I Survived my first microbiology test!!!!!!!

...AND I have it on good authority that Microbiology gets much better after all that icky metabolism stuff. So YAY! I counted up all the questions I totally guessed on, and that totalled about 9, so I figured I might, MIGHT get an A if I slam-dunked my essay questions AND my bonus question. Stay tuned!

Microbiology is kicking my Macro-Booty

I am lame...I haven't posted in almost TWO MONTHS...which is really pathetic. I started school at the end of August (which only partially explains my lameness) and have been a complete whack-job ever since. I have class Monday-Thursday nights and the rest of the time I am trying to get my freelance business up and running, help Tom with his business, take care of the house and three cats + one child (oops, I mean + one husband), and maybe squeeze in time to shave my legs once in a while.

Microbiology is kicking my butt. It makes Chemistry look like a walk in the park...and I studied my butt off for my A in Chem. I have my first test tomorrow night, so we'll see....but from where I stand it does not look so bueno. Not so bueno at all. I am hoping that the semester will get easier now that we have Microbial Metabolism behind us, but the chapters ahead (Recombinant DNA Technology, Microbial Genetics and other exciting topics) do not bode well. If anyone has taken Micro please let me know if it gets better!!!! I am mainly looking forward to the section of the book where we see what kinds of nasty disesase people get from bacteria and viruses...icky pictures and all!

My lab though, is FUN! It's really neat to see what kinds of disgusting things grow from our cultures. Plus my lab partner is really nice and every day I thank GOD that I do not have Annoying Guy as my lab partner. Annoying Guy is this major science geek that smirks all the way through class and corrects the teacher's pronunciation and every little thing under his breath (and sometimes out loud to the whole class). I had the joy and pleasure of sitting near him for the first three weeks until I had HAD IT! I soooo wanted to tell him off, but instead took the path of least resistance and just sat on the opposite side of the room...."Take that you science geek!"

In other news, I am no longer working in the office...did I post about that already? I got "released" from employee status back to my independent contractor status (another thing I am thankful for every day), and am now back to my insane self-employed-ness. The kittens all got exceptional homes, my hair is long enough to put in hot rollers and I am still as fat as ever. I'm working on it though...I promise I am going to get on a schedule and start taking my morning walks again. PROMISE!

I'll also promise to try to not be so lame and to update my blog more regularly. At the very least I have to let you know how easy my Micro test is...ha!

Kitten Update

So it's been about a week and the kittens are coming along nicely in their socialization process. So far, Pearl (Nathan if a boy) is the bravest...she and Midge (aka Marvin) are at a friend's house getting socialized to kids AND big dogs. Fun! They are doing great and no longer hiss when you approach or reach for them. Pearl may get adopted today...she's got a potential mommy coming over to see her!

William (or Wilma) is now sitting on laps, purring and letting himself be petted. He hissed at me this morning, but I expect that to stop in a day or so. He has a potential home already! Keep your fingers crossed.

Quincy went to the SPCA this morning to get spayed/neutered...guess I'll find out soon enough if I need to rename him. He was soooo scared and meowing up a storm. I was in tears after I dropped him off. Poor little baby. He let me pet him through the wires of the cage yesterday, and we'll work on picking him up and holding him in the next day or so after he feels a little better from his surgery.

Wish them luck!

Kittens!!!

So here are three of the four kittens I've rescued so far. Though I wasn't going to give them names, I couldn't help myself. Without knowing their gender I just guessed....the little black and white one is William, the little beige one is Pearl and the black one is Midge.

Want one? ;-)

Operation Kitten Rescue!

Well I've gone and done it. I have become an Animal Activist...whoo hooo! Last night I trapped three feral kittens from our neighborhood shopping center and have two more to capture tonight. Next I'll go after Big Mamma, but that will strictly be a "fix and release" scenario. Frankly she scares the shit out of me. I am hoping to be able to socialize the kittens so they can be placed in homes. I already have several potential mommies/daddies:

1-Friend's neighbor whose cat just died. May take two!
2-Same friend's other neighbor whose cat went missing :-(
3-Guy from the shopping center who watched me trap 'em
4-Girl at work
5-Another girl at work (a very tentative maybe...she may have just been humoring me)
6-Nurse that came over today to take hubby's blood and tinkle for insurance screening

Hmmm....seems I have more potential mommies and daddies than I do kittens...I may have to auction them off on ebay! Anyway, they are soooooo cute, but they won't yet let me get close enough to pet. They hiss and act all fierce...it would be funny if I didn't know how sharp their little teeth and claws are. So far I have snagged a tuxedo kitty, an all-black kitty and a cream colored kitty with darker colored points. Super duper cute.

