Whats that girl doin?

Where's the snow?

2009-01-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

So we went from having over a foot of snow in our yard to nothing in less than 48 hours. To say its soggy is an understatement. And the back yard full of no more snow covered doggy doo is nasty. This is another reason I hate winter, the mess it leaves behind. But the weather man assures me its not over yet. joy.

And I am struggling to figure out the software/blackboard for WSU too. I have to start that next week and no clue how to even log in. Blah.

She's alive.......

2008-12-31T13:37:00.000-08:00

Just computer-less as dust flies in my house with some wall redoing. and the library at school is closed for cleaning over break. But I'm still here!

Workin woman!

2008-10-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

So I started my new job as a nurse at a nursing home Thursday. What a whirlwind. I've managed to not kill or harm anyone over the last four nights, so I consider it a raging success. =)

Busy busy busy......................

New weather sticker for my dear friend Polo in Kuwait before he goes to Iraq. Stay safe.

Brrr fricken brrr

2008-10-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

So the boys and I are at my parents house and decide to go for a walk. Which consists of them taking the John Deer Jeep, and a bike. Which leaves me and potentially one other walking. Before we even got out of the driveway I had to go get another layer on under my sweatshirt. So we make it about 1/3 of a mile when I realize the batteries are dying on the jeep and we need to turn around. About 10 feet later the battery was done. So, that leaves me on the bike (which is a ten speed I got in grade school. There is a way to raise the seat I am sure...) and the two pushing Iden down the road. What a site I am sure. We got a wave and a few smiles of laughter as cars passed. I am still freezing. I need to move to a warmer climate. LOL

Yeah, that hurt.

2008-10-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

So it was IV start day today. Blah. I made sure to drink as much coffee and as little water as possible just for the fun of it. ;)

But to no avail. I still had to do it. So I left the room for another swig of coffee during partnering up hoping to be odd man out, no luck as there was an even number of us there. Foiled again.

So my partner and I watched the first round. We had practiced on dummy arms and I was successful there, so I hoped that would continue. I decided when our turn came, I'd poke first. And wonder of all wonders I got in on the first try! Sure I tried for a vein up high for my first try, but it worked. So then it was my partners turn. I realized this as I was washing up after my success and my joy was quickly squashed. So on the bed I want. My partners first mistake was sitting next to the instructor who had sufficiently rubbed my nerves the wrong way already. She was very hands on and not letting us just do it. When I did mine, I was on the opposite side of the bed. Not my partner. So, off she goes, looking for veins. Of course, trying to be the hero, starts low, on the back of my hand, and picks a nice round rolling vein. Things continued down hill from there. I had one girl holding my other hand helping me breathe. It really was that bad. I think I have sufficiently explained my distaste for needles in posts pasts. This is why. I had to get stuck again. Uhg. This time was much better and successful at that. But crap oh dear. I don't think I'd volunteer for that again. LOL No bruises which is nice. But its still sore. Both of them. :whine winge moan:

As for me, still pretty pissy these days.

Dark....

2008-10-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

To match my mood these days. There are times when I laugh, and I will focus on that. Thank you my friend.

I can't believe I paid for that

2008-10-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

So, I got a couple of scholarships this year that require me to maintain full time status at school. The nursing program is 1 credit short of that. A lot of times students will pick up a PE credit. Problem is they are scheduled and my schedule for nursing does not really allow for much else. So they have added Jazzercise for a credit. I figure, why the heck not. Yesterday was my first day and I literally had sweat dripping down my face. Gross. I can hardly walk today. Yes, it was a good work out,and yes I will go again, but seriously, why must I excercise? I truely don't enjoy it. The closest I ever came to enjoying it was running on the treadmill at the Valley YMCA in Spokane. It overlooks the pool area and there were TV's all around. They were on Fox news and there was a car chase in LA going on. I ran along for the whole darned thing and didnt' bat an eye! Ah well. The things we do for longevity eh?

I have updated my weather sticker to reflect Honolulu where my mother has just landed about an hour and a half ago, and my father is scheduled to land in another hour and a half. Easier time difference to remember, but I want to be fully jealous of their weather.

Bit by bit.....

2008-10-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

My house is getting cleaner. As I sit here. ;) This is surely the life I tell ya. And its not even my mom doing the cleaning!!! Yes people, robots have moved into my house, and I can say that I am pleased as punch, because even as Fly Lady says, even cleaning done incorrectly still blesses your family. So when my Roomba decided it was tired of vacuuming and went back to bed, and only had done about 3/4 of my living room, I was fine. Considering the filter was full, as was its dust bin, I'd say it did good. Even went under the entertainment center and behind the couch. All without me having to move a thing. Sure I had to pick up toys and bigger garbage, but heck, I'd have to do that before I vacuumed anyways right? So Scooba got to clean the bathroom first. After I watched it for a few minutes and saw that all of the dogs black hair was getting blown away rather than picked up, I decided that roomba could go ahead and vacuum the kitchen after it charged before scooba got in there. So, in the last 2.5 hours, my bathroom has been mopped, my living room nearly vacuumed, the kitchen vacuumed, and now is being mopped. The living room will be finished up here as soon as roomba is recharged. And I haven't hardly had to do a thing! Sweeeeeeet.

Another test passed!

2008-09-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

Two tests down, a gazillion to go. Each quarter we have to take a calculations test to make sure we can still safely pass drugs since doctors don't usually write, give two aspirin and call in the morning. There is lots involved, and I'll spare ya. So that was Monday at 8 and I passed that.

Then today was our lab skills check off. You choose between 5 possible scenarios of all things learned last year and have to perform it and answer various questions for the instructor. I passed that as well! I have to go back in a few minutes to start learning about IV therapies. Theory today, and then in 2 weeks I get to start learning how to insert IV's. Wee! The down side is we practice on each other. :-/ :faintthud: If you know me at all, you know I don't like needles. Crud, I went through natural childbirth away from a hospital to avoid the stupid things. Well, there was more to it than that, point is, I don't like needles. Now I get to be a pin cushion for a class mate. Oye. Hopefully I come out of it alive. ;)

Wee!!!

2008-09-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

Chickens are really starting to lay eggs now. Its funny, I have different sizes and different browns in my carton now. I found two in that tall grass under my kitchen window this morning. ONe was still warm. I think it was one of the hatched here at home babies. Or both, they are smaller than even Benny's, and two slightly different colors. Then the adopted chicken is laying nice big dark brown eggs. Then day before yesterday I sent Iden out to get them cause I needed them for dinner, and he brought in two, and then said there was a jiggly one that he threw out. I went out and looked and of course the chickens were devouring it. I think it was just a shell-less egg. So perhaps its just another chicken starting to lay. It looked like it was a fairly large one. But exciting! The boys have been painting on the back of the coop, and hopefully we'll get it moved into place in the next day or two and finish it up. It froze night before last, so I really need to get it done.

And I've ordered a couple of cleaning fairies. They should be here on October 3rd. So perhaps I will have a nice clean house by the 5th after they properly orient themselves???

Cleaning Fairies!!!

Favorite addiction

2008-09-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

Its mindless, but its really quite fun!!! I have decided to start posting some of the cooler hits that I receive on my bills. I don't have a minute to do it right now, but go check out the site!!

Where's George

I'm a nurse!

2008-09-11T08:17:00.001-07:00

I passed!! Woohoo!!!!!!! Thanks for all the prayers and support! Too bad I'm not done...... LOL

Test day!

2008-09-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Has come and gone. I should find out my results in the morning. They make you wait 48 hours. Uhg. The test itself was only about 1 hour long and I finished in 85 questions. It could have gone over 200 if they weren't sure I knew....or weren't sure I didnt' know my stuff. I am hoping I knew it. ;)

Couple o' pics.....

2008-09-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

(I started this post last week.......its taken this long to remember to come back to it and finish uploading pics)

My mom made some quilts for her great neices and nephews and took pics of the boys infront of them (all sporting their new hair cuts)

Its quite comical getting a good pic of three and these are some of the cutest.

They are loveable goof balls.

And then our trip to Silver Mountain and Silverwood.

This is in Ritzville, made nearly entirely of horseshoes and chains. Iden wanted nothing to do with the idea of it all, so he stayed in the truck.

Our first stop was Silver Mountain in Kellog ID. It has an indoor water park that comes with your hotel room. It was great fun, although Iden was limited by what he was allowed....strangley enough not until about 4 hours after we'd been there though. Odd and inconsistent. But who cares, he had fun in the mean time. Two tube slides and one raft slide, and a huge play area for the kids with lots of water coming out all over. A flow rider , which Kainen is so "been there done that" with ours in town. And a great lazy river that was fun and fast moving. (pardon the old tatoos and missing teeth on various children. I asked them not to put anymore on....)

