Counting Down the Last Weeks

Well, there are  two weeks left before school starts for me and 3 for the kids.  I’ve managed to get all of the appointments scheduled for before school starts, which is a pain, but I will so not have to worry about that during my first couple of weeks.  I will soon see if the hubbie is up to the task of keeping the monthly orthodontist and other childrens’ appointments.  He may finally find out what I did during the day, when it seemed like I was loafing.

I’m planning on getting a big dumpster dropped off to get rid of all of the garbage that the kids think I’m letting them keep.  They’ve been disrespecting me by not cleaning up their messes.  I’ve been working odd shifts, and so didn’t notice some things because of sleep deprivation.  Now that we’re gearing up for school, I don’t have time for their nonsense.  I told them that they need to get it cleaned up by the end of this week, or I’m getting rid of it next week.  And, when I mean get rid of it, I mean all of it.  Clothes, books, toys, artwork, etc…  I have some stuff in the garage to put in a dumpster, anyway, so it’s not like I wasn’t gonna get one.   I have a teenager now, so the mess grows quickly.

After my physical, though there is nothing wrong, I’ve been trying to eat better.  Working second and third shift is not a great thing for eating right and exercising.   I’ll be at school in 2 weeks, so I’ll be able to make my own lunches and work out, some.

I am in the process of claiming a new area of the yard for a garden.  I plan on using the lasagna gardening method this time.  That’s where you layer different organic matter to create a bed that is all organic mater on top of the bare ground.  In my case, the stone riddled, shovel breaking clay.  I’m hoping it will help with the over run of perennial thistles, that I’ve been fighting since I moved to this place.  If it works, I’ll do it in the main garden.  I think it may take some extra set up time in the beginning, but I won’t have to dig and pull a bunch of weeds every time I want to grow stuff.  The downside is the fact that I would be covering over the 6cu yards of compost that the landscape recycling center dumped in my driveway, last spring.  However, to get rid of the persistent weeds without spraying a bunch of chemicals, is a plus.  I’ve been doing the lasagna method in containers for quite some time.  I didn’t realize that was what I was doing, though.

I’m trying to get a hang of the tablet pc.  I’m pretty good at the touch pad, but the pen is giving me fits.  I know it’s more of a practice issue, but I don’t take it to work, and I get complaints when I’m playing with it.  The husband wants a laptop, now.  I told him I could get one for him, but it wouldn’t be the same as mine with all of the extra stuff on it.  He was not amused.  I can’t afford 2 laptop payments on my reduced salary. Also, I don’t want to get the full loan amount, just to fritter it away on other stuff.

Well, school registration for the three kids is this week.  I’ll be warming up my checkbook until then.  I still haven’t gotten the rest of the stuff I need for clinics.  Did I mention, I hate shopping for clothes.  I can never find pants that fit right off of the rack.  If the waist fits, the legs are too short.  If the legs are good, I have to find a matching belt.  It’s been this way since I turned 13.  You would think I’d have learned how and where to shop by now.

Oh well, enough ranting. Til next time.

Got My Laptop, Today

I decided to go with the HP from the webstore at school.  That way, if I have a problem, I’ll just be able to drop it off.  I am spending the remaining time before school getting appointments taken care of and trying to get a call back from my doctor about my titer.  I didn’t realize that a rabies titer would take weeks to come back.  Apparently, they send it out to a special lab that does it.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading for fun and for the kids lately.  Gardening books and manga have been the main course, with a little research on possible wireless networking for printers and peripherals for the new tablet on the side.  If all goes well, we will have 4 computers with a wireless printer.

I made the most righteous shrimp stew with nasturtim leaves, okra, shallots, carrots, and bell peppers from the garden.

2 lb shell on Shrimp

3-4 shallots, depending on the size

about 1 1/2 cups of okra sliced (you can leave it out if you don’t like okra, but you’d have to make a roux or thicken it some other way)

1/2 cup chopped nasturtium leaves and flowers (Depending on the variety of flower and your taste, you may want less or more)

2 medium bell peppers chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

3 carrots

1 bag of frozen vegetables (about 12 – 16oz), you pick what you like. (It could be mixed veggies, california blend, etc.)