I will snap some pics as soon as I can...they're pretty wiley.

Reason #432 why I shouldn't breed

I had lunch yesterday with a friend of mine who brought along her really super super cute 2-year old boy. He was basically really good throughout the whole meal, but when things got sticky and borderline cranky I just kept passing the kid animal crackers. I mean I seriously had aboslutely *no idea* how to placate a bored 2-year old. The little guy ended up eating something like 15 animal crackers for lunch...he was pretty happy though! Given my own enjoyment of food we then had a rousing conversation of "Do you like...(insert food item here)." What else do you talk to a toddler about?

Then the subject came up of how to discipline children. My friend said the little guy had recently embarked on a hitting phase and that she had to turn to the trusty "Internets" to figure out what to do. I realized as we were talking about it that I too was at a loss for discipline tactics, namely since my best (and only) idea involves duct tape. I think if I were a parent I would probably get reported to CPS on a regular basis...there are just so many wonderful and necessary uses for duct tape. Is your child hitting people? Duct tape his little arms to his sides! Does your kid squirm to get out of his high chair? Duct tape him to the chair! Does he do that annoying "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom" thing while you're talking to another adult? Duct tape his little mouth shut! I would be a horrible parent.

Hats off to all my friends who do it and make it look so easy. Your kiddos are lucky to have you (and not me) as their mother!
Signed,
Auntie Mo

Cool Jellyfish Picture

I don't really have any excitement to share, just this really cool picture that I took all by myself at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Hubby and I went to Monterey for my birthday. NOTE TO READERS...do NOT go to the Aquarium on a weekend during the summer, unless you enjoy chaos and loud children.

5 inches in 2 weeks!

Ta da! As promised, I measured today and I am officially 5-inchess less fat than I was two weeks ago. Did you catch that? 5 Inches!!!!! For the first week I did Chicometrics but honestly, that got pretty dull, so I switched it up in the second week to The Bar Method, which goes by lots lots faster. I measured after 4 of these workouts and have lost a total of 5 inches throughout the bod...a litle bit here and a little bit there...amazing!

So, stay tuned as I shrink back into all my adorable clothes. In case you care, which you probably don't.

Mermaid Hair

OK, last post for the day...I PROMISE! I have mentioned several times that I am attempting to achieve "Mermaid Hair." For those of you who need a visual...here it is (in wig form at a Halloween party and in a color totally different from my natural hair color...but you get the idea).

Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. NOW!

Today is a two-fer...mainly because I am so freakin' bored at work I could pull my hair out, scream, start a small fire...ANYTHING to releive the monotony of cube land. What the F*#%@! was I thinking when I said, "Sure, I'll ditch the freelance life and get a job in corporate America? Oh, and I'll also take on a 45 minute commute every day, uphill, in the snow, both ways."(OK, I'm kidding about the snow and the hill). I was lured in by the promise of a steady paycheck and 2-weeks vacation. Bah Humbug! (eeeek! I'm no doubt jinxing myself here and will lose my job and thus no longer have a paycheck but LOTS and LOTS of vacation time).

I was bored to tears working for this company as an independent contractor, and now that ALL of my big projects are on hold, I am experiencing entirely new levels of boredom. And frustration. And "The Blahs." And an occasional homicidal fantasy involving one unnamed co-worker (we'll call him Ned). Ned drives me crazy. Ned makes me want to take up kick boxing. Ned makes me hurl obscene hand gestures his direction from the safety of my cube.

