Today

I received my Diploma of Paralegal Studies from Florida Career College along with my final grades. I graduated with a 3.97. Not the 4.0 that was my goal, but not too shabby either. Now to get that coveted CLA certification. I also plan to get a specialized certification and a Florida certification. After the first of the year I will start working for my RN degree. I will allow myself one year to complete that.

101 Things: #2…As for my SWAP. I have a clearer picture of what I want to sew and wear. I don’t want to actually sew something until I am much closer to my goal weight. I’d love to be able to take advantage of the beautiful autumn colors this year. Especially since I don’t have to wear a uniform to work.

Your Power Element is Water

Your power colors: blue and aqua Your energy: deep Your season: winter Like the ocean, you evoke deep feelings and passion. You have an emotional, sensitive, and spiritual soul. A bit mysterious, you tend to be quiet when you are working out a problem. You need your alone time, so that you can think and dream.

What's Your Power Element?

Countdown to Graduation

Tonight was my last class for the paralegal program. Yesterday, my instructor emailed me the spreadsheet for the final exam, I did it and emailed it back to him. It wasn't difficult, just basics. I met a classmate and we went to Senor Loco's for dinner. Yeah, that kept me within my points for WW. LOL The countdown on the sidebar reads there is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes left. I'll be removing the countdown around midnight-ish. I will be able to mark that complete, including the 4.0 that I wanted so much. We'll be getting our grades in a week or so. We will walk in October. The past 13 months went by fast. It seems it was just yesterday that we started. I'll be taking a couple of weeks off and then get started studying for the CLA exam. "Stick" and I will be having a once weekly get together to study. We both will make an outline and time frame of what we need to study. We have numerous books to use for studying. The school and program director was going to throw them in the trash,so we students took them instead. Many of them had instructors manuals. We'll be able to use the workbooks and then check our answers.

I'm looking forward to getting on with my life. Still sending out resumes and looking for a job. If I don't get one soon, I'll go back to nursing for a while, until I can get a paralegal job.

I haven't posted in a while and I'll be making upn for that. There are quite a few things I've wanted to blog about but didn't have time. Next week, I'll be visiting my Dad and will play catch up then.

It's been a long time

since I've posted. I'm being kept busy by school. Trying to find time to study and of course I have to work. I'd love to be able to take off from work until I finish this course. I'd like to be able to spend more time reading various text books and studying for the CLA exam.

I still have the 4.0 firmly in my grasp. I'm concerned that I'm putting too much stock in having it that if I don't keep it I'll be devastated. Oh well! I'll just have to use every spare minute studying. In fact, I have had some time off since last Thursday. I used some of my time reading a book about civil law getting ready for my first class in it tomorrow night.

All my other 101 goals have been put on hold pretty much. This weekend I plan to carve a jack-o-lantern for Halloween. Then I'll start working on some of my Christmas themed goals. I do plan to attend mass this year.

I do watch Dancing with the Stars, while I walk on the treadmill or ride my stationary bile.

And I try to keep up with the Saints. They are doing great this year! Unlike a local team which shall remain nameless. LOL!

Life is Good!

I've been in my new position (I hope it becomes permanent) for a couple of weeks now. I've also been taking classes for the paralegal course. I'm loving both of them!

I work from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and was in classes from 6 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. I tested out of my BUS105a keyboarding class (at app 65 WPM, I have two more, BUS105b and BUS105c. I need 55+ WPM in BUS105c to get an A. So all I have to do is maintain this speed to get an A in all three classes) on Thursday so I only have to go from 6 til 8 on Tuesday and Thursday. Now I have time to study for my Wednesday classes on Tuesdays.

When I worked nights I was always exhausted. I never got fitful sleep, when I WAS able to sleep. I was always depressed. I really didn't like my job. I NEEDED something new. Something to look forward to. Now I have it! I actually look forward to going to work now. And I REALLY look forward to going to class.

I always liked school. It was the only time I was able to be around children my own age when I was young. We lived in the country and my sister and brother were a lot older than me. So I had no one to "play" with. That was back when children actually went outdoors and played. I also loved going to highschool. I had been out of highschool 10 years before I was able to go to collage. I loved that too! I have always enjoyed learning new things. I wish I had taken more classes over the years.

Now that I am working days, I should be able to start Body for Life. I should be able to workout 5 days a week if I'm lucky. I won't be able to go to the gym, but I have weights, bench, stationary bike and treadmill, here at home. I bought protein powder and protein bars a couple of weeks ago. I have my old diet plan, I can use also. I start out on Atkins and slowly work into Body for Life. I don't want to have a weight gain when I start eating carbs again. I'm already drinking my water.

