Category Archives: school

April 9, 2013 · 2:50 PM

look at me now

Look at me now, oh, look at me now, oh

I’m writing papers.

I am 6 out of 8 weeks into my 2nd to last class of my masters’ degree. I had to write a long paper about my practicum project. So fun, right ladies?!?!?!

RIGHT!!!

I can’t wait til I am done with school, just to eventually start school again. But I am actually really really excited to be done, and then start pursuing my dream dream dreams!!!

I want to be like a European and work to live, and not live to work (like I’m doing right now).

In the words of RuPaul, “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love somebody else, can I get an amen up in here?!?!!?”

No rupaulogies.

rupaul

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT.

Live, laugh, love,

Melysses

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December 9, 2011 · 8:54 PM

byui skinny jean scandal.

Everyone on facebook is going bonkers about this ban on jeans, and I must say…what is the big deal. It is a private university. The standards and rules of the university are obviously not for everyone, and if you don’t like the rules of the school then go to another school. It’s that simple. When you decide to attend BYUI, you sign an honor code saying that you will abide by the rules of the school…all of the rules. If you don’t like the rules and you don’t want to live the honor code, again, go to another school. I went there, I didn’t love it, I didn’t love the rules so I left. That’s all there is to it. What else is there to discuss? You can say anything you want to about how awful they are, or how strict they are, or whatever. But at the end of the day, no one made you go anywhere, or sign anything. I think I even read something about fascism in terms of this skinny jean ban. Which is ridiculous. The school can determine whatever wardrobe they want as appropriate or inappropriate for the school. The school will stay a school with or without you and or your skinny jeans.

I love wearing leggings as pants. It’s one of my favorite things to do. But I was never allowed to wear leggings as pants at BYUI so I went to a school where I was. That’s not why I transferred universities, but let’s just say, I really love my leggings as pants. I couldn’t have a cat there either, or live by myself – two things that I really wanted to do. So I went to a place where I could do all of those things.

This is just my social commentary on the rantings and ravings of my facebook friends. I think the environment at BYUI/rexburg, ID is not for everyone, and if it is not for you then make like a me, and leaf.

Love,
Melissa.

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Filed under mormon ish, school

September 25, 2011 · 9:48 AM

party in atx.

You guys,
I got to fly into Austin yesterday and spend the day with the nephews and fam (Luke and Becky). It was so fun! It was pretty much perfect, I just wish that Mom would have been able to come.

I landed in Austin at 10am, and then I got back to Houston at 5pm. DREAM!

We went to the children’s museum. The boys are so big, and cute, and sweet. I wish I got to see them more. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

It was really good to see Luke and Becky!

Here are some pics from the day.

Needless to say, A GREAT DAY HAD BY ALL!

But I was supposed to meet Asher in Paris, and I can’t and I am so sad.
Being in IAH yesterday just made me want to get on a plane to meet her there so bad. I knew I would feel that way so I left my passport at home, to avoid the temptation altogether. BUT it was still there, and I do really wish that I was there with her.

MISS YOU MUCHO.

Ashlee and I had such a great time when we went there in 2008 and I am sad we can’t have another great time in 2011.

ITsalllgood.

In other news….
I got an over-the-door ironing board so I can finally get crack-a-lackin sewing in my room. I AM STOKED!

I am almost done with one credit of my MSN program. So it’s time to CELEBRATE good times come on. Let’s wait til the class is over, but then it’s time to party like it’s 1999. I found out that I was taking way more credits then you are supposed to. But I didn’t make my schedule, someone else did. So I have just been partying with the work load, and trying really hard to do well. It’s okay that my work load is doubled right now because I don’t have a job. At Walden they split the semester into two terms, and I guess that in a grad program that 6 credits for one whole semester is considered full time. Most of their students are working so they take one three credit class during the first term of the semester, and another three credit class during the second, for a total of six credits, making them a full time student. I had no idea. So this term, I am enrolled in seven credits. But I love the work. I spoke with an adviser and we changed it so I am taking another three credit course during the second term. Then I decided, I am not working so bring it on, and I am going to try to take 2 – three credit courses. I have to get special permission, but I think it will be great.

That means that by the end of this semester I will have 13 credits of my graduate degree completed!!! There are only 35 credits in my whole degree. There are 13 foundational credits that you have to take before you can start the specialization of your program. After this semester I should have all the foundational credits complete, so I can gets a’ specializin’. HORRAY.

So I will only have 22 more credit hours to go til I have a master’s degree. WHAT WHAT!!!! I love it, I love it, I love it!!!!

Then if I get a job in the winter I can reduce my credit hours to what is considered full time, and everything will be grand. If I keep up at this rate I will be graduating in December of 2012. A GIRL can dream right ladies!?!?!?!??!

Ashlee, I hope you are having a great time in Europe.
Lizzy, I hope you are taking lots o bike rides at dusk.
Mom, I hope you are having energy and strength at work.
PKM, I hope you are crushing on Timothy Olyphant, as you always should be.
Jessiclese, I hope you are so happy in ATX.
Grandma, I hope you are loving your new dog.
Everyone, everywhere, I hope you are all having the best time, and are the happiest, WITH all of my sincerity.

Love everyone,
Melissa.

