Next up, GRADUATION!!!!
What?!?! Already??!! HA!
Despite all my attempts to thwart my meticulous study habits by posting here way too much when I should have been pouring over nursing textbooks, I have somehow managed to pass every single test set before me. And on Saturday of this week they are going to let me walk across that big stage, with all my school friends, and family in the audience, and graduate and move onto the NEXT BIG THING!!
TWO YEARS! (and two years before that just to get to these two past years) I could cry. And I do. Every single time I think too much about how I got here. Where I was and where I am and where I am going.
Life is extremely unpredictable and I would advise anyone who feels like it won’t ever change, to wait. Wait one more day and I guarantee, it ALWAYS changes! We steer our own ships. We do. Talk to me and I will tell you. I am proof that any plan can be changed. I’ve had 5 year plans, 3 year plans, 1 year plans, 1 week plans, ONE DAY plans and they all have one thing in common: They have all been completely and totally “F’d” up, thrown out, re-planned and revised into unrecognizable versions of their original ideas, many times over. And here I am anyway at the end of the latest 1000 day plan. And guess what? Tomorrow I will have ANOTHER plan. It just goes on and on…
You have to excuse me, I am feeling even MORE mushy and sentimental because the hardest thing I have ever done is finally over. I reached for the dream and I didn’t fail. And I am never afraid of failing, because I always try 100%, and I never give up, but, I am always terrified of failing, because I always try 100% and I never give up! One of my school friends posted on her page today:
“Fall down seven times, get up eight.”
I say get up every single time you fall. It’s true that you can’t fail at anything if you never try anything, but you can’t win anything either.
So that’s it for tonight. I will go back to silly stuff later, but I have to say thanks now that it’s over.
Thank you to my family. My kids rock. They have been counting down all these days with me. We made it. All those days that stretched before us. All those days behind us now. And soon, we get to start a new count! Life is just that. Living. Every day. Keep moving and at least you are DOING something!
Thank you to my other family…mom and sissy’s and brother…listening to me talk for 2 years about lots of stuff that no one else cares about….thank you. I’ve said it before. Lots of times. And I promise, I will stop now.
Friends, school folk, family of my family…same as above! Even if you thought I was full of it, you let me talk and for that I thank you.
Fans, strangers, readers, people who accidentally stumble on this looking for something else more interesting…thank you for following the journey. This whole little blog thing started out kind of pointless and random. It has morphed from my general thoughts on different unassociated topics, to more of a place that I can record the things in my life that I can go on and on about and no one can stop me! Unless you click it off! Hopefully you find it as fun and interesting as I do when I write it! And if you don’t…thanks anyway for reading it and probably hoping it will get better! It’s like a car accident right?? Can’t. Look. Away.
And finally…most importantly….and my last bit of mush in high gear…thank you to my BF. That’s boyfriend. You are the most patient man in the history of the world. You have no reason to put up with half the crap I do (or don’t do…haha) and still you stay. I’m glad you stuck it out and like I have been saying all along…it is almost over! The future is here! Well mostly here…you know I still got that one, last, little test to take, that the state requires, eye roll, before I go working on real people! But hey…easy peasy lemon squeezy….we are as good as there! Anyway, to sum up: I love you. Thank you.
Ok. This is way longer than I wanted it to be (as usual). Tomorrow I get fingerprinted! I will be forever on the grid now. More importantly, I have to go and watch my son get inducted into the National Junior High Honor Society! We are a family of smarty smarty pants! The future IS here!
Dream big and do something awesome! For yourself and anyone else in your world! From the bottom of my heart….to all of you and yours….thank you. Have a great and wonderful night.
Ummm, I should probably be studying
But it’s soooo nice outside! And I really want to go ride the motorcycle! But, I am afraid to go out by myself. It’s probably the best time to get on and get used to it, but I feel kind of stupid practicing on the street. And if I fall off or something happens then I am really in trouble. I guess I’ll just have to wait until the weekend.
Let’s see…I have also wasted most of the morning doing things like paying bills and cleaning laundry. Yay.
