It's been a while since I last posted, and even much longer since I posted on something other than a blood party. That's pretty much because I've not little to no time these days due to class. For those who don't know yet (where have you been?), I started an EMT class at the end of August, not knowing it wasn't just a little part time class but a "nearly full time school schedule in one class" class. We even have to do four 8 hour shifts in an ER and four 12 hour ambulance ride-alongs as part of the class! Cool, but time consuming when coupled with my full time job, going Up North one weekend to spend time with my Goddaughter and family, going out to SC for one weekend to see my new Godson, going to Chicago for one weekend to see the new baby in the family, and going out to MA for Thanksgiving, and trying to have some semblance of a (social) life, has left me devoid of free time. I've even dropped all but one of my role-playing games for the semester (and it just had its last game for the year this last weekend) and the writing I've been doing both for FLB and my character's songs, because I just don't have the time. I barely have enough time to keep up with the class reading! (Which I'm behind again on, *sigh*)

One good side is that my student loans have been deferred. How Harvard found out, I have no idea. But after they deferred my loan with them it seems they informed the U.S. Department of Education about my near-full time student status, and the government deferred my loan with them too. So now I can keep paying each month and all of it goes to principle!

Things have been stressful, for sure. There have been many ups and downs these last few months because of my schedule, and slowly loosing time with my friends here. But there have been times, I remember one morning specifically where I actually woke up happy - that hadn't happened in so long. I didn't last the day, but it was still nice.

I lost 5 pounds in the first month, but I also grew my nails long for the first time ever! I really thought I had finally gotten out of the habit of biting my nails. But that didn't last. My nails are currently better than before, and I'm still trying, but it only takes a couple days or hours for them to disappear again.

I had a real scare with the only plant I've had - other than the cactus from Biosphere II - that has ever grown for me. I got it in 2001 or 2002 in Boston with my best co-worker friend at the time. It survived three moves, one of which was interstate, and I love it. Then last month it started browning leaves at an alarming rate. It wasn't until this event that I realized how important it was to me. I was acting over its sickness like people act over their sick pets. It turns out the soil I repotted it in early this Summer was too heavy for it, and possibly infected since it didn't get it sealed and waiting over a year to use it. The woman at the nursery said the roots were starting to rot, due to my flushing the plant so much because the symptoms it had before then pointed to it not getting enough water or the soil having too much salt in it. My plant has been repotted again now, and seems to be doing well so far. It's half, maybe a third, as large as it used to be, but it's growing new leaves and they aren't turning brown immediately nor is it loosing the leaves it had left when I repotted it the second time. For the record, it turns out my plant is a Variegated Peace Lily, aka. Spathiphyllum (see near bottom of article).

The first test in class set me in a bad way. Not so much because of the test, I was able to make peace with getting an 85% fairly quickly, partly because none of the class broke 90%, partly because I had made the choice to stay out late the night before to help a friend knowing I'd be tired at the exam and did indeed misread a couple questions because of it but that was worth it. I was upset over two things: missing the 10 points extra credit; and how the teacher handled it all (poorly). I managed to keep myself from walking out of class and from crying, and forced myself to stay through the lecture afterwards. Then Mom called on my way home, and she put things in perspective for me, and I was okay again. I love my Mom.

Last night I had an excellent conversation with my cousin Oreese. It's really nice and great that we are managing to get together about once a month now. We only live about a mile and a half apart after all, and have for the last couple years. *rolls eyes* It was sad we were only seeing each other about twice a year at family functions. I really like his new wife, and really want for all of us to become good friends as well as family.

I've had some vivid dreams along the way, like last night. Woah! I haven't been recording any. Maybe I should. But so far the meaning of them all have been pretty straight forward: stress dreams, hope dreams, fun dreams, expending frustration dreams (last night).

I've been missing Mom, something fierce the last couple weeks. It's so close to Thanksgiving, that I'm just trying to wait it out until then to see her.

My condo is becoming a dump, I mean that more literally than not, because I haven't had a chance to clean in so long everything is still lying all around in the piles they were dumped to waiting to be put away. Soon... maybe. But the house hunt and condo selling is on hiatus until class is over.

I did get to meet a doctor - a surgeon - through a member of the Harvard Club of Eastern Michigan. That was an excellent night, and informative. The doctor has offered to let me follow her around, which I plan to take her up in in January. The HCEM member has been just wonderful to me, and is so fascinating to talk to. I'd really like for us to become better friends. Both women are encouraging me to go for it with medical school. We shall see.

I had the dating service I'm a member of put me on inactive back in August. I need to remember to reactivate that after class ends.

I also need to remember to get the process for becoming a foster home started after class ends.

And I REALLY want to try and get into a volunteer position at CHM for feeding and rocking babies. I should probably start that sooner rather than later.

Wow, this post got long. I think I'm going to cut it in two.