Preparing For The Move

Our house in Kansas has been rented. Phew. That is one less thing to have to worry about.

After several trips to Springfield, and having gone inside many, many, many houses for sale, we were able to decide on an older home very near the university. Phew. One less thing to worry about. Now, I just have to worry about the packers.

Our preliminary moving inspection went very well. We have nothing out of the ordinary that should cause our packers any troubles. We sold lots of extra stuff at a garage sale. Not only does that limit that amount we have to move, but also the weight. I'm not for sure exactly what our weight was, but I suspect we were pushing the authorized amount. Our next move should not even come close to weight allowance as we will be down another kid's possessions.

I am hoping to make this next house a bit more organized than our current house. Instead of cardboard boxes in the basement, I had some cupboards built specifically to house all the linens left over from my mother's Bed and Breakfast. Not having been able to seen them over the last year, I forgot what I had. Talk about "Out of sight, our of mind." Not anymore.

My wonderful husband is still talking about when we move back to Kansas. So, unless something spectacular comes out of Springfield, we'll be returning to our current digs. With that said, I'll keep the landscaping endeavors to a minimum. It's a bummer because I really wanted to jump into the garden society. I have amazing ideas, but I don't want to put all the effort and money into a garden that will be abandoned in three years. Of course, I say that now, but you never know. I could easily change my mind.

In preparation for the move, I have done the whole space bag thing to my extra towels and blankets. Man, it really makes a HUGE difference. If only I could space bag my dishes. That would be something cool.

I also washed the outside furniture and sun-umbrella. Yuck. They were very dirty. Not anymore, which will make it nice to unpack on the other end.

With my husband on leave and school out for the summer, we do have some free time. So, my fabulous husband suggested a trip to the Omaha Zoo. Woo Hoo! I love the zoo. But first, we stopped at the Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, NE. That place is way cool. There were some very tall, yellow flowers.





Anybody know what kind of flowers these are?

After the nature walk, we went into the nursery where we were given two Blue Spruce seedlings to plant. My grandpa Bob highly recommended planting trees. Unfortunately, I don't care for Blue Spruce as they have very sharp needles, but I'll plant them anyway. Naturally, I haven't decided where to plant them, yet. Maybe here in Kansas, maybe there in Springfield. That's a decision I'll make later.

The Zoo was great.



I asked several employees what kind of background and education they had. I think it would be terrific to work at a zoo. I'm all about animal health, welfare and enrichment. I can't think of a more wonderful job.

So, once we get to Springfield, I'll apply for work at the Springfield Zoo. I also plan to apply for a position at Animal Paradise. That place is a wild animal safari park. Of course, I'm not ruling out the Rutledge-Wilson Farm. I would love to work there. Those folks really need my experience and expertise and they don't even know it. Hopefully, the city will approve funding for another full-time position and I can help them create an amazing agritourism place. Wherever I end up working, be it a pet shop, dog kennel, zoo, animal safari place or even the public school department as a substitute teacher, Red Barn Farm will always be the NUMBER 1 place for me.





I love that place. If we do end up returning to Kansas, I'll be back there, giving tours and doing chores.

4.0 GPA

Another semester finished and my grades are amazing! Yep, three A's. And wanna know what I'm going to do with it? Well, not nursing school.

I came to the conclusion that I would rather work on a farm or in a barn cleaning up after animals than in a hospital cleaning up after people. There is a city operated educational barn in Springfield, but unfortunately, they do not have a position available. It is possible that a seasonal position will come available in the fall, but in the meanwhile, I'll have to find something else. There are plenty of kennels and puppy stores in the area. I think I'd like to see if I could get on with a doggie daycare place. Any day that involves playing with pups is a good day.

Perhaps, I might be able to find a horse barn that would employ me to pick up poop. I'll just have to wait and see.

Two Out of Three

Of the three courses this semester, I have completed two of them. Medical Terminology was only for one credit. I finished the requirements for that class several weeks ago and received an A.

The final for Medical Assessment was a head to toe assessment of a patient. My wonderful husband graciously volunteered to be my patient. Actually, I volunteered him, but he readily accepted the position. Of 170 possible points, I earned 169. The only thing I forgot was to test for skin turgor. Something very simple. I just didn't even think about it. I'm glad that class is finished and that I earned an A.

My only remaining class is Nutrition. The instructor is thorough, but I knew that from Microbiology. I have only two tasks left to complete. One is the class written project about healthy weight loss. I'm simply writing it. Everyone else is doing the research. Of the information submitted to me to date, this will not be an in-depth discussion. I'm thinking it will be an overview of healthy options. The second assignment to complete is an online timed test covering minerals. As I did not score as well as I would have liked on the online timed test covering vitamins, I'm concerned about this test. On the vitamins test, I earned myself 42 points of 50. Basically, a crap score. I wrote a note to the instructor inquiring as to how badly that score impacted my overall grade in the class. He indicated that I'm still well within the A range. Phew! My status on the President's List is still secure. Not that it matters to anyone other than myself.

I've decided to not to attend nursing school. I know, I know, I know. This was a difficult decision to make. Thankfully, my husband agrees with my choice. I've decided that I want to work for the city at an agritourism farm. I'd be much happier asking children if they want to pet a baby chicken. I've spoken with those who run the operation and they have indicated to me that once the city approved that money to fund an additional employee, I'm on the short list of potential staff. In the meantime, I think I'll seek employment at a dog kennel/day care. I just love the animals. Maybe, I'll take advantage of my husband's faculty position at the university and take a class or two. I'm thinking animal husbandry.

That Saddle

Okay, the saddle is a wee big at the withers. So, until I get a riser pad, I'll be riding without a saddle. The problem now is that my local tack shop, doesn't have riser pads for western saddles, only english saddles. I suspect I'll be forced to order one. Hopefully, I can find one that fits. It's not as if I can have Kadance go try one on.

