Verbage

Boom shaka lacka lacka boom shaka lacka lacka bawitdaba da bang a dang diggy diggy bawitadaba da bang a dang diggy diggy ding dang a dong bong bing bong skeep-beep de bop-bop beep bop bo-dope skeetle-at-de-op-de-day de do do do de da da da eh hee yeah amanaya yeaha yeah eh eh amana eh hee yeah amanaya yeaha yeah eh eh amana hoo hoo that's what I say! elizinashe

Lists & Clutter

I'm a list maker. Grocery store items, household items, things to do, people's birthday reminders, doctor appointment reminders as well as a variety of bucket lists. My 'bucket list' reminders usually end up sandwiched in some book or in a pile of stuff that you forget to throw away and sometimes you find the said bucket list squirreled away in some odd, random spot for 'safe keeping' just in case you make it happen or it actually comes true.

I have had one of my bucket lists laying next to my stereo for months now. It was a list that I had made well over ten years ago and had tucked it away until I had rediscovered it and decided that I needed to have it out in the open again. Now I'm thinking 'why am I really saving this silly wish list?' At this point all it's doing is taking up space and adding to my clutter of stuff that I save for no apparent reason. We all make bucket lists but what do you really do with them? I usually end up doing most of what I wish for however just not in the time that I wish it to be and some items come quite by accident.

So in hopes of not losing a piece of history from my life, which is why I think I save such silly things, I will share some of my 'bucket list' items from long ago and then throw this little piece of cardboard from a notepad into the trash. I really don't need to save this for the rest of my life but at least in posting my 'wish list' items it's still around for my own peace of mind.

• go ice skating
• buy a new car
• hike the mountain behind grandma & granddaddy's house
• hike Stone Mountain
• own a grand piano
• write stories about people I've known
• snow ski
• take flying lessons
• have a black cat named Hecubus
• have a dog or two
• go to a formal New Year's Eve Party and dress up
• take a sleigh ride

So what's in your bucket list and what kind of silly things do you save for years just for the sake of keeping a piece of your history around? elizinashe

ARRGGG!!!

It's all coming down to the wire. I'm past my stress level and the semester has yet to end. Holiday rush festivities and hurriedly studying for a two tests, scheduling for check-offs and preparing for the head-to-toe assessments. I feel like I don't have enough time to feel prepared. Traffic is a nightmare because of all the stupid shoppers. My cat has puked on the comforter twice and in the bed once. The last thing I want to do is a load of bedsheets after a 4 hour class. Ugh! I have a very clear 'no puking on the bed' rule which he clearly has forgotten. We are still in a battle over food. He likes the canned. I prefer the dry. I'm still confused as to why he's had to become even more particular the last two months. I wish my cat wasn't such a stubborn fart.

I've had very little time to be creative or have a social life. I watched some football yesterday which was fun but the post game studying that I had planned in my head did not get done. Oh well. So now I am spending my first Saturday off in months meeting a classmate to hash out some notes. I wish I didn't have to study today but given that I work the next two days and we have class on Tuesday this is a better time to do so. Trying to study after work really is not productive for me. There is a small part of me that feels like I'm about to lose it. I feel like I'm in a constant state of panic. Not a good feeling.

I came home to a headless squirrel on my doorstep. Eeek! Poor thing. I'm guessing a neighborhood cat got to it somehow. I didn't freak that much about it. One of it's hind legs was completely detached from it's body as well as the tail. If the head has still been there I probably would have freaked a little. However, it had been a long day and I had already squeezed out some poop from an ostomy bag and emptied pee all day so finding a murdered squirrel wasn't a big deal I guess. I just hope it will be the only one.

Okay, so that's it. Time to chill a bit before the next wave of frustrations hit. Cheers! elizinashe

Someone to Watch Over Me

My kitty Hecubus is the best kitty ever. Of course in calling him a 'kitty' implies that he is young which is not quite the case. He is in fact an aging kitty in his 'elder years' but his personality is still young at heart. I've had him for 15 years now and he still cracks me up and always keeps a dutiful watch over me.

Since school has started he had taken on a new roll in his care over me. He has become quite the study buddy. Although he can't verbally interact with my studies, his behavior helps me in a unique variety of ways.

He's become very good at sitting on top of my book so it doesn't fall off the couch while I'm trying to read and take notes. He loves sitting directly on top of my notes while I am reading them, just in case the wind blows through the open window so they don't 'blow away' and scatter across the room. He has even considered reducing any musculoskeletal damage to my wrists by rubbing on my pen while I try to write so I don't develop any writing cramps. He has also become a great deterrent to any Carpal Tunnel maladies. He assists in my typing class lecture notes by sitting in my lap therefore allowing me to use his body as extra support while I type. Who needs one of those computer wrist cushions when you have a cat? And when I begin to type too much he nudges my wrists to remind me that I need to stop and take a break which usually results in some stroking of his head.

