like a lost puppy!

Side note: speaking of lost puppies, freshmen have infiltrated the UF campus. They can be seen traveling in mobs, heading into Gator Dining and running into people as they obscure their vision with big-ol' campus maps.

All in all, the lectures weren't so bad. Granted, it wasn't a lot of new content but it was still A LOT of content - I took over 30 pages of notes for Patho alone! But the professor is awesome and makes everything simple, clear and almost fun. I'm looking forward to our 3-hour clinical orientation today :)

Dr. B and J are heading back to school today!

First of all, when did Dr. B get so old?! He's already heading to the 7th grade. Hopefully he won't follow in his oldest sister's footsteps and decide it's really cute to wear toe-socks with capris. I apologize for the lackluster words of wisdom but that's all I really remember from 7th grade. I try to repress most memories from that era!

And when did J decide it was OK for her to up and go to college? Doesn't she know that she's still that little girl in pigtails who liked to do Jane Fonda workouts? That same girl who dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween for 3 years? The one preferred to pick grass on the soccer field instead of kicking the ball?

Kids these days.

The Bane of My Existence

If I never see a moving box again, it will be too soon. It seems like that's all we've done this summer. But we moved PDubbs into his new digs yesterday, just in time for classes to start tomorrow!

After christening the new apartment, I spent my entire Sunday afternoon wrapping my ahead around the week to come. Between researching textbooks, jotting more dates in my planner and trying to find cute white nonporous nursing shoes (btdubs, they don't exist), I worked up quite an appetite. Just in time for dinner with the new roommates, Lydia & Jessica!

Lydia is the girlfriend of PDubb's friend and roommate. She went to the same high school as PDubbs and is from our area. She roomed with Jessica last year and they hit it off. Jessica also did the IB program - YAY IB! We went to Pita Pit and ended up talking for almost 2 hours. It was a great way to spend the last night of summer :)

As of tomorrow morning at 9:35 AM, I will officially be a student in the College of Nursing. This time tomorrow, I will have logged 4 hours of Pathophysiology lecture and another 2 hours of Communication & Health Assessment! And I will officially be back from my 7-month hiatus as a UF student. Hopefully my study habits come back to me - the habits I haven't used since December!

Hope everyone is enjoying their last few days of summer. It's been a strange summer but I wouldn't have changed a thing!

Besosssss

Filling It In

There is no blank space in my planner. The end.

Orientationing

Today was the first day of Orientation for the UF College of Nursing! It was a great way to learn about the program, see the facilities and get to know the people I'll be working with for the next 2 years! I'm so excited for the future and progressively getting more nervous as the hours pass.

But it was a taxing day between being bombarded by information (HIPAA, OSHA, BBP, OPMI, CON, GNAP - so many acronyms, so little time!) and working right afterwards. PDubbs had a busy day, too; for his chemistry research, he had to take a safety training seminar/course/thingy that took all day. He got to use a fire extinguisher and put out a small fire! [Edit: PDubbs informs me that it was a huge fire and it almost engulfed the library. Thank goodness he was there!] After busy days like this, it's always nice to work together in the kitchen to create a yummy dinner. Tonight it was steak (medium-rare, thanks), potatoes and stewed tomatoes. Yum!

I feel like I'm cheating at this blogging thing by posting short and useless posts because I'm too tired to expend any more energy. But I only set out to post every day and I've done that so far with the exception of move-in day when I didn't have internet. Woo!

Today I'll leave you with some interesting facts about the nursing profession. I'll tell you more about the program I'm about to jump into more later when I can actually wrap my brains around it :)

-For 8 consecutive years, the Gallup Poll has rated Nursing as the Most Trusted Profession. About 83% of Americans believe nurses' honesty and ethical standards are "high" or "very high".

-Florence Nightingale was also a renowned statistician. She was especially talented in visual presentation and statistical graphics. She created the polar area diagram, also called the Nightingale rose diagram, which is now commonly used in statistics today.

-In the 17th century, nurses had a reputation for being drunk and obnoxious. It was considered a low job in the social hierarchy.

-The profession gets its roots from both religious and military training.

-By 2015, nurse practitioners will be required to have their Doctorate of Nursing Practice or PhD.

-Scrubs are comfy.

Purple Poo, Lady GaGa and other Weird Things

It's only Tuesday and it's already been a strange week.

1. Today I changed a diaper that was full of purple poop. 'Nuff said.

2. Lady GaGa went to nerd camp. We basically live identical lives, minus the superstar thing.

3. Just like music, PDubbs introduced me to gizmodo.com. It's like yahoo news but with other really weird things.

Tomorrow begins orientation for the nursing program. I'm not nervous (yet) about the orientation - but what should I wear?!