If I decide to hang out with youtube, I'll post some videos later.

The next day we were off to SilverWood Theme park and rain. Lots of rain. Because I was borrowing my moms camera, and there was rain, I kept the camera in mostly. Lets just say I was in denim capris, and was wet from the very beginning. We got in the park just after 11:30, and had dinner in the truck in the parking lot about 8. I was wet the whole time. Ah well, kids had fun right?

The first part is on the train, it was covered. LOL We passed by buffalo, teepees, and a cute show. I'll spare ya most of it. LOL You can see how cold it was after the train ride. Again, Iden was not interested in the photo op. The last pics are on the way outta the park. Boys had a blast on the roller coasters, and I think I still may have whiplash. LOL

And lastly, first day of school. Again, the silliness of getting even one good picture of three boys is lost on us all, so I tried to get a few.....melt them together in your head to get an idea of how cute they can be. ;) Kainen is in 3rd, Jantzen in 1st,and Iden is doing preschool.

'bout time!

2008-09-03T00:15:00.000-07:00

So I finally got my ATT and I go in Tuesday the 9th! It will take at least 2 days after that to get my unoffical results, so I will post the news. So far I've heard everyone is passing. Phew!

My mom is in Oz so thats why I have the weather sticker up. So I can see what kinda nice summer she's coming into as we are forced out rather quickly.

Argh. Still waiting.

2008-08-28T12:43:00.001-07:00

So I called to the center to find out why its been 4 weeks since I sent off my request to test and no authorization. They said they are still waiting for info from the state, which that application I sent off 6 weeks ago. So I call the state, and they had just finished my background check the day before, and said I should get my ATT by next week. Sure, I'll believe it when I see it.

AOII Alumnae Weekend

2008-08-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

We had a blast in Lake Chelan and I can't wait to do it all over again next year!!!!! One of the fun highlights was running into Jake Harris of Deadliest Catch fame. Ryan and I are die-hard fans, so it was a treat!!! He's a very polite guy and happy to oblige my picture request. =)

Obviously not studying.....

2008-08-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

If I have time to play on the blog. Boys head back to school next week. I think we are going to try for a day at Silverwood Theme park before then. I don't go back for another month after that. And I am STILL waiting for my authorization to test. Uhg. As far as I know, there was just one that received hers and took the test and passed. Beyond that, the rest of us wait.....

One more year done!!

2008-07-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day of summer quarter, and thus, the last day of my first year of nursing school!!!

We took a predictor test to tell us the likelyhood of passing our PN boards and I got a 99% chance of passing! So unless something goes insanley askew in the next few weeks, I will be a nurse! Wee!!!!!!!!!!! I am so relieved to be done with the first year. Uhg. Now to hit the streets and find a job. Well, not the streets, but you know what I mean. ;)

2 more days!!

2008-07-25T09:44:00.001-07:00

Ahh......only two more class days until I am done for the summer!!!! Its been such a long freeking year. Uhg. But I am done with clinicals for the summer, have one more (busy day) lecture after a test, and then Tuesday is our LPN predictor test, which tells us the likely hood of passing the LPN exam. Wee!!!!!

Kids are running around like idiots with their heads cut off, so I must dash away.......

p.s.

2008-06-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

My rooster (Joon-since no one has ventured the correct guess, get it? Benny and Joon) has been attacking my mother now for the last few weeks. He's never said boo to me since he moved in over here. But when I got home on Friday, that evening as I was milling about the yard feeding and watering them all, he attacked me. Stinker. I yelled, hooted, and hollered and stomped my feet at that bugger. He came after me again as soon as I turned my back. A swift kick, and a warning that he wouldn't make it through the night if he did it again, and he stopped. I haven't let him out of the chicken yard since. LOL Somehow, I doubt that his little pea brain can take it all in though.....

Busy Much?

2008-06-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Oye. Where to start?

I have 21 chickens. Yes, thats right. I am not entirely sure what happened. I just kept coming home with them. :innocent: I have many different breeds, and finding out, that I have more cockerels than I bought. Which means I will have to bite the bullet and stock my freezer with fresh chicken soon. Boohoo. But....such is the life of a chicken mama right? Here are pictures of some of them. There are seven more that came after this batch. LOL Lets see if this slideshow works.......

As for school...thats going along nicely as well. We finished off spring quarter, and sailed right into summer the next week. I had clinicals two weeks ago in Wenatchee at the hospital. My first day was in the OR. I got to see some pretty cool stuff. The first surgery was the neatest....a nephrectomy and prostatectomy. And several other urology surgeries......on men......I shall spare you the details and let your imagine take you there. LOL The next two days, I ended up getting to hand out with that first surgery patient.

Then this last week I spent 4 days at Eastern STate Hospital. One of only two mental health hospitals in the state. Oye. Did you know that when someone pleads guilty by insanity, this is the place they go? Yeah.....some definate freaky stuff that I saw there, and lets just say, you don't always know where and when mental health issues will hit. One minute one of the patients will be sweet and kind, then the next yelling that she hates students and to get away. And its amazing to talk to some of them and they some as normal as anyone else. Sad. And there is such limited funding as well. At one point, this hospital had well over 2000 patients.....today its just over 300 and they are close to closing another ward because of money issues. Very sad. Ah well, I survived, and managed to not turn into a patient myself. The next 4 weeks will be here in town at the hospital for 3 days a week. I hear you really start to feel like a nurse after that. Which is good....considering that I can take a test and be one in about 6 weeks. Eek!

Tata for now......

Tag.....

2008-05-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is my first time doing this....... LOL

Five things on my To-Do List:
1.Drink More Coffee
2. Eat my breakfast hubby is making. (its mothers day)
3. Go to Walmart to buy my mom a couple plants.......again, its mothers day
4. Go play outside in my garden
5. um......drink more coffee??

Five Favorite Snacks
1. Coffee (is there a trend here?)
2. Fondue-the white cheese kind.......with sour dough bread
3. Cadburry Cream Eggs
4. Salami
5. Iced Coffee

Five things I would do if I were a Billionaire:
1. Give back to all those who've given to us over our life time, and pay it forward. cheesy perhaps, but its the royal truth.
2. Build a huge house for us to live in
3. Hire a house keeper to clean that huge house
4. Finance a birth center for me to run
5. Fill my garage that I built with my house with corvettes. ;)

Five Bad Habits:
1. The computer
2. Ignoring the kids (see #1)
3. Demanding TV time
4. Drinking and driving (see my favorite snacks list........)
5. Yelling at my kids instead of intervening earlier.....

Five Places I have lived:
I'll list mine in order.....and then back and forth a few times inbetween.... LOL
1. Moses Lake, WA
2. Bakersfield, CA
3. Cheney, WA
4. Spokane, WA
5. Tustin, CA

Five Jobs I've had:
1. Home Interior Store assistant/cashier in Jr. High....couldn't do much, so I got to make a quilt using outdated fabric samples.....LOL
2. Doctors office assistant, front and back
3. Grocery Clerk
4. NAC
5. Pageant Helper . At Disneyland!!!

I want to know more about: ( This means you are tagged)In alphabetical order
1. Crystal
2. Kristina
3. Laska
4. does anyone else even read here? not that I know of......aside from Shannon who posted this....
5. YOU!

Whats new?

2008-05-05T14:15:00.001-07:00

Just school school and more school. LOL

Iden killed one of the babies, so now I am back at four.....even though I bought five and hatched out 4. But the rest are getting big and are a hoot to watch. Moms are doing good too. Everyone is getting feathers in and trying out their wings.

Lets see.......oh yeah, have you heard about the measles outbreak in Grant County? Well, now I get to keep my kids home till the 20th-21st. Dates still up in the air. Uhg. So I've taken the next two weeks off of work so that R can work longer and on weekends to make up for the days I have clinicals or class. Oye. Nice. Ah well.

Beyond that, its finally warming up and I am planning on heading to the backyard to fry myself for a bit before its time to get Kainen. =)

Another one.....

2008-04-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

bites the dust.

Kainen came in with tears this morning that one of the baby chickies was dead. Uhg. It was one of the Golden Sex Links. She better not be picking them off one by one. Either that or I need to coop the rooster up separately. Blah.

Meet yer mama cheep cheep!

2008-04-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a busy week for me with clincals this week. It was a peds week, so on Tuesday I was at a developmental preschool, and then Wednesday at a pediatricians office.