I had Word when I took a nine month computer course a few years ago. So the wordprocessing class isn't very challeging. That's ok though. I haven't used some of the bells and whistles in Word in quite a while. And I've even learned some things I didn't learn about in the other class. I've made a list of a few of the keyboard shortcuts and I'm trying to use the keyboard more. I think it's more efficent than the mouse. My instructor said I should become Microsoft Office certified. She said I already know alot about it and it wouldn't take much to learn the rest. I'm seriously considering it because it could mean more money when I go to work as a paralegal.

101 Things Update:
#60--I made the Butter chicken last Sunday. It was ok....nothing special I could taste. So, I probably won't be making it again. #1--The most important item on the list....so far I'm getting an A in all 4 classes. This is soooo important to me. I know I am capable of getting that 4.0 and the honors certificate. It will be more difficult this time because I'm working. I didn't have to work when I went to nursing school or the computer course. #14--I have a few of the quarters. I just have them in a jar though. I need to get something to display them in. #48--Get on a regular sleep schedule-I will mark this as completed if this position becomes permanent. I'll know in a couple of months. #83--Do a plot analysis on a movie-I'm going to change this one to get Microsoft Office certified and put the anaysis on my next list.

Exhausted

Last Friday night at midnight I received a call from the director of nursing where I work. She asked if I would mind changing positions, from floor nurse to doing "MDS-es" i.e. "paperwork", on a temporary basis. One of the coordinators is going on maternity leave, I would be replacing her, and the other one is going to another facility. I've done this before and it's a lot less stressful, so I jumped at the chance, plus it's M-F 7-3. So, I worked the 12 hour night shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Twenty-four hours to recover. I woke up at 4:30 this morning totally exhausted. As though I hadn't slept at all. And my paralegal class was to start tonight.

Class was canceled due to Alberto. Why on earth? It didn't come anywhere near us! Just a little wind and rain....yesterday!

So now, I'll have less time to study and work on my 101 things (and my 43 things, which is a condensed list). But, the absolutely BEST PART is that I'll have every weekend off!!!! I'm sooo looking forward to that after working almost every weekend for the past four years.

SWAP

I really dislike staying up at night when everyone else is sleeping. But, I need to so I will be able to sleep on Fridays, to stay up for work Friday night. It just seems to add to my depression.

So...I've worked on my story board for SWAP tonight. Since I will be starting my paralegal class in a couple of weeks, I figure I will need a totally new wardrobe. Jeans and scrub tops just won't be appropriate. The old plan for summer just won't work. I've taken a lot of ideas from WNTW's Stacy and Clinton. I've made notes on what I know to look good on me and will try a few of their ideas for my body type. I love to dress up and can hardly wait to start the class, meet new people and have a new job.

more thoughts

After having this blog for 2-3 weeks, I realize that this will be more than just about my sewing and creative yearnings.

Okay. So I haven't started Body for Life yet. But, I am riding my stationary bike and reading while doing so. Multitasking. I also half-heartedly listen to a tv program.

It seems as though I don't have enough time to do all the things I like to do. My nursing job just leaves me exhausted. It takes me a day or two to get over working weekend nights. Have I commented on how much I am looking forward to getting out of nursing and working as a paralegal? LOL

Ramblings

Work was a bear this past weekend. All the paper work has to be changed over for the beginning of the month. In a 12 hour shift I barely had time for a 15 minute break to eat something. I was so tired when I got home I just fell into bed. And on top of that I contracted a respiratory infection.

Yesterday I went for the admissions interview for the paralegal course. Today I have to take my paperwork for a Sallie Mae loan. I'd rather just sleep all day. Classes start June 6th and run until August 1, 2007. They are night classes. I wish they were during the day. The class wouldn't last as long and I could get out of nursing sooner.

On the bright side, I have a stash!! I have acquired several lovely onionskins from Emma Onesock. A couple of cottons from Candlelight Fabrics and a nice lycra piece from Fabric.com. I also got some swatches of fabrics that I like a lot and will order some next week.

I've been thinking about the storyboard for my SWAP. It's taking a lot longer to get together than I thought it would. Due to the fact that I have to order fabrics and wait for them to arrive to see if they really coordinate. I haven't really found anything I like at Joann's.

I order books from Amazon about twice a month. I've been reading a lot about altered books and journals. So, this last order included Altered Book Collage and The Decorated Journal. I have tons of ideas for altered books and the like. I'm starting to collect items such as paints, tissue papers, charms etc for these.