just another blog post second of the day! don't mind me.

this is my life. (NOT WRITTEN BY ME.)

You know you're a nursing student when:

1. You watch medical shows and comment the whole way through about how that scenario would NEVER happen in real life... or that the doctor is using his stethescope backwards
2. You cringe when someone around you doesn't cover his cough or sneezes into her hands
3. Your friends and family members come to you with their minor medical problems and expect you to be able to diagnose them
4. People look at you weird when you use medical terms in everyday conversations
5. You use your family members to practice physical assessments and taking vitals, and volunteer to bandage their boo-boos
6. 6 hours of clinical prep have you stressed out all week long
7. Your friends have banned you from talking about class and/or clinical while eating
8. You notice when someone you're introduced to has really good veins
9. You wish that caffeine came in IV form
10. You self diagnose with whatever disease you've been reading about in your textbook, even the mental ones
11. You turn of the faucet and open the door in public restrooms by using a paper towel... and carry hand sanitizer in your backpack
12. When you enter a classroom with a hand sanitizer dispenser outside the door you gel in and gel out
13. You get excited when someone says there's a dressing change or catheter to be done on the unit
14. Your birthday and Christmas lists consist of nursing "toys"
15. The correct answer is not on the test, and you could have argued 3 of the 4 answers
16. The words "care plan" give you a headache

word.

real talk.

Today we're going to talk about relationships -- or should i say real-ationships.

An unrealistic amount of relationships are fake now a days, friendships are taken for grated, people use dating as an excuse for sex or comfort or a security blanket. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but sweetheart, your relationship isn't going to work if you're not going to be real with yourself, and the other person: be it friend, boyfriend, cousin, pupil. That shit is not happening. To be real, you have to be you. None of that happy sappy bullshit, where you pretend you are the supremely confident supermodel type who can speak 12 languages, but the girl who is down to earth, has her insecurities (we're girls. we all have them, fess up) and hell if you can speak 12 languages, props to you. I speak two and still have word dyslexia. 

You can't build a relationship off bullshit, you can try, but it won't work... and if it works for awhile, it won't work forever. Hate to break your happiness bubble. You have to be truthful to the other person, maybe you don't have to tell them about your past (we all have something we're not proud of), but don't pretend to be something your not because that just leads into that other person falling inlove/liking this person you have now created, and when you get tired playing dress up, they're just like wtf? Who is this girl? To be yourself with this said person, first of all, you have to KNOW who you are. Thirteen-year-olds, lets face it, you don't know what you're doing at 13. I was the most messed up kid at 13, I wanted to be emo-sob-about-my-life-and-how-horrible-it-is, but then spontaneously wanted to become a fashion designer. Now here I am, 18 and neither. Maybe your relationship will last at 13, my parents did. But that's also my parents. This isn't the olden days anymore, our priorities are effed up.

So now that we know who we are, secondly, KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. Do you want the Marilyn Manson type? Leonardo DiCaprio? Do you want a Hugh Heffner-kinda guy who'll leave you millions when he dies? But please, make this decision realistically. There is only one Matthew Mcconaughey in our world, and he's busy and most likely taken. Once you know that, you won't fall into the arms of the countless other dudes who are just so wrong for you, and who leave you bawling your eyes out and pigging out on Ben and Jerrys. Saves you tears, time AND those extra 15 lbs you would gain then later cry over. For friendships, don't have these unrealistic expectations and expect everyone to be perfect. People make mistakes, we're human not robotic. 

And lastly, don't make relationships your security blanket. No one wants a stage 5 clinger, neither as a girlfriend or best friend. We need oxygen to breathe, kinda hard when you're taking it all up in my bubble...

There you go. Summary?

1. KNOW WHO YOU ARE

2. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

3. DON'T BREATHE OTHER PEOPLES OXYGEN -- just kidding. But seriously. No stage 5 clingerness.

how the gods tried to smite me

Have you ever had one of those mornings where just everything, literally, everything goes wrong and it's like some supernatural force is trying to keep you from school?

Yeah. Today was that day.
First and foremost, my usually very reliable alarm clock decided it needed a mental health day. I woke up late. That in itself is already stressful because as you LEAP out of bed you're listing in your mind everything you have to get done in the next 45 minutes to leave on time, catch the train then the bus to make it to that really boring 8 am class.