Anyway, I rode my girl this past Saturday. This was the first time since my fall. I was very nervous. Kadance did well, as her trainer said she would. I guess I was lacking confidence. The pain of my fall and the subsequent rehabilitation is still in the fresh in my mind. It took a few minutes and a lot of reminding to breath before I relaxed enough to enjoy myself. Kadance was a champ and was not in the least bit concerned.

So, today I played with her for about an hour and then took a lesson with her trainer. It was amazing. Still bareback, we asked Kadance for a trot and she gave it. The very first trot with a rider! She is so smooth. I was able to easily sit her trot. Even when she got going a bit fast, I had no difficulty with her. Her trainer and I are both impressed with her progress. Concerned that my knee brace might be causing her some irritation, I lifted my leg up near her shoulder. Woohoo! That was something new that she wasn't exactly ready to experience and she bolted. I, however, remained right where I was and ended up flipping over her backside and onto the ground. As I was airborne, I focused on remaining relaxed and directing the impact away from my knee. There was just no way I wanted to explain to my husband, doctor and physical therapist that I hurt myself AGAIN. I hit the dirt right on my hip. You may recall the photographic evidence that I do not bounce...well, I hit in the same spot. I suspect that later this evening and/or tomorrow, I'll be bruised up. Just great. As my husband is returning home tonight from a 3-day trip to California, won't he be pleased at my discoloration.

New saddle

I ordered a saddle last week for Kadance. It came in and I was all excited to get it and take it to the barn and see how it fit. Unfortunately, it snowed. So, I had to wait until today to try it out.

Kadance doesn't care in the least. She was most interested in playing with the girth strap. Actually, to be more accurate, she was most interested in playing with the packaging that came with the girth strap. Silly filly.

Everything went well. Even better than I had expected. The trainer has done a very good job with her. I am pleased. Now, I can't wait for my knee to heal to the point that I can actually ride my horse. Only 6 more weeks...

Accepted

I received my acceptance packet from St. John's College of Nursing. Now, the process begins.

Among other documents I had to sign, I had to sign authorization for drug testing. I have no problem with being tested. I don't use illicit substances. It makes sense as working in a hospital does present a certain amount of availability. But, shoot. I can't remember simple conversations I had when I was on the hydrocodone for my knee. How in the word can people function, much less take exams while on narcotics?

I received a telephone call from St. John's College of Nursing last week indicating that I needed to schedule an appointment to meet with an academic adviser and to take the HESI entrance exam. As the school is 3 1/2 hours away from me, I inquired into the possibility of taking the test locally with a proctor and perhaps conducting a telephone conference.

The response was a deliberate NO.

The trip was schedule with my husband's support. He would drive me to Springfield on Monday evening and I would take the exam Tuesday morning. The meeting with the academic adviser would immediately follow the exam's conclusion.

Watching Sunday evening's weather report was a disheartening experience. A cold front enveloped the Springfield area and freezing rain was expected. By Monday morning, the situation was much worse and the town froze beneath a blanket of ice.

What a predicament.

So, I called the school only to discover it had been closed for the day due to inclement weather.

"But, I'm scheduled to take a test in the morning. Will I still be able to do that?"

"I don't know."

"What would you recommend I do?"

"I don't know."

I discussed the situation with my husband and we agreed to make the trek.

The closure we got to Springfield, the nastier the weather. Freezing rain clung to everything. Icicles pulled on tree branches until they gave way. Although it was pretty, I was filled with dread. Had I made this trip for not?

After getting some dinner, my husband and I snuggled down in the hotel room. The rain continued throughout the night.

Early the next morning, I turned on the television and learned St. John's had canceled all classes for the day and the building would be closed until 12:00pm. No longer faced with a rush to arrive by 9 am, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast followed by an adventure around town. By 10:30 am, we parked at the mall. I quick called the school to determine its status. It was still the same.

Shortly before noon, we headed toward the building. There was a sign posted on the door which indicated that classes were canceled and all other inquiries were to ring the bell. So, we rang the bell. The woman who came to the door was unable to provide any information as to what I should do. Obviously, there was no examination that morning and there would be no meeting with the academic adviser that afternoon. No one was available. A second woman came to the door and informed my husband and I that we should have called before coming.

We were faced with a long drive home. And...it was a long, long drive. My husband was irritated with the whole situation and that made for unpleasant company.

The next morning, I telephoned the school to determine a course of action. After explaining what had happened, I was told that I should have listened to the radio or watched the television before driving all that way. --We don't get Springfield stations in Leavenworth.--
Not wanting to argue, simply wanting to schedule the test and meeting, I chose to not inform her that I had called on the previous Monday, watched the television on Tuesday and called on Tuesday. I tried to convince her to allow me to proctor the exam locally. That was again, a definite NO.

--I wonder, what do the folks coming from a more distant location do? Are they expected to travel to the school to take a standardized entrance exam? Apparently so.
I just hope that next week, the weather holds out and that I am accepted to the school. It would be such a bummer if I jumped through all these hoops only to be denied acceptance.

Off crutches

At 5 weeks post-op, I was finally allowed to walk without crutches. PHEW! Thank goodness. Those things are a giant pain in the patooty.

I had my 5 week check-up with the doctor and he explained that week 6 is when the graft is at its weakest. He then told me I'd be in the brace for an additional 3 weeks, weather permitting. If we keep getting snow/rain/ice and conditions remain slippery, then I'm to stay in the brace longer. I can understand that. It doesn't mean I'm happy with the information, but, nonetheless, I'll tolerate it.

So, I have 2 more weeks in the brace and just three days ago, we got about 7 inches of snow. crap. That snow accumulation canceled school and physical therapy for the day. crap.

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy winter and love winter conditions. What I don't like is being put behind in my recovery and education. Come on, already.

