Tomorrow begins an adventure. Well, hopefully two adventures. The first is a second interview. I have had the first interview a week ago, and it went very well. I work there already as a CNA, but am now applying as a nurse. I still need to take the state boards, but I am expecting to do that next month. The interview is at 8:00am, and I am expecting it to go well... and hopefully start a very grand adventure.
The other adventure is a 4 day camping trip to central Oregon. I'm going with my best friend, T. I actually planned this and reserved the camping spot way back in the beginning of January, so I've been looking forward to it. It's a few hours drive, one way, and I'm hoping for sun.
My dilemma is this: I will come back from camping to leave three days later and go on my road trip. Then I'll be gone for nine or ten days, and return to study very hard for 10 days... and take the state boards. This is vexing. It is stressful. It is scary. Will I study on my Road Trip Adventure? I think so. So why the hesitation?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Preparation Part One
The itinerary for my Road Trip Adventure (RTA) has taken me about a week to figure out. I have been struggling with how much time I want to drive per day, what I want to see on my trip, and how many days I want my RTA to last. My first draft had me leaving my house at 4:30am and driving 17 hours on the first day, just so I could get to Yellowstone Park by evening. I also had a couple of days with 11 hours of driving. My friend Jeff called it "extremely ambitious," and advised me to make some changes. Psh.
I think I've finalized my itinerary, but I apparently have a problem with commitment (writes the bachelorette) and just can't seem to reserve any campsites. It may be because of the money, it may be because of the actual commitment of dates, I don't know. One campsite (albeit, it has water and electrictiy) is $44 plus tax! Most sites are about half that, but that campsite is near Yellowstone. Looking at the prices of hotels, it's a pretty decent deal I suppose.
My "hiker's tent" should be arriving in a few days.
It's basically a tube that you put your sleeping bag in, and fits one. I wanted something that would be really easy to set up and take down, and the hiker's tent fit that description... at least, I think. It got pretty decent reviews, and most of the reviewers were guys. (Somehow that seemed to make a difference, although I don't know why.) Too simplistic? We shall see.
Tomorrow I'm going to do it. I'm going to reserve that campsite. It's the first campsite on my itinerary since my first stop is at a friend's house in Spokane, WA. I can do it, I can commit to a simple campsite. Right?
I think I've finalized my itinerary, but I apparently have a problem with commitment (writes the bachelorette) and just can't seem to reserve any campsites. It may be because of the money, it may be because of the actual commitment of dates, I don't know. One campsite (albeit, it has water and electrictiy) is $44 plus tax! Most sites are about half that, but that campsite is near Yellowstone. Looking at the prices of hotels, it's a pretty decent deal I suppose.
My "hiker's tent" should be arriving in a few days.
Tomorrow I'm going to do it. I'm going to reserve that campsite. It's the first campsite on my itinerary since my first stop is at a friend's house in Spokane, WA. I can do it, I can commit to a simple campsite. Right?
Mini Adventure: The Bonfire
As an apparent natural hermit, I find it difficult to get out and do things with my friends sometimes. I know I'll end up enjoying it, but it's like pulling teeth to get me to leave my little studio. That's why I call it a mini adventure.
Tonight I went out to a bonfire with my fellow nursing student friends.
There may have been some gasoline involved.
Of course it was a fabulous time. There were roasted marshmallows and s'mores, and a lot of laughter. Mini adventure over, I must go to sleep.
Tonight I went out to a bonfire with my fellow nursing student friends.
Of course it was a fabulous time. There were roasted marshmallows and s'mores, and a lot of laughter. Mini adventure over, I must go to sleep.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Most Evil Thing
Yes, it's true. I'm afraid of sp*ders. I don't even like to type the word.
Today is supposed to be a good study day, preparing for the final Final, the end of the term, the last hoo-rah. It's 76 degrees outside and one of my friends invited me to lunch earlier. But I said no. I'm trying to be good, and study. I mean, I would hate to fail the very LAST term of nursing school! So I study.
Then I get up to do something (I'm sure it was important, whatever it was), and I see this black shadow on my ceiling. Frick. It's one of Them. I recognized it. It was on my screen door earlier this morning, and I knocked it off to let it know that it was not welcome. This is a dangerous place for Them, and They should recognize and respect that. And now it was on my ceiling.
Sure, it looks small on the photo, but take my word that it was not. And it was one of those ultra-black, furry types that jump and move really fast.
