Grumble

I don't have time for this (blogging) but I'm going to do it anyway. Grumble. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately -- I think it's how I express my worries that I've bitten off more than I can chew. I'm taking 5 classes this semester, specifically because there's an instructor I really like who's only teaching (get the name of this course) "Nursing Phenomena of Concern" in the Fall. I want to take it from her. And I want to have a better attitude, but I have 240 clinical hours to complete by the first week of December, I'm supposed to start next week and I don't even know where I'll be for prescribing hours. ARRRGGG. For a planner, it's a disaster. I had my interview Wednesday for my therapy hour placement, it was at the private practice office that's close to home. Looks good, I'm waiting to hear back from them. (Yes, it's Friday and I need to start Monday and I've checked my email 50 times this morning!!!) I will be learning how to do individual, group and family therapy with them if I get the nod. The two directors interviewed me over their lunch hour, it was fine but they were obviously rushed. Nobody screamed and they only laughed when I expected, so I hope that means I passed. Some interesting little extras this semester: I will be observing family court, going to NAMI meetings, and going to Al-Anon meetings.

We got Dani ensconced in New York. She gets along with her roommate and seems to be OK. We went to the Cloisters while there, which was really quite nice. It's a building way up in North Manhattan where the Met houses their medieval European collection. It's an incredible scope of art, including the architecture. Beautiful. http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/visit-the-cloisters Two pictures below are from there. We stayed at Times Square, mostly because I wanted to get two queen beds in one room and choices were few, and here's a piece of advice: don't ever stay there. Any other part of Manhattan has to be better than that. It's like the dirtiest, nastiest Mardi Gras parade you've ever been to, but 24 hours a day.

I've done a little volunteering at AIDS Services, doing their TB tests and even some foodbank days. We ask clients to bring in reusable grocery bags and the guy next to me opened up someone's bags and roaches scurried out. Really. Oh well, that's the only time that's ever happened. I love doing that work, but I'm pretty sure it's going to take a backseat for the next three months. Nile and I are still taking care of kitties over at Austin Animal Center, and I think we'll be able to keep doing that, mostly because we can do it on Sunday evening.

I read a good essay in Newsweek by Ira Glass - isn't he great? And his show on NPR, This American Life, it's great too. His piece is about love and the way life sometimes presents it to you. Be open to it in all its forms, I think is the message. He hooked me from the first two lines: "I’ve definitely had a f--ked up life in a lot of ways, but not because of big turning points where I made the wrong choice. It’s more like character flaws that played out slowly over time."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/08/26/ira-glass-on-rescuing-a-pit-bull-dog-with-a-ridiculous-diet.html