Anyway, two weeks ago in my Health Assessment class, we had to use our stethoscopes and listen to lung sounds. Because I didn't have my stethoscope, I volunteered to be my group's patient. However, when I got home, I volunteered my husband to be my patient. Unfortunately, he wasn't very. Soooooo, I looked around the house and called for my dog.

"Here, Sydney. Come to momma."

She did. Sucker.

Her lungs sounded pretty good and her heart sounded strong.

I quick pulled out my cell phone and sent a text message to my classmate, Christina.
I wrote that my dog had good resonance and good lung sounds.

She wrote back that her dog did too. How funny is that?

So, when I went out to visit my horse, I was so very tempted to take my stethoscope. The only reason why I opted not to was because I knew she would be covered with mud and I didn't want to get my stethoscope dirty.

Stitches Are Out

I had the sutures removed and I returned the ice water pump. I still have wound dressing and ace bandages under my brace, which I must wear for the next 5 weeks. Yuck.
The best part about this whole thing has been the parking.

Under the brace, the ice water pump, ace bandage wrap, and sterile dressing is this mess.

The incision is where the surgeon removed my tendons from my hamstrings. That is what hurts the most; the graph. My knee feels fine. My leg is killing me.


This is Henry, the luckiest cat of all time. He needed to come visit me in the bed.

Narcotics Continue

Here I am in bed. I've spent a tremendous amount of time there. Notice the crutches. Those things are a HUGE pain in the butt. The only upside to having to use them is the fabulous abdominal workout that is required to operate them.
I would also like to point out my super cute nightshirt. My kid, the redhead, gave it to me for Christmas. Thanks Jordan...You're A-okay, my buddy.

The Surgery Is Over, Let the Healing Begin

I am eager to get going at this point. The sooner my knee is rebuilt, the sooner I can get back to my active lifestyle.



Life is still good. My IVs have not yet been put into place. The first attempt was extremely unsuccessful. No, I take that back. It was a PERFECT example of what NOT to do. The nurse pushed the needle straight on through the vein. The back of my hand began to swell and I could clearly see that something was definitely wrong. Shoot. Ray Charles could have seen that something was wrong. So, a second nurse came in and put an IV in my other hand. Very successful. Goodie. However, the just prior to the inserting of the lead line, blood spurted out all over the floor. Lucky for me, I didn't actually see the fountain. I saw the puddle after the fact.



Here I am immediately after surgery. I am feeling no pain. Don't I look good?



Kelly.....wake up....
Huh? Wha?



Back home. I don't even remember having this picture taken. I'm still looking good, though. Hahahaha...it is to laugh.

The Midwest Had an Ice Storm

This past week, the Midwest suffered two days of ice and freezing rain. It did cause damage to trees (broken branches) and downed power lines. Several thousand people were without electricity for a few days. Most folks had power back within two or three days.

Our house and our immediate neighborhood were relatively untouched. We did not loose power nor did we suffer broken limb damage. The big tree in our front yard lost two branches. When they fell, they dropped straight into the yard and did zero damage. We were much better off than many, many people.

Many broken tree branches collided with houses doing tremendous damage. Many trees suffered more than a loss of just a few smaller limbs. The huge maple tree four blocks away is quite literally half of its former size. It broke straight down the center of its trunk. I was sad to see it go, but on the bright side, somebody will have plenty of firewood next year.

In spite of the damage the storm brought, I thought it was beautiful.

Guess Who Has a 4.0

The results are in...I am a super study nerd and proud of it!

There were a few interesting questions on my final exams. More than once, I said to myself, "What?" and "Uhhh, burrito?"

Apparently I did well enough on my final exams to maintain my grade in the course because grades are officially posted and I earned myself an A in Anatomy + Lab, an A in Physiology, and an A in Microbiology.

With my A from my summer course, Child Development, I'm sitting pretty.

I'm almost finished with my general education required classes for nursing school. So, when the spring semester begins, I'll be taking Medical Terminology, Nutrition, Pathophysiology, and Health Assessment. If I can keep my grades up, I think I'll be good for acceptance into the nursing program at St. John's College of Nursing in the fall.

Guten Tag

Last night, Mona from Freienhagen, Germany, called. She mentioned that my blogging has been laking of late. So, Mona, Guten Tag. Wie gehts?

Today is the last day of regular classes. I have two lectures today: Physiology (human reproduction) and Microbiology (continuing immunology). My Anatomy class, which normally follows Microbiology, is an optional lab. As the weather outside is frightful and at my house, the fire is so delightful, I must go, I must go, I must go. Actually, the weather guy said that after 3 pm today, we are expecting crazy snow. Okay, he didn't actually say "Crazy Snow." I don't believe "Crazy Snow" is a proper meterological term, so I am paraphrasing here.

This coming Wednesday, day after tomorrow, is my final exam day for Microbiology and Anatomy. Friday will be the day for Physiology. I'm confident that I will do well in all of my classes. I currently have an A in each class and expect to maintain my grade. I still have a bit more studying to do on HIV and the endocrine system. Other than that, I'm not too stressed.

I still have chapters to write for my novel. I requested an extension to the end of December and they graciously agreed. Once exams are finished, I have to focus on my fictional world.

Still to come is my knee surgery. That's on the 27th of this month. So, techincally, I don't have to the end of the month to finish my chapters. I really only have until Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I informed my husband that I am ignoring holiday decorations this year. As I am the one who decorates and put everything away once the holiday has been celebrated, I decided that after surgery I will not be too interested in wrestling decorations in a full leg brace and medicated. I think he was a bit disappointed, but he didn't protest to much. I'm thinking that I'll get a live poinsettia and it will be our tree. That way clean up will consist of tossing a dead plant. It's festive and easy clean up. Ho, ho, ho, in the trash it will go. Although, I DID get out my fabulous Christmas bear last night. The cats are fascinated by it.

This morning, I am meeting my girlfriends for an All You Can Eat pancake breakfast. The price is right....$2.00. YeeeeHaw!

