The Graduate

My CNA class ended last Monday.  I've mentioned that a time or two.  Anyway, I have a picture!  I had my phone on me and had someone snap a quick picture of me after it was over.

Here I am with my instructor, Mrs. F.

I am SO glad that my class is finished.  I really enjoyed it, but am ready to use my knowledge to acquire a new job.  I spoke to the HR woman at the facility where we did clinicals and hope to hear from her this week.  A local hospital had contacted my references, but, according to their website, the position has been filled -- and not by me.

Oh well.  I'm keeping a positive outlook and continuing my job search.  There's a CNA job for me out there... somewhere!

I'm Here!

Greetings from the Show Me state!

I arrived safely -- by myself with three chihuahuas -- yesterday afternoon to my childhood home.  Driving through St. Louis was a nightmare.  Not only was it pouring down rain the entire time, but I kind of forgot what highways we take to get around the city.  I made it through, but spent a little more time in I-70 than I had planned.

Anyway...

The Mr. is also here!  He arrived at 7AM, having driven all night from Wisconsin.  For those of you who may not be familiar with Midwestern geography, Wisconsin is not one of the eight states that borders Missouri (which, by the way, is tied for having the most states touch its borders) and is quite the drive.  I'm so glad he's back, though.  He left last Thursday and I have missed him.  A lot.

So yes... we're here for Thanksgiving.  I've been told I don't have to bring any food.  Last year I was in charge of dinner rolls.  I'm grandchild #9 (only my brother is younger than me), so I have 8 older cousins, aunts, uncles, and other various family members who bring food.  My mom assures me that my help is more than sufficient (dinner is at our house).  I have a feeling that I'm going to be peeling 10 lbs of potatoes this afternoon.  So many potatoes.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd talk a little about things that I am thankful for right now.  Feel free to comment and let me know what you're thankful for!

- The wonderful man taking a nap on my parents' sofa.  The Mr. is a great husband and I am thankful each and every single day that he is in my life.

- My family!  Immediate and extended.

- My puppies!  Who wouldn't be thankful for dogs?  At the end of each day, I know that I can go home and my dogs will be happy to see me.

- My job.  Okay, so I may not l-o-v-e my job, but I am thankful to have one when there are so many out there who are struggling to make ends meet.

- Our house.  We are so fortunate that we have a roof over our heads.  Not only that, but we own our home.

What about you?  What are you thankful for?

Dear New Moon,

Dear Wolf Pack,

Put.  On.  Shirts.  Most of you are under 18, so it is inappropriate for me to think you look yummy.  It's best if you keep those washboard abs covered.  Is a 6-pack of Hanes t-shirts really that expensive to replace when you rip them off?

Dear Edward Cullen,

Please get rid of the red lipstick.  You're supposed to be gorgeous.  With your ultra-pale skin and bright red lipstick, you look more like a mime than a dreamy vampire.

Also, chest hair?  Really?  It's hard to see you sparkle through the bear living on your chest.

I thought Alice made sure you dressed well?  What's with the Salvation Army wardrobe?

Dear Bella Swan,

Stop flipping your hair!

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I saw the movie Friday evening.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  This was my least-favorite book from the series, so it's no surprise that I didn't love it.  To say that the theater was packed is an understatement. 

Mini-Taylor Swift

This is too cute!  She's recreating Taylor Swift's VMA performance.

What are You Thankful For?

I'm thankful for our home!

In this time of economic uncertainty with so many losing their homes, I am thankful that we are fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads.

What are you thankful for?

Absentee Blogger

I.  Am.  Exhausted.

Tasty Tuesday was cancelled this week simply because I am very busy.  I began clinicals dark and dreary bright and early Monday morning.  I was there for eight hours, though it definitely did not feel like that long.  I love that we were busy and on the go all day long.

However, I still have to work in the evenings.  After spending all day at clinicals yesterday, I had to head in to work from 5PM until 10PM.  I am still surprised that I didn't drop dead from exhaustion.