Butter

Flour

Take the shells off of the shrimp.  Put the shells into a small pot and fill the pot just until the shells are covered.  Put the pot on to simmer and set aside when the shells are bright orange, or they have been cooking for a good 20 minutes.

I usually start out with butter melting in a large stock pot. I saute the shallots until they are clear then reserve them for later.  I put the peppers in the still warm pot and add some more butter to saute the peppers.  I then add the carrots and celery.  When they are warm, I add the shallots back to the pot and pour in the shell water (stock) over a strainer.  I simmer that for about 10 minutes, then add the frozen veggies and okra.  That should be cooked until the frozen vegetable of choice is tender.  Then, add the shrimp and the nasturtium last.  The shrimp only needs 3 minutes to cook through.  The nasturtium bring a sweet spicy flavor to the stew.

Nasturtium by itself can be used in salads to add a little more kick.  I’ve had nasturtium pesto, but it didn’t seem to have a blend of flavors to it.

The watermelons prospects that grew up my fence are now safely encased in their pantyhose slings so they don’t snap off of the vine from their weights.  The Hubbard Squash went crazy and took over the extra space in the garden.  It snaked its way around everything, and is now 30 feet across and about 4 feett high.  I’m assuming, I’ll have quite a few extra 15 pound squash to get rid of, come fall.  What a pity.  More pie to make.  I’m so sad.

The Nervousness Sets In

I just got my blood drawn for titers to be sent to the health center and the vet school.  I’m hoping my rabies titer is high enough to not be a problem.  I would hate to have to get those shots, again.

I have sticker shock from all of the checks I’ve written.  I still haven’t doled out the mega bucks for a tablet, yet.  I need to get it soon, or I won’t be able to work it properly during orientation week.  I’m leaning toward the HP tablet that’s at the U of I WebStore, but CDW has this 4 year on-site warranty deal with vet med, so all I’d have to do is walk down the hall, if it broke.  Decisions, decisions.  No matter what, I’m getting an external harddrive for backup and a wireless card that works.

I got on the years long waiting list for the coveted parking lot next to the basic sciences building.  The lady laughed over the phone and asked if I was wanting to get on the list for F 27, which is the number of the lot.  Yep, I got stuck with the lot across the street.  I’m sure by the time I’m a fourth year, I’ll get to park by the building.  Heck, I may want to park over by LAC, by then.

I read about the special roomthey’re building for us, and it sounds pretty interesting.  I still don’t know what we’re doing.  The way the plan looks so far is a bunch of clinic for 8 weeks, then 8 weeks of classes.  From the tentative schedule that I saw, they are cramming a bunch of stuff into those 8 weeks of class.  We also have mid-terms and finals on the materials, so its just like every other school, but squeezed into shorter time.  I’m hoping we’ll get a first look at concepts while working through modules inthe clinics weeks.

I’m getting the kids back to their sleeping routines.  Talk about torture.  Mom’s getting them up early in the morning and making them do stuff.  I know it’s rough on them, but I need to do this for me, or I won’t be awake for classes at all.  This is coming from a person that gets out of work after the time that they flash the traffic lights.  The lights are turned to flash to save money.  They do this so that people can use them as a stop sign.  I get home way faster that way, but I don’t get to sleep when it’s dark out.

Child number 3 actually has summer work, which the new teacher sent out.  Looks like she’s gonna be a piece of work.  I’m giving him phonics lessons, because apparently phonics is no longer part of the curriculum in public school.  I didn’t realize this or I would have done it when he was in kindergarten.  He’s great at sight words, but didn’t learn the sounds, and so flails when he needs to sound something out.  I’m sure we’ll be good to go by the start of classes in 5 weeks.