Why does Ned make me crazy? Let me count thy ways...
1. He thinks he's my boss. He's not.
2. If he ever does geet promoted to VP (which I know he is totally gunning for) and becomes my boss, I will die instantly so it is safe to say that he will never actually be my supervisor.
3. He has an unavoidable compulsion to tell me how to manage my projects. (See #1)
4. He makes snide comments about my schedule (when I negotiated for the position, I told the guy who actually IS my boss that I needed a flexible schedule to accomodate working at home and teaching yoga)
5. He asks me stupid questions like, "How much will it cost to print a brochure we haven't written yet....ballpark". As if I can pull a number out of my ass even though... a) I'm not a print broker, b) we don't know how many pages the piece will be, and c) we don't know the quantity.
6. He made a comment about me taking a day off after 4 months of employment...it's called PAID VACATION, it's so you can take a VACATION...get it?
7. He comes in early and stays late...and always asks me if I got projects done at night or over the weekend. No, this is my job, not my LIFE!
8. He's very smart and wants to make sure no one ever forgets it.
9. He's a man. Men can be a pain.
10. I don't have ten...I am trying to be positive.

Actually, the ironic thing is that he is a nice guy...very smart, good at his job, etc... he just makes me nuts. And in an office of 9 people, one nut can make you effing crazy.

Call me "Grain Girl" or "Gluten-Free Girl"...your choice

Welcome to Science Experiment #3!

I have been reading about nutrition a lot lately, and one approach that appeals is macrobiotics. Essentially, it's a grain-based diet that includes lots of fresh, local veggies (and some fish, but I'm not too keen on the fish thing). I like it because I like brown rice a LOT and I'm now getting that box o' veggies from the community farm every week. So, for my third Science Experiment, I am "gaining the grain"...this is how one macrobiotic cookbook puts it. The idea is to incorporate more whole grains into the diet (brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, etc...). So there's that...and there's also the gluten thing. I was reading a book last night called "Ultrametabolism", and it has these nifty little check-off boxes so you can determine why, exactly, you are so fat. One of the lists indicated I may have a gluten intolerance so I am conducting part B of my Science Experiment as going gluten free...no wheat, no oats, no soy sauce (yes, soy sauce has wheat in it), no bread, no pasta...you get the idea.

As for other Science Experiments, I am a bit sore from doing my Chicometrics video...and surprisingly, it's in a spot I wasn't sure I was getting effectively. Guess I squeezed my buns juuuuuust right!

Still no word from the hospital....don't they know what a gem I am? And that I barely flinched????

Science Experiment #2

In accordance with my now honored tradition of conducting science experiments on myself, I am embarking on The Great Isometric Experiment!!!

Currently, I own three different exercise videos that are based on isometric exercise...Chicometrics (see my "Got Flab" link to the right), The Barr Method and Callanetics. I am going to cycle through all three (to prevent the major boredome that will ensue if I stick to just one for months on end), recording my measurements (not my weight, mind you!) along the way (yes, I will have to come to direct terms with my fatness).

I have heard really astonishing things about each of these programs...mainly Chicometrics and Callanetics...I think they may be a bit more intense. I will let you know!

Here is my schedule...I will do each video 2-3 times per week for two weeks and then switch to a different video to keep the Boredom Monster at bay:

June 11-23: Chicometrics
June 24-July 7: Bar Method
July 8-July 21: Callanetics
July 22-August 4: Chicometrics
August 5-August 18: Bar Method
August 19-Sept 1: Callanetics

I will take measurements after each two week period so stay tuned!

In other news...Science Experiment #1 is going OK...we had to go to the store last night because Tom refused to eat whole wheat pasta, and I went to the store today while at work because I had a hankering for miso soup. Plus we ate out a lot (at Whole Foods mostly) while we were in Vegas. The Whole Foods in Henderson Nevada is orgasmic...dessert bar, chocolate fountain, tapas bar, asian bar, grilling station, a taqueria...the list goes on and on. Did you catch that...A DESSERT BAR!!!! Of course, I didn't have any of the dessert, but it was comforting and exciting just to know it was there.

I barely flinched

So in light of my recent decision to again pursue my nursing career, I am happy to report that I saw my ickiest thing to date and barely flinched...I did feel slightly light-headed but only for a moment. A dear relative of mine had surgery last week and DH and I went to ensure his comfortable recovery for a few days. For reasons totally foreign to me there was a drain inserted in the pectoral area that pulled puss and blood out of the body and into a handy little plastic bottle. Fine.