Chickies were due to the feed store on Wednesday morning.....you can see my dilema.....school....chickies. So, I compromised. Took an hour lunch and got chickies at the store and home to meet mama. Here are the pics I took of that. There were 3 Auracaunas (but the receipt said Australorp, so not sure.....) and 2 Golden Sex Linked (meaning you can tell if they are a boy or a girl at birth by their color, these are all girls).

Mama wasn't sure what to think , and the babies sure as heck didn't know what to do, so they sat there and cheeped. She walzted away with her 4 babies clucking, but the new 5 were clueless. So I grabbed them all and shoved them into the coop and shut the door and hoped for the best. I quicky realized the new babies still didn't know what to do, so I opened it up and shoved them all under mama hen. Everyone seemed to stay put. So closed the door, gave some water to the rooster (no one has guessed his name yet....don't forget, mama is Benny) and went back to the clinic.

That night when I got home, I let everyone out and she seemed a bit more attending to the new ones. The golden sex links blended in well, but the black ones weren't. So, back in the coop, under mama they all went, and the roo went too.

The next morning everyone came out and she started pecking at the black ones. So I took them away from her. I was ticked. This was not in my plans. So here are the babies in their new home...in my bathroom.

Then I took everyone out for pics, and sat them next to golf balls for size comparison. LOL

Here is one of the Banty Buff Orps from Benny

Here is one of the Golden Sex Links from the feed store. They are a tad bigger than the others, with a few darker streaks here and there. A couple days older too based on their wing feathers.

And the black one

And then for some scratching time, I took the three orphans to a dirt patch with rolly pollys. It was quite cute and funny. One would grab it, run off and get chased by the other one. I could tell at this point one of the babies wasn't well.....

Shelbie was more than interested, and there were some slobbers on the babies afterwards..LOL

I took them in and fed them some worms from my vermicompost bin. THAT was hillarious. One would grab it, the other would run to it, grab it and a tug of war ensued. Never mind there were two others wriggling away. LOL

Later that night we moved them to the garage because we can't keep girl outta the bathroom and I didn't want her to get them. I realized one wasn't going to make it. I shed a few tears for sure. I felt really bad. It was gone the next morning. =( I had school that day, so off I went.

CAme home to an empty box. I was torked. Someone left the garage door open and the cats got the other two. Argh.

but now, there are three more at my moms house being fostered by her. LOL She got the last four at the feed store, one died on the way home. She's built them a box for outside trips and everything. I wonder if they'll ever come here? LOL

The other 6 out there are growing in wing feathers and so cute. They are scratching around and just a hoot to watch. Highly entertaining for me. =) My mom took her camera home so no new pics. But I'll get some in the next few days.

Two days old!

2008-04-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

Mama took the babies out and about today. Gads they are cute. I really need to get a golf ball to compare their size. LOL

Eating oatmeal out of an oyster can. What better way than to jump right on top?

Daddy doesn't seem to mind them scurrying under him for a warm up. But I just missed the shot.

I dug up some dirt with roly polys and worms for them to scratch through.

ahh......they are so cute!! HOpefully if all works out I will be adding a few more in tomorrow after clinicals!

Here they are!

2008-04-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Proud mama daring me to look.....

All dry and fuzzy!

Iden helping me model .......

They keep trying to peck at her eyes....they are attracted to shiny objects, its too cute and I could watch for hours!!!

4 cheeps!!!!!!

2008-04-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

All the babies hatched and they are CUTE and fuzzy!! I got some cute pics to put up later on. I'm bushed from a long weekend and have homework for tomorrow.

Hmm...still one cheep

2008-04-13T07:49:00.001-07:00

But man oh man, dry , fuzzy, and cheeps when I peek. Adorable. Probably a roo with my luck. LOL

There is one egg pipped, a bit more than what it was last night....when I peeked again. ;) Since they weren't technically due until later today, I'm not too worried. But I was dissapointed for sure. I'll head to the feed store when I am done with my long day with Miss Moses Lake stuff and grab a few more to add to the nest. =) I'll post pictures then too.

Cheep cheep cheep!!!!!!

2008-04-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, one cheep........weeee!!!!!!! Its all wet and cheepin away. I couldn't resist one last peek before heading to bed. OMG, I am so excited. Its sooo cute and looks just like mamma! Well, the same color anyway. A darker than yellow....perhaps Buff?? As in Buff Orpington? http://www.cacklehatchery.com/bufforpingtonbantam.html I am so stinking excited. I fully expect to see 4 babies in the morning. I didn't stay long enough to fully inspect what the other eggs were doing. I figured I was invading enough. But its my first hatch dang it and I couldn't help it!!!

Gardening!

2008-04-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

So, after braving lifting Benny off her eggs, to satifsy my urge to see if there was anything going on, (there wasn't) I decided to hit the garden since it was an absolutely beautiful day. I got my onion sets planted (6 squares!!) and several kinds/squares of lettuce, a couple kinds/squares of carrots, likewise for spinach, several squares of peas, beets......whatelse.......but nearly the entire box!!!

And squares you ask?? I made a square foot garden last year http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ . While I did enjoy many things out of it, summer laziness won out in the end. LOL But I didn't get nearly this early of a start either. So we'll see where it goes. Oh, I forgot, a few squares of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower as well.

I have seeds sprouting in the kitchen for the other bed in several weeks. our last frost free date isn't until Memorial Day in the area.....and in my little pocket, the first week of June. oye. I bet my seedlings will be dead of neglegt (I've tried fifty ways of spelling that, and they all look wrong.....) by then.

But hey, at least I'll have 8 week old chicks by then!!! ROFL

The anticipation is killing me.....

2008-04-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Argh. I can't seem to stop watching the coop for four little heads to p0ke out. LOL

Grrr....

2008-04-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

So, my chick plans are falling through......

Got a call from the feed store that the ones I ordered to arrive this weekend won't be here till next month. Cancel that one.

Then my neighbors daughter called about the hens they were to be bringing me and the gal they are getting them from doesn't have any extras. Uhg.

At least I still have 4 about to hatch. The other feed store has some of the Easter Egg chickens I really want, so I'll get some after these chicks hatch out. And maybe a couple more. ;)

I've been bit!!

2008-04-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

By the chick bug that is.....in preparation for the great hatch of '08 this weekend, I've ordered 6 foster babies for Benny to arrive within the same time frame.....if I've calculated correctly that is. She will have 6 breeds of chicks to raise by Monday. LOL I am so excited. Now to plant a pasture area for them on the side of the house. I can't wait!!! They are gonna be spoiled for sure.

Links to egg cams

2008-04-06T14:15:00.001-07:00

So you can gain some excitement for next weekend. ;) Since I have no webcam under my chicken. LOL

http://farmcam.hobby-site.com/

http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/Embryology/eggcamera.shtml

1 week to chickies!!

2008-04-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Candled the eggs again last night and you can definately tell there is something growing in there. The boys were less than interested, considering daddy had just brought them home a new game for the PS2. But I thought it was cool. Could even see them moving a bit.

Beyond that, its a nice day outside. I want to get out and enclose the other chicken coop. My former neighbor should be bringing me 3 hens next weekend or sometime. I just want it ready. Need to get some straw for their coop and nesting box as well.

Let it begin!!

2008-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

So Monday started the (some say) 18 week marathon to LPN-hood. We have no break between the end of spring quarter and beginning of summer quarter. So in like........17 weeks, or 4 months, I will be far enough in my schooling to be a nurse! Oye. Odd. LOL

We had two tests on Monday, both of which I passed, and then started clinicals again on Tuesday and Wednesday. This time at the hospital here in town for me. Upside is the fact that I can leave 15 minutes before having to be there, as opposed to like 45 minutes before. When your start time is 0630, this is a very good thing. LOL The down side it, there was no orientation for some of us there. So I felt completely lost on Tuesday, but feel I more than made up for it on Wednesday. We all kept our instructor running since we can't do diddly squat without her there watching us. LOL

Today is running around gearing up for the Japan trip fundraisers for Miss Moses Lake. Blah. Not how I wanted to spend my day off, but I'll take one for the team. Tomorrow it is back to class! All stinking day. 9-4. But its pediatrics, so it should be fun. Lab on Monday, we get to bring one child with us for observing developmental levels. I think Jantzen will be my best candidate for that.

And my chickcountdown is nearing single digits!!!! Weee!!!!!! I'll candle them on Saturday night to see how they are growing. =)

Toodles!

What the sam he(( is that????

2008-03-30T08:42:00.001-07:00

My little pixie is all white.......for a reason. Uhg. She coulda warned me there would be snow all over the place today. I just got my pond all cleaned out and pretty (minus plants of course). Had to sink my heater back in there today and everything.