Tschuss.

Turns out, Nacy's Grade Was Better

After continued inquiries into the scores of the tossed exam, I discovered that Nancy had done better than I. She earned herself a 72%.

The next exam on the heart was much better. I earned myself a 98%. Much more appropriate and reflective of my awesome study skills. It's true, I am a super study nerd.

The results of the micro test weren't as good as I had thought. I thought I had done better than a 92%, but I'll take the A, no matter.

Today is my anatomy exam on circulatory, lymph and respiration systems. I'm feeling confident about the material. Hopefully, he doesn't bring in some question from way out in left field.

There isn't much time left in the semester. Frankly, the only class that I'm ready to be finished with it physiology. I could study anatomy every day. I like it. Micro just grosses me out. I've learned too much about nasty communicable diseases. Thank God I have a functional immune system. Even then, there are some virulent creepy crawlies out there that can still do some major damage even with a high speed immune system. And to think.....people continue to practice poor hygiene. Yikes.

The Tossed Exam

Last Friday, I took a physiology exam that covered muscles.

When I walked into the classroom, I was extremely confident that I knew the material. Unfortunately, as I read the questions, I began to wonder if I had studied the correct chapters. Shoot, the correct text book, for that matter.

Let's just say the test was...in a word...RUDE.

Other students were just as numb as I was. One student actually approached the instructor and advised, "You didn't teach us any of this stuff."

To which the instructor replied, "I hope you were able to reason it out well."

I was sick to my stomach with anxiety. Come Monday morning, I didn't even want to know my score.

The instructor walked into the room and announced that the exam would be thrown out for everyone. Apparently, the scores were horrific.

Curious, I inquired into my score. It was brutal......68%

Of my peers, it was the high score.

There were lots of 50-somethings. One girl earned herself a 22%.

A 22%! There is no coming back from that. She said she should be embarassed, but it was just too ridiculous to be anything but funny.

With the test scores tossed, my grade still stands very comfortably at an A.

Official Results Are In

The Radiologist Report is clear. My knee is completely DORKED!

My tibia does have a fracture right near the epicondyle. Both my femur and my tibia have contusions which are significant enough to warrant a delay in the reconstructive surgery for my ACL, which apparently has completely disappeared. Although it would be possible to comfortably live without an ACL, provided that I did not need to move side to side or pivot, I have to have my replaced. Normally, the meniscus would be able to compensate for the lack of the ACL, however, my meniscus suffered damage and would deteriorate rapidly causing me to have that surgically repaired in the not so distant future. So, the surgeon will harvest a tendon from my gracilis muscle to reconstruct my ACL.

In the meantime, I must do physical therapy to prepare for the surgery. Additionally, physical therapy must be conducted postop in order to get my leg and knee functioning again. Surgery is scheduled for December 27th.

The biggest bummer about the whole situation is that I cannot ride my horse. CRAP!

Non-Rider at the Trail Ride

Last Saturday, Oakmont Farm hosted a group trail ride for the boarders. As I have this crappy knee situation, I couldn't ride, but that didn't stop me from visiting with my girl, Kadance. I even talked my extremely patient husband into coming and taking some pictures.


Kadance is a very loving horse. She seeks out attention and loves to be rubbed on her throat. There is a particular spot on her throat that she loves more than any other. You can obviously tell by her expression when I rubbed it. If a horse could get its back leg going like a dog does when the sweet spot was scratched, she would have been kicking like crazy.

Physiology Grades Are Back on Track

The exam on nerve cell conduction....96%. Sweet!

So, How Bad Is It?

Today was the follow up appointment for my knee. Unfortunately, I have hurt myself more than I had suspected. During the past week, my knee has gotten to feel much better. Every now and then, I move it in a particular way that reminds me that I hurt myself. The message is loud and clear.

Stairs are not my friend and my knee does get tired quickly.

It's no wonder. The Doctor said I have done some damage to my MCL. Actually, he said I have torn my MCL, probably have done damage to my meniscus and probably have injured my ACL as well. Isn't that just nice.

Now, all I have to do is wait for an MRI for clarification of damage. How about this? If I have torn my MCL, meniscus and ACL , then I'll be having surgery. If I have torn my MCL and injured my meniscus, then maybe surgery, depending on the amount of damage. If I have only torn my MCL, then I'll be in the bionic brace for up to 6 months.

CRAP!

I really don't think I have done worrisome damage to my ACL. There is probably some damage to my meniscus, but I'm hoping there isn't. I have resigned myself to accepting that I have injured my MCL.

I know this because, there was a chart on the wall in the doctor's office that illustrated knee injury with a fellow swimming using the frog kick. So, I tried it. YIKES! It really hurt. No knee rotation for me.

The worst and most sad news about the whole situation is that I can't ride horses for a while. BooHoohoooo.

Eeewww, Crappy Score.

Well, I got back my physiology exam, which covered the cell membrane.

When I turned it in, I told the instructor that I had either done well or really bad. I hoped that I would at least come away with a B.

I did. I got an 88%. My overall grade is still an A.

The test today covered nerves. Hmmm. I'll be pleased with a B on that one.

Next week, muscles. Hopefully, I'll get back on the A-train with that one.

What Happened to Kelly?

When I visited my sister for the Daniel Stewart clinic, a conversation about the trials and tribulations of me came up. My sister suggested that I have a column on the Oakmont Farm website entitled "What Happened to Kelly?" Well, pooh, I thought. Yes, exciting things do happen to me and yes, they usually involve some sort of animal, but I don't think I need to have a column focusing my adventures.

I have my own personal blog.

So, this is what happened earlier this week.

I was at Oakmont practicing with Blue for the filming of the second portion of my Parelli Level 1 test. I decided to work on mounting while Blue stood still. I had done the saddling portion and began working on bareback mounting.