Geez, classes start for the kids in 5 weeks, and orientation for vet school is in 4.  Yep, I not freaking out.  Nope.  *coffee mug shaking as I type*

The Welcome Letter Came

Currently listening to: Lolli Lolli - Three 6 Mafia, Wonderful, Bubba Sparks, Party Up – DMX Ya’ll gone make me lose my mind up in here, up in here…

Guess who got cleared to dance.  Me, that’s who.   My shoulder has the same range of motion as before, so I can do whatever I usually did, with moderation.  No, digging a random hole.

 

Well, the letter with information from the CVM is now in my hands. 

• Registration information – If you don’t have your UIN, it will be on the letter.
• A promise that the student schedules will be available – The same schedule they said would be in this letter.
• Information on the mandatory orientation – A week before school starts
• iVLE Illinois Veterinary Leadership Experience – I think it may be the same as other Illinois Leadership type programs.
• Blue Coat Ceremony information – I can only invite 3 people.  How will I choose?  After my husband, there will be 2 seats I need to fill.  *Tapping staff on the ground* In laws and parents, there shall be a fight to the death.  *Cue the fight scene music from Star Trek.*
• A website that leads to a bunch of stuff that has to happen ASAP

I have a bunch of information to read and forms to fill out.  I haven’t decided if I want to take the public health course which is a highly desired elective.  The scheduling for clinics has not been finalized, but I have a schedule for orientation week, which I will be giving to work.  I’ve been told that this is not usually how things go.  The new curriculum has been holding things up as far as giving information out. 

Now, starts the extensive process of figuring out what size lab coat I wear, what to wear to the Blue Coat Ceremony, and running through all of the new user id’s and passwords I need to remember.  Also, the tablets/laptops are mandatory, so I’m in the process of shopping for those.  I hope that I can find someone with a microscope that has the arrow on the left side, or I may be footing the bill for my own.  I have a vision problem in my right eye, which makes seeing through a low light source hard.  Most scopes have the arrow on the right.  Some scopes have arrows that can be removed and switched to the left, but it’s not clear if these microscopes are that type.

I need to add a visit to the doctor for myself and a trip to the illini union Bookstore to the numerous other appointments, like dentist visits, school physicals, various summer activities, and grade school registrations.

Well, back to filling out those forms.  Heh, I think I’ll need to get more ink for my printer.  GREAT! *sigh*

Vacation

I am currently spending a week on vacation.  The rabbits have become increasingly more greedy as far as the garden is concerned, so I plan on setting up a temporary fence to keep them out.  ( That’s another 55 bucks to PG/JA.) It just makes me mad, because they wait until the plants are looking nice to eat them.  *sigh*  They’re even eating the tomatoes down to the ground.  The way the watermelon looks, I’m afraid they won’t flower on time.

Side Note about my out of state trip

There are places down south that haven’t seen very many black people, and do not cater to people with curly hair, let alone black hair.  I could not find curly hair formula for kid number 1 at a Super Wal-Mart.  I mean, come on, a Super Wal-Mart!  It was her fault, because I told her to make sure she packed her hair products for this very reason, but it was still a bit unnerving that the W was off of the interstate highway.

I didn’t even bother to look at their cosmetics section.  This is why I don’t bother shopping at a regular store for my shade of anything.  I stick to Sally Beauty Supply and a few online merchants where I know my colors (be it for skin or hair) are available.

/Sidenote

I still haven’t gotten any information other than the acceptance letter from Illinois.  I have a feeling they are still ironing out that shiny new curriculum.  I’ve received two updates saying that the information packet would be out the first week of June, then another one apologizing that the letters weren’t sent yet.

It’s making it hard for me to set up the schedule for my job for August.  I know when the first day is, but I have no idea how long I’ll be in class.  This means that I don’t know when I’ll be available to work.  I plan on working 10 or so hours a week at the A.  I’m sure I could turn into the weekend queen, but I’d rather keep some weekends open for family type stuff.  I’m hoping that I can split up the hours during the week, but without even at class schedule, I have no idea when I’ll be able to work.