Speaking of my pond, all 4 big fishies are still alive and kicking. And there are 2 babies. I thought I started the winter off with 3......but we did put that crawdad in there.....and can't find him, nor a skeleton. LOL But the ponds all clear, water lily is already starting to grow. Now just have to figure out a frugal way to get some cool pond plants. LOL

Here Chicky Chicky!

2008-03-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

So I braved going out and checking the eggs under Benny. ( BTW, can you guess the roosters name?? I'll let you. I was totally creative too. )

I thought that I saw 5 eggs under her, but I guess it was only 4 eggs (plus the 5 golf balls I left in there to entice her into staying there). So I pulled them out. The rooster was trying to get ontop of her just to get away from me. Silly goose. This is the one that likes to attack me too. The boys and I candled them to see if we could see anything growing and we did! We saw the air sack and spider veins in all four, and we are on our way!!! Wee!!!!!

I'll do it again next Saturday night and see if we are still growin babies.

Grades posted....

2008-03-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

and I made Vice Presidents List! Sweet! Not that I am sure what it means.....beyond the fact that I had enough credits and high enough grades to be recognized for it. ;)

2008-03-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Benny is broody!!! I added a ticker so you can watch along with me. Supposed to be 21 days from setting. But I've read when you let the mama do it instead of an incubator, its a day less. So Sunday the 13th.....we shall be ready and waiting!!! Weeee!!!!!

MML 2008

2008-03-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

Now that I am officially on spring break......I have time to upload some pics! Just from the pageant. LOL My camera is broken, so only when I get my hands on my moms camera.

Kainen was in it again......

With his 'Big Sister' Cheyenne (teen contestant) in his tshirt for production number

With the winner and first runner up for the Miss contestants
With Miss Washington Elyse Umemoto

With last years Miss winner Sara
With last years teen winner (left) and winner and another contestant
And finally with Washington Teen USA and some of the other kiddos in the pageant.

Another quarter in the books!

2008-03-19T18:32:00.001-07:00

Today was my nursing class finals day. Sweet! I passed my final, passed my class, all that good jazz. Woot!

Now I have to catch a carpool to Wenatchee at 7:15 in the morning. Oye. Its gonna be a long day. But now just about 18 weeks stands between me and an LPN behind my name (if I pass my test of course.....)

Still holding steady at two chickens. Realized it wasn't my egg layer that got the train ride outta here. So my other one is a good broody hen, just gotta get something in there to get her broody, cause by golly its chick season and I want some! Either she's gonna hatch me some eggs, or I'll get her foster babies. We went and looked at them at the store today and they are soooo stinkin cute. They even have the ones that lay green eggs. I really want those. And then a mix of little banty's. They had lots of ducks too. I bet I could fool her into being mama chicken AND mama duck.....

Can't get the darned eggs to stay in the coop though. ThankyouverymuchIden.

I didn't want the stupid chickens anyway.

2008-03-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

And the d$#m dog is taking care of that chicken by chicken. This time it was my egg layer. Its war. The dog will not come in the house and will remain on a leash while on my property for no less than one week.

In nursing news.....it was OR day today for my rotation. It started off with a c-section, a lap chole that ended up being cancelled when the surgeon realized that her chirrosis of the liver distorted the anatomy and the gall bladder was in the wrong spot, another surgery of a more sensitive nature that I will spare you the details on, and then another c-section. This baby was breech and man those toes were tickling his ears when he first came out. And they did a tubal ligation on her as well. I guess I never really thought about it, but fallopian tubes are really really small!

Tomorrow is short stay and I told the surgeon I wanted a redo on the lap chole. So I get to watch that! The rest of the day will be admitting patients for procedures and discharging. Well, at least watching the nurse. Hey, maybe I can do a cath?? LOL We'll see .

Menopause Jewelry

2008-03-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

My husband, being unhappy with my mood swings, bought me a mood ring the other day so he would be able to monitor my moods. We've discovered that when I'm in a good mood, it turns green. When I'm in a bad mood, it leaves a big frickin red mark on his forehead. Maybe next time he'll buy me a diamond. Idiot.
-------------

I thought that was just to stinking funny not to share. ROFL I really LOL'd at that one. ;)

Got my schedule somewhat for next quarter. The stink of it is we get done with finals on Thursday, and start up summer quarter on Monday! Uhg. Not sure yet where I get to go for clinicals. I am almost rooting for Wenatchee...just so I hopefully get out of going there during summer. Its 2 days a week every other week this next quarter, compared to 4 days a week , 2 weeks in a row during summer. Which could mean bunking with some class mates. I dont' particularly care for that idea..........

Good companions, chickens and dogs, do not make.

2008-03-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

So, have I talked about my chickens? My neighbor sadly had move away to an adult family home type place and bestowed upon me her chickens that I would take care of and gather the eggs from whenever she was away. they've been living in her coop since she moved about 4 weeks ago until we could figure out something for our yard. There are 2 roosters which is too many for the 2 females (if you know what I mean). I had already picked out which rooster would be the one to go in the freezer as he was the crower and the meaner one.

Let me digress........

DH has been working at a house for the last...oh 6 weeks maybe? About 4 weeks ago a black lab showed up. The guy living on the property looked for its owner during that time. DH fell in love with her of course. Its been his dream dog for several years now. So, on Friday after noon, "Girl" came home to live with us. While in the back yard, she managed to chase off two of my cats and nearly stopped when I called her off, and did the second time when DH called her off. It was then I told him I felt I traded in my 3 cats and 4 chickens (yet to move into our yard) for his one dog. He brushed it off as me whining.

Back to the story........
Yesterday was a beautiful day and I decided that it was time for my chickens to come home. So I dragged some posts from the back and fencing and brought home a post pounder from my parents. We went over and got the coop my neighbor said we could have and plopped that down where we decided it was a good chicken home. Pounded in some posts, and I left DH to put up the fence while I went to work for a meeting. Came home to Kainen bringing a chicken to the back yard. (yes, the dog was tied up thank goodness). So it took close to 45 mintues for Kainen and I to get all 4 chickens caught and brought over to their new home. DH declared it a job well done, and went off fishing with his new dog. While they were gone, I shut the chickens in their coop for the day to help them acclimate to the area. DH came home a couple hours later to take us all to the lake for sunset. During the short 10 minutes he was home, I lost a rooster to his 'Girl'. I was ticked off to put it mildly. Somehow she made it through the fence (which was still closed) and got in the coop. Argh. So now Girl gets to stay tied up when she is in the back yard until we can spend more time dog proofing my chicken yard.

And the bummer of it all?? It was the wrong stinking rooster!!!!! Uhg.

Anywho, it shut the other rooster up, which was nice, and I still got an egg from the one thats the layer. I haven't found her eggs for over a week now at the other chicken yard. She tried to go broody on me and I wouldn't let her cause its still too cold for chicks. But hopefully around the end of the month she'll go broody again and I'll let her hatch them.

Anywho.....here's a pick of the chickens prior to their move to my backyard.

Can we have some more crowns please?

2008-02-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, another pageant is in the books. We have a couple of lovely new ladies to represent our small town well for the next year. Of course, the addition of several more crowns would make for a lot less *itchy parents. Seriously, your girl did a lovely job, just this year, she wasn't meant to win. Sorry. Gads. I just don't get how some girls survive under the pressure of their parents. I can undertand being upset, but to go around badmouthing winners. Thats just in poor taste. These parents and girls don't get to see interviews. A few of us do, and thats where things really show through and separates the competition if things are close on stage. Ah well. Such is the pageant life. If you don't like it, don't participate. You have the spirit of it all wrong any ways. Argh. k /rant.

Now I have a bit of down time aside from work for the day. Its nice to have a break. Phones been ringing a lot, so a nap is out of the question. Had a test on bones and such yesterday and a midterm in speech last night. First test I scored well on, not sure yet on speech. We'll see. I'm not sold on that class yet.

I'm just excited to go eat some sushi tonight. YUM.

More shots....

2008-02-13T22:07:00.000-08:00

Clinicals today were in the clinic next door to the hospital since there were very few patients there. Two of the five of us were sent to hang out there. So more office visits and such. Quite different from the hospital, but I did really enjoy the different things I could sneak in on. For instance, the x-ray room was right by the nurses station, and the tech was a lovely lady who cheerfully welcomed me each time I saw her take a patient back. Got to see a couple chest xrays (these suckers pop up on the computer from the film, which is like a giant disk. So cool.) Then a kid with a hand injury, but neither of us could be sure there was a break. And then....soooo neat, a guy broke up a dog fight and really messed his leg up. He walked in there, and it ends up he has broken his tibia (the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg) at the top , closer to the knee, and its at a 45 degree angle and about 2 inches long and NASTY looking. Combined with some broken bones in his foot, made for a pretty horrified nursing student due to the fact he walked in there. OYE. I hurt for him.

