~New(er) Technologies~

Going to school and juggling studies in multiple different places with flash drives, email, and other means of saving my research and information to continue to work on later, proved to be a frustrating and difficult means of production.

I toted my (huge) laptop around in a (huge) rolling briefcase type roller bag that ended up being cumbersome at best, in order to keep up with my homework and research papers and the like.

I broke down and bought an iPad, but I did it in a really cool and convenient way.

Scottsdale Healthcare has a program that after being employed for a year, based on your gross pay, you can purchase items through them without interest and pay for it through payroll deduction over a year. It proved to be an option that we felt we could handle so we did it.  I have to say, it's been one of the best purchases, ever.

Yesterday Josh let me go find a keyboard/case so that I can type (I'm WAY faster at typing than the 'hunt and peck' method) and it's been the second best purchase, ever.  I'm currently in Apple heaven.

This begs a propositional question, I'm up for an renewal of my phone. iPhone or Samsung III... that is the question.

What are your thoughts?


 

~Summer School~

Most of you have heard me stressing out or posting random blurbs during my summer school adventure and I wanted to kind of explain myself a little... maybe you would understand why I am so STINKIN' HAPPY that I survived!!

About my summer school adventure...

I have never taken summer school before. Ever.  Being a newbie, I scheduled a normal load of classes, in the shorter amount of time, without even considering any other reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea.  I thought it was what I should do and wanted to take full advantage of moving my schedule around and having Monday through Thursday off to do it all.  I took a math class (for 5 weeks), anatomy and physiology (for 8 weeks) and a pharmacology class (for 8 weeks).  When I started, it seemed doable... until my biology class took ALL of my time to do.  I was so frustrated with myself because my other 2 classes were on the back burner, and all I could do is stay in the game.  I did ok in my math, not as good as I could have, and my pharmacology mid term was a whopping 66%.  Thankfully I had like a 99.6% going into the mid-term. 

After the first 5 weeks, my math class finished and my chemistry class started (another 5 week class).  I found that while trying to juggle a new class and facing finals in my 2 other classes, all I could focus on was staying above the grade in bio and worry about chemistry later.  I considered dropping it but decided that I wasn't a failure and that to me was taking the easy way out. Then my first chem test score was a 68%!!  Unfortunately, at this point, I could no longer drop the class without paying for it as well.  I had no time to study anything other than my biology and certainly had no time for the chemistry class. 


Today is a good day!  I just received my biology final grade and was pleasantly surprised that I maintained my grade.  Well, I struggled at first and brought it up but thankfully, it didn't drop any further after the middle of the semester.

I'm happy to say that all in all, my math, pharmacology, and A&P classes all have B's, and I'm currently at an A in chemistry!

Hard work and perseverance (as well as an incredibly supportive husband and family) REALLY pays off!!
  
Note to self: Never, ever, ever, EVER take summer classes like that, AGAIN!!

~Yeah BABY!~

Today is day 5 and I'm still going STRONG!  Especially since I bought the juicer yesterday.  I know it's not technically the right one but going from blending / straining to oxidized juicing.  Nonetheless, I'm pretty stoked! 

Last night I made the Green Juice from the documentary FS&ND and I think I messed it up.  I read somewhere that the skin has a ton of vitamins and nutrients and it's ok to juice the lemon whole but SOMETHING, maybe the kale or the lemon, made the juice bitter as heck that I had goose bumps while drinking every time.  I like lemons but maybe not as much as I thought I did.  I don't think I'll do the whole lemon next time since it only calls for 1/2 of one in the first place.

This morning I made a juice that required ginger, pineapple and watermelon.  It's SO GOOD!!  I seriously think I could do this juicing thing for a long time!  What better way to clean out and detox my body, re-start my palate, get healthier AND lose a few pounds while I'm at it?!  I can't think of a better way than juicing.  All thanks to Joe Cross, of course!   Now I just need to find out where working out comes in for me.  I'm getting used to the juicing and feeling stronger everyday.  I mean, it doesn't make you weak, it's getting used to juicing instead of over eating that makes you feel super weak initially.  I'm thinking it's going to happen within the next few days.  So excited to take this journey!  I feel great and can't wait to LOOK great!  

~This Is JUICY!~

I did it.  I broke down and bought a juicer...  Shhhh! Don't tell the Husband!  I've done a ton of research online about juicing and what juicers people are using, and all of the juicers I found had a price tag of $300-$450!!  So what I was trying to do instead was blending.  I would strain out the juice in a strainer then put a bowl the same size and squeeze all that I could out before discarding the pulp.  I wasn't comfortable with the discard.  There was still SO MUCH and even juicy but I couldn't for the life of me get more juice.  At one point I saved the pulp to re-blend and get more nutrients out but all it gave me was the extra water I used to try and blend it in the first place.  Throwing out the discard to me was throwing out nutrients, money I used to buy the veggies and MORE money because of the amount I had to use just to get the juice!  It wasn't working for me.