Heregoesnothin

PDubbs has eclectic taste in music and he's always listening to something new or finding a new fave band. One of his more recent finds is a 19-year-old kid who calls himself NeverShoutNever!

I'll admit I wasn't much of a fan when PDubbs first played me some of his stuff. But the more I listened, the more I liked.

Like, I really really liked.

And coolest part is that he does everything by himself. He layers his voice and even does harmonies with himself. And even though he probably doesn't have much experience in life or love like most people our age, his lyrics are cute, fun and catchy.

This is the song PDubbs and I listen to every morning on our way to work. It's a great pump-up song, especially when combined with this song by Hellogoodbye. (Warning: NeverShoutNever! is kind of a hippie-weirdo-dork and don't bother watching the Hellogoodbye video - it's weird anime cartoons but the song is catchy!)

I'm Lovin' It

Ikea, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

Yup.

Mhmm.

Oh yeah.

Uh huh.

Oh, baby.

Oh, my!




Just kidding on that last one :)

Facts & Figures

1460

the number of miles from Gainesville to Denver

686

the number of days since PDubbs asked me to be his girlfriend

498

the number of hours until Gator football begins

143

the number of posts I have on this blog

44.5

the number of hours I worked this week

24.76

the amount we saved at Publix today

9.27

the amount we pay when PDubbs and I eat at Moe's

6

the number of days my family has owned a dog

3

the number of baths I have taken in my new apartment

2

the number of boxes of Cheezit Party Snack Mix we bought today

1

the number of illegal bunnies living in my apartment

0

the number of times I have won a giveaway on thepioneerwoman.com

Boo

Boo! Happy Friday :)

Awkward Middle School

Brace yourself for one of the most awkward and uncomfortable pictures of all times.

Are you ready for it?















Are you sure?













100% absolutely, positively, super duper prepared?













Don't say I didn't warn you!

Ta-Da!

This gem was taken moments before our 8th grade dance. Here are some of my favorite awkward aspects:

-Claire and I sporting the universal sign of discomfort: the forearm grab across chest

-The fact that 50% of subjects have their eyes closed

-12-year-olds wearing high heels. 'Nuff said.

-Shawls all around!

-Awesome posing. Between Lydia's half-squat, Becca's half-turn and Melissa's sorority pose, we look good!

-And don't forget about poor William sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce on the ground. I'm pretty sure boys still have cooties in 8th grade.

But the really cool thing about 8th graders is that, despite all of the awkwardness, they still look pretty adorable!

What a Sweetheart

WORK WORK WORK. I've already worked nearly 30 hours this week and each of those hours has been quite a struggle. Like I said, most substitutes went home for the two weeks before school starts. This means that there are way less people covering all of their shifts. Every room has been having trouble - the teachers are stressed because the subs aren't familiar with each class's routine, the kids are stressed because they don't recognize the subs which further stresses out the teachers and so on. It's been exhausting but it has also made for a very interesting and rewarding week so far!

But since I'm so frigging tired, I'm gonna brag about what a great boyfriend I have.

-He deep-cleaned my condo for me. After I had a messy sublettee during the spring semester, I returned from Spain to a disgusting bedroom and bathroom. I had planned to make a day of cleaning the place up, but when I showed up, it was already clean! This was the best present I could have ever asked for - it was so thoughtful and sweet!!

-He has helped me move. From moving my life into a storage unit to relocating it to my new apartment. He even helped me and my family move J into her new dorm. He's been a great help this summer.

-He's letting me use his big ol' TV. And we can now enjoy cable television in my new apartment. Oh, how I've missed you, Food Network!!!

-He shares my love of Food Network and food in general. 'Nuff said.

-He cooked me dinner tonight. After a long day at work, I could hear my stomach growling on my way home on the bus. When I walked in my apartment, I was greeted with a hug and the smell of creamy alfredo. He's the best :)

-His name is really fun to write. Like any teenage twenty-year-old girl, I enjoy signing my first name with his last name like we were married. So many strange and unusual letters to practice!

There are a kajillion other reasons why he's so awesome but I'll save those for another time. Happy Hump Day, guys!

Breaking News

Fudgesicles still taste good after they have melted, turned into amorphic blobs, and refreeze.

That is all.

5 Pounds

We just received our first delivery at the new apartment!

PDubbs ordered 5 lbs of Haribo gummy bears. Party at the crib!

BYOTP (Bring Your Own Tooth Paste - you're going to need it!)

Glad That's Done

Sorry about the lack of posting yesterday! We're figuring out stuff with our internet but I'm back in business today :)

These past 24 hours have been INsane.