And what goes on in clinics?? Well child checks. And shots. And nurses who happily hand them off to me. Luckily I wasn't around for the second one, but I did do the first little girl. 4 months old and sooo stinkin cute. Red head to boot. Had to give her four shots. Man she was TICKED off and still hollerin out the front door. It was the combo vax that did her in. Luckily I somehow managed to make that the last one. She stopped crying in between the other three. Poor thing. And me being a non-vaxer had to really tune out to the fact I was doing this and what I was giving her.

At the station I was drawing up the meds, there was a little package sitting on the counter and I couldn't tell what it was, so I picked it up and it was a plastibell. I dropped it in fear that they'd ask me to watch. Barf. I've never seen one like that and certainly not in my hand, and was very surprised at how small it was. Which makes sense when you consider how small an infants ween is. :( But I think it was just out for no reason, as I didn't see a little guy come back while I was there. Phew. I have to go back tomorrow and pray there isn't one there. I will have to politely decline AND bite my tongue all at the same time. How's that gonna work?? ;)

THE perfect food.

2008-02-10T19:06:00.001-08:00

I swear, sushi is the perfect food and I am glad to be working in a sushi restraunt. I had a Cherry Blossom roll (no, can't remember whats in it....but there is cream cheese, and the top is covered in maguro aka raw tuna.) Its like a little bit of heaven with each bite. It took me about 5 minutes to move after I ate it I was in such heaven. Its been FAR too long since the restraunt closed due to fire. The end of September! And I have been going through withdrawls ever since. But NO MORE! Restraunt opened back up on Tuesday!! I will be working a max of 3 shifts a week. Which on clinical weeks will be pure torture....but I can do it. Its nice to have cash in the ol' wallet again.

Speaking of clinical weeks, this is one of them. And then Miss Moses Lake is this Sat. as well. And I am heavily involved in that.... Then Sunday, our group heads to the Miss Spokane pageant. So all in all, I may not be standing come next Monday. Oye. So don't be surprised if I don't show up here for a week. ;)

Toodles!

Good Day Sunshine!!!

2008-01-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

Ah....I need my sunglasses. This is the life. The sun is shining, and its up to 19 degrees!!!

I've been busily preparing a speech for speech class tomorrow night. Decided to do it on the local part of the Miss America program, considering Miss Washington, Elyse Umemoto received 2nd runner up at Miss America on Saturday night. She's one awesome chicklet and great to be around.

We worked on setting up IV pumps in lab today, and then get checked off on that tomorrow. I hear this makes the nurses at clinicals happy, because there are lots of IV's to set up and they happily pass the buck on to us. I feel like I will be more official getting to push buttons, silence alarms, ect. ect. Silly I know. ;)

GACK!!!!!

2008-01-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

Its been snowing for over 24 hours now and I am about to loose it. TURN THAT OFF!!!!!!

I told DH that I am pretty certain they need nurses in Jamaica or Baha California.

Could I have some cheese

2008-01-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

with my whiiiiiiine.

Hey, at least now the weather channel says it feels like -1. Thats up 15 degrees from 2 hours ago. Blah. I told DH I can't feel my feet anymore.

Hey, at least I don't have to do laundry right? Pipes are frozen in the garage.

Oh! I have an idea, lets go ice fishing. Ha.

Hmmm....

2008-01-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned lately that its freaking cold? I couldn't even get the gas pump to work without just dribbling it in there before it would do its stupid auto shut off thing, while I am standing there, nearly frozen to the stupid pump. I can' t stand it. Its a balmy 18 degrees out there now. Frick. At least the sun is shining. Score one for the good guys.

That was a looong week.

2008-01-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

These weeks with clinicals in them are going to be buggers. I'm pooooped to say the least.

so the pit mom delivered at 10:05 pm that night. 7 lbs 12 oz boy. Ahh....he was a sleepy fella too. Wouldn't nurse till much later the next day.

The section mom didn't nurse after we left. From the limited sign language and slow speaking (Spanish speaking) I gathered from the husband she was upset the baby wasn't getting anything because there wasn't much there. So of course you know this breastfeeding nazi gathered up some spanish pamphlets, the interpreter and marched myself in there. They took the info and next time I went in she was reading the info. There was no new bottle in there, so I was biding my time. A bit later, I had to do vitals on mom and baby, and asked/demonstrated if mom wanted to give it a go. Baby latched RIGHT on and both were content. Score one for the good guys!!! Even if she doesn't go for long, she will still be passing on some amazing gifts to her little girl each time she does nurse her. HOpefully they will continue for a while.

All in all, I was uber impressed with my 2 short days in OB. There were no other deliveries while we were there, so hopefully there will be more chances to witness a vag birth. And who knows, I still have my OR rotation, so perhaps then I will get to see another section.

I have a TON of papers to finish up. OB has the most stuff to do. Plus a test on Tuesday, lab on Tuesday, and videos to watch before that time. Oye. But heck, at least I will have a short break on Wed. and Thursday. Perhaps I can sleep? LOL

C-Section time!

2008-01-16T19:45:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so thats what I got to watch first thing this morning!!! I really wasn't expecting that at all at 6:35 this morning. But at 8 am, a 9 lb 4 ounce baby girls head popped out of a womans stomach right before my eyes!!!

I never thought my first time witnessing a birth other than my own would be a c-section, but heck, I'll take it.

That and the fact I aced my test yesterday makes for a good week so far. ;)

Other women the nurse I was following had.... a 12 week gestation mom with some bleeding. Sent home on bedrest with a shrug from the OB. A 38 weeker being induced with #4, cause she 'can't have big babies'...mind you the biggest is 7 lbs 8 ounces. She started on pit at about 9 am...and was at about 1 cm when the OB checked her at 1:30 and maxed out on pit. Hopefully she will have delivered by the time I get there tomorrow at 6:30. I just really...don't get it. Ah well. Not my body, not my birth. Right? shut yer trap Tiarnna....

That wasn't so bad

2008-01-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

So guess who had a snow day today?? Yeah, not me, but K and J did. lucky ducks. I think we've had more snow this winter than the last two combined, and its still the first week of the year!

But I was at class, bright and early for my calculations test. We have to take one each quarter to keep up on our math. I was glad I looked at everything yesterday, cause I wouldn't have passed if I didn't. Its funny how fast you loose stuff like that if you aren't using it....but like riding a bike, it came right back with a few practice problems.

Then it was lecture from 9-4 with an hour for lunch...and I get to do it again Friday. Minus the calc test, but adding in another class at 8. oye. But no labs or clinicals this week. I do have speech 101 Tues and Thurs nights. That will be fun on clinical weeks, when I have that from 6:30-3 on thursdays as well. Ah well, its a short quarter right?

Back to school!

2008-01-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

School starts back up tomorrow for both me and the boys. There has been kicking, screaming, wailing and gnashing of teeth because of it. But the boys seem to be handling it just fine!

I just hate homework. I don't mind going to school....its just the part of having to do school stuff outside of class that gets to me. Blah.

I filled in my planner today with my schedule and I can hardly keep up with it. I have a nightclass (Speech 101) added in so I can for sure sit for my LPN licence at the end of summer quarter. Weird to think, that in 8 months I will be a nurse! Weee!!! (that is, if I pass.....but I will. RIGHT???)

My clinical group is in Othello, about a 35-40 minute drive from my house. Of course before dawn breaks. And its 2 days a week....everyother week. Then lab usually on Tuesdays, but some mondays this month because its a short quarter, and then class on Friday. I will usually have Mondays off...but not this month, again, because its a short quarter. :insert rolly eye guy here:. Me thinks they are just shoving too much crapola in there. Blah.

Anywho, this will certainly cut into my sewing time, as work will hopefully be starting up by the end of the month as well. I could really go for a nice cherry blossom roll right now.....yum. I will take a picture of it the next time I am blessed enough to eat it. Its covered in raw tuna....all red, hense being called a cherry blossom. Oh goodness...tummy growling. Heck, I'd even settle for a california roll at this point.

kay...that stinks....

2008-01-01T00:57:00.001-08:00

Why does blogger have to jack my pictures up like that??????

Grrrrrr

Sewing Projects....sweet!

2008-01-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine blogs on her craftiness. Princess Nimble-Thimble....she has a sew and show for her tutorials, and a contest drawing for those who post pics finished items.

That crochet dishcloth was an entry from last night, and then two more tonight !!!