Also, the orientation and leadership weekend/day were tentatively announced during interview day, but nothing else has been offered since.  I am assuming that this will be part of the info packet, as well.  I can only assume that the most recent information about laptop/tablets, books, and other supplies would be in the info packet, too.

I’m lazing about playing the sims3, playing mafia wars on Facebook, ferrying the kids all over creation, and cleaning up the house for the rest of my short vacation. 

I’m thinking about making a bunch of meals and freezing them, but the dh is a preprocessed food junkie.  He may not heat up what I cook.  I’ll be testing him out over the next few weeks.  I may have to brush up my crock pot skills, if he won’t defrost stuff.  I don’t want people going hungry.  I wonder how a roux would work in a crock pot?  Probably won’t work.  I’ll have to do some research and experimentation.    I know that they love my baked macaroni, so I’ll make an extra large batch and freeze half.  I’ll have to put that other half batch in the deep freezer, behind a bunch of vegetables, or it won’t survive a day.

Planning to veg out

Well, it’s the end of the school year, and everybody is slacking off.  I’ve been slacking all semester, because I’m not taking anything, so MORE SIMS 2 for me.  It’s like pulling teeth to get my oldest to do her homework.  I know it’s because she thinks I don’t study or do homework.  Perhaps she forgot the fact that I’d be at my desk telling her to go back to bed at 10:30 at night.  *sigh*  Those days will be back, soon.

I’ve been checking out study skills books to gear up for vet school.  Some of the info is what I’ve been doing, but other stuff is pretty interesting.  I might share.

*Squeeeeee*

It’s official.  I looked at the administration application for UIUC (My password still works.  I sent my transcripts that way.) and it said that I am eligible for Regular Admission to “DVM:Veterinary Medicine -UIUC.”  And I could register for classes NOW, if I knew what I was taking.

Hey, people who went to UIUC for undergrad and are going to vet school for class of 2013, you should go look, too.  It’s an awesome feeling.

Secretary voice strikes again

This never ceases to amuse me.  I get the shocked look when I get to the drive thru window.  I got the sideways glance when I was running a register or taking orders from the deli counter.
This last instance occurred when I was trying to get my kids registered for swim classes.  I am getting the kids together for their summer activities, and gifted student summer enrichment (pain in my behind to schedule around, I swear.)  I called in to talk about my options and told the lady that I would be coming in to do the actual registration.  I gave my number and child information to do the hold.
When I got there, I had the form filled out and gave it to her with a smile.  The lady at the counter said that the courses had just been filled.  I said that I spoke to [her name] who told me that there was a space available.
The lady did a double take, put her hand to her chest, and said, “Oh, wow! You don’t sound anything like how you look!”  She got to signing the kids up with a quickness.
In other words, she was saying *gasp* “You don’t sound black over the phone!”

After several years of this, I’ve gotten used to it.  However, when ya treat me like it’s my fault that my momma taught me grammar, it gets on my nerves.  It’s not like I change the way I talk from person to person.

The stereotyping works in the opposite way as well.

I was in a bar for a friends birthday, and a woman I don’t know came up and apologized for the music the house band was playing.  She stated that they usually have more hip hop.  The band was playing “Wish you were here” by Pink Floyd.  I wasn’t sure why the strange drunk lady was even talking to me.

Garden Patrol

The rabbits are tearing up my strawberries, so I actually had to put straw on them to make them hard to find.  I’ve found that fabric row covers deter the little nibblers enough to let the plants get established.  I should’ve tried this last year, but I didn’t have the extra cash that my job is providing.  The birds don’t like okra, or maybe, they like to roll it off of the raised bed and stash it in the path.  Almost all of the okra plants are in the path between the rows.  The geese are driving me nuts.  They love to pull up my grass.  I’ve given up trying to chase them off and so has the dog.