And…I did some self-care maintenance that my sister may not like too much….I colored my own hair! With a box product! And then I cut it! I am so sorry A, but I had too!! I was feeling so old and gray, and even though I am an almost pretty, cool chick, my hair gave me away at the hospital yesterday. Usually people are really kind and humor me when they claim they can’t guess how old I am. They never think I am my real age, but not yesterday. This woman—who was very, very, nice and not unkind at all—just asked me what I have been doing all this time between nursing and whatever the hell else I must have been doing…”since you aren’t as young as some of these other ones around here” Man. Totally busted as the old lady on the floor! So I told her the basic truth about all of us old folks—second career. Total flip on the job we started doing as the ‘yutes” we were (that was for you A, remember at the arboretum—yutes—hahahaha–we still think that’s pretty funny), to the job I’m going to end up doing for the rest of my life. Wish I had started out here, but timing and circumstance just wouldn’t have it that way…but it’s all good now. Anyway. She was a great lady and I had a great day. Which leads me to my next bit of happy….
Last clinical as a student! And I had the best day! (Second only to my ER clinical….you never forget your first love)…anyway…I could go on and on and I know that no one except me likes to hear about it so I will just say that I had 2 of the best nurses for my last 2 days, who taught me more than I could have hoped for this late in the game. I got to do all my skills and even some new ones. Excellent hospital, excellent clients, excellent nurses and staff that were kinder than they needed to be. Even though they will never see this or know it’s about them, I am forever grateful to have my last days of “hand holding” be held by them. Thank you.
So before we get all mushy here…let’s get back to my hair. I colored it and I was skeptical. And afraid. I could hear my sisters voice inside my head telling me how sorry I was going to be. But it turned out really good. Like, really good. A nice color. Not brassy. Not fake looking. I had picked the color closest to my actual hair, because all I wanted was to cover those pesky grays. And it worked! It’s really natural looking. Did a pretty good job on those gray ones too! And of course, I cut it most of the time myself any way. I limit it to my bangs because they grow in my eyes and I start looking a little nerd-sweaty when they part in the middle…not a good look. But I have to say my hair looks like I just left a salon. I know you won’t believe me sister, so I took pictures. Quite nice. And good enough for now until I can get out to see you after school is over!
And my hair must just look so good, because I went to go get myself lunch (Jimmy John’s—I am kind of having a serious problem with that place lately—it’s like every other day now–but so good) But not the point. The point is, TWO, yes, TWO guys, on their own, and separately, were giving me the eyeballs and trying to hit on me! Ha. This hair is so powerful! Is “hit on me” even a phrase still used these days?? I don’t think it’s happened to me in a while…but it did today! We don’t need the details…just the fact that it’s still a possibility is soothing enough. Glad I shaved today too! That kind of inner confidence really makes the men take notice! I feel like I should go buy new underwear or something! HA!
And don’t worry sister or anyone else, I already told the BF. No need to get crazy. I just got talked up, no biggie, but in the end I just took my stuff and left. I know better then to mess up a good thing! And to the BF: You’re the only one for me! XO
Ok that’s it. Kids will start trickling home so I better get back to the books—so it looks like I was actually doing something constructive.
And as a side note—the weather is turning a bit overcast here now, so I guess I don’t have to worry about riding that motorcycle after all. Excuses excuses!
Lab Final is up next. Then the Renal Test. I will post if I can. Later.
Thank you 2 dimes on the ground!
As stupid as that seems. And as stupid as it is that an entire MONTH has gone by, again, and I can’t find time to come here and bore all you faithful fans with my one track life!
So here is some more about school, in case you were wondering and worried!
We had our first cardiac test yesterday at school. The semester is winding down. Everyone is hoping to graduate in May and they crank up the curriculum to put us all at ease. NO. Last four weeks, deep into the heart and kidneys of mankind! NOT easy content. Not for the faint of heart (pun intended) or weak willed. Cardiac moves like a rollercoaster. Lots of stuff inside that fist sized muscle that runs your body non-stop (hopefully), 24/7, for every waking and sleeping moment of your entire time on Earth. It even runs your body BEFORE you set down into the actual atmosphere. It starts pumping your teeny tiny, unformed, tadpole body 4 weeks into fetus hood. But we all don’t need an anatomy lesson.
The point is, when I pulled up to the school at 7:30 am to start classes, I got out of my car, looked down, and there were two, shiny dimes right at my feet! Of course I picked them up (street money people! Even tho I have been horrendously bad at logging in all the money I have found for about the, oh, last YEAR or so….I WILL catch it up! I promise. I HAVE alot that I have found…really.) Anyhoo…2 dimes…20 cents…20 questions. I was hoping that was a good sign to indicate that I will be getting all 20 questions correct.
Well I guess it worked…superstitious! 100% on the test! Very happy. I am attempting to get that A again. I am fighting an uphill battle because I did so bad on that first damn test. So now it’s all trying to get the points back. It is still possible numerically and what a pain! Too much pressure and really, all I need to do is pass the dang things! Whatever…we all need something to keep us moving forward right?