After blogging Friday night, Pdubbs and I finished packing up his apartment. Since he had to be all moved out by noon, we loaded up the cars to expedite the process a little. While we were packing up his stuff inside, we saw a helicopter with a searchlight circling the area - not something you see everyday! Later, when we were shoving his life into our cars, 4 police cars were surrounding a car in the parking garage where he was parked. And they were still there 2 hours later!

We woke up early Saturday morning to pack up some final things, met my parents at the storage unit, and went to move into my new apartment! We were lucky that the weather in Gainesville decided to throw us a bone for once and delay the rain until after everything was already moved in. For the past two years, it has rained every time we try to move!

I'm so grateful to my family and PDubbs for helping me with everything. I honestly couldn't have done any of it without their help! Dr. Brother even did his part and provided some comic relief during lunch at Panera, where we ran into some friends from my U-12 soccer team. It never fails to amaze how often I see people I know in Gainesville. UF is huge but it seems like everyone I know is here!

Back to the job grind bright and early tomorrow morning. Now that classes are over, most of the other substitute teachers have gone home for the last two weeks of summer. I'm bummed that my new friends won't be working with me but it also means I'll be working lots and lots of hours. And lots of hours means more money to buy cute scrubs :)

Huh?

I'm sure the image of the Quizno's Rat/Prairie Dog/Raccoon/Roadkill Thing from a few years ago is burned into your cerebrum. (Here's a link if you need a refresher!)

Their advertising geniuses are at it again with this gem of a commercial. I realize this is the second video of a kitten I've posted this week, but this one is not so cute.

Um.

What just happened?

I have a hard time believing this is the work of qualified college graduates. (And I really really hope I'll be more effective at my job after my college education!) Is this supposed to go viral? Be artsy & creative? Or just downright annoying? I just don't see any merit in this type advertising scheme. The creepy meat juice already freaks me out but now a commercial of dancing kittens singing off-key? I can think of a ton of better places to spend my 5, 4 or 3 bucks. But what do I know?

But enough ranting and negativity. I'm so glad it's the weekend - my family is coming early tomorrow morning to help me move into my new digs! I can't believe classes start in about 2 weeks. It should be interesting since I haven't studied since December :)

What are your plans for the weekend?

Baby Steps

Hi, my name is Megan and I'm a Telephonolaliophobic.

I have a weird fear/ anxiety of talking on the phone. I put off phone calls as long as humanly possible. I break out into a cold sweat. Words kinda slur out of me like a drunken sailor. Needless to say, I text or email whenever possible.

And yes, I do understand the importance of telephones. They provide a fast, simple and cheap way to communicate with the world. Their use is practice and essential for all types of environments and situations. But I just don't like 'em.

Today I went to work expecting a day just like any other day. Everything was going swimmingly for the first half-hour or so until I got a call about staying later. See, the way they trick is by asking you if you want to pick some more hours. Who wouldn't say no to that? I rarely ever do, and today was no exception.

But you don't know what you're signing up for. They don't really tell you until after you agree in what room you'll be staying or even how long. Today was no exception.

Our preggo secretary called in sick today. She and the baby are OK but someone had to answer the phone. So guess who got to play Pam Beesley-Halpert for the day?

For the most part, Pam's portrayal does not begin to demonstrate the complete boredom I experienced today. I had a useless computer sitting on the desk in front of me that I couldn't use because I'm not an authorized full-time employee. So there it sat, just taunting and teasing me for 5 hours. That bitch.

But I much preferred those moments of quiet time to the anxiety-ridden moments when I had to answer a phone and talk to a human being. And due to my anxiety, I have avoided telephones like the plague and have therefore never learned how to work a lot of a standard phones functions like putting on hold, transferring calls, etc. And unfortunately, all of these things are highly important to a secretary, who acts like the hub of all incoming and outgoing phone calls.

5 hours later, after a couple botched transfers and a scavenger hunt through the hospital, I came out of the office unscathed (besides some shaken nerves). Even though it sucked at the time, I'm glad I kept at it and saw it out until the end. I've fallen into such a routine lately that it was good to step out of my comfort zone and shake things up. And it temporarily diminished my fear of phones - what a life improvement!

After work tomorrow, PDubbs and I will be packing up his apartment for our 4th move of the summer out of our 6 total. And after that, we'll get to enjoy the last couple of weeks of summer before classes start again. Where has the summer gone? Scratch that, where has this year gone?

Hope everyone is having a perfectly lovely week. Anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend?

Kind Words

One of the teachers in the 2-year-old room at the daycare has been out sick the past few days. Since I just have a one-hour shift early in the morn, I was asked to pick up her shifts.