Through the mayhem of getting ready, making breakfast, eating breakfast, making my lunch. Whilst in the middle of trying to pack a semi-decent/healthy lunch I find we have nothing at home that can be used for a sandwich. WHO DOESN'T HAVE SANDWICH CONDIMENTS? Apparently, my household. I did not want to take two plain breadslices to school so I opted for an overabundance of fruits and vegetables (to where my boyfriend called me a herbivore....). Anyway, after all that I finally grabbed all my school stuff while also making my bed so my nazi mother doesn't lose it on me... And I somehow manage to be out the door by 6:55... olympic record, set by yours truly.

I thought I was out of the supernatural wrath, only to get to my car and it decide it too wanted to take a mental health day and not start. Given, it was pretty cold and he's an old fellow, but really car? We've been friends for 10 days and I've been nothing but nice to you! Finally I got the bugger to start, and I let the car start to warm up as I scrapped the frost off my windshield after a search for one of those dual-ended-scrapper-things-you-buy-at-hardware-stores. Yes people, frost. Spring doesn't exist in Canada. I worked those biceps making sure I could clearly see, proud of my scraping abilities I got in the car and began to reverse, by this time it being 7:05. My train comes at 7:12. As I was backing up, slowly a sheet of fog or sleet or whatever the heck it was started to coat my window so I literally could see nothing. NOTHING. Out of the 6 windows in this car, all of them were impossible to see through.

I parked back into the driveway and called my mom. She drove me to the station. I missed my train. Once I got on the next train, I missed my bus. And I walked from the station to the school (closest station, not the one by my house.... I'd be here when it'd be time to go home).

And there you have it, how the gods tried to smite me into not going to school.

KONY 2012: not just about KONY

I'm going to get right in and personal here.

I'm sure by now most of you have heard about KONY 2012, if not, here's the video.
Now, lots of conspiracies have arisen in the last 48 hours that the video was brought live and educated a lot of people about what is happening Uganda. I've personally known about the LRA, children soldiers, their forced mutilation and killing for years now. This doesn't just happen in Uganda, it happens in the Congo, Sierra Leona, and I'm more than positive that the LRA is not the only rebel group.

Now with this being said, I'm not belittling the director and Invisible Children's goal, but I'm not supporting this because of catching a dictator. It's naive to think that capturing one will stop it all, it doesn't work that way. Joseph Kony has been corrupting the children he abducts for 26 years, but ruining African childrens' lives has been happening decades before that. Not only that, but Kony must have allies, accomplices who I am sure will try to continue on his work. Don't get me wrong, I'm hopeful this will change at least something in Africa, and I'm more than hopeful it'll carry on an effect other areas and third world countries. Personally I'm glad someone is taking a step, the KONY project finally educated the people who needed to be educated on what's happening in our world. Of course there will be ignorance, everyone has a different opinion. But I sincerely sincerely hope that this doesn't just "disappear" in a week. I'm not supporting this for KONY, I'm supporting for giving his LRA children and the children he would've abducted a chance, with the hope that this will cause a ripple effect and bring light to other injustices in our world.

Raising awareness is vital, how can people know what's going on without the proper information? And I personally believe that the way this campaign is being marketed is both great but questionable, a double-ended sword. What makes it questionable for me, is the plea for donations for a different organization. I haven't researched into it thus far, but just from the video itself, I think there should have been more information according to the donation process, where the money goes, what percent of it is received (like, hello. not 100% won't be, the movie has quite some special effects.) and the charities relationship (TRI) with Invisible Children. But I think it's very successful for these individuals and organization to raise awareness and market in such a large industry in the world: social networking. The simplicity of just sharing the video to make Joseph Kony famous and recognized globally to ensure his arrest is genius, but I hope that my fellow peers and friends won't just stop at that. I'm not saying to fly all the way to Africa tomorrow and go catch Kony with your bare hands, (that's extremist even for me) but advocate for this. Not only for the KONY project, but also for organizations such as World Vision and UNICEF. These unfortunate children, not only in Uganda but Sierrra Leona, South Africa, Southern America, Timor, everywhere in the world, need a voice and through social networking we can be their voice. Don't just stop at KONY, he's one man of the thousands and millions out there taking the childhood and innocence of children globally.