So that’s all. I have so much to do today, per the BF, and here I am writing about found money. So I know you will see this and YES, I am wasting some time here, BUT, my care plan is done. (Was done by 8:30) and I did two loads of laundry already. Cardiac is sitting here next to me waiting for me to wind this up. My people need to know these things!
I also have to update on my 10K….Successful! Finished! And on my own power! BEFORE the time allotted! Mostly because of my sister, who not only beat my time, but because she just trained and pushed us and kicked butt and made me finish! So props to you and congrats to us!! FYI—it was soooooo cold that day too. YUK! We were running just to stay warm. Chicago ya know. It was 40 degrees and threatening to rain when we ran at 7am, and 70 degrees and sunny by the afternoon when I was driving home. What a crock! I wasn’t gonna actually comment right now about it, I was saving it for later, but oh well, now it’s done, so we’ll do it again next year and I’ll talk more then!
Alright, alright, I am getting off now. Need to do more homework and laundry, before the kids get here. We need to go bowl out and shop for a few more things and pack them up to go for the weekend with their dad. They get to go to Kentucky and fish and swim for 4 days while I freeze and read about heart attacks! I think there’s a holiday in there somewhere too….but it’s not one that I do anything for so I will try and keep this posted and updated. Love you honey….all will be well. End.
Spring Break for the weary!
Finally!! It has been a long–fast 9 weeks! I tried to post…wasn’t going to happen. After BOMBING my very first test back (literally. failed. less than passing.) I am back up and over the minimum required to graduate in May. And of course I am going for the A again. I got to. It’s close. It’s within reach! And since I seriously do not do ANYTHING else now…(that includes: exercise, cooking, laundry, cleaning, sleeping….) I should be able to manage it. Its a boost for the class and a boost for my grade point average. Its all about the resumé now!
Anyway I won’t go on and on about boring school stuff (even though I have gotten to do LOTS of skills and get experiences these last few weeks that no one really wants to hear about!) because I want to catch up on LIFE! And laundry!
My BF, the BEST!! in the land, made a valiant attempt over the weekend….cleaned and dried and folded AND put away! Thank you thank you thank you…and I love you….and I am truly sorry about what a sucky GF I have been…I promise it will get better!!! Please hang in there!! XO
But, now 4 days go by and wtf?? a pile of clothes again! What a rip! So in between posts and making a half dinner (from a box, but with some ingredients!) and driving my mother to the doctor, exercising, and the inevitable homework (tests when we get back and some other stuff) I will try and do this here housework! It may not happen all today! But I think I can fix it up by tomorrow afternoon! Then I can have a whole week to slack off!! Maintenance, people!! It’s all about maintaining!
So I need to update my Ipod. It’s not as crammed up with junk anymore so it works alot better now. After my epic meltdown last summer with the maximum capacity overload, I wiped it out and just put on the music I use for running or driving. Much smarter. 30,ooo songs is nice but it’s really not realistic for anything except maybe a radio station and even then, they only play what someone wants to hear. Over and over and over again! And I need some new music!
And I need to hit the road! With my feet. Me and my sissy are doing another crazy running adventure…for charity of course. But that won’t make it any easier. 6 miles and a cart following us, breathing down our backs, putting on the pressure, just waiting for us to fall below the minimum time to complete, and ready to scoop us up off the road and drive us to the finish line! HA! She says it won’t happen! I hope she is right! That ground hits hard though on my out of shape feet (and body!) I haven’t gained any weight—mostly because I don’t have time to eat! but I haven’t gained any muscle either or tone or shape….then there is the Warrior Dash! It’s that time again! So be prepared to hear ALL about that! I need Tony Horton to bring it! To my house and get me off my fat a**! P90WTF??? It only works if you actually do it!
Anyway…That’s it for now! I will go look for something good to post as a picture for the top. Something that is NOT snow. It’s gorgeous today in the midwest! Chicago is teasing us for spring!
Happy St. Pat’s Day to all who celebrate.
Please give a quick thought to the folks out there in Japan trying to keep it together for another day, and wish them the best before you have that drink!
And here’s a little shout out to my new, number one fan! Stevie! Hi baby! Love you! Now get back to school stuff please!!
Thanks for hanging with me for a bit! More later!
That should probably do it!
Three available serving sizes of denial! No matter how big you go, you still have to go back tomorrow! School starts again in about ten hours. Ten short hours and 125 more slow/fast days. 18 weeks. Start to finish. And I will be done. Finally. Finally.
Finally.