Okay, so there I was...one foot on the mounting block and the other foot on Blue's back. Things were okay for a few seconds, then she decided she would play "hide your heiny." Basically, she began to scoot her behind around and away from me. In my precarious position, I was slowly being "wishboned." Had she stopped after two or three steps, I would have been fine, but no. She took several steps and eventually, I fell.

As I was falling, I thought to myself, "I really don't want to land on the mounting block. That would really be a bad thing." I leaned away from the mounting block and ended up hitting the arena floor. My right knee connected with the ground and I heard a distinct crunching sound.

Let me say this...It really hurt. To add insult to my situation, Vanessa had just dumped a big bucket of water in the arena and naturally, I landed in the wet spot. So, there I am rolling around in wet arena dirt holding my knee and trying not to vomit. I didn't even care that I was getting really dirty, that's how bad it hurt.

Eventually, the nausea subsided and the pain calmed down. Blue just stood there looking at me with her head down. Clearly, she was asking me, "What are you doing down there?"

"Thanks alot, Blue," I said to her and made my first attempt to stand.

Yikes! It hurt, but I was able to stand and sort of walk, okay, hobble. I knew I had hurt myself and there would be no way I would be able to teach the two horseback riding lessons I had scheduled for later that afternoon.

With lessons cancelled, I drove home. Good thing I was driving the truck. It's an automatic.

At home, the pain just got worse.

During the night, I had to get up to pee. The pain was very intense and I was seriously struggling to walk. My nonsympathetic husband suggested that I crawl.

By 2:00 am, I knew I would not be attending school Wednesday morning. That really chaps my behind. But, there was no way around it. Off to the clinic.

At the clinic, my first examination yielded a trip to orthopedics. Orthopedics ordered an X-ray. X-rays revealed no broken bones, possible bruising. Further manipulation of the knee resulted in lots and lots of hurting. The initial diagnosis was a possible tear to the MCL, grade 2. Treatment options would consist of a hinged brace and crutches. Medications: Tylenol 3 and Ibuprofen. Follow up in a week to determine possible injury to the ACL.

Meanwhile, I have to keep my knee elevated and I can't ride Blue. No horseback riding. That means filming is out for the weekend. CRAP. I guess it's a good thing this test isn't on a deadline.

Today is Friday. My knee is much better and I really don't think surgery will be warranted. The brace is extremely helpful and the crutches are bothersome.

My husband, well, he keeps saying that he won't take care of me if I "Christopher Reeve" myself on this horse. He pointed out that my mother's condo is not wheelchair friendly.

Baby Steps

Yesterday was an AMAZING day. Not only did I get to give tours at Red Barn Farm, but I also went out to Oakmont. That's a great thing, but the most AMAZING thing happened while I was out at Oakmont.

I had intended to ride Blue, but she was to have a lesson later, so I was told to ride Flame. Well, on my way to get Flame, I changed my mind and decided to play with Kadance. I brought her into the arena and made a big decision.

I went way out on a limb and decided that I was going to ride her.

And...I did!

She was very calm about the whole experience. It was really no big deal to her at all. I was far more nervous and excited than she was. All she wanted to do was explore the new items in the arena.

I am thrilled! I rode my girl for the VERY FIRST TIME!!

Assorted Clinic Pictures

Here is Audrey and Red rocking around the jump course.

This is me riding around. At this moment, I am concentrating so hard. Stryder is simply doing his thing.

More riding.

Here I am about to do something that I have only done once before and that was about 2 minutes before this attempt. Luckily, I didn't fall off.

After all was said and done, there was time for relaxing. From left to right: me, Daniel Stewart, and Donna. If you look closely, you'll see an outline of a saddlebred on her shirt.

Audrey and Daniel Stewart. Notice he is signing her book for the third time. Pretty soon, she'll have to insert more pages. I wish she would just go train with him.

Audrey and Red Jumping

Audrey and Red Making a Sharp Turn

Riding Right in Oklahoma

This past weekend, I went to Oklahoma to visit my family and to participate in my second riding clinic with Daniel Stewart.

The clinic was great and Daniel Stewart is such a nice man. He always has encouraging things to say. This best part is that I know I am a very basic beginner and even though he is a coach for the Olympic Team, he still provided individual attention to me. No matter how poorly or how well a rider rides, he always points out a positive. In my case, he complemented my positive attitude. That's me -- Have a coke and a smile!

Anyway, I did learn bunches as did my friend, Donna. She boards and rides at Oakmont with me. She loves saddlebreds. I give her a hard time about those giraffe horses and she accepts that I like big butts. My girl's butt is significantly bigger that her horse's. Anyway....back to the topic.

So, there I was...way, way outside my comfort zone attempting to canter. I've only purposefully asked for a canter maybe three times. And that was about a week ago. So, Daniel Stewart told me to ask for a canter and I did. My sister's horse, Stryder, complied and we were off to the races, so to speak, right directly into the wall. Yikes. I bailed. Ka-Blam!

Dang it. I had really hoped NOT to fall off this time. Every time I have ridden Stryder, I have ended up in the dirt. Luckily, this time was less sever that the previous times. No major bruising and no concussion. Only a wrenched finger and a big time head ache.

All in all, I am tickled to have attended the clinic. It is such a privilege to get to work with a big time horse person. He'll be back in July "08. Even though we will be moving to Missouri around the exact same time, I am going to do my best to move mountains to be able to attend.

My niece, Audrey, did extremely well. That young lady has such a great relationship with her horse. She looked amazing. I asked her when she might be moving to Spain to train with Daniel Stewart full-time. She said she has no desire to do that. All she wants to do is ride and train. Keep it simple and love what your doing.

I can definitely understand that. Right now, my ultimate long term goal is to do a flying lead change. Short term, I just want to saddle my horse and ride her without an issue. She's been doing so well. Vanessa, her trainer, has made major improvements with Kadance. I have progressed from simply wanting to pick up her feet to completing basic ground games without a temper tantrum. By spring, I hope to be doing light saddle work.

