What Turnip is doing on her vacation

Testing out new sleeping positions:

Destroying Christmas gifts:

Cuddling her boyfriend on lazy Saturday afternoons:

Inspecting the aftermath of the storm:
And her favorite, napping on fresh, unfolded laundry (check out those major elbow wrinkles!):

"I think I'll take a nap before my massage."

Well, I certainly don't get to say these words very much! Yesterday Jake and I went to Well Within to redeem my gift from Jake - a 50 minute session in the hot tub/sauna room and a 50 minute massage for each of us. We had a wonderful time and went out for sushi afterwards. It was so relaxing and I wish I could go every month. I have a feeling more of my future gifts from Jake will involve this spa!

In other news, congratulations to Marissa, my oldest friend, and her new husband Matt! I can't wait to hear about the festivities at Andiamo's. I really wish I could have been there!

Turnip wasn't feeling well the past week with some pretty strange symptoms - lethargy and unwillingness to move her tail. She wouldn't wag it or move it out of the way to sit down. It was very strange. We called the vet on Saturday and he suspected a bite (possibly spider) that would make it painful for her to move the base of the tail. We threw some aspirin down her gullet and gave it a few days and she seems to be fine now. She started wagging again yesterday and now has a little more spunk. Her GI system is doing much better on the Flagyl, Prilosec and special (really expensive) diet. We'll see what happens after her meds are done.

Today Jake and I went shopping and spent a little holiday money. I needed new measuring spoons and found these amazing ones at Chefworks downtown. I really like how I can use both ends - one for wet and one for dry for seamless cooking. Plus, they have magnets and look really cool on my stove. And they match my shelf. Yea! I also got a new Sigg water bottle so I can stop supporting Nalgene and drinking the nasty chemical BPA. Jake really wants one too, but couldn't find a masculine enough design at the store we were at. Another thing I've been wanting for awhile is a hands-free head set for my phone so I can be just like my mommy and get things done while I talk. We picked one up today at Office Max and it seems to work pretty well so far. Let me know if you have trouble hearing me when we talk.

We're headed to a small gathering tonight to celebrate New Year's and I'm bringing Jelly Donut Cupcakes. They are vanilla cupcakes with a teaspoon of jam baked into the middle and covered in powdered sugar. They are really adorable, but I haven't tasted them yet. Will report back.

Happy New Year's everyone! Be safe.

I'm exhausted.

I'm done! According to my instructor this was the hardest semester of the program and she said that from here it is down hill. Whew! I don't have my final grades yet, but I think I have an A in Pharmacology and an 89% in Med-Surg which I'm really really hoping they'll round up to an A. Getting a B in the class isn't bad, but when I'm so close to an A I just want it!

I've been loving all the packages I've been getting in the mail. I haven't sent out any and I apologize but I'm sure you understand. I think you all would rather have me pass my courses than receive packages from me with home made goodies in them.

I just received Pat and Gary's package and it really shows off their sick sense of humor:What she is going to learn from this toy: skunks are fun to play with!!

(By the way, she loves these!)

It's cold here too

In the mornings (those rare ones when Jake and I both get to sleep in), Turnip will wedge herself between us to stay warm and then sleep in our warm spot about 30 minutes after we've left. Here she is yesterday morning, giving me that "leave me alone" look:

Semester Countdown

5 tests
6 clinicals
4 days of lecture (6 lectures total)
1 presentation
1 (long) paper
2 community events
1 academic advisor appointment
and still working at my 2 jobs (23 hours/week total)

All in the next 3 1/2 weeks! Yikes. Better get crackin'.

Thanks for the Pity

It was a rough week, but I'm doing a little better now. I didn't have strep throat, but I was hoping it was so I could just take antibiotics and be done with this whole mess. My NP said it might be viral or it could be an allergic reaction to the county wide aerial spraying they did last week to get rid of our moth infestation. I don't know, my symptoms just feel bacterial to me. I can just feel those little guys making pus and are now lovingly depositing it in other places in my head. To be continued.

Good news:
1. My paper is about 4 sentences from being done and was much easier to do than I had anticipated.

2. Turnip and the house do not smell as bad now. The incident was not nearly as bad as what happened in June.

3. I have fun things to do this weekend including and dinner and movie double date with my neighbors and a vegan thanksgiving with a nursing friend on Sunday. I doubt Jake and I will even have much of Thanksgiving on Thursday because I am really busy and out of the house until Wednesday night at 11pm. Jake invited people over, so he's going to have to prepare everything with no car.

4. One month of school left for the semester!! (With 5 more tests crammed in there somehow......)

The "I need pity" post

#1 I think I have strep throat.

#2 Turnip got sprayed by a skunk again at 2am. She and our house smell like the devil.

#3 I have a paper to write and Jake has some major deadlines this week.

#4 I have to play the 'victim' part in our hospital's disaster drill for 8 hours tomorrow.


:: cry ::