Update

Here's my week in review:

Monday I had my third theory test of the quarter. My house still looks like the site of WW III. Since the rest of my family doesn't appear to care, I'm giving up and focusing on learning what I need to learn to be a decent nurse. The only laundry I did was to have clean scrubs for work. I also found out Monday that I won a third scholarship for the year, which means every penny of my educational expenses this year have been covered by scholarships. Thank you, God.

Tuesday was my first shift at the hospital as an actual employee. I'm orienting in the critical care unit at St. Joseph. The phone system and order entry program are still completely foreign to me, but I got the vital signs all done on time. I was there from 6:45am until 7:30pm and no one on my quad was watching election coverage. I just about lost my mind. Why would a simple heart attack keep you from wanting to know who the next president is going to be?

Wednesday there was no class, thank God. My research paper was due by midnight, which kept me pretty busy. And Wednesday evening Mike and I went to a banquet that the TCC Foundation threw for all of their donors and scholarship recipients. At first I was frustrated at the use of funds, but by the end I realized it was a brilliant way to keep donors active and students thankful.

Thursday was my second 12 hour shift, this time in ICU. I started to grasp a few more things about the details of my job and managed not to be eaten by the other nurses, who are reputed to have an appetite for rookies like myself. It was tricky. Right now it's best if I just observe and win them over with questions about their vast knowledge of nursing.

Friday started out with a bang when I fell flat on my face walking home from putting the kids on the bus. Literally. I was muddy from head to toe. My head is still ringing and my neck feels like I was rear-ended by a semi. Apparently the force of the fall did mess with my head, because later when I went to purchase supplies for my clinical, I found that I had forgotten my pin number. The one I use nearly every day. Gone. No recollection whatsoever. I tried every combination of every number I've ever had to remember but they were all wrong. I had to borrow money for dinner. But my 8 hour shift in the ER at Madigan was pretty exciting. The people I started IV's and did EKG's on didn't seem to mind my brain damage.

Saturday I finally went grocery shopping, so my kids could eat something healthy for the first time in a week. I was hoping I would remember my pin number, but no. Kristin had to pay for my groceries. Finally I found where I had hidden the piece of paper with my pin number on it. The number is as foreign to me as if they had mailed it yesterday. It's like I've never seen it before. How weird is that?

Fortunately it's been a restful weekend. We've finished another application for financing on the current house, praying this one goes through. It's hard to say in this market.

We took the kids to see High School Musical 3 today - they had fun and Connor lost his first tooth halfway through the movie. I'd take a photo, but his new tooth was already full grown behind it, so you can't really tell that one is missing!

As crazy as life is, I can see the finish line ahead! Just don't judge me by my housekeeping between now and then!