Once we were ready to leave the hospital, though, things got a bit less fine. The drain came out, leaving behind a gaping wound hole, about the diameter of a pencil...maybe a weee bit smaller. Now, I don't know about most of ya'll, but I"m not used to seeing holes in people...especially people I love. Much much less, holes that are oozing puss and blood and who knows what all. But, I am proud to say that after the first few looks, it got a lot easier...proof that one of my biggest fears about nursing won't affect me too much (the fear of gaping wound holes that produce puss and blood in copius amounts). It was actually kind of interesting, and I had to resist the urge to fuss, fluff pillows or dress any and all available wounds.

While there we took one quick foray to the Las Vegas strip where I am pretty sure I saw a total of THREE prostitutes, scored about 4 free drinks and played with the same $25 for about 2 hours. But of course, by 8:00 we were tired and, rather than wait for them to offer us a high-roller suite (which they most assuredly would have!), we called it a night and went home to bed. We are such the party animals.

Is Anybody Watching???

I just learned that my super uber-blogging brother just posted MY blog on HIS blog, which is read by oodles and oodles of ubergeeks. Great...now I have to try to be entertaining, interesting, witty and adorable so that I don't embarass the King Geek of them all, my uber-entertaining, uber-interesting, uber-witty and (yes, it's true) uber-adorable big brother.

Hmmmm.....I'll get started on that straight away.

Since I'm not geekly enough to figure out how to do a hyperlink, here is the URL for his King Daddy Blog of Them All: http://www.geekweekonline.com.

Volunteer Mo!

I was just browsing around the website of Most Popular Hospital in Sacramento in an effort to find a job that I could do with absolutely no healthcare experience. I heard from a friend of a friend that all the big hospitals in town reserve space in the impacted nursing programs for their employees...if I can get a gig at one of the hospitals then I get into school on my first try. Bueno, no? My preference is to attend the accelerated program funded by Most Popular Hospital, so I would love to get a job there. The problem is...no jobs posted that even remotely match my education or experience. So, I am applying for the next best thing...a volunteer position! The great thing about a volunteer gig is that they have availability in all the really cool areas (ER, ICU, Med Surg, OR Recovery) and I wouldn't actually be responsible for saving or killing anyone. This is a wonderful solution for a life-long baby stepper like me! AND the best part is, the nurses will let you watch them do procedures...cool, huh? I am hoping that once they see how wonderful, caring, intelligent and all around fabulous I am, then I can secure a regular gig and then hopefully a spot in their program. We shall see.

In hopes that I will get a volunteer gig and have wildly fascinating stories to tell, I am keeping the name of the hospital a big secret...that way no one from HIPAA will come after me with a big ugly scowl and lots of forms to fill out.


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Good Kitty: Rode my bike for 2 hours (and 27.7 miles) all by myself on Sunday. Thank dog I did not get a flat :-)

Bad Kitty: Did not wear sunscreen...big X on my back marking the spot where I was stupid.

It's for Charity!

I have signed up to do a charity ride in Napa Valley for the American Lung Association...you know, clean air, global warming, asthma, lung cancer, etc... You can sponsor me (no amount is too little or too large) by going to www.sacbreathe.org and clicking on the link for the Bike Trek in the first paragraph and then "Sponsor an Individual" on the left side of the page, and then "Find a Participant." I am listed under Moore. It will be about 150 miles over three days, and it would be great to know that I am riding for a reason (other than the beautiful scenery, fun, friendship and CALORIES BURNED!)

Hugs all!

Lost Half a Pound...I'm back baby!

I am just trying out my new weight-loss ticker...see if this works.




Did it work? Yes it did! (update...no it didn't!)

In hair news...I am entering the bag-lady stage. Here's proof:

I've Gained a Pound...WTF?!?!?!???