I'm pretty familiar with the kids but there's a lot that goes into taking care of those kids, which takes time. Since I'm relatively new, I'm still figuring out the routine and details that go with the job. Like with any job, it can get a little overwhelming. Throw in the fact that you're in charge of taking care of someone else's human and you've got a party!

In the past few days I've learned that two-year-olds are difficult. They're like "almosts" of childhood. They almost understand grown-up talk but not entirely. They're almost fully-coordinated. They're almost potty-trained. I'm not going to lie - it's been rough.

But it's all worth it when you make a breakthrough and the kiddo opens up to you. I walked in the room this morning and was greeted by a chorus of "Miss Megan!" One of them even ran across the room to give me a big bear hug. Hearing those words was a great pick-me-up at 8 AM.

Later during nap time, one of the full-time teachers and I were talking about the day thus far and general life things. She asked me about school and what I was studying. I asked her about her baby-on-the-way and her experience at the daycare. During our conversation, she told me I was doing a good job with the kids. My inner people-pleaser rejoiced!

Even though I know I'm far from perfect in my job it was still awesome to be recognized for hard work. Just a few kind words like that can really turn someone's day around. We're always commending children for a job well done, even if it's something as mundane as pushing in a chair or saying "please" or "thank you". And that's great - it encourages them to continue that behavior. But grown-ups need some encouragement sometimes, too!

I'm going to try to compliment someone everyday. It might seem silly and probably a bit hippie-ish but if it makes people feel better about themselves, who cares?

More than halfway through the week, folks! Hope everyone had a great Wednesday :)

Drawing a Blank

I got nothing today - 9.5-hours with a bunch of 2-year-olds is totally draining me of any creativity or energy. Sorry, guys!

To make up for my lethargy, enjoy this video of a cute kitten!

Social Norms

Let's say you have a 25-minute walk to work every morning. And let's say that at different points along this 25-minute walk, you pass the same people.

Is it socially acceptable to say good morning and/ or make small talk with these people in passing?

I ask this because Barney's lessons in manners didn't quite prepare me for this situation.

On one hand, these people are a part of our daily lives and we are a part of their lives. We share a common human experience of walking in the same spot of the world everyday. We recognize each other and we're aware of an intimate part of their daily routine. Plus, communicative interaction is one thing that sets us apart from most of the rest of the animal kingdom.

But then again, it's a little uncomfortable, don't ya think? It's not like you're going to stop your commute to work to have a meaningful convo with these people. You don't even know their names! They could be a Level 10 Creeper for all you know. If you do say anything more than "Good morning", the person is likely to have already walked past you, making conversation even more difficult.

Personally, I think a quick "hello" is plenty. It's polite and concise and far better than ignoring the person's existence all together. But anything more than that is a little too creepy for me. Did you hear that, creepy-middle-age-man-that-walks-by-me-every-morning? Commenting on something scrawled across my chest is not appropriate, even if it is my place of work.

What do you think?

Let's Do This

I know I've been slacking at this whole blogging thing. Again. I just feel like I haven't had much to blog about lately - wake up, work, eat, work out, sleep, repeat. But a lot is happening this month so I've decided to document it daily through this blog thingy. Hopefully I can pick it up as a habit and work it into my daily or almost-daily routine! We'll see how it goes :)

Today J moved into her temporary dorm at FSU! She's up there in Tallahassee at this very moment with her 3 new roommates, who are also freshman soccer studs. The fam picked PDubbs and I up this morning to complete the final 2.5 hours of the drive to our rival school. After a quick lunch at Bruegger's Bagels (we need one in Gainesville ASAP!), we checker her into her new dorm.

As far as college dorms go, this is pretty freaking nice. Each girl has her own room complete with bed, desk, and dresser. There's also 2 bathrooms, a common area, and a full kitchen! They really spoil them before throwing them into the normal dorms after their 2-week preseason training, which begins later this week.

I remembered all of the excitement and nervousness I felt as my family dropped me off that first day. And that incredible sense of hope that comes along with an unknown future. While her status as a student athlete make her circumstances quite different from mine, I bet she's feeling those same things right now! I'm so excited to see where her adventures take her :)

But even though her schedule will be packed between balancing soccer, school and living life, she won't be a complete stranger this semester. I'm going to try to go to as many games as I can - I'm especially looking forward to the FSU vs. UF game on September 10th! I'll be that girl from the Swamp cheering for the Noles!

And just like when we moved into Hume that faithful day in 2008, it began to pour as we said our goodbyes. But this time my parents went home with one kid as they dropped PDubbs and I off after a yummy sushi dinner. Not to worry - Dr. B won't be an only child for long. Puppy Day is only a coupe of weeks away :)