So... I purchased a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer that I found at Kohl's for $150. The best part? I went to Costco for more veggies and fruits but found the SAME juicer for $80!! I promptly turned around and returned the Kohl's one that I had purchased an hour before and went back and bought the Costco one.  SO worth it!!!  I got it home and before I put all of the veggies and stuff away, I made a drink.  I put an orange, strawberries and an apple and it extracted this ENTIRE glass full of YUMMY JUICE!!  I'm SO happy I have the juicer!  I would have used WAY more fruit to get that glass full by blending!

As far as my progress, today is day 4+ and I can't even begin to tell you all of the fantastic reasons why YOU should juice!!  I am feeling GREAT! and can't imagine stopping any time soon!  My skin looks great, my appetite is better and my headaches are GONE!  I still haven't eaten since lunch 4 days ago, well... except for the banana I had that night.  No sugar.  No caffiene.  No nuthin'!  Although, I gotta tell you... My brain has been playing dirty tricks on me!  The other day while sitting in the living room, I would have SWORN someone was baking fresh bread in the kitchen.  NEVER has there been bread baking in this house!  Yesterday morning I woke up and cuddled with Max.  HE smelled like a cheezy dorito!  Max hasn't had a bath since Thanksgiving and let me tell you... He DOESN'T smell like a dorito! 

~Rockin' This!~



Google Images

I've completed the first day of this Juice Fasting experiment that I'm on, and let me tell ya... I'm feelin' gooooood!  Yesterday was day 1 (even though I snuck in my first juice drink for dinner the night before).  I was working, which I'm not sure is the smartest idea I've had so far because  I swear, I was a looney tune!  I felt quite sluggish, nevermind the fact that to me working in the ICU equals a Venti, Sugar Free Vanilla, Soy, Chai Tea; sometimes twice in a day, along with an occasional soda just to keep up!  That and take away my morning oatmeal and wrap of some kind for lunch.  I know, I'm a creature of habit.  It's ok!  I know what I like!  I did have quite a headache and it seemed that my actions took a little extra effort to do.  Even though I felt awkward, I stuck to my plan and had only my juice drink and water, the entire day.  I haven't eaten anything since my banana 2 nights ago and in the break room there stood a can of peanuts which imagined consuming. I WANTED to eat them but I didn't.  I'll be honest, the juice is good, but after drinking a few glasses, it's sometimes difficult to swallow it all down right now. 

In my quest to find more tasty options, after I got home from work I watched some You Tube videos of Joe the Juicer, and he mentioned to drink the fruit juices in the morning and the vegetable juices throughout the day.  I also have the desire to make a spicier drink later on today but this morning I made an orange, banana and frozen fruit smoothie (I know, it's a smoothie, not juice, but I'm blending, remember?).  It tasted more like italian ice cream!  It was SOOOOOOO GOOD!!!  If there are more drinks like that, I'm thinking that I will do well with this!  Currently my goal for juicing is for at least the first week.  If I feel good, I'll do 10 days.  If I'm still feeling like taking on this juicing thing, I'll go for 30 days.  If I'm STILL feeling great, I'll go for 60.  Don't worry... I think that would be my limit.





Scottsdale Healthcare Employee
Newsletter, January 2012

A few weeks ago, someone came into the ICU and asked me a few questions about what I was going to do to be healthy in 2012 and such.  I was taken back when she asked to take a photo and I quietly dismissed it thinking, "she won't use it. She'll find someone else's to use... and what is this FOR, anyway?!"  I never asked.  She had a SHC badge and I didn't give it much thought... until a dear sweet friend sent me a text message saying I was in the newsletter and this is the picture she sent with it!  I was slightly mortified.  I mean, REALLY?  How did I get to this point that my chunky mug is featured in the newsletter?!

Scottsdale Healthcare Employee
Newsletter, January 2012

So... If there's anything that lends me support to get through this fast, it will be my side pains, current lack of energy, foggy mind and the "brick house" that I'm sportin'.  The fact that I will lose weight is a bonus, not the reason why I'm juicing.  I am looking to cleanse and heal my body from the inside out and overall, have a healthier body.  I'm expecting my skin to look better, my body to function better and this annoying side pain to go away.  It's no secret that I need to make healthier decisions and by restarting my palate, allowing my tastebuds to desire healthier foods will help me make better decisions regarding my choice of foods.  Here's to DAY 2!