Anddddd....that's it?

[fredericks]

The big snow storm the local weathermen were basically creaming their pants over turned out to be nothing much. They were calling for something like 14-18+ inches in our area, and years of living here and hearing extravagant numbers caused me to automatically knock that number down to no more than 12 inches. The city rarely gets the numbers the weathermen predict (1996 being the one exception I can recall; they predicted 18-24", we got 18". I think they're still patting themselves on the back about that). It's not snowing anymore. The wind's massive and blowing all the snow around, basically negating any shoveling (I)anyone's managed to do. I was bored earlier in the evening last night and decided to go out and move some (legal) white stuff. My back, it seems, is still bothering me. I usually can do all the show around the house but yesterday I ended up resting after every couple of shovel fulls. The lower back's still achey now. I'm afraid to sit up straight.

I'm supposed to be getting my apps together, but I'm finding that hard going as well. It's just tough on the ego to realize that there's a chance I might have to stay home for a whole 'nother year. I didn't want that. Not at all. I'll be done at Hunter come the end of this Spring, but I can't apply for Hunter's nursing program (enrolling this Fall) because I haven't completed all my requirements for it yet. At the very least I'll be home until January of 2006. At most, I'll be stuck here until September 2006. I'll be 26. I'm at home right now and I'm 24.5. I figure the September situation will only occur if I can justify the program I want to get into. And if I have a substantial job lined up. Relatively substantial. Radioshack just won't do anymore, especially with my desire to go to an away school. It's hard, looking at the "application due" dates, and all the requirements. I wish I had some encouragement from the folks. Or someone. Such a pansy thing to say, I know, but having someone willing to go through the steps with you is nice. I'd ask the aunt who's done all this before, but she's more willing to get on me for not doing this three or four months ago than anything else (can't believe I didn't take Human Development last semester...such an idiot). Ack. I'll see how much I can get done.


My schedule's going to be hectic. Five classes, two of them with a lab. All requirements for various nursing schools. They are:

• Anatomy and Physiology 2 (the RETURN!) - all the schools require A&P. It sucks that Hunter's Program is so hard, though. I don't recall there being lab practicals at Brown where students had to memorized 200-odd muscles. The most the medically inclined kids bitched about was the Blue Monster that is Orgo.
  
• Nutrition - all schools require this, and a number of them require the class to have a lab section. No city school offers it with a lab. So...hope I'm not screwing myself over.
  
• Microbiology - 95% of the schools I've surveyed require this. I've wanted to take Micro since HS, when I worked in a lab where we dealt with blood samples. But me not so good with the memorization...while slacking, anyway. I'll have to stay on top of it. Will be tough.
  
• Human Development - 95% requirement. It's weird, because this is offered under the psych department, but from the description it's a fully dynamic human anatomy model of the course. I was hoping to get credit for it even though I haven't taken it, due to my Psych degree, but I decided to stick it out and go for it. I'm hoping it turns out to be an easy A.
  
• Intro to Ethics - only ONE school I've checked out so far requires this, but it's a school I'm eyeing hard, because they have want I want. Thomas Jefferson will pay off a year of your nursing school tuition if you work in their affiliated hospital for two years. I need something like that, in order to give me some breathing room when it comes to the inevitable loans. Frankly...ethics? I'm worried about this course. It's the one wildcard on my plate. I'm hoping it's not a lot of in-class essay writing. I really suck at that.
  

I need A's in all of them in order to boost my Hunter GPA (because nothing's going to boost the Brown one, unfortunately). It's because of my need to go well in my classes that I'm wondering whether or not I should quit the tax thing. I can work at Shake and Co for the four weeks they require Rush assistance and then wing it on notetaking courses and Project Happy (Happy pays $7/hour to STS's $6 [I can't believe I paid all that money to go to Brown to make $6/hr; I just...grrrr]). Shake is good because I get the book discounts. And it's close to my school. I think it'll do it. I'm going to quit STS after I work my two shifts on Mon and Tues. Then I can work at Shake for more hours, making enough for...books, I suppose. I'll be okay. Broke, but okay. The application fees for the various schools will be the pocket-breakers. Hopefully my folks can help me out with that; can't believe I just typed that. My ego's going to take SUCH a severe beating after all is said and done.


Today's the fooseball finals. The round before the Superbowl. I'm stoked, and hoping that it ends up a Eagles/Patriots match-up when all's said and done. At that point I'll just be cheering for whoever has the ball come Superbowl Sunday.

Watched Master and Commander last night with the bros. Whoooo, that was a good movie. Every time Billy Boyd showed up on screen we were like "Look! It's the hobbit." What can I say? We're simple folk.

Okay, time to do what I gotta do. Lord, booster me backbone.

Btw - I'm trying to change up my layout. It's funky! It's fly! It's...the same as last time with more components and less color. So, yeah.