Either I am seriously retaining water or I have been pigging out waaaaay too much lately. Stepped on the scale this morning, fully expecting to see a drop of a pound or two. Nope! It went up by a little over a pound!!!!!! So, I am going to do an experiment...no refined carbohydrates, wine, Tofutti Cuties or sweets for a whole week...I will weigh in again on June 6th. Stay tuned! (oh woe is me...a week without Tofutti Cuties! What is the world coming to?!?) My friend Liz says I need to "eat more protein and less carbs", but the food I love is awash in refined carbos...I will do my very very best to stay away from the Tofuttis and the wine though. Here's a look at today:

Breakfast: Pineapple and a banana and a whole-wheat, organic pop-tart type thingy
Snack: Eggplant Hummus & half a whole-wheat pita
Lunch: Apple & Tomato soup (see how good I am today!)
Snack 2: Beans (Vegan baked beans to be exact...not just a boring ol' can of beans)
Snack 3: Jolly Rancher (Sugar Alert!)
Dinner? Hmmmmm....maybe some Edamame and Indian food...it's Fusion Cuisine at its finest!

p.s. I am sooooo hungry today!

In other news, our Science Project is going well! It is now Day 4 of 30 without any grocery shopping or dining out (at least on my end...Thomas likely cheats and goes out to lunch). Slowly but surely the goods are getting all 'et up'. I really should take a picture of my fridge, you would not BELIEVE it! We have more condiments than a frat house full of bachelors...seriously.

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Good Kitty: Started my financial filing stuff...wasn't as fun as it sounded in the book, so I stopped part way.
Bad Kitty: Aforementioned Jolly Rancher
Short Term Goal: Go to early morning yoga at least ONCE in June!

Hugs to all my peeps! Oh, here's a cute picture of Shakey Jake to please all you cat lovers out there...he's my little Killing Machine..isn't he just grand?

Welcome to my Science Project

Our fridge and cabinets have gotten to the point where it is impossible to squeeze any more items in...putting anything in takes an advanced degree in physics and since I barely squeeked by with a BA in Communications, then Hubby and I are embarking on an experiment: Not to go grocery shopping for an entire month! Soy milk is the one exception...and since we signed up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) and will be getting a big ol' box of fresh, organic produce every week...we really have no other reason to go to the market. Yay!

The interesting thing will be what we actually eat...you know how it gets when you get down to eating whatever is on hand.

Tom's Dinner: Leftover Turkey Burger and Tomato Salad
My Dinner: Edamame and a vanilla Tofutti Cutie (these are THE BEST soy "ice-cream" sandwiches EVER!!!!!)

See what I mean about weird meals? We are also going to try our hardest to NOT go out to a restaurant until my birthday...June 24th. Think of all the money we'll save:-)

Can we do it?????

Science Experiment Day 1 of 30.

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Good Kitty: Went to yoga this morning
Bad Kitty: Ate a Tofutti Cutie for DINNER. Hellooooo!!!!!?????!!!
Short Term Goal: Get my filing system set up for all my financial info according to David Bach's Smart Women Finish Rich.
Long Term Goal: The usual...save $$, pay off the tax man, be more philanthropic, love more

My big fat ass

So my friend Pam came to visit for a few days and during that time she got suckered in to messing around with my husband's flight simulator computer game. Well, the experience "turned her ugly" (her words), and she proceeded to tell me to sit my "fat ass down and try it". The sad thing about this little ditty is that she's right...my ass is fat. I have been working on some weight loss strategies lately, but kinda goofing them up. Example: I read a few books about NOT dieting...using your "thintuition" and just eating when I was hungry and stopping the food fest when I was no longer hungery. The problem? I took this as a license to eat junk food and didn't eat much "real food". Not good.

So now that I am back to my "nearly vegan" ways, I am expecting the fat to just slide right off, provided I don't fall into the vegan junk food trap. One bonus I have noticed after 3 weeks of NO dairy and NO meat...LESS CELLULITE! Now, I haven't quantified it or anything, but my buns look decidedly less dimply (though, according to Pam..still fat). I will see if I can count them or something and report back.

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Good Kitty: Went to Wendy's for a quick lunch and got a baked potato (dry) and a side salad. NO FRIES!!!

Bad Kitty: Meant to workout this morning...opted to snuggle instead.

Short Term Goal: Increase my run/walk laps from 6 to 8 by June 4th, with one full running lap in there somewhere.

Nursing Goal Update: Enrolled in Microbiology and Sociology for next semester. The Biology class is going to take some creative scheduling with my work folks. Hmmmm...