I will try to keep it light. Keep posting. Not stress. Hell, it’s only the whole rest of my life, so…
Off the computer and into bed. Last time I will ever have to do this much work to get two small letters added to the end of my name. It is thrilling beyond words. And I am ready. Let’s G-O !!!
News from the armpit of America
As I fondly refer to the state of Arkansas. And for all you about to jump on the comments, just know that I call it the armpit out of love (and because armpit starts with an A, and I like the repetition of it all). My daddy moved there, lived there, died there, and is buried there. I have been to Arkansas several times and don’t plan on going back anytime soon. It’s pretty and country and closes early. It has modern parts and really backward parts and now it has alot of dead parts. Unconfirmed, of course, as to what is causing the deadness. I think it’s very interesting so I reposted the article I found that kind of summed up the birds and the fish, with links I believe, in case you want to explore further and don’t have anything else to do tonight (especially since football is no longer an option—sad face). The whole thing is below. My favorite explanation so far is the end-of-the-world thing. I personally have been talking about it for some time, ever since I saw the special on Krakatoa (the volcano) and its part in the destruction of life as we know it. It’s one small reason why I wanted to be a nurse. I plan on living. So I have to start my shelter construction and supply gathering as soon as I graduate in May. I’ll have the money to do it, the knowledge to keep us alive for awhile, and access to hospitals and medicines. The kids are used to it. They think I may be crazy but these dead animals should change their minds! I realize that other stuff has happened lately that’s much cheerier, like Christmas and New Years, and I have stuff like pictures and things, but the mass killing really grabbed my attention and felt post worthy, especially with my close, personal, family connection. I have to hurry because my 4 shot vodka martini is kicking in and it’s getting hard to type. Don’t worry the kids are gone with their dad for the evening. It’s all good. So enjoy the article!
Thank you to “The LookOut” a Yahoo News source, and Brett Michael Dykes for writing it. I haven’t altered it, just re-posted it for more people to read.
Oh yeah! And Happy New Year!
Mon Jan 3, 12:10 pm ET
Thousands of dead birds and fish in Arkansas leave many
scratching heads
(sorry I don’t know what the hell that is below there, or why I can’t get rid of it)
Maybe the Mayans were on to something?
That’s surely what students of the famed Mayan 2012 prophecy for the end of the world had to be thinking with the news of recent eerie wildlife die-offs in Arkansas. Just as the calendar nudged a year closer to that fateful date, birds began falling from the sky in Arkansas and a massive fish kill occurred some 125 miles to the west.
[Rewind: Mysterious bee deaths explained]
Roughly 5,000 red-winged blackbirds fell from the sky over a mile of land near Beebe, a small town in northwest Arkansas, and observers spotted the fish kill near the town of Ozark. You can watch a video report on the blackbirds below, courtesy of ABC News:
CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE WITHOUT SEARCHING THE SITE
And here’s a CNN report on the incidents:
No one seems to know just yet what caused the two die-offs. But theories abound.
In a statement Saturday morning, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission quoted staff ornithologist Karen Rowe as saying that such events have happened before around the world: “Test results usually were inconclusive, but the birds showed physical trauma and that the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail.”
[Rewind: Haunting images of Gulf Coast oil spill]
Because it happened New Year’s Eve, some officials suggest that revelers shooting fireworks may have spooked the birds, to the point that they died en masse from stress-induced cardiac arrest.
“It is unlikely they were poisoned,” Rowe said, “but a necropsy is the only way to determine if the birds died from trauma or toxin.” Tests were to begin Monday.
Click image to see photos of the dead birds
Daily Citizen/Warren Watkins, via AP
Meanwhile, wildlife officials say that the estimated 100,000 drum discovered by a tugboat captain over a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River appears to be a natural occurrence that isn’t tied to the bird kill in any way.
[Photos: Massive fish kill hits Louisiana]
“The fish kill only affected one species of fish,” Keith Stephens of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission told CNN. “If it was from a pollutant, it would have affected all of the fish, not just drum fish.” He added that fish kills in the area are common, though this one was larger than most.
UPDATE: A state veterinarian tells NBC that preliminary necropsy results show that the birds died of “multiple blunt trauma to their vital organs.”
(Screengrab via CNN)
I gotta say…
I don’t know who the heck is still looking at this every day, but, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my 15-week-jammed-up-school-crazy-going-no-time-to-post-anything heart! Someone is keeping me alive and on the charts and I thank you.