He's even keeping watch over me as I slumber, ensuring that I get a good night's sleep before class the next day. He will curl up in my shoulder and neck, resting his head on my cheek therefore allowing him to ensure that I stay warm, especially my nose as well as making sure that I am breathing properly throughout the night. He will even stretch out his paws into my neck and into my hair as if he's giving me a long-lasting hug. I am certain that this is his way of checking my carotid artery and checking for a regular and healthy pulse. And sometimes he will place a paw over my ear thus blocking out any outside noise that might keep me awake. How thoughtful is that? And of course we can't forget the Eskimo kisses he likes to give which gives me warm fuzzies and the moral support that I sometimes need. I think this is a secret way he checks to see if I'm breathing okay through my nose but I know he would never admit to that. He's sneaky that way. Clever cat he is! And as a bonus, I always get a lullaby of some strong purring to soothe me to sleep. A perfect end to a long day of studies don't ya think?

With all sarcasm aside, and yes I am being slightly sarcastic here, I wouldn't trade my cat for anything. Yes, he can hinder my studies but then again when I look at it from a different perspective it makes me laugh and appreciate that I have such deterrents. It keeps the stress level down and gives me reason to write something silly. Pets can be a great pain in the ass when you're trying to get things done but they mostly bring joy. Because it's the good things that you always remember about your pets and the impact that they have made in your life. I love my kitty and I look forward to more nights of studying with my cat sitting in my book telling me I need to stop and pay attention to his needs while he's keeping my stress level down. Who needs to read for class anyway? elizinashe

News and Other Stuff

This week is 'Fall Break' from classes. And thank God for that! I finally had a day where I can sleep late and tackle some household duties. The bathroom light is now repaired, the floors swept and laundry is caught up. I haven't cracked a book in two days. Today will be a slow migrate back to the books since we have an assignment due Friday. However, I am relishing the fact that I have some down time to catch up on my studies.

So Amanda Knox has been freed and is now back in the States. Good for her. I don't think she was guilty in the first place and I can't imagine what the last four years have been for her. What a nightmare. But we all know that it won't be long until Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters will be knocking on her door. I say leave her alone so she can regroup. She's got a lot of healing to do. Nuff said.

There were two scuba divers left behind in Florida on a tourist dive. Apparently when the two had resurfaced the boat had left. What the hell? Whatever happened to doing a head count? Luckily they were found by a private yacht after clinging to a bouy after a couple of hours. Can you say refund?

There is a woman in California that is seeking parole for the murder of her husband back in the early 90s. She had killed her husband within the first month of marriage, chopped up his body via garbage disposal and mixed some other parts in with leftovers and there are claims that she even 'barbequed' other bits and proceeded to eat him. Now she wants to be free. I guess she's getting tired of jail food and is in need of something more sinister. I wonder if she likes Chianti.

Another boy has taken his own life due to bullying because he's different. My heart goes out to his family. He was 14 years old. There is no reason that a child should take their own life because of the hatefulness of others. I really wish more was done about bullying. It's so mean and is clearly becoming an epidemic. And yet, very little is done to the guilty parties who make another's life miserable. This is just wrong in many aspects. I saw that Lady Gaga is taking this bullying matter to the White House. Hooray for her! I hope that we have a multitude of parents following in her footsteps to make some changes. I guess this is this generation's equivalent to what racism was back in the 60s. What do you think?

Fall is descending upon us nice & easily. We've had a few chilly nights already and I have turned the heat on a couple of times. It's been a nice change, calms my soul in a way. Other tasks to complete during my fall break is to bust out my fall to winter wear and put my summertime wear into hibernation. New, cozy sheets for the bed and a heavy comforter for good sleep. Gearing up for making some soup and freezing leftovers for a quick meal when I need it. With med calculations peppered betwixed said household duties. Sounds exciting, eh?

I have been having some food issues with my cat. He prefers the canned stuff now and getting him to eat more of his dry food is becoming a meowing pain in my ass. I have ruled out any mouth issues via a trip to the vet but he is getting older and has had some intestinal problems in the recent past. I still can't figure it out why he's gotten so spoiled over this but it's all a part of being a pet owner. And now that is has gotten chillier at night he's back in my personal space at night while I try to sleep with his head resting on my cheek and paws up in the pillows and in my hair to keep warm. Yes, his whiskers tickle me awake sometimes but I really don't mind so much. He's been the best boyfriend I've ever had the last 15 years and that's a good thing. And like myself, he's a big fan of my flannel sheets. Purrrfect sleeping gear. elizinashe

Information Overload and Other Things

I think by brain has reached capacity for the evening. I am just plain pooped out. School is going well and I am enjoying the challenge so far but that's exactly what it is-a challenge. Every class day is a different topic and everyday there is new material loaded up on our school website. I feel like I am continuously behind. I've totally lost the math skills that I was doing just 3 nights ago. No more med calculations tonight. I've lost it. However, tomorrow is another day.

My house is an absolute wreck. I haven't vacuumed since school started. Good thing I live alone. We have a fall break coming up which is my main focus. Can't wait! Although my time will be dedicated to more med calculations since that test is fast looming as well as other studies, I have already decided that a good day of sleep and fall cleaning will be in order and a leisurely lunch with long, lost friends. Maybe some good picture taking if the weather permits. I forget that I have a camera these days.