Sorry for the short post.  I promise that I'll write some better posts over the weekend.

Six days until graduation!

What Do You Think?

My CNA class is almost over.

The end is so close that I can almost taste it.

In nine short days, I will have completed my class and can be hired to work as a nursing assistant.

Starting Monday, I will be in clinicals.  For six days, I'll be there from 7AM until 3PM.  Fortunately, I get to wear scrubs.  Unfortunately, they have to be white.  White scrubs, white socks, white underwear, white shoes.  White, white, white.  SO much white.

Like most of my classmates, I put off purchasing my scrubs until the last minute.  We all wanted to make sure that we made it through the class before investing in clothes.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen the picture.  If not, you'll see it now.

Don't these look like pajamas?  I can't believe how big they run.  I think they must be unisex.  The shirt is big, but the next size down (which is actually two sizes smaller than I normally wear) was a little snug in the shoulders.  The pants are... weird.  When I have a job, I'll definitely go with a different type of scrub pant.  The length is okay (which means they'll probably be too short when I wash them), but I had to pull them up really high to get them at the right spot.  The picture above?  Yeah, the waist of the pants is right under my bra.  If I tried to wear the waist where it belongs, the crotch of the pants would be just above my knees.

No, thank you!

I ended up exchanging the first pair of pants I bought for the next size up.  They were a touch snug in the booty and I don't need some perverted older man commenting on my underwear.  Of course, this means I'll have to roll the top of my pants.  It'll be okay, though.  It's only six days.

Only.

I can't wait to be finished with the class, though.  I've started the job search and hope to find something soon.

Weight Loss Update!

I know, I know -- it's been a while since my last weight update.  Sorry!  I fell off of the bandwagon for several weeks and gained a couple of pounds back.  If you're following the little chart on the sidebar, I only update it when I have a loss.  I know, not the best, but if makes me feel a little better to see numbers going down (no matter how slowly it happens) than the up and down business.

I'm also posting quite late this evening.  It's nearly 11PM and I.  Am.  Exhausted.  So here's the short and sweet version:

Starting weight: 209.6 lbs

Starting BMI: 30.9

Current weight: 198.8 lbs

Current BMI: 29.4

Total loss to date: -10.8 lbs

BMI loss to date: -1.5

Project Organization: My Closet

My husband and I do not share a closet.  This makes me incredibly happy.  Each of the three bedrooms in our house has its own walk-in closet.

I love, love, love having my own closet.  I have everything just the way I like it.  My husband doesn't go in and make a mess out of my stuff.

For a while, however, my closet has not been a little bubble of order and harmony.  It's kind of been a disaster.  I didn't have much room to actually walk into my closet.

But that has all changed today.

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm going to show you photos of my closet.  Don't scream.

 Look at all of that junk on the floor!  The boxes across the top contain about half of my shoes.  The boxes on the floor are clothes that need to be donated.  On a positive note, the white basket is empty, which means I managed to get the dirty laundry downstairs.

And here's the after...

Muuuuuuuuch better, wouldn't you agree?

The box in the back corner is from Old Navy.  When it arrived at my house, it contained approximately 14 pair of flip flops.

Yes, I have a sickness.

Anyway, back to what I was saying.  It still contains quite a few pair of flip flops, but also has my Vera Bradley duffle bag and Calvin Klein tote.  They're my go-to bags for weekend trips.  The plastic bag in front of it is fulle of clothes.  However, they're not for me.  They're for my nephews.  I stock up on clothes starting in the fall to give them for Christmas.  Yes, I am the lame aunt that gives clothes.  They're on clearance, though, so that entire back cost me like, $10.

So yeah, that's my closet.  How clean is yours?

Elvis is Alive

You always hear about people finding Jesus in their toast or Abraham Lincoln in their belly-button lint.  I always thought these people were crazy.

...and then I saw Elvis.

I saw this yesterday on the back wall of the building.  It has recently been powerwashed in preparation for being painted.

Do you see the King?