An A-line skirt. I had to do several modifications, and consequently stuck it on a shelf for a few months. But in hopes of a prize, finished it tonight. I hate hemming.

Iden wanted in on it....and you can see it is an even hem on it. LOL

And then she makes TONS of these little bendy dolls. You'll have to go to her store to see what they are supposed to look like. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=71968

I don't have any heads for this one......LOL

I put the I on it to give to Iden. Jantzen has declared them guys, not dolls, and Kainen has requested one. They are so stinking finicky and knitpicky though....I may not have the patience for more. LOL But I think iit has lots of character.......ROFL

And then.......something I have been wanting to make for years. I've had this fabric stashed away with this project in mind for oh.....nearly 4 years now? LOL I was on a roll with stuff, so kept on going. Oh, and my budding artist 3 year old took these. ROFL Nearly saying cheese. He wasn't quite sure which role he was playing, photographer or subject. LOL It was too cute.

(this is the better color showing)

Did I mention I hate hemming? Took nearly an hour for this sucker.

I have another pair nearly done.....just lost my mojo with my NYE celabratory drink. :lol:

I also did a marathon of PJ making for Christmas.....

3 for my boys, 3 nephews and 3 neices.

And then one of those nephews was born a few days before Christmas, so he got some goodies at his baby shower.

This is a swaddle sock. Just stick the kid in and viola. No more trying to fold your kiddo in there. Thank you Crystal for the idea!!!

And a little sweat suit for him....next year. Its big. LOL

And then I took him this ball at the hospital after he was born, in case he wanted to play ya know. ;)

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great day! We spent the first part of the day at my parents for breakfast, present and naps. Ahhh....then I delivered gifts around to the IL's and grabbed ours in return.

Boys got gift certificates enough to combine to buy a PS2 and monster truck game, so I've had mom time off. LOL

I am thinking off all the things I need to do before I go back to school and don't want to do any of it! Least of all homework. Blah.

My cute kid. ;)

2007-12-17T11:18:00.001-08:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

You want the good news or the bad news first?

2007-12-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, good news......I studied my hiney off for my Pharm final to make sure I could stay in the nursing program and came in with the 2nd highest grade in the class and consequently, brought up my failing grade by 8% to stay in the program!! Woot!!!

Now the bad news......a signature card with all my info was stolen out of my mailbox on Friday (hindsite IS 20/20) and was found in a home along with other stolen property. My name, social, mothers maiden name, was found on a note pad, and in their computer. Gads.

Hey, good news again......my credit is tanked and odds of them being able to do anything with that info is close to zero. Hah. Take that. Ya grinch.

Its still too stinkin cold.

2007-11-23T22:07:00.000-08:00

I really hate winter. I will probably whine to anyone about it for the next several months, so be prepared.

And who said homework over a holiday weekend is fair? Uhg. At least I got a bunch done right away Wednesday after school. Haven't touched it since. But headed out to my mom and dads tomorrow for a fire in the fire place and hot chocolate, and will hopefully get something done then.

I'm still working on a miracle to pass my pharm class. Any ideas? Based on the lack of comments I don't think I have any readers. But thats okay. NOT. ;) Too many people asked me to keep my blog up and I guess I waited too long.......LOL

Brrr!!!

2007-11-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

Just covered up my pond, and now am in the process of cleaning out my skippy filter (google it if ya need) but its too cold to keep reaching in and pulling out the scrubbies. Ryan and the boys went on a nature walk yesterday around the spillways of the lake and brought home a big crawdad. He's in there now with my fish. All I know is I better still have fish in there in the spring. LOL

That bread recipe turned out delicious. I will double that recipe and make it more often. Yum.

Not much beyond that. My hand is a bit numb and typing is more backspacing and retyping at this point.

Flu shots!

2007-11-09T21:04:00.001-08:00

While I don't care to get one for myself, I did get to administer 3 of them at clinicals yesterday. Went relatively well, didn't scrape a bone or nothin! Two of my class mates managed to though. Not sure I would have been able to keep my composure for that. Finished my paper, didn't do so hot on the test (but I wasn't the only one) and now I am ready for the weekend.

My bread turned out quite well for homemade. Wasn't as tasty as I'd hoped, but I have another recipe waiting to try out tomorrow. Honey Wheat Bread I looks like a goody.

My mom goes for her knee replacement surgery on Monday. Since we have school off I get to go with her. So if you are the praying type, say one for her. She's really starting to get anxious about it.

I survived!

2007-11-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I have 3 new holes in my skin, but I did manage to successfully administer three kinds of injections. Woot! And whaddya know, I had the same partner that swore she wouldn't be my partner after the blood glucose sticks. But she said I did good. ;)

Still have to write that darned paper. I did an outline last night, but still have to fill in under the headings......

Renewed my Healthcare Provider CPR card today. I was the only one in class, so that was nice. Less pressure. LOL

Well, its parent teacher conference time, and I am going to go make some bread so it can be rising and ready to bake when I get home. Dee's Health Bread is the recipe I am trying out for the first time. Has lots of good reviews so hopefully the kids will like it too and I won't be forced to eat it all out of the oven. CAuse we all know, fresh baked bread with oozing butter is one of the best foods out there. YUM

Whats this? A new post?

2007-11-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Why yes, yes it is. I don't expect it to be of any excitement, but I was just studying, and decided this was as good a way as any to avoid that. ;)

What is it I am studying? Parenteral administration.....aka shots. We get to start practicing that on Monday, and start giving them at clinicals on Thursday. Ayeyaiyai. Crazy they are trusting me to do this. After the disastrous skills lab of doing blood glucose sticks especially. My partner for that already made it clear she won't be for shots. I don't get it....??

Anywho, nursing school is going well for the most part. Pharmacology is giving me some trouble as its a bit scientific. Gone are the days of answering "its a blood pressure medication". Now I have to know how and why it works. Its like that for LOTS of drugs.......

My program requires an 80% to pass. So right now, on paper my grades look horrid. One just below a 2.0, and one comfortably above a 2.0, yet this is some of the best work I've done over the last year. Any other class those 2.0 grades would be 3.0 which I am more than happy with. Oh well. I did somehow manage to get the highest grade on my fundamentals test yesterday along with one other person. Not sure how that happened, but I told my instructor I would revel in it while I could. (yes, I called after grades posted to make sure that was actually my grade).

I have to have a 5 page paper written by Friday, since I had to miss clinicals on Thurs. because of pink eye. NiiiIiiice. I HATE writing papers. I am rotten at them. Blah.

Oh well......I am still flying high with my last test grade. =)

Back from the dead

2007-04-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

So here it is........how many months later? I was just showing my crabs off to someone.......and counted 6. After what........8 odd months, a once thought dead crab is still alive. I don't think I am that inattentive to them, but it was rather odd that there were only 5 up at a time. Perhaps I just need less shells in there so that when one changes, I can account for the missing new shell??

In any case, its time for a deep clean. I made one hemp rope ladder and started a second when my crochet hook broke. I started again with a spare, but got bored fairly fast after that trying to make it perfectly match the first one.

Why is it that I am so anal about perfection that I just altogether give up and let the whole thing go to pot instead??? My house is a reflection of this. If I can't do it perfect, forget it. I want no part of it. :shrug:

RIP?

2006-08-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

I think one of the new guys should be renamed snack. Cause I think thats what became of him. Crab-i-cide. =( I think it was Krabby Patty (the biggest) that did the deed, cause I found the shell right where he's been hanging out for a couple weeks now. Stinker.

Rock Paper Scissors anyone??

2006-07-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

I adopted 3 new crabs on Sunday!! They were listed at http://www.crabstreetjournal.com/ this past spring, and we were finally able to connect this past weekend!!! I named them Rock, Paper and Scissors, but it will take a while for me to assign them names, as I can't tell one from the other. That will take some more studying. I added lots of new teeny shells to the crabitat, but I don't think any of them have switched. Only one seems to be in too small of a shell. The other two seem to be in good fits. Anywho, they are teeny and so cute. Everyone has been quite active in there since I added the newbies.

If the one there in the light shell stays like this, it will be easy to tell it apart, cause its a bit shy. But it did go for a walk on my arm the other night.

Mr. Krabs, newbie, newbie, Mrs. Hermit, newbie, and Krabby Patty.

Matchy matchy shells. Aren't they smart? LOL

SERIOUS SCAM AT SAMS CLUB BE CAREFUL!