Wallet Saver Update!

hello hello, two blogs in one day? It must be an apocalypse! No need to worry, I'm just popping on really quick to share an update on my progress with "the wallet saver" (link! if you haven't seen it yet, there it is). Pretty much it's my attempt to save money. :) So far, it has been a success!

My first challenge was make up (PROJECT 10 PAN).
I'm proud to say I have almost used up:

• MAC studio fix foundation
• a Lancome eye shadow
• Benefit's they're real mascara
• Smashbox full exposure mascara
• MAC splashproof mascara
• an Elizabeth Arden blush
• and finally, a MAC studio fix powder

Although I have used up completely a MAC mineralized skin finish, and two softlips lip chaps!
I think I'm going to continue this little project, to refrain from over spending on make up and after I reach my goal of completely using up 10 items, I've decided to only purchase something new after I finish another product. ie, want a new foundation? finish the other one!

Also for my make up, I went on a major purge. I'm glad to say that I have condensed my make up collection from a ridiculously packed four drawers and hoarding in my purse, to a neat three drawered plastic container and have given away: over 10 eyeshadow pallets, several nail polishes, several lipsticks/glosses, a few blushes, some powders and a foundation.

My second challenge was clothing, and it's safe to say I have not bought anything and broken my rule of no clothes spending until April 24th! And, I have also been shopping my closet and trying to make different outfits of the clothes I do have and never wear! I have also planned for after the wallet saver money goal is achieved, I will separate small amounts of my pay cheques into a "shopping fund" and save up for the clothing items/shopping trips I want! So, another success!

My final challenge was my spending, and it was still a success, but still a work in progress. I have gone over my budgets of 15-20 dollars a month a few times, which is acceptable under some circumstances. Also a lot of my friends birthdays were in February, so I had to of course get them presents! Not to add the few concert tickets I've bought... I've definitely gone over. But I do make sure I'm careful with the spending, and I haven't exceeded my budgets by very much! But of course, cutting down ones spending is not something that happens over night!

All in all, the wallet saver has been a success! I have almost reached my money saving goal, and then afterwards will increase it again and continue the project, but not as strictly!

I hope those of you who are trying the wallet saver as well are just as successful!

saving not spending,
little jo

I was abducted by aliens and taken to mars...

Just kidding. School has once again overtaken my life and it's a bit difficult to find a balance between studying, working, maintaining a skeleton social life with my friends, time with my family, seeing my boyfriend, you get the picture? But it would be pretty sweet to be abducted by aliens...

So I don't have very much to blog about, but there's a couple things that are blogworthy. Since working in the hospital for school, it's been a real eye opener to things in my life. I always thought I was appreciating the little things, but I can only say I've been hypocritical when I see the amazing people on the unit I'm working on. I've never seen such strength, determination and inspiration. Working with these people has made me look around at my life and appreciate everything that much more, and appreciate everyday given to me that much more. I'll be honest, I don't always live life to the fullest. If I was to pass away, I would have a lot of things left I would want to do. Maybe I'm making excuses by saying I just don't have the time, but as a student drowning in midterms it's difficult to find the time and money to do some of these things. So I decided, why not make a bucket list? No, I'm not about to die of some terminal disease, but with a reminder of the things I want to do, perhaps it'll focus me, and I'll get most or all of them done.

1. save a life
2. overcome my fear of heights and sky dive
3. go to disney land -- i've never been. i'm 18 and deprived.
4. make a change in someone
5. do something that really matters
6. volunteer in a third world country
5. go to africa and work on an orphanage (the above is similar but not quite the same)
7. do something spontaneous
8. do something I would originally never ever do
9. learn to surf, and actually stand on ONE wave -- one because if you know me, i'm horrible uncoordinated
10. sing really drunk and horrible karaoke.
11. watch the sunset on the beach with the love of my life
12. see new york again
13. do something life changing for 3 people. -- a la pay it forward.
14. get at tattoo

I have a lot more, but that's just a snippet of the things I want to accomplish. Who knows, maybe I've subconsciously done some of these but if I've done it once I'll do it again! I don't want to live my life with any regrets or "what ifs" and I want to appreciate to the fullest everyday I'm given to live. Life is short, and passes too fast and before you know it everything you wanted to do, you can't anymore.

peace and love,
little jay