Tasty Tuesday

It's Tuesday, you know what that means -- I have another recipe to share!

I really hope that more people will partipate this week.  I have Wednesday and Thursday evenings off and would love to try some of your recipes.  So keep 'em coming!

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Easy Taco Dip

½ lb ground beef

1 cup corn

½ cup onion

½ cup salsa

1 can (4oz) green chilies

1 cup shredded cheese

Tortilla chips

Sour cream

- Cook beef in skillet.

- Add all ingredients except cheese into crock pot.

- Cook on low for 2-4 hours or high 1-2 hours.

- Stir in cheese before serving

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Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my sassy dog-ter, Penelope!

Friday Tag Game

Sarah from Classy & Fabulous tagged me in the Friday Tag Game.

1.  What were you doing 10 years ago?

Let me see... 10 years ago... 1999... I was 13 and in the 8th grade.  I still had not had a boyfriend and was convinced that I was going to be single forever.

2.  What are 5 things on your to-do list today?

- Go to school

- Laundry

- Vacuum

- Go to the gym

- Take a nap (this is one of my goals every single day.

3.  Five Snacks you enjoy"

- Popcorn

- Laughing Cow cheese with Ritz crackers

- Fruit

- Fudge Pops

- Yogurt

4.  Places you've lived:

- Small town, Missouri

- Columbia, Missouri

- Stinky City, Illinois

5.  What are 5 things you'd do if you were a billionaire?

- Pay off student loans

- Build a large house in the country

- Build houses for our parents

- Buy new furniture, clothes, and car

- Hire someone to fix my hair and makeup for me. Every. Single. Day.

The gals I tag are:

Laura at The Horton Family

Lil Woman at Little Woman Little Home

Amanda at Bachelor Pad Lady

Amy at Life in the Junction

The Things I Do For An Education

For my CNA class, the state requires that we learn certain skills.  Some of them we can only do during clinicals, but a lot of them we were able to practice in the skills lab.  Some of them were pretty normal -- changing linens, blood pressure, and pulse.

And then there are the funky ones...

-- Oral Care

Uh-huh.  We were told to bring our toothbrush with us to class.  We then proceeded to brush each other's teeth.  It was a little strange, but nothing too outside the realm of normal.

-- Nail Care

For this, one person had to dip their hands in a grainy, chocolate mixture.  This represented well... you know.  My partner was nice enough to suggest that maybe I stop digging in my anus.  It wasn't bad, though.  We trimmed and filed each other's nails.  Then, here's the best best... we gave each other hand massages!  Yay!

-- Feeding

Of all the skills we worked on, this one was, by far, the most bizarre.  We walked into the lab and found paperplates covered in pureed food on the tables.  Oh, boy.  We immediately knew that we were going to be feeding each other.  My plate had pureed sweet potatoes, squash, peas, apple/blueberry, and spaghetti o's.  Yeah... I made a horrible face when my partner scooped the peas into my mouth.  I like frozen peas on salad, but despise cooked peas.  Cold, previously-cooked, pureed peas are not good.  The pureed spaghetti o's weren't very good either.  Another person in the class had a strange, mixed vegetable on their plate.  Trying that was not one of the better choices I made that day.  I was belching and tasting it the rest of the day.  Yuck.

So yeah.  Those are the crazy things we did in class.  Fortunately, classroom time is over.  I start clinicals a week from Monday and can start working a week after that.  I've been applyingat various places, so keep your fingers crossed that I get phone calls soon!

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By the way, sorry about the lack of photos lately.  With school and work, I have been incredibly busy.  Photos should start reappearing very soon!

Wordless Wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

Welcome back to Tasty Tuesday!

This week, I've chosen a recipe of convenience.  Having both school and work, I don't have time to slave away in the kitchen creating gourmet meals for my ravenous husband.  I do, however, have an amazing slow cooker that I do not use often enough.

That is going to change, though!  Kelly shared a recipe with me last week for buffalo chicken.  I love chicken and spicy food, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Try this recipe.  It is amazing.  It has fewer than five ingredients and I spent maybe five minutes getting it ready.