On another note...this morning I woke up being able to correctly identify the precise location of all those muscles in my own body that I had to identify on the anatomy learning models for my exam last Friday. I know this based on how sore they are. Trust me when I say the sternocleidomastoid muscle gets a work out when you slam the back of your head to the ground when falling from a horse.

More Points for Me

This past Friday, I took two exams. The first one was in my Physiology class and covered metabolism. I thought I did pretty well. There was only one area where I was concerned. When I read the question, I actually said out loud, "What?" I wondered to myself where that question had come from because it certainly was not in my notes.

The second exam was in Anatomy and covered muscle systems; the function, structure and names of the muscles of the body. There were a couple of questions on the written portion that caused me to stop and think. The practical portion was cake and pie (piece of cake and easy as pie).

So, today scores came back. Physiology...95%. Anatomy...102%. Right now, I'm working on straight A's. Frankly, I rock!

Big Bull

Next to Oakmont farm, there is a pasture that is home to several bulls. The hang out doing nothing but eating, sleeping, pooping and peeing. No big deal, right? Well, I find them to be intimidating and I won't even approach the fence. These pictures are taken from the safety of my truck. I'm just too frightened to find out how they would react if I were to approach the fence.

Life Lessons

I got this as an email several days ago. I thought it was pretty dang accurate.

You have to click on it for a larger image.

Test Results

The test scores on the Physiology test covering homeostasis and biofeedback loops were revealed. I did well. Not as well as I would have liked, but a 94% is nothing to sneeze at.

Last Friday, we had a test covering DNA and RNA and the central dogma of biology. I can honestly say that I owe my score completely to my Microbiology instructor. I earned myself a BIG, FAT 100 PERCENT!
Yeah, that's right.

I am an overachieving study nerd...and PROUD of it!

Play Time With Kadance

At the barn where I keep my girl, Kadance, a Parelli instructor, Jenny Vaught, came to teach a 3-hour clinic.

She demonstrated that by holding your horse's tongue, it is possible to forgo using a twitch. Being able to reach inside my horse's mouth and grab her tongue with confidence was worth the price of admission.

We played the 7 games with our horses and learned a few new ones. As Kadance isn't ready to be ridden (she's too young), I opted to switch horses for the riding portion of the clinic. I rode Blue.

Blue is a competitive horse. When it came time for cantering, Blue was going to canter whether I wanted her to or not. As I am not ready for cantering yet, I practiced my Pushing Passenger when she "raced" the other horses in the cloverleaf.

When I found out that Jenny lives in Springfield, Missouri, I was delighted. I came home that evening and told my husband that I really wanted Springfield to be put at the top of our preference list for our next job assignment. He was willing, but protested, saying that he has never made a career choice based upon an animal, much less a horse. My husband is a patient man. I remind him every day that he loves me.

Initial results are in

As you know, I'm back in school. I've decided to apply to the nursing program at Kansas City Community College. To prepare for the actual application to the program, I have to complete a few courses that I didn't have with my bachelor degree. Even though I do have more science courses that a typical sociology degree seeker, I didn't have enough. So, I am currently taking Human Anatomy and Lab, Human Physiology and Microbiology.

The first exam in Physiology covered basic Chemistry principles; electrons, valence shells and types of bonding. I did well. I got a 95%. The second test was this past Friday. I think I did well. I'll put it like this, either I did very well or did extremely poorly. I'll find out tomorrow.

My first Anatomy exam was not as difficult as it could have been, but it still was challenging. I barely squeaked an A. I got a 90%. That combined with all of the pop quiz scores has brought my overall grad down to an 89%. Crap. Hopefully, with the coming exams, I can raise my average.
We did have an exam this past Friday. It was both written and hands-on. I think I did well. At least I know I did well on the practical part. The multiple choice part, well, I know I missed at least 2, more than likely, I missed more than that. I'll find out tomorrow.

My first Microbiology test was this past Wednesday. I did well. When I left the class, I knew I had missed two. It was confirmed on Friday. I only missed those two. I got a perfect 50 of 50 on the essay, short answer portion. YAY! I am very pleased with my 96%.

I'll have to transfer schools next summer when we moved to Missouri. I have come to learn that nursing programs mostly consider Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Biology and Chemistry grades when accepting students. Well, my undergrad Chemistry grade from 1987/88 is only a C. I say "only." I busted my butt in that class. I'm thrilled with the C. That was from having taken it a second time, too. I had to have a year of Chemistry. I got a C then an F. When I took it again, I was lucky to get the C. Hopefully, my later undergrad grades and my new course grades will more than overcompensate for the less than stellar performance.

Study Nerd

I love school and school loves me. I'm as happy as can be. I love school and school loves me.

I figured I needed to make a permanent record that at the beginning of this semester, I was happy about school.

This semester I am taking Human Physiology and lab, Microbiology, and Human Anatomy and lab. I MUST study every single day. I have a test sometimes two each week. In Micro, there is a "pop" quiz every day. It's not very pop if you know you're getting one. Right now, I've gotten full points for each of them.

So far, the curriculum of each class are similar, in that we are reviewing basic chemistry. Each subject ventures off on its own, but the fundamental principles are the same.

Next week on Wednesday, I have an exam in Anatomy covering the different systems of the body (there are 11 of them), embryology, and tissues. Yep. It is a tremendous amount of information and we've only had three lectures. I'm a little worried. This exam could be EXTREMELY difficult. I have to remind myself that we have only had three lectures and that this is a 4-hour freshman level course. Anatomy is easily two semester course and embryology is a huge field in itself. Doctors specialize in each of the 11 body systems. As the MD who teaches the class has stressed that connective tissue is the most diverse and abundant tissue and that he spent 2 lectures covering it, I am going to focus most of my attention on that.