I literally have one more clinical and one more week of class to go this semester. One care plan. One evaluation sheet w/ goals. One Hesi test. One Lab Final and one final Final. Now that I have typed it…it seems like alot. But trust. It is not. Actually it is but that’s just because I have to study everything, all over again, and then answer even MORE questions. But then I’m done. Until January. One post in 15 weeks…not bad.
Here’s a quick update: School. Football. School. Football. I take the kids to bowling. I go to clinicals. I don’t play any games anymore on facebook, but I do check the site. I stay up way too late. And not for good stuff. I rebooted my Ipod but I am not in love with it anymore. I lost all my playlists and a few hundred songs when I re-loaded the back up discs. I haven’t exercised in weeks. Unless you count the few pushups I do every few days to make sure that I still can. Which I do. But I still fit in my small pants so I don’t care too much about the extra flab hanging over the top for now. I can hit the gym in about a week. School is busy but fun this time. Stressful but in a completely different way from last semester. And my license is calling. I can almost hear it now. I haven’t really been drinking either. Not even enough time for that. Or movies. Or pleasure books. Or mags. I have alot of gossip news to catch up on. My mags are from August…I know I should just throw them away…I’ll decide at Christmas about that. Anyway, I am having a drink now and it is good.
The two things for fun that I have still been doing is collecting change off the street (and keeping it in a cup) and playing my pocket poker game (the quest for the royal flush). Don’t I sound like FUN?? I will post the amount for the last few months in a few days maybe.
AND….wait for it……the quest is over!!
I GOT THE ROYAL FLUSH!!
Oh yeah! No kidding. I think it was clubs. I got it awhile ago but saved the pic for just this moment. I am a wild woman! Do not mess with me and my mad fake poker points skillz! The back of the game says I get 2500 points for the royal flush but I got 5000! What?? I know! It was an exciting day! And just when I did not think it could ever happen again….IT DID!!
TWO Royal Flushes! This was a hearts set. Another 5000. Oh yeah…I’m going for the 10,000. I am unstoppable.
I need to go eat dinner and study something. Thanks for hanging again with me thru the weeks of drought! I really do appreciate your time! I’ll have more later! Pictures are below.
The first one. And that was pretty exciting.
Ugh! Blurry! But you can see it! Another 5000.
That was the high score but I am going for more points. I think I am over 7100 now. Yes I know. Sad life. That’s what the vodka is for. See ya!
Happy New Year!!!
GET UP!! Let’s go! Back to school! The first day back for me, one more week for the kids (school construction problems delayed their opening–good for them now, bad for them in June). Stay tuned for 16 weeks of fun and 16 weeks of DONE!! I cannot wait! So here we go….
We interrupt this program for another appearance by Mother Nature
That Bitch!!
When I left a few days ago, happy, P90X’d on day 30, I was recovering from Core Synergistics. I am actually still sore but who has time to think about it when the natural world gives you so much more to do! Let me explain.
I have trees. Big trees. They keep falling down. Not the whole tree, just parts of the tree. Limbs crack and break and then lay across the yard or the fence or the neighbors garage or her house…it keeps happening. Every single time it storms I worry. Every single time a tree part falls on my neighbors house it is the calmest, clearest, least windy day EVER! Every. Single. Time. I leave, the tree is fine. I come home, BOOM, it’s laying on something. Then I have to get tools (now the BF and I have to get tools) and we cut it up and drag it to the nice wood/limb/branch pile I have going in my backyard. I’ve posted pictures of it. I’ll post again in case you don’t believe me. It’s ridiculous now because every time I get it mostly cleaned up, nice and neatly stacked for continued ease of disposal, more falls and the pile grows. It’s a joke to the neighbors now.
The far left side and the far right side wood piled up is the old stuff. Everything in the middle is from yesterday.It doesn't look like alot I guess in this pic, but trust, its all tangled and gnarly and high.
This time I really got a surprise. MN (Mother Nature) decided to shake things up by NOT felling the tree limb I was actually worried about but a completely different one that I never even considered! Tricky! I should have known. I took pics of this tree. Foam was coming out of the bottom. I do not know what that means in tree life, but it’s probably not good. Got pics of that too.
So anyway, this real dangerous, heavy, stretched out limb just hangs over my neighbors house looking menacing every day and extra scary in storms. The birds don’t care. The squirrels don’t care. They just keep adding weight to it, running up and down, just doing their thing. I panic thinking it will fall. It’s huge. It’s old. It has NO chance in hell of missing her house and landing neatly in between on the driveway. It’s just that kind of tree. But it’s expensive to remove this kind of tree. Thousand dollar or more type money, which I don’t have. So we wait, and hope, and cringe every time the wind blows, but so far so good.
