I'm Bad At Blogging . . .

I can't seem to keep up with it. Nursing school runs my liiiiiiiiiiife.

Speaking nursing school, clinicals were pretty cool this week. On thursday I got to go down to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab (Cath Lab = SO AWESOME) and it was so busy and so much going on, I definitely think it's something I'm going to consider after graduation.

And yesterday I went to the ICU, which is certainly not my cup of tea. Too many tubes, monitors, charting etc. I enjoy talking with the patients, not monitoring their lack of pupillary reflex every 15 min (sad).

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On a brighter note, we have an adult health quiz monday. Ok so maybe that's not so bright, but I do kind of enjoy studying for them, because I basically just recopy all the powerpoints and jam out to music. I generally listen to one album until I'm almost sick of it and the I switch. Recent selections have been:

-Angels & Airwaves - "I-Empire/We Don't Need to Whisper"

-Mute Math - "Flesh and Bones Electric Fun (Live)"

-Whitley - "The Submarine"

-John Mayer - "Room For Squares -- > Battle Studies"

-William Fitzsimmons - "Until When We Are Ghosts"

-Iron and Wine - "The Shepherd's Dog"

-Ray LaMontagne - "Gossip in the Grain"

-Joshua Radin - "Simple Times"

-Matt & Kim - "Grand"

Happy studying to my Nursing friends!

Land of True Happiness. pt 2

It's been somewhat of a camp-y day.

Today, just a few minutes after I got back from church, the phone rang. And what do you know, it's Uncle Tom.

Of course he was looking to speak to my mother . . . something about canteen . . . but we chatted for a bit, I told him how the family was etc. It was actually really, nice? Maybe I'm just missing camp and any little bit of it is a welcome part of my day.

Speaking of missing things, I miss these girls like crazy.

124 days . . . but who's counting . . .

I miss fires too. Fires are nice.

This evening Mckenna, Alex, and I watched the movie Indian Summer which is coincidentally, about a beloved summer camp and 8 friends who return there the summer before it shuts down (sadness!). There were many Bil-O-Wood-esque elements in the movie, like a buddy board, names everywhere in cabins, old drama, canoeing, docks, stars, saturday night dances . . .

The three of us found it quite enjoyable, and a welcome escape from the school, stress, and snow filled life we are living currently.

Man, I would do just about anything to be in a canoe right now.

In Canada.

Or Cooking over a fire.

Or Portaging.

Where you can actually see the stars.

Good winds bad winds, I'll take either.

Wet boots and everything.

Belated Valentines Day

The cardiovascular system (and the 7 hours spent studying it) was not my only valentine's companion

Mr Sterling Knight accompanied me as well.

In addition to his serenading (which may or may not actually be him?) I learned a valuable valentines day lesson from the intellectually stimulating disney channel original movie - "Starstruck": be mean to superstars, and they will fall in love with you and give you money.

Ok maybe not exactly real life lessons. But it's the disney channel. Yes, I am 20 and I still watch the disney channel.

In better news my other valentine (the CV system) paid off, I got an A on my first quiz!

I've think I've found my soul mate.

As much as it pains me to say and admit, I spotted him on American Idol.

He broke both his wrists while climbing a tree.

I like climbing trees . . . .

I think it's meant to be.

He made it through Hollywood week

So I suppose we'll all be seeing more of him.

It never ends.

See that black dot-ish thing? That's my mailbox.

Snow is VERY unmotivating

(see i'm making up words, that's how long it's been since i've had class)

Hours of glee watched: 45 min x 8 episodes = 6 hrs

Hours of Adult Health studied: 30 min x maybe 4 times? = 2 hrs

It is quite obvious as to where my priorities are.

Land of True Happiness. pt 1

Camp Bil-O-Wood. It has played a major role in my life since, well, before I was born . . . I definitely can not fit everything in one post, so there will be much more to come, but here's a little bit to get started with:

At first glance Camp Bil-O-Wood may seem like you're typical summer camp, sports, crafts, hiking, canoeing, song-singing, campfires, and s'mores. But after even just one summer there people begin to realize it goes far far beyond just that. The people, the traditions, and the experiences you have here are indescribable.

Ok, so here are the basics: Camp is set on 3 beautiful lakes in Blind River Ontario. There are about 120 campers ages 6-17, counselors are college-ish age and older. Day to day activities are primarily sports, arts/crafts, and swimming, but the real heart and soul of camp is canoeing.

Campers start out on 3-4 day lake trips and eventually progress to one of 3, 2-week, 300 mile river trips that end at the James Bay, a large body of water south of the Hudson Bay. But more on that later . . .

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Ugh. Snow.

It's pretty and all, but 3 feet is just a little too much for my liking . . .

See that little brick box? Oh you're having trouble finding it? Well yes, I suppose that is likely in this amount of snow. But it's there . . . buried, along with my hopes and dreams of ever running outside again. I have therefore resorted to such:

I really hate treadmills. They just can't compete with being outside with the sun and fresh air and trees and changing scenery. Oh how I miss climbing in my favorite maple trees . . .

However if I were to try and run outside at this very moment, I would end up wading through snow rather than running, develop a nasty case of frostbite, which could then result in gangrene and I would lose all my toes and possibly my legs below the knee. But that's all hypothetical . . .

Needless to say I need to get out of this house.

Is it bad that I hope we have class tomorrow?

Home.

There's nothing like coming home after you've been away (even if it's only been for a short, but stressful amount of time) to a house full of people excited to see you. I love how not much changes, and the changes that do occur are most often for the better (newly painted bathrooms for instance). I love that my sister continues to crack jokes, that my mom always has a hug, and that my room is still as freezing as ever. I love smell of delicious food that hits you when you first walk in, and that there are cookies in the little glass dome waiting to be eaten. Even helping with my brother's homework is a welcome break from the external world that is not my house and home.

I love it here.

But more importantly I love the people here.

Dorothy definitely had it right.

I'm LOST

In more ways than one . . .

1. Nursing school. I'm taking this moment to complain about the 3 hour classes, the 86 slide powerpoint lectures, and the ridiculously high expectations the teachers come with. Oh yeah, and if we don't learn it all perfectly, SOMEONE COULD DIE. And it would be our fault. Scary? YES.

I do sort of love it in a way. If you think hard enough, which definitely takes some serious energy, it all makes sense. And it's pretty interesting, I mean, who knew that increased blood-urea-nitrogen and normal creatinine levels usually mean dehydration, or that your cheek will twitch if you don't have enough calcium.

I'm just hoping this ^^^ doesn't happen to me anytime soon.

2. I'M SO EXCITED FOR LOST TO START!!!!!!!!

I've been re-watching the 5th season in the hopes that I kinda know what's going on this coming season, which is quite possibly impossible. This show is insane, and J.J. Abrams is a genius. It's a little depressing that this is the last season though . . . it should be as twisted and confusing as ever. Perhaps we can all bounce ideas/theories/speculations around at LOST Night in the Mason family household. Word on the street is the potluck theme is Mexican. I may just have to make an appearance.

I don't know about you, but I could totally be stranded on some crazy island with Boone Carlyle.

Too bad he "died" like 4 seasons ago . . .