Then, next Friday, I have a test covering pages 24 - 44 in Physiology. Not a whole bunch of pages to worry about, but it is the basic chemistry portion of the chapter and doesn't even begin to touch on nucleotides (DNA and RNA). I just have to remember SPONCH. Sulfur, phosphorous, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen. Plus, everything about them; all of their neutrons, protons, electrons and how the chemically bond with one another and organic groups. Yep, there's a few hours of studying there, too.

Micro, so far, is interesting. Right now we are looking at taxonomy and cell formation of very, very, very small living things. It's pretty cool. Just for fun, my notebook is green and I write with a green pen. When I think bacteria, I think green gunk. It works for me.

God's Pop Quizes

Since the very first day we moved into our house, the toilet in the master bathroom has wobbled. Initially the problem was remedied with a shim. No more wobbles. Last week, the shim was no longer enough and the toilet was wobbling again, more than it had originally. So, my wonderful husband called the plumber.

The plumber came and went on this past Wednesday. Neither my husband nor I were home at the time, but our daughter was. She said the plumber lifted the toilet off the floor and claimed that we had termites and there was nothing he could do about the toilet until the floor was fixed.

Exterminators were called and a handy-man was called. They were scheduled to arrive around noon on Thursday.

Thursday morning I reported to my 9:50 physiology lab at 9:40. At 9:50 am, I was still the only person there. The instructor finally entered the room and asked if I was there for the lab.

"Yes."

"Well, come on into the other room. We aren't having a lab today. I already gave the introduction and dismissed everyone."

"Ah, Am I late?"

"No. You are right on time."

Once we arrived in the correct room, he handed me a syllabus which he said I could NOT keep. Something about how he hadn't been able to secure copies. Then he went on to explain the grading scale and the requirements of the class.

Then, he asked what time the class started.

"9:50."

"Well, if you could arrive no later than 9:30, then you won't miss any of the instructions for the lab."

What?!? I guess it's a good thing that I do not have a class before this one.

After that I was dismissed and went home. Cool. More time for me to study.

When the Orkin man showed up, I told him of the toilet situation. He went into my bathroom and looked and the floor and the toilet's hole in the floor. (No the plumber had not replaced the toilet. He left it off to the side and a towel stuffed in the pipe.)

"Hmmm," he says as he steps on the floor. And then he groans.

He says it just might be termites and off we go to inspect the basement and the sub-floor. Guess what. No evidence of termites anywhere.

We go outside to inspect the outside walls. Our woodpile was suspect and the Orkin man and I moved it away from the house. Guess what...No evidence of termites.

Then the Orkin man spotted an ant. He asked me if I had ever seen any ants in the bathroom. Well, as a matter of fact, yes. The ants were identified as carpenter ants and we would definitely need to treat our house for them as they can cause as much damage as termites.

About this time, Larry, the handy-man shows up. He sets out to check out the bathroom floor. Out pops his handy-dandy pocket knife. He pokes it several times into the flooring and says we do not have termites. I suggested ants, but he disagreed. He said the constant wobbling of the toilet weakened the bolts securing the toilet and the seal broke causing leakage which caused water damage. He said he could fix my whole problem for $80.

Of course I said, "Fix it."

"When?"

"Right now."

"Well, I can't right now. How about tomorrow?"

"No good for me. I have class."

"I can't come on Monday. How about Tuesday."

Just great. No working toilet until Tuesday. Just then, he remembers he could come back in about 2 hours and fix it then. I tell him that would be fine and I would make the necessary phone calls to adjust my schedule to make it satisfactory.

He leaves. The Orkin man writes up an estimate and assorted pest control proposal and I call my horseback riding student to cancel her lesson.

Oh yeah, as we have a big problem with fleas this summer, I have the Orkin man do an estimate for super flea treatment.

Two hours later, Larry is back. Unfortunately, the pipe fixture that goes into the floor is much too tall and sits about 1/4 inch higher than it should and that was forcing the toilet to balance on top of it. Eventually, the bolts wore out and the toilet was just barely sitting on the pipe. Can you imagine the crappy situation that would have been caused had the toilet toppled over? Anyway, Larry did his best, but had to retrieve and additional tool and get the right fitting. So, one more day goes by.

Just because Larry is a good guy, he popped by this afternoon to see if he could continue his work today. Luckily my daughter was home and she told him to proceed. He was nearly finished when I got home from school.

It's 6 pm on Friday. I have a working toilet, no termites, maybe carpenter ants and fleas in my house, but my husband is vacuuming after sprinkling pet flea-killer carpet fresh.

The laminate floor installers come next week to put new floors down in the kitchen. I would wonder what they would find under the linoleum, but I'm having them put the new floor down directly on top of the old one. If it ain't broke don't fix it and don't ask, don't tell.

Bug Bites and Karma

This morning, my observant husband pointed out that a bug had bitten me on my backside.

"Yep. I was bitten by a very big bug."

He was confused so I clarified.

"Gravity."

He laughed.

Yesterday morning, we had gone out on our morning walk. During our idle chit chat, he had made some smart comment and I, naturally, had to respond in the like.

I said something to the affect that I would have to "kick his butt" and quick bent my leg back to hit his behind with the heel of my left foot. As my foot came down, it became tangled in his feet and I took a spill.

Surprised, he just looked at me. Embarrassed, I scrambled to my feet and brushed off my hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. Then we giggled at my antics. "It's never a dull moment with me around."

Lesson learned. Karma is always watching.

My Big Girl

She is so pretty.
She also loves attention. It is difficult to get a good picture of her because she wants to be right up close. I have lots of pictures of just her nostril.
Each day is something new for her.

A couple of weeks ago, I tried giving her a bath. Okay, I tried getting her wet with the hose. It went okay for a few minutes, but then, pandemonium. Fear and anxiety got the better of her.

Wanda and I tried again just a few days ago. We met with huge success. Hopefully, the next time will be even easier.