And oh yeah, there is also another limb that goes off it in the other direction, over my house, that looks fine. No worries. We noticed on Saturday when we got back from motorcycle class that it was dangling its leaves on the roof. Brushing ever so slightly like it was caressing the house. We tell ourselves, well we’ll have to get up there and trim those back. Not me…the BF…he’s much better at that sort of thing…plus it could start interfering with the satellite dish! Oh my! Can’t mess up the TV! He’s off on Monday (yesterday) so we can do it then.
So Saturday is class—sitting, talking, learning, then leaving. Expect to arrive early on Sunday and be prepared to ride the whole time! Ok. After class we take the kids clothes shopping for school, have a nice dinner and chill in the evening. Everyone’s happy! No P90, no other exercise except the brain stuff earlier.
Sunday 7 am. Off to class. Riding riding riding. It’s fun. It’s stressful. I feel worked out. 5 hours on a machine I have never set foot across in my life. And I get to control it and ride it and shift it and stop it…it’s too much fun! Not for everyone though. We did lose some people on the riding portion. 3 out of 12 had to go. As deemed by the instructors. Dropping the bike more than once or stalling it over and over in traffic, or actually flipping off of it, it did happen, right next to me, is pretty much instant exit. So needless to say, I was burning some stress calories and actual cals pushing that bike around. But I survived it and actually had a pretty good time. I am by no means ready for the road. I could drive it fine and turn it and stop it and all that, but I had some trouble with the quick, up and down shift (I think my boots were too fat and I couldn’t get my toe under the gear lever smoothly every time) and apparently I go WAY too slow for the other people! I’ll admit I was putt-putting it, but I shouldn’t be the leader. I need to follow someone else to gain speed! It’s not my fault!
After we got home, the kids are going to hang with their dad and he shows up to get them and notices that lovely, dangling, brushing, tree branch is now sitting on the damn roof solid. Crap. Seriously?? It must have cracked at a seam overnight (no storms, no wind) and laid itself gently to rest on the roof. Nice. So what is the afternoon like now? Up on the roof, the BF, not me, cutting branches and getting the limb up and off, then call someone to remove the rest because it is heavy and big and probably too much for us. Accomplished. The BF managed to use a handsaw to remove enough of the branches that it is up about 6 inches and if it continues to lean it will just rest back on the roof and not cause any major damage. It did crinkle the nice furnace exhaust pipe thing that our friend Jeff put up last fall but thank fully that was easily straightened.
If you look close you can see the crack. The left side is the main trunk to the ground, go across the limb to the dead knob and it's right underneath like a gash in the side. Just enough to bring it down. But not too much that it crashes on to the roof.
Here’s another question. Why, after all these years, have I never purchased a chain saw? I have needed one almost every spring and summer since I moved into this house. That money spent would have proven itself worthy over and over again. Well, we own one now. A big, nasty, loud, long-bladed monster tree cutter. A few inches short of the commercial kind. I’m not spending 500 dollars on one, but I can handle 200. After removing enough and watching it basically lean right back on over to the roof and then calling some tree services and getting a quote for 1000 dollars (WTF?? Seriously?? We already took half that shit off and it’s practically stand-up accessible) Then for another $1300, he’ll take off that other limb that is super-giant, super-heavy, and hanging so far over the neighbors house that it could be considered a whole tree all by itself. Really? Only 300 extra dollars to take off the giant limb as opposed to the half cut one? I was nice and didn’t say anything. What a rip. They have a bucket! I guess that’s what we pay for. Either that or he just didn’t want to do it so he throws out a ridiculous number hoping we would laugh and tell him to move along.
So I get the idea that since it’s obviously just going to lean back on the roof, we can go get a chainsaw and hack that sucker off ourselves. We can get it on the roof and just hope we can cut it back enough it will swing and miss the house when it goes all down. Ha! Lofty goals on Sunday night! Monday morning. Different story when my shaky ass is standing on the roof, on that treacherous angle, trying to hold limbs and not fall to my death on chainsaw chips and debris. I REALLY underestimated my ability to stand on a roof with confidence and move around. I was constantly afraid of falling off, therefore I was afraid to move too much and therefore not much help in the removal process. The longer I was up there I felt a little better, but those slippery chips were too much for me. Bright ideas look 100 times better from the ground looking up.
I have to give every kind of respect for people that can work on a roof with no problem. That is an awesome balance thing and confidence and surefootedness that I do not have! Your job is tough and scary and I can see why people pay you the money to do it.