I grabbed the duster, as it has the longest handle. I couldn't do anything about the soft, fuzzy dust collector at the end of the handle, I had to concentrate on killing the Evil Thing. I took some short, quick breaths and jabbed before it jumped on me and killed me first. It disappeared amongst the fuzzy duster!! I released the pressure, and watched it fall!!... right into my basket of clean laundry.
Well. It was officially time to get the Ultimate Evil Thing Eraser, aka the vacuum. I got it out and thought, this is a good time to try out that new carpet freshener that I just bought, and thus sprinkled it on about half of the dark blue carpet. The directions said to give it a few minutes, but I had an ET to kill so I started vacuuming after only a minute or so. I guess I should have checked for carpet compatibility, because it left subtle spots of lighter blue carpet behind.
After vacuuming intensely, I dumped out my clean clothes (darks, of course), and stared. Nothing moved. I wanted to pick something up, but was sure that the ET would be on the other side of the cloth, waiting to jump on me. I flicked a corner of my dark blue sweatshirt. Nothing. I grabbed it and tossed it away from me. AHA! There it was! The vacuum was running, hose and lengthener attached. The damn Evil Thing moved quickly (!), but the force of the suction was too much! I felt it go up the tube and shuddered. I then vacuumed up a bunch of cat litter to pepper it to death in the bag.
My hands are still shaking, I have an extra load of laundry to do, and my carpet is spotty. Those Things... are truly Evil.
Today is supposed to be a good study day, preparing for the final Final, the end of the term, the last hoo-rah. It's 76 degrees outside and one of my friends invited me to lunch earlier. But I said no. I'm trying to be good, and study. I mean, I would hate to fail the very LAST term of nursing school! So I study.
Then I get up to do something (I'm sure it was important, whatever it was), and I see this black shadow on my ceiling. Frick. It's one of Them. I recognized it. It was on my screen door earlier this morning, and I knocked it off to let it know that it was not welcome. This is a dangerous place for Them, and They should recognize and respect that. And now it was on my ceiling.
Sure, it looks small on the photo, but take my word that it was not. And it was one of those ultra-black, furry types that jump and move really fast.
I grabbed the duster, as it has the longest handle. I couldn't do anything about the soft, fuzzy dust collector at the end of the handle, I had to concentrate on killing the Evil Thing. I took some short, quick breaths and jabbed before it jumped on me and killed me first. It disappeared amongst the fuzzy duster!! I released the pressure, and watched it fall!!... right into my basket of clean laundry.
Well. It was officially time to get the Ultimate Evil Thing Eraser, aka the vacuum. I got it out and thought, this is a good time to try out that new carpet freshener that I just bought, and thus sprinkled it on about half of the dark blue carpet. The directions said to give it a few minutes, but I had an ET to kill so I started vacuuming after only a minute or so. I guess I should have checked for carpet compatibility, because it left subtle spots of lighter blue carpet behind.
After vacuuming intensely, I dumped out my clean clothes (darks, of course), and stared. Nothing moved. I wanted to pick something up, but was sure that the ET would be on the other side of the cloth, waiting to jump on me. I flicked a corner of my dark blue sweatshirt. Nothing. I grabbed it and tossed it away from me. AHA! There it was! The vacuum was running, hose and lengthener attached. The damn Evil Thing moved quickly (!), but the force of the suction was too much! I felt it go up the tube and shuddered. I then vacuumed up a bunch of cat litter to pepper it to death in the bag.
My hands are still shaking, I have an extra load of laundry to do, and my carpet is spotty. Those Things... are truly Evil.
How It Started
It started with the end of something. I'm in nursing school, but only for two more days. I feel like I've been through something traumatic, like a battle. I feel like I've lost a sense of who I am, or my center, or something. So I decided to go on a road trip.
First, I'm going camping with my best friend, Theresa. We'll be in central Oregon for a few days. Then I'll come home, have a couple of days to spend with my cats, and I'm off again. This time however, I'm going by myself. This will (hopefully) be a journey of not only self-discovery, but renewal. I want to spend some time on the road with God. I think it will only be eight or nine days, but after all, I do need to come home and get a job!
First, I'm going camping with my best friend, Theresa. We'll be in central Oregon for a few days. Then I'll come home, have a couple of days to spend with my cats, and I'm off again. This time however, I'm going by myself. This will (hopefully) be a journey of not only self-discovery, but renewal. I want to spend some time on the road with God. I think it will only be eight or nine days, but after all, I do need to come home and get a job!
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