The potatoes and watermelons are looking pretty nice and leafy.  I’m hoping they’ll do what they need to do later in the summer.

I need to buy a new digital camera.  None of the pictures of daughter number 2’s celebration of completing 5th grade showed up properly.  Something about the memory stick made it all distorted.  It was cheap anyway, so I won’t be paying to get it fixed.  I just hate it when you take a bunch of pictures and not one that was saved was usable.  I’m gonna be sure to have a shiny new one for number 1’s transition to high school.

After the good news.

I’m still numb from the call I got last Friday.  I got the hard copy in the mail, and took Daughter number 2 to drop it off.  Turn around time was 20 minutes.  I took that bad boy directly in to the office. True to my luck, the mail didn’t come til Monday.  I’ve checked my status page, but it didn’t change yet.  Hopefully, they’ll have it changed by the end of the week.

*shudder*

Maybe the card fell off of the desk, and I’m logged in as accepting?  Nope.  I’m not gonna think like that.  I’ll call on Thursday afternoon, just in case.

Well, my car was totalled out, and I’ll be driving my dh’s car for a while.  The three kids think the rental is the best thing ever.  I think all the gadgets are distracting.

What to do with all of this money…

* puts on practical mom hat and spectacles*

I plan on knocking out some debt with it.  We can trade for another van, if the prices look right. I think, we may wait a year and save up to get a utilitarian ride.

*takes off mom hat*

I should spend it on candy.  ;-D  A candy colored,road hazard, old beater in which to go back and forth to work.

Okay, the diabetics are closing in on me.

I now have confirmation that both sides of my family, including my mother and sister have diabetes.  I am a prime candidate, and so are the kids, seeing as dh’s mom and sister have it.  I plan on changing my and the kids eating habits.  I know I should exercise more, but I’ve got an old dog that doesn’t like going farther than the end of the block.  I’ll be working non-stop in the garden, soon.  Wielding a pickax can be quite therapeutic.  I’m not looking forward to my next doctor’s visit.

Hey Mom, when the dog dies, I want…

The girls are already planning for his demise and putting puppy thoughts in.  I may get them to volunteer at Champaign County Humane Society to see exactly what it takes to take care of a dog.  That would possibly satisfy the puppy cravings, too.  The boy hasn’t weighed in on what he wants, but the girls are all into little itty bitty things.  I like small dogs, but I’m more of a big dog kinda girl.  This new dog will end up being my dog, anyway, so I don’t know why I’m fighting it.  I figure I’ll be bringing one home from school at some point.  I’ve heard it’s inevitable.

More some other time.

Worst Week Ever! … Scratch that, Best Week Ever!

Well, the week appeared to be a normal one until Thursday afternoon. I was in a car wreck about that time. Not just somebody tapping my fender, either. I may be going into greater detail after I find out what’s happening with my car. I went for a ride on an ambulance, which was a bit disconcerting. Don’t worry, I’ve got good meds and I’m nearly fully functional.

The next afternoon, I get a call. I thought for sure it was another call from a list of insurance people that had been calling since I made the insurance claim the previous afternoon. I said hello to the person. It was Mary Kelm. At first it didn’t register, and I asked her name again so I could write it down. I was doing that to remember who was calling for what company, and in what department they were. When she said she was calling from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, I had to think really hard before it registered.

The dialog kinda went like this:

Me: Really? I was gonna call to go in for the file review, but…

Mary: No, no! I’m not calling about a file review.

Confused me: Oh, okay. What can I do for you?

Mary: I’m calling to offer you a seat in the class of 20…

Me interrupting: NO WAY! NO WAY! NO WAY! Seriously!?!

Mary: You’re going to vet school!

Daughters: What happened? Why are you acting so crazy, Mom? (The older aloof teen)

Me: I just got into vet school!

Daughters: *High pitched ear shattering shreiks*

Me with yelling in the background: Thank You so much!

The call concluded with me apologizing for yelling in her ear and for the kids.