Once the BF and I realized there was no way we could do it ourselves, because of my chicken-shitness and his lack of reach over the house and up to the limb, we decided to use the trim, wait, let the tree limb lay back on the house, trim, wait, lay, etc…method of removal. It might take awhile but the lower the limb comes down, the easier it is to remove. The person we finally got to take a look and remove it for us said that method is not going to work and is not really smart. He’s a 20 year tree guy and he has removed stuff for us before. He’s back in the biz after hurting himself some years ago, and ready to take on some small jobs! Ha! Small jobs! That’s what he considers it. I don’t care because he’s cutting us a really good deal and he knows what he’s doing. He hopped onto the roof to look at the tree like he was walking on the flat ground. Jealous!
Anyway, so there it sits now, about three feet off the roof, maybe four. Alot of the weight is off and if it starts lowering, our tree guy said just leave it. Don’t be fussing with it anymore. But, again, I have a giant pile of branches and limbs and leaves and sticks and junk in my yard. So this week is cutting and stacking neatly to make room for all the rest that is about to come. This might be the most yet! Seriously. I just thought about it this minute. We are going to have basically a tree’s worth of trunk and limbs in the yard. I really got to wrap this up and get outside. Those lazy kids of mine are still sleeping and I’m wasting hours typing and we have some work to do. I’m going to need some bribery options to really light a fire under their asses. I’d like to get all of what we presently have cut up today if possible. That’s prob going to save us alot of time and pain down the road. Especially if it starts storming like its supposed to.
Ugh! I may skip P90X again today. I was going to sneak it in (I have missed 3 days already!!) and I’m feeling nervous and agitated, but this might have to take precedence. Ugh! Kenpo too. It’s fun. I don’t HAVE to do it. It’s my choice. It’s voluntary but I feel guilty. I don’t even know why! It’s ridiculous the things that go thru my head. I’ll try to do it later. I swear. It’s not like I’m going to turn into a lump of fat in 4 days. But still…I also have the stress of this cycle class, the test is next weekend. I have to read the book. I have my real school starting the next week and I have to read that material. I have no money. All my savings money is going to stop a tree from poking through my roof. I have laundry and house stuff, and frankly I’m feeling a bit queasy right now thinking about it all. I let myself stress way too much about things I can’t even control. AND things that aren’t even going to happen for 2 weeks! (I’m thinking school. I’m trying to tell myself I need to make it fun like I did when I first started. I love it. I’m afraid of failure. But I love it. Nursing is the best job in the world and I just have to get through. I think I need some BF support tonight. Help!! Thanks honey!! I love you. Sorry for being a baby. Love you!) I feel like an old lady shaking her fist to the sky cursing the powers that be. Ugh!
Enough of the whining. Stop thinking. Start doing. Alright. The tree limb is still high and mighty for now. The crack is still cracky but not split all the way through. I will get dressed, cut limbs, exercise, figure out the money situation for the week and do laundry until it doesn’t matter. I will read and absorb and take it one little day at a time. Hour here. Hour there.
If you are still reading this, WOW!, and thank you. It’s like listening in to someone’s therapy. I hope to never look at it again! The internet is a great big toilet bowl of random crazy and I just laid a big old load down! Feels better! And you helped wipe! Alright, eeww, that’s probably enough there.
We need a picture of calm. A picture of soothing. I don’t know what I have, butt, I’ll find something.
Oh man. The hilarity never stops around here. I think it’s bad when you have to add a whole new category to your site, dedicated to tree trouble because it just keeps happening. Ugh! The picture below is much better. I found it trolling for something to illustrate all this text.
Just breath and relax:
Hot in the City….
It is Sunday, May 23, in Chicago. It’s a blazing 90 degrees and I have been drinking margarita’s all afternoon. This is my first post, post-nursing, first year. I am done for the summer! Passed successfully the course, the final and the final-final for the past year of material. I will be enjoying this afternoon and evening and start reading some more stuff on Monday. It’s recommended. But, no pressure so its really more for fun. Haha.
Anyway, let me rewind the week, but fast-forward the boring parts (zip it Amanda…some people do not think this is ALL boring like you…har har) anyhoo…let’s see…oh yes…my sister (Amanda) squeezed out yet ANOTHER child into this world…good job! Welcome Everet Jase! Congrats to the family!
I passed my classes, I registered for fall, I paid for fall (lots of money I don’t actually have…and don’t even qualify for using student aid…but hoping for good luck with some working scholarship money, and I bought some lottery tickets also as a back up plan.