I have two unfortunate bits of information, though.

1.  I forgot to take any pictures.  It smelled so good and we were so hungry that there was nothing to take pictures of by the time I remembered.

2.  My husband is a weenie when it comes to spicy food.  Because of this, I altered the recipe a bit.  It was still really tasty, though.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken (is your mouth watering yet?)

-- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (see photo below)

-- 1/2 cup honey bbq sauce

-- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

-- Salt & pepper -- season to taste

-- Water

-- Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Place in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Add 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce and 1/2 cup honey bbq sauce.  Pour in enough water to cover the chicken.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

When I took the chicken out of the slow cooker, it fell apart beautifully.  I think I even heard angels sing.  It was that awesome.  Anyway... I then put another 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce on the chicken and mixed it to coat the meat.  Next time, I won't do that.  Here's why...

Texas Pete Buffalo Wing Sauce.  This looks like fire in a jar.  I think it's amazing.  My weenie husband, however, informed me that it tasted like fire in a jar.  He had two sandwiches, but also had three glasses of milk.  So next time I'll only add the extra sauce to my chicken.

I give this recipe four out of five spatulas.  I would have given it five if my husband had also loved it.  Maybe next week.

I need some ideas for next week, though!  I can't wait to see what yummy creations y'all post!  I have big ideas for this series, so I hope you'll help me out by posting about it and getting your readers to play along!

Don't Forget!

Don't forget that tomorrow is Tasty Tuesday!  Get your recipe ready!  I've posted a chicken dish for tomorrow.

Yummy!

I Cried At Work

Saturday was Halloween and everybody and their brother wanted the evening off.  Unfortunately, this meant that I had to work and didn't get to pass out candy at my new house.

But you know what?  That's okay, because I had the opportunity to talk to a pretty amazing person.

She appeared to be in her early to mid-50's.  She was looking for foam pipe insulation that has a slice cut in it to fit around pipe.  She mentioned that she was using it on her husband's hospital bed.  Spending 30 hours a week in a CNA class, this caught my attention.

We started talking and she mentioned that her husband has ALS -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.  Her husband is a man who worked for 30 years and doesn't need an entire hand to count how many days he missed work.

This is where my heart started to break for this woman.

We began talking about medical equipment and how it has helped her family.  Her husband is able to remain in their home rather than be taken to some sort of long-term care facility.  A local church donated a chair lift so that he could be transported to the upper floor of their house.

This is where my heart broke a little more.

Then this woman said something that nearly sent my poor heart over the edge.

They've started hospice.

For those of you who don't know, hospice is for people who have six months or less to live.  Hospice doctors do not prescribe treatments or medications to cure you.  They recommend things to help keep you comfortable.  They provide support for both patients and families.

I really wanted to cry at that point.

But I didn't.

I did give the woman a hug, though.

However, I'm not sure if the hug was more for her or for myself.

You see, this woman did not look like someone whose husband is afflicted with a degenerative disease and has just found out that he won't be here next summer.

She didn't look like someone who has been working tirelessly to make sure that her husband is comfortable and cared for while putting herself last.

In fact, she looked fine.

She looked like a woman, strong in her faith, who felt blessed.

Blessed to have the time she has had with her husband.

Blessed to have a community that comes together to help care for the poor and sick.

Why can't more people be like this?

After she left (we spoke for almost 20 minutes), I high-tailed it out to the garden center.  I cried.  I cried for this woman and the horrible situation her family is in.  I cried for the strength that she showed.  I cried for all of the blessings she has received.

Again, why can't there be more people in the world like this?  And why do they have to be in such crummy situations?

...And the Winner is...

...Mrs. B!

You are the winner of my 400th Post Giveaway!

Please send me an e-mail with your contact information to claim your prize.  junebride6218@gmail.com

For those of you who did not win, better luck next time!  Make sure and check out Mrs. B's blog, too.