New Addition

Back in May, we had a 3-day rain. When the sun finally broke through the cloud cover, my husband and I took our three dogs for a walk. At the end of the road, several blocks from our house, there is an empty lot adjacent to a creek. Out of the tall grass, I heard the distinct cries of a cat.

"Here, kitty, kitty," I answered.

More meowing.

"Here, kitty, kitty."

Eventually, a brown and black striped fluffy tail became visible in the tall grass and shortly thereafter, a domestic long-hair cat broke out of the vegetation and rejoiced at having been found.

After a few pets, which revealed no collar, the cat happily snuggled into my arms, unperturbed by the very curious dogs at my feet.

Closer examination indicated this cat was definitely lost as it had been declawed. So, I brought it home.

My husband immediately protested saying that we didn't need another cat. I replied that I would do the right thing and post "found" signs and hopefully, somebody would claim this cat.

The cat settled into our home, thankful to be inside away from the cruddy weather and none too soon either, because that evening was the beginning of a 5-day rain. Talk about perfect luck.

My daughter inspected the cat and informed us that it was a she. Her cat, Nona, was not overjoyed with the new arrival, but they seemed to get along. The dogs, however, were greatly disappointed with the new cat. Turns out, the new cat had not yet learned the fine art of playing chase. She didn't run when approached. Bummer for the pups.

After the rain, I posted signs around the neighborhood and made inquiries with folks that I suspected might be the rightful parents. No luck. I did received some response to the signs, but those lost cats did not match my found cat.

After several more days, I decided that the cat would be staying with us. She had proved to be a loving cat, who actually enjoyed snuggling and showed affection. Good qualities for living with dog people. So, the cat, became Emily.


Emily, is the most relaxed cat around. She lays on the kitchen counter and does not protest being pushed around. She actually becomes a dust rag. She gently wrestles and readily submits to being picked up and carried.

My husband, in spite of his original protests, plays with the Emily and has been known to seek her out for cuddles. He even brought her to bed one evening.

After two months, he came to the conclusion that Emily would be staying with us on a permanent basis and suggested a trip to the vet.

At the vet clinic, we explained how Emily came into our lives and that we knew absolutely nothing about her.

The vet tech took a quick peak and informed us that our Emily was a neutered male. Hmmm. Other than that, he was in good health. His age, based upon the appearance of his teeth, was estimated to be 18 months. He was tested for feline aids and leukemia and he was negative for both. He received his immunizations and a clean bill of health.

All that was left to do was to determine a proper male name.

Emily went through some trial names, none of which lasted more than a couple of hours. He was Bob, then Charlie, Freddy was immediately cast aside as was Dieter. Alister lasted less than 10 seconds. Eventually, everyone agreed that Emily was now Henry.

Henry is a member of the family, as degreed by my wonderful husband. He told Henry one afternoon that he was the best pet, almost as good as Jake. WOW! High praise, especially since my sweet husband thinks that Jake (the Westie) hung the sun, moon and stars.

Just the other day, my husband and I went for our morning walk. I noticed a LOST CAT sign and stopped to check it out. Luckily, it wasn't our Henry.

My husband said, "Good, because it's too late now. It's been over two months. He's ours."

"Does that mean you would fight to keep him?"

"Yes."

Like Attracts Like

They say birds of a feather flock together and that like attracts like. I really hope there are some exceptions, if not, I'm in trouble.

The other day at the mall, I became cognizant of men noticing me. Unfortunately, it was only ugly men checking me out. I don't mean plain men, I mean down right ugly men. When the fat belly, barefoot man with leg tattoos, long unclean hair and a scraggly beard gave me the once over, I had had it. What the hell? Why only ugly men?

Okay, my husband, who I think is quite yummy, thinks I'm something special to look at. That's nice. But..he loves me. There is a difference. I'd really like to be able to turn a few heads, not stop traffic at a crash-up derby. 'Dang, you sure gots a purdy mouth.'

Yesterday at school, I noticed something equally as disturbing. I'm old. Yikes! I certainly don't feel old. There is one young man who I see everyday in the hallway. He is attractive and appears to be older than 20. I've noticed him dismiss me, like I'm his mother. Dang.

Today, at the gas station, the redneck in the King Cab pick-up work truck said hi to me. Okay...at least this guy had a job. He sure beats barefoot fatty.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not in the market. I'm very happily married. It's a good thing, too. Sejavascript:void(0)
Publish Posteing the caliber of men out there who find me attractive, makes me appreciate my yummy husband all the more.

Broken

Last week, County Magazine gave me an assignment. It was pretty cool. I had to go interview a lady in Tonganoxie about her farm, especially her goats. The place is called Screamin' Oaks and I had such a good time. Of course, I did. There were animals involved. The best part about the experience it that I learned all kinds of new things about goats. Did you know they eat all the weeds that grass eaters won't eat? They eat poison ivy and if you drink their milk, you'll build a resistance to the ill effects of poison ivy. How cool is that?

After I left the goat farm, I went out to Oakmont Farm. Sometime between farms, my camera decided that it wasn't going to work anymore. It is broken.

When I bought my camera and super storage chip four years ago, I spent a pretty penny. My husband and I went to Best Buy over the weekend and discovered that my camera, which had been good quality at 3.2 pixels, is now a joke. A camera with 7.1 pixels costs about $200 less than what I paid originally. And the memory chip, well, that thing cost me $100 for 256 MB and now I can get 2 GB for $70. Technology. Wow.

So, my husband, Mr. Thrifty, opted to order a camera online. He saved about $40 plus shipping. That's great. The downside is that I have to wait for delivery. That's a bummer.

I really would have liked to have it yesterday. Yesterday was a big day for Kadance. She had a lesson with Vanessa (a horse trainer) and the task for the day was saddling. Kadance did such a great job. No worries. When the time comes for riding her, she'll be wonderful. She really is a pretty horse and she has a lovely extended trot.