I have no idea of what's really going on in the world since I have little time to watch the news or any tv at all for that matter. My favorite show was cancelled last year so at least I'm not missing it this year. Other than that, I really don't miss tv at all. My peepers are tired of staring at the computer all the time loading & typing up notes. Sheesh! College is so much different these days. It's all on a small white screen. Crazy. It drives me a bit nuts. I don't know how I managed college the first time around. I don't know how I'm managing it right now. It's such a blur that it just leave my head spinning.

Yeah, my brain is on a shut down. I am done for the night. Time to stretch out on my little couch and catch up on some Glee. It's a new season I hear. elizinashe

Mark, Bob and the Radiator

I often say 'things happen for a reason' and I truly believe that. I have also heard that things 'happen in threes'. I believe that as well and yesterday was a perfect and perhaps a strangely explainable example.

My good friend Bob passed away this past December. I do not know how or why he had died but he died nonetheless which made me very sad. He was a retired physician who was insanely smart, was rather quirky bordering on the eccentric and loads of fun. There have been many times when I think out loud to myself and wish that my Bob was still around. Now that I have embarked on my nursing school career I really wish he was still around so that he could give me some guidance on my educational endeavors especially when it comes to the oncology unit that we will be studying later on down the road, which was his specialty. As I was going to bed Wednesday night I had said aloud, as if he could hear me, ( and sometimes I do believe the dead can hear us) that I had missed him and that I wish he were here to guide me with all this nursing crap. I know for certain that I miss our ridiculous moments of silliness and his stories of 'Wallers' which is a whole other topic that is too much to explain.

I had stopped yesterday after class to get some gas before it got too low. I had gone inside to prepay since I had some cash and ran into a mutual friend on my way out. Mark knew Bob through mutual friends and through the local restaurant that we all had frequented. Mark really dug Bob, as we all did and enjoyed having unique conversations with him. Mark had mentioned that it was strange that he ran into me at that moment. Mark had said that I appeared in his dream the night before and that Bob was also sandwiched in that dream somehow. He then proceeded to ask me how Bob was since he hadn't seen or heard from Bob or about Bob in forever. Now, I was taken back a bit because I thought for certain that Mark had already knew about Bob's demise. I was 98% sure that Mark & I had already had this conversation back in the winter. So I had told him what had happened of course but I was still in disbelief that he truly was not aware. I tell myself that Mark had just forgot or something like that.

As I proceeded to return to my car to gas it up I noticed a leak near the front of my engine coming from underneath and I knew it wasn't from my air conditioner. I saw a small puddle of water with some striking green liquid in the mix and as I looked underneath I saw a small drip of antifreeze coming from the general radiator area. Crap! This was the very last thing I had wanted or needed in my first three weeks of nursing school. Luckily my mechanic's garage was right down the street which I promptly drove to. I was pretty frustrated that this had happened when I just had my car serviced before school had started. However, I was able to leave my car for repair ( a new radiator no doubt) which meant at that time I didn't have a ride back home nor did I have a ride to school in the morning. Ugh! I was told that I wouldn't be able to pick my car back up until sometime Friday afternoon and with the holiday weekend approaching that would have been lucky.

I must have been uber fortunate yesterday and believe you me I thanked God and sent out my blessings. I was able to score a ride for class through a classmate that lives nearby, which I had just gotten his number that day in class. I kind stranger who was also a customer at my mechanic's offered to give me a ride home which I humbly and gratefully accepted. I could have walked home since I was close but that meant lugging a backpack, a nursing kit, a lab coat and my purse in the heat of the day. Not quite how I wanted to spend my Thursday afternoon. After I had unloaded myself once I got home and began to settle I started to dig into my homework. It was early evening when I get that call that my car was fixed and ready. Woo hoo!!! So happy I was! I had wheels again and was no longer in danger of being without a car for the whole weekend nor did I have to be dependent on anyone for transportation. What a relief!

So what's my point? If I had not stopped for gas I would not have run into Mark and had our conversation about Bob. It bought enough time for my car to pee out the antifreeze so I could take notice, otherwise I would have driven my car until God knows what could or would have happened. I find it strange that both Mark & I had thought about Bob the night before we saw each other. The trio of Mark, myself and Bob helped complete a series of 'threes', I guess you could say, with the trio of my car problems that I've recently had which started with a window switch being replaced and a dead battery at school. (thankful for the jump from campus police. yes, you may snicker at that implication.)

So I guess in a very, roundabout and strange sort of way, Bob is helping me with school and is still involved in my life. Being that Mark & I are connected through Bob he brought us together so I could discover a major vehicle impairment which could have kept me from arriving to my nursing classes. And having good luck on my side and good samaritans around, I was able to score a ride for class if I had needed it, was able to have a ride home while my car was being repaired and my car was finished before the big holiday weekend. Now that's what I call a Waller! elizinashe