2006-06-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

I don't how many of you shop at Sam's Club or Costco, but this may be useful to know. I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. This happened to me and it could happen to you!! Here's how the scam works: Two seriously good-looking 23-year-old well-built guys come over to your car as you are packing your shopping in the trunk. They both are shirtless and start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their highly-defined chest muscles and rock-hard abs exposed. It's impossible not to look. When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to another Sam's Club or Costco. You agree and they get in the back seat. On the way, they start talking dirty about what they want to do to you. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and begins kissing your neck and begs you to pull over so he can make love to you!! While this is going on the other guy steals your purse!! I had my purse stolen last Tuesday, Wednesday, twice on Thursday, again on Saturday, and also yesterday and most likely tomorrow. I'm running out of purses....

Again, not about crabs,

2006-05-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

by oh mylanta this video is hillarious!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKXFqGUGdTk

This has nothing to do with hermit crabs

2006-05-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

but please, be sure your mouth is free of all liquids before clicking. LOL http://home.pacbell.net/bettychu/2004allbreedbisris/2004bisindex.html

Hi AOII!!

2006-04-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have a couple new readers. Have fun ladies!!! =)

Fun =)

2006-04-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

All three hermies seem to be quite a bit busier during the daylight hours, which is fun for me.

DH just told me the other day that his sister is making plans to buy the petstore she works at. So you know what that means......at cost crabbies. teehee

She's back

2006-04-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Cause I dug her up. LOL and I don't feel a bit bad about it now. Found her in the front corner (where there was a big crater the day previous-I think one of the others went looking too). She was under about 7 inches of play sand. There was just the small pincher and some toe tips left for her to eat...but she finally molted and is in her..... 3rd shell since coming back up. LOL

In other news.....I am going to be adopting 4 crabs from a gal in Spokane. But two have just gone down recently to molt, so as soon as they are surface, we will meet up to handthem off to me!!! I am so excited.

Where oh where art thou?

2006-03-22T22:37:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Hermit has been buried for quite a while. I didn't expect her to go down so soon after the first length of MIA status. I hope she's okay.

I got 3 shells at the craft store,oh, about 1.5 months ago, pink murex shells. 2 were occupied within hours and have been ever since. LOL I am glad, cause it was the first shell that was big enough for Krabby Patty. And they both can squeeze waaaaay down in there so you can hardly see them when they are hiding. LOL

I'd post pics, but I clean that tank up nice each night, and by the am, its destroyed. Stinkers.

And Krabby Patty makes 3!!!

2006-01-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Unbelievable. Woke up to Krabby Patty be-boppin around this morning. Shell fully covered in sand. Looking back at my last post about him.......he went down on Nov. 17th. Gads. That was a looooooong wait. I was days away from digging. LOL I had been told that crabs could be down for as long as 3 months, but I didn't believe it. I do now!!! And all three crabs seemed very pleased to be back together again and were awake and giving me visual interest for several hours this morning. Both Krabby Patty and Mr. Krabs climbed that net upon digging out from below. I put it up while they were molting. They seemed to enjoy it. Mrs. Hermit has taken a couple naps on it as well. So cute. I love my crabs. I STILL have pictures to share. The good news is they are off the camera, onto the hard drive. Baby steps.....

Mr. Krabs.......

2006-01-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

He's been back up now for a couple weeks almost. Just after my last update I think. I was walking past the tank and saw lots of legs getting ready to scale the netting in there. But then a few hours later was buried again......but is up and down each day. Spending the better part of the day hiding either under the hermie hut, or in a hole. There are two tunnels that I can see in the play sand area. Pretty neat. But Krabby Patty is still MIA, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried at this point. Ah well.......its still within a reasonable time frame of molting.

I snapped some new pics too. Will add those once I crop them. I cleaned out the inside windows of the tank in hopes of some good pics. LOL

Upon further thought........

2005-12-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

I have realized that this is actually Mrs. Hermit that has resurfaced, the newest addition to our family, and the very first one down eons ago. And being she is the smallest, I am thinking it will be another couple of weeks before the other two decide to surface. But I don't want her to get lonely, so I think a trip to the pet store is in order. LOL

She is still happy in her shell. Its a turbo shell with a nice smooth gold interior thats just right. She's a lot shyer now that when I first got her. She wouldn't come out of her shell and visit with me at all, but she had lots of water stored up in there and has been munching on the coral in there. Hasn't touched the coconut, banana, seaweed or eggs yet......and the coconut is already molding, so I better change that all out. LOL

Woohoo!! An update!!

2005-12-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

We got home from my mom and dads house last night, and Mr. Krabs was sitting in the middle of the tank!!! He was the one that had been in the corner giving me a little window to all his goings on. I had given and extra bit of water to the substrate the night before, and the next morning my window to him was gone. I was a bit worried that I had collapsed his tunnel. But oh no, there he was!!! And then over night, he switched shells. Guess he wanted a new Christmas present. LOL I'll try to snag a picture of him in his new home soon.

Thar be pink legs in there!!!

2005-12-10T22:54:00.000-08:00

One of the crabs has molted! Which ever one it is that I can see in the corner has some mighty pink legs right now. LOL And its stealthy silent too, so that gives me hope the other two are doing the same. Mrs. Hermit was the smallest of the 3, and shouldn't be taking this long, so I am not too hopeful she's still alive. Ah well. After the other two surface, I'll go digging I think.

Still booooring

2005-11-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

I am seriously ready to drive myself to Spokane and hit up all the pet stores and stock my tank with new crabs. All three are burried STILL! I can see the legs of one in the bottom corner of the tank, under about 6 inches of playsand. I found Mr. Krabs last week. I could hear scratching on both sides of the tank, one under the hermie hut a lot louder. So I lifted it up, and he was there, at the very bottom, nothing covering him. Weird, cause there was about 3 inches of ecoearth there before. Of course I couldn't resist, picked him up, checked him out, noticed nothing different. He scootched to the opposite end, right above where the crab is that I can see now, so not sure if thats him. And then several days later, I could see the legs, and heard two different scratching and crawling sounds, so as of early last week, all three were alive. But its been totally silent since. I can see those legs changing posisitions multiple times during the day. So at least one is still alive. But they are driving me mad with the hiding.

He's Back!

2005-11-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well, Krabby Patty was in the hermie hut this morning. I stayed up at the tank for about 20 minutes last night listening to him dig around. I could see the substrate start to push up here and there. He ended up coming out from under the food bowl. No idea why it didn't tip over. LOL But he traveled a good 7-8 inches from where he started. I was rather nervous he was traveling around under there looking for a nice, soft, freshly molted crab. It took all my will power not to start digging myself!!!!

Booooring.......

2005-11-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

Krabby Patty peeked out of the hermie hut for a few minutes this morning, then scrambled in and now is buried. As far as I can tell, all three are all within centimeters of each other. Uhg. This is driving me nuts.

I was one finger click away from ordering $80 worth of crab stuff today.......including 8 crabs. But I stopped myself. The company has a HORRIBLE reputation online. One of my shell orders was from him , it came fine, a bit slower than I had expected, but it showed up. Combined with the fact that its not a good time of year to ship hermies. I think I did the right thing by just closing the browser window. If we go out of town in the next month or so, I'll hit up the big petstores and stock up. teehee. One of the things in my shopping cart was a ceramic bulb.....and a moonglow bulb. And some big shells. This place has the best price on all of them. But I guess nothing is good if you don't get your stuff. So will have to shop around online tomorrow.

My kosher wine and antidepressant are starting to mix...... ;)

More goodies.......

2005-11-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

The boys each took a lot of whacks at a coconut tonight. I still don't like coconut milk and the boys were rather dissapointed as well. There were about 2 cups in that sucker! Will have to hunt for a recipe, since I hate to waste anything. Got the rest bagged up for the freezer. I think I'll give them a bit once a week. Also picked up some seaweed in the Japanese section at the store. There was only one type, so I will head up to the little market in town that is owned by a Japanese couple and has a TON of Japanese foods in there.

Krabby Patty is half way got himself buried. Still under the hermie hut. I don't think he came out last night.

Checked out the teeny little crabs at the pet store. I just don't want to pay 9.99 for one. Especially when I want to get 2! I think I will order some online. I can get a different type that way, and the minimum order is 3 for like 30 some odd dollars, but then each additional crab is only 3.99. They over night them, so thats why they are spendy. But 4 would beat the price at my pet store, shipping included!! $$$$

Still quiet

2005-11-13T23:58:00.000-08:00

Krabby Patty seems lonely. He came out for a bit this evening and munched on some cuttle bone. I put some rose petals in there for him last night (how they have survived the freezing nights over the last 2 weeks I have no clue) and he dragged a couple out. I think he ate all his popcorn too. He hasn't touched the cricket I left in there though. There are still a few more in the fridge, but I hear crabs like their live foods a bit decomposed. Ick.

