Drinking wine and studying....what a difference a semester makes!

How do you know you're no longer a first-semester nursing student? When you start drinking wine while studying! Ok....this probably won't happen every night, but we had a pretty light first-day of classes and now I'm just reviewing for my dosage calc test (tomorrow A.M.) and maybe doing a couple of other small-ish homework-type things later. Nothing too major and my hubby just brought me a glass of Crane Lake Chardonnay (yummy and cheap and Trader Joe's!), so I can't just let it sit here on my desk looking all golden and delicious...this wine must be drunk!

So, we're back in it. For the most part, people seemed pretty bummed about it overall. I guess now we know what we're in for, and it's hard to get all pumped like we did last semester. In general, I think I'm ready to be back...it's just a matter of getting back in the swing of things...back into my groove. Someone today told me I was a "legend" of our class, which makes me feel like a) these people need better role models, and b) I have to live up to my own high expectations. I guess I have a reputation for being super organized and on top of things...not sure that's entirely true, but I guess that's the image that I project. It's interesting to hear how other people see you, because I have a different impression entirely...the words stressed, exhausted, worried and unsure all come to mind. Anyway...we shall see how things shake out!

As for the first day of 2nd Semester...we had Advanced Med Surg orientation and a lecture on blood administration. Next we had Mental Health orientation and lecture and ended up getting out at around 3:30-ish. For some reason, this first-day feels a whole heck of a lot different from our first day last semester...not sure if it's because we know what to expect or if it really is less overwhelming. Check back in with me at the end of the week though...things may get dicey. Tomorrow is our dosage calculations exam (90% to pass, which isn't too horrible...keep your fingers crossed for me), and then we've got respiratory disorders lecture for 6 HOURS!!! Wednesday is another 6-hour lecture day and then Thursday is skills lab...so that will be a nice break. Friday is another mental health lecture and then orientation. Clinical doesn't start until week 3 and I believe I start out in the cardiology unit...should be fun!

Now you are officially caught up!

It's a good thing I don't have a problem with alcohol...

It's a good thing I don't have a problem with alcohol because I could NOT give up drinking wine. Went wine tasting in Napa yesterday with Tom, his friend Eric and Eric's squeeze Melanie. The boys, for reasons completlely lost on us, went on a bike ride while Melanie and I rented a chauffered Mercedes and traipsed around Napa sipping wine and having a grand ol' time. I am proud to say I did not get nearly as tipsy as I did the last time I went to Napa, so I feel I've regained some dignity in that regard...there's nothing like being gently asked to leave Mumm and having to walk to dinner thanks to a blood alcohol level almost as high as George Bush's IQ.

Before we dumped the boys and hopped into the S-Class, the four of us went to Sterling...here's a picture of us on the Gondola ride up to the winery...note to self...drink BEFORE getting on the Gondola...do not make Sterling the first winery of the day.

Our second winery stop was Frank Family Winery...they were very low-key and super nice. They also (BONUS!) had a big black kitty and great champagne. We spent quite a bit of time there talking with the wine pourer guy (who I think has my dream job, by the way) and, of course, drinking wine. The thing about wine tasting is that it's almost impossible to remember what you like well enough to buy, so at Frank Family I ended up with just one bottle of champagne, though now I'm regretting not getting a bottle of Zin. Oh well...

The third winery was V. Sattui (I probably spelled that wrong), where a friend of mine (Hey Coop!) had a gorgeous wedding. Talk about chatty and friendly wine pourer guys & gals. All that goodwill must have rubbed off on me because I gave a strange man from Israel a Fig Newton, which he described as a "very bad cookie." See pic of Me, Mel, the cute Isreali guy and his buddy from Colorado (who wasn't so cute and I think may have been stoned...but then again, if he were stoned he would have been jonesing for my newtons!)


Our fourth, and final, winery was up a windy mountain road...the type of place I would never be able to find on my own. Here is where we met The Rain Man of Wine. He was actually very nice, but he kept asking us impossible trivia questions like, "how much does an oak barrel cost? (Something like $750!), and I forget what all...I was liking his wine, though. It was here where I blew caution to the wind and dropped a cool $100 on four yummy botttles...can't wait to see what I got (Ok, I might have been a wee bit tipsy!).

In other news...Trumie is having appetite issues, but I'm hoping that will clear up as the Leukeran clears out.