I’m a bit confused right now. Coulda died on Thursday. Found out I’m going to vet school on Friday. I’m doing a reserved happy dance, because it hurts to do a big one. I really had no idea I was close enough on the list to get in. As you know, I was waitlisted last year and did not get in. I fully expected a repeat of last year. Well, some of my friends on SDN let me know they were going elsewhere to vet school, so I didn’t dare dream and be number 15 when they chose everybody up until 14. Now, I have to worry about replacing my car, getting a tablet pc when I wasn’t paying attention to all of the threads on SDN, transitioning daughter 2 to middle school *shudder*, and starting being the guinea pig for that snazzy new curriculum.

Update on the Pursuit of Vet Med

 

Now Playing: Keep their heads Ringin’ – Dr. Dre,  Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2,  Judith – A Perfect Circle, Kiss them for me – Siouxsie and the Banshees,  If You Were Here – Kitty Hawk

The last song is a remake of the song from 16 Candles.  You know the one where Jake and Samantha are sitting on the glass table.

 

I got a lead on a mixed practice in the Charleston area.  It may or may not have an opening.  The place does recruit high school students for work-study, which will make it harder to find a place for me.  I plan to look in the northern part of the state, as well.  My parents live up there, and I might be able to find a place that will take me on a day or two over the summer.  However, the students that are usually in central Illinois, go home to work at their local clinics.  I’m hoping to find something before I go to my file review for this year.

 

 

Either way, I’ll set up a time for the review some time next week.

 

Illinois Curriculum

 

UIUC CVM will be implementing the new Illinois Integrated Veterinary Professional Curriculum for the class of 2013.  They will be in the clinics from the first week.  From what the Dean said, The first years get to choose what they will be learning.  I like this option, because it’ll give the option of learning in areas that one has interest, instead of delving into an area that you may never use.  For someone interested in mixed practice, it’ll mean that there is a better chance of being a generalist, which is what makes a good mixed practitioner.  If someone is SA all of the way, they only have to take core information on the other species, instead of being bored to death learning about rumen microbiology differences in the ovine and bovine, or something like that.  It’s already going to be drinking out of a fire hose.  Maybe, a person will absorb more if they are more invested in learning it.

Prairie Gardens is like Crack

What happened to me on Saturday?

I swear, I was just going in for some weed killer for those weeds with the extensive root system that survived the last growing season’s pulling and digging up. I just have a broadleaf thistle left from all of the other stuff that I’ve been working to get rid of for the past 2 years. I thought I’d just head to the garden center and pick up weed killer, that would be it.

Needless to say, I was in that place for over an hour. I was saying things like, “Oh, look at those stakes, I’ll need those for the trees.” (I planted one tree out of two, and need to dig the hole for number two. I don’t need stakes, yet.) Into the basket they went. “Oh, look at the chicken fencing. I could put that where the rabbits like to get into the garden.” Another thing I didn’t come for goes into the basket. “Hey they’ve got a sale on gloves!” Two more things go into the basket. “I’m gonna need some tomato cages in another month or so.” Into the cart they go. This went on for the rest of the hour until I got to the cash registers. The trip cost me nearly 100 dollars.

This happens almost every time I go in that place. I can’t go in there until mid May to make my budget work. This is why I order most of what I want for my garden. I keep telling myself that I’m just going in for one thing, and it turns into 20. I already planned on packaging my lunches from home, but it looks like I’m going to do the PB and J route for a bit.

The tree I planted yesterday seems to be doing well. The buds are starting to pop out. I’m hoping both of the trees will take root and do well. Unfortunately, the ground is nearly straight clay and rock. The first hole had about 3 inches of top soil, and then the clay started. The hole willed up with water when it rained. I had to bail out a tree hole. * sigh* Once I got down to the bottom, I drove a garden fork in several places so that there was a little bit of drainage. I have to dig a deeper hole and amend a bigger area, to make sure the trees have a few years of good soil before they have to work their way through that hard stuff.