Saturday, myself and the family (kids and bf), babysat for the new bean so my sister could go to a wedding and try to wear sexy clothes and drink for the first time in 9 months. She looked cute but the alcohol didn’t take. She tried her best but we are thinking that the bartender thought she was still a pregnant lady and gave her non-alcohol drinks! We have to get that baby weight off! Which leads me to our next big thing…Warrior Dash! It is coming fast and neither of us is ready and I don’t have a baby as an excuse for my chub…only fast food and laziness. So that means you get to follow along on the progress all summer! I may have pictures…they are guaranteed to be funnier this year because they have that same wall for me to not be able to climb over again AND a new net-wall-army-thing that I will probably never get my big booty up on. So you’ll definitely want to stay tuned.
After the babysitting, 3 am, yikes, and an hour drive home, we get to bed at 4. Kids leave at 11 ish to go to an other-family-thing with their dad, and I get the idea to go for a nice bike ride with the bf, you know, get a jump start on the massive diet and exercise program that begins tomorrow for this entire household. The “Summer of Slim”, the “Focus on Fat”, the “Abolishment of Adipose”…we need a catchy slogan for my program, especially since we will all be crying by Tuesday about how hungry and tired we are of this horrible plan…and how we’d rather just stay fat…no no, not this year. My goal is my son. Slim by seventh…that’s good too…hmmmm….anyway, it’s happening and I will be unliked for some time this summer.
Back to the bike ride…we decided on a modest 9 miles (thank goodness the bf doesn’t listen to me, because I first suggested the 19 mile loop we were doing last year, which we would still be doing right now). So, to the trail, on the bikes, riding, riding, riding, sweating, hills, 90 degrees, more hills, sweating, still riding…9 miles is really long, even on a bike, if you haven’t done it in a year, finally down to 2.8 left, I was like, what???, man I thought we were done, but we made it back to the car and even went past and back to make it a nice even 10 miles. Felt good. Felt sexy, in that sweaty, I-just-exercised-don’t-I-glisten-in-the-sun kind of way! And then driving home we go right past this Mexican restaurant with awesome margarita’s and I said that’s what we should do…have margarita’s for the rest of the day. So we change, drive back, drink margarita’s, eat guacamole and enchilada’s with green sauce, and watch the Hawks win it for the city! But the fun doesn’t end there….we need home margarita ingredients!
To the liquor store…got it all, Tequila, mixer, salt, limes….and more heat. It’s still like 80 something outside, no air conditioning inside, wouldn’t put it on anyway because it’s only May, and it’s 8 o’clock pm. I’m on, like my third glass, but it’s hard to tell because it’s never really an empty-fill thing, it’s more like a continual addition to what is already in the glass thing. At any rate, it’s lovely, and it’s getting hard to type or see, because dusk is upon us here in the Midwest. My kids should be home soon. Dirty and sweaty from their day and needing showers for school in the a.m. Well, shower for one anyway…the girl broke her arm again and is limited to baths with her cast sticking out…I have pictures!
I have lots and lots and lots more stuff to tell and write and show and post, I have missed so much since Easter because of school, but I shall have the whole summer to amuse my loyal fan base!
I also have pictures but cannot post any because I am not typing this on my computer where the pictures are. My computer is trying to get reconfigured for better speed and quality of content. So this will have to be good for now.
I have money to post! I have found alot of spare change in the last few months. I have saved it all for you in one location so I can total it up and be very dramatic about it. And I have Cool Words galore thanks to my girl…she has been saving them and is anxious to start helping me. I have Warrior Dash training, and PF 5-Mile training, and get-my-son-slim-by end-of-summer training and healthy cooking (?) attempting, and music! Music music…I have been so slacked…playlists and inspiration….you do not want to miss any of it!!
Also I want to thank my followers, particularly the one who sent me the notice about the creator of my favorite coffee cup…the New York Coffee Cup….we are happy to serve you…blue with gold trim….passing away recently. I have the Time magazine write-up abut it and him and the iconic piece of history he left behind. Thank you for keeping me informed when I cannot! If you want to see more about the cup, click here, NYCC, and if you just want more, I will be back soon with all the good stuff…hopefully late late tonight or tomorrow once the computer is fixed, the kids hit school and I hit the gym (training starts NOW), I also need some healthy food items in the house…we are down to coffee, 4 slices of bread, almond and rice milk, and eggs…which I am going to go boil right now for tomorrow.
Until then, have another drink, maybe one more for tonight, and enjoy the heat wherever you are. It’s good to be back! Cheers.
just shy of pretty 