I need to go get some seaweed. Living in the same town that Japan Airlines uses as their training grounds, I oughta be able to find it fairly easy. LOL

Got new shells in Sat. (shipped from NY on Thursday.......and then Veterans Day in the middle. That was FAST) but they are all too small for Krabby Patty. I am bummed. But the gal sent them to me for shipping, so I'll just have to stick with my plan of buying crabs to fit the shells ;)

I've got my eye on a couple of big shells on eBay. May have to dig out the credit card for some. Oye. $$$$

Stinker

2005-11-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

I woke up to find Krabby Patty back in his old shell. I was figuring he'd do it, since he hadn't moved a whole lot after moving into the bigger shell. But I have some shells on the way to me that should be here by Monday or Tuesday, and there should be a suitable shell in there for him. If not, I will go shell shopping AGAIN (read: $$$) so the bugger will be in a home that FITS properly. Mr Krabs and Mrs. Hermit are still buried and haven't come up yet, and its aweful quiet in there.

I added some netting and greenery to one end (opposite of where they are burried) which is over the current shell area on playsand. I am going to gussy up the upside down ziplock containers and get them attatched to each other and some craft grid stuff glued to the top for traction. I'll put some corks around the edge for a little depth factor and fill it with moss. This will be both a second level and the shell station. The shells will stay free of sand and more appealing to the crabs!!

I moved the old aquarium to the top of the fridge to serve as my ISO. Mainly and ISO for new crabs before they are introduced to the main crabitat. I figure two at a time over the next while will be fun. With 2 of the 3 crabs buried and the other under the hermie hut, its borish during the day. LOL

The new crabitat

2005-11-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

I had been looking around for a used tank that would replace my 5 gallon one. My new found addiction would quickly outgrow the current tank and my crabs would suffer. So in order to satiate my addiction, I had to go shopping. I tell ya, these crabs ain't cheap.

So I asked my sister in law at the pet store about them getting in used ones. She said they did, and she'd let me know if one showed up. I posted on freecycle, with no response. We were also on the lookout for a dining room table, so one Sat. morning, I was online checking out the garage sales intown, and one of them had listed a big aquarium! It had just started 15 minutes prior, so I chucked the boys in the van, still in their jammies to run and grab it. And it was still there! It had been a rat cage, and had a couple of rat things with it, so I asked if I could just buy the tank and bargained the price down to 20 bucks. It has a screen lid and clips to go with it. It was listed in the paper as 1 foot wide and 3 feet long. Not sure how tall....I think its over a foot tall. So do the math and tell me how big it is. LOL I am thinking 30 gallon?? Not sure.

Anyways, a few days later Kainen and I scrubbed it out with vinegar. The next day I brought it in to start filling with play sand. I put 50 pounds in that sucker. Oye. Glad I put it up on its final resting place first. That same day BOTH my shell orders came in. Weee! Christmas was early. Then I opened the first package. Oye. The shell sizes were listed, rather than the opening sizes like I had thought. So I had ordered some teeeeeeny shells. There were just a few in that order that I could use. I thought I had ordered shells that had .5 - .75 inch openings....but nope. The shells them selves are as small as .5 inches. But the bubbler dish was in that package so not all was lost. LOL

The second package had a few more shells that were good as well. I also got a climbing net in that order.

I had gone the day before and picked up a shell package from Walmart and got 3 good shells out of there, plus feeding dishes! There was a shell in there that Mrs. Hermit climed right into. I grabbed her old shell and cleaned it and put it back in, and sure enough, she climbed right back in there. Ah well. I am glad I got to clean it anyways.

Here is Mrs. Hermit and the shell she changed into.

I put the eco earth in one side of the crabitat soaked in salt water to combat mold. Also got the playsand good and wet so they could tunnel.

I added the bubbler pool filled with salt water, and a water dish with fresh water. Some blue glass stones here and there. Took a ziplock storage container and cut it up and turned it upside down for a little hiding spot for them. Plopped in the crabs and away they went! It was great fun watching them explore. Mr. Krabs changed shells pretty fast. I got to watch that. By morning though, he ended up in the shell that Mrs. Hermit had originally changed into , and is still in there. Krabby Patty flirted with the only shell I figured he would . It is a large unpolished turbo. Its pretty cool looking. But in the end, he sauntered off after rolling down the hill with it. Stinker. But two mornings ago, I woke up to find him in there. He hasn't moved much since then. It is a lot heavier than his other shell, but perhaps he just needs to adjust. He ate the peice of popcorn that was in the food dish, so I know he's getting around. Mr.Krabs and Mrs. Hermit have buried themselves. I can hear someone moving around in there. Not sure who. Krabby Patty is parked under the upside down ziplock thing. He brought in the turbo that Mr. Krabs switched into, but is staying put in the larger one. It fits him a lot better anyways, and its neat looking. Will snap a pic and post it later on.

So for now, I just need to finish decorating in there. Its fairly plain, so I don't want to post a pic. But I will post a before and after once its more decorated.

The next chapter

2005-11-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

So things got settled in the crabitat, and I just kept up my reading and research. I decided that it would be necessary to buy more shells, since you should have an extra 3-4 shells per crab to choose from. And since I just had one extra shell in there, that I've not noticed in any other pictures of hermit crabs, I decided it was time to shop. I went to two different pet stores in town, and the feed store. None had shells that would be satisfactory for my crabs. So I turned to the internet and found one store that was closing down and had everything marked 50% off. I got lots of shells there and also a bubbler pool to add in there. But after a few days of not hearing back from the owner, I chalked that one up to being gone. Glad I hadn't payed anything for it either!

So I searched other sites and found a site that had great prices and ordered shells and a net, and some more ecoearth. That order was supposed to ship out 24 hours after being placed. The day after I paid for that one.....I heard from place #1. My order was packed and ready and where's the monies. Oye. These crabs really are costing me monies. So I paid it, knowing I was getting a steal on these shells.

Meanwhile, I decided to go back up to the feedstore where I had seen a lonely crab, in an aquarium with no water, 2 empty shells and lots of hermie legs lying around. There wasn't a bit of water in there, and the worker said they always forget they have the crabs in there. OYE. So I brought him home, figuring he'd die within a day or two, because it had been at least 4 days since I first saw him without any water. These guys like about 80% humidity, and that tank was easily at 0. When I bought him, the water dish had water in it, but there was no lid on the tank. Poor guy.

On the drive home, he came out of his shell, and this was the first time I got to see more than the ends of his legs sticking out of his too small shell. My oldest son Kainen didn't have school that day, so he was with me and I asked him what we should call this new crab, and he immediatley dubbed it Mrs. Hermit. LOL Real original I tell ya.

So after I added Mrs. Hermit to the crabitat, she cruised and climbed and was having a grand time. At this point, Mr. Krabs had been buried for a couple of days and Krabby Patty was in hiding in the hermie hut. So Mrs. Hermit had the run of the tank. After a while Krabby Patty came out to investigate, let her know who was boss and then steared clear. Mrs. Hermit parked herself in the food dish, and was in there for a good 4 hours straight, after having already nibbled at the grapes several times. Poor thing was starving! But so friendly, always out and about. Mr. Krabs came up the next day and got to meet Mrs. Hermit. Coulda cared less....but Mrs. Hermit was always after them, climbing on them as they tried to bury themselves or just rest. Must be the toddler of the group. LOL

How I got started.......

2005-11-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

It all started in the days leading up to Jantzen's (son #2) birthday. My sister-in-law said "guess what I'm getting Jantzen for his birthday?" I replied........"what??" "A hermit crab and he's big!" as she held up her fist to demonstrate this crabs size. I was less than amused. "Oh great," I replied. She told Jantzen she was going to be his favorite aunt. She works at the pet store, so she was able to get a 5 gallon tank with calcisand, some feeding shells, a big shell to change into, some jingly toys and a fake tree.

The look on Jantzens face when he saw this crab was priceless. It was a combination of total unabashed fear and excitement.

So in the days after receiving "Krabby Patty" as Jantzen had decided to call him, I figured I better find out more about these creatures so that he wouldn't have to experience his first pets death at a young age. I learned a lot. Most important that Krabby Patty needed a friend. So Kainen got to got to the pet store and he picked out Mr. Krabs. We got some other goodies....a hermie hut, eco earth and a bigger water dish. Also temperature and humidity guages. These crabs are starting to affect my pocket book.

Krabby Patty really perked up Mr. Krabs and life was grand in the crabitat!!

Welcome!!

2005-11-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Just getting things all set up. Will be back later with some stuff for my reading pleasure.