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Filed under Family, school, travel

June 4, 2011 · 4:16 PM

where my ladies at?!?!?!

ladies….
sorry i haven’t written a post in 4-vr.
quite a bit has happened since i last wrote about my englishmen crushez on may 15.
1. i gave quilts away to all my dream babez at the southeast early head start and they wrote an article about it.
2. i got pinned and graduated from nursing school last week.
3. i had an average uneventful grown up birthday on monday…it was horrible.
4. i have a job interview for a dream job that i want to get in utah. horray.

so this is the break down of those events:
1. i gave quilts away to all my dream babez at the southeast early head start and they wrote an article about it. in the article not all the facts are straight, and non of the quotes are actually mine, but i am grateful that they wrote about it.
in my public health clinical rotation at a local early head start i thought those babez needed some quilts because they were totz lacking in the items filled with love department, no lack of love on the parenting side, i just mean that they have very little in terms of material possessions and who doesn’t need a quilt. right ladies?!?! right. so i asked my mom if she could send out a message on the world wide web to all her quilty friends, and she did, and the quilts came pouring in. so much love, so many quilts, and so many cute babez….a perfect combination.
so on the 19th i was able to go back to the early headstart, pass out the quilts, and have fun with the kids after. dream come true. thank you to all the quilters who sent in their quilts, and for showing love to perf strangers and babez in need. so bless’t.
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all in all dream fest.

2. i got pinned and graduated from nursing school last week.
my grandma and ash came for my pinning and graduation and it was so nice to have them here. and it was so nice to finally graduate and get pinned, thank you mother florence nightingale.
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and i got to reunite/pose with some of my SON friends. dream! (not all pictured here)

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etc.

grad. i graduated. i asked my mom if i should feel bad that i didn’t graduate with honors. and she said not to feel bad. i guess it is a miracle that i even graduated at all/made it through nursing school which has been the hardest most difficult 2 years of my life. but we did it y’all. hollar. and i got an edible arrangements bouquet. dream.

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and then ash and i partied around town, and grandma went to houston and took a nap instead. but before she left we took pics. obvz.

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perf.

3. birthday. i worked on my birthday, and i brought my own cake. i thought it better to bring my own cake, then to have no cake at all. but in the end it just made me real sad. i was just all alone without my fam on my birthday and i didn’t even get to dance or nuttin. i was going to go home and cry and hang out with minkee, but then my friend john took me to go get a cheeseburger, and today my friend from school, sarah, took me to a dream birthday breakfast. and after the dream breakfast we volunteered at the annual latino health day, which was muy bien. jkdc. so everything is not so bad, it was just a rough b-day. too grown up for my taste, and now i am an oldie, but not a goodie. thank you for the birthday wishes and prezzies.

nerd alert

dream breakfast. dessert breakfast. party like a breakfast.

4. interview. there is an internship in utah that turns into a job after the internship, and i really want to get this job. so then i can move to slc and be one of the gal gals. so i have an interview coming up in the next couple weeks and then we will know……whether or not i get the job. it’s a phone interview, but that’s all good. an interview is an interview. right ladies?!?!?! right. so send your good thoughts and prayers my way please so i can get this job please.

also thank you to everyone who loved and supported me all my way through crazy nursing school. i couldn’t of done it without you.

love your bunz,
melyss.

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Filed under baltimore, nursing, school

May 5, 2011 · 4:58 AM

on the line…

it turns out in classic school of nursing style my graduation is in question at the moment.
i am not going to go into full detail of the situation….but let’s just say that the SON is holding my graduation over me like a dog with a bone or something. basically just teasing me with the prospect of actually graduating or not…with really no time to spare.
everything is in question right now, and i thought that i was done and ready to go…but of course that is not the situation and i am not done, and i do not know if i will graduate.
perfect.
so please keep me in your prayers and pray that the cheeses at the school of nursing’s hearts will be softened towards me or something along those lines.
so i have to jump through quite a few hoops by saturday and if indeed i do successfully jump through them i think i still have a chance of graduating. although i am working today, tomorrow, and saturday…i still really want to graduate so i will do my best to complete everything sometime.

i am seriously ready to give up.

things shouldn’t have to be this hard. i thought i could just do my time and graduate….but that was too much to ask for. oh and of course it was raining last night and the ceiling in my kitchen started leaking. i had to put pots and pans out to catch the disgusting ceiling rain water. perfect. and had to pray that minkee wouldn’t drink it. i have to work a 12 hour shift tonight but i couldn’t sleep because i was my mind can’t slow down with everything in question.

i will let you know when i know if i am graduating or not.
but the man has seriously got me down, and definitely doesn’t want me to graduate.
thanks a lot, everything.

love,
melissa.

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April 29, 2011 · 11:33 AM

all i do is sleep all day and think of you…

just kidding don’t cry.

that is a line from a kings of convenience song. the part about the sleeping all day is truth bones, but not the thinking of you part. sorry.

i spoke with my big sis asher last night, and i apologized for not having posted in a few days, and i said that i would write one soon, and she said, “well just write one all ready so i can stop punishing you”. i didn’t even know that she had been.

i could truly care less about the royal wedding. sorry y’all. i’m not british. congratulations to the royal fam, but seriously….let’s be real here. it has nothing to do with my world. I understand if you are from england, but all these other peeps making the biggest deal about it? what?

maybe it’s deeply rooted in my issues with marriage and family.

probably.

actually i’m positive that is what it is.

so ash got to take a trip home, and i am so jealous bc she got to see the babes. who i just love, and lil benji is just my baby twin.

meaning that he looks exactly like i looked when i was a babe.

the blondest hair (my hair wasn’t exactly blonde in this picture but it was at one point i pinky sawear), and just the cutest.

my favorite part about going to the aquarium for alton’s third birthday was carrying benji around all day, i love that love angel music baby.


also alton thinks mickey is a cat. how cute.

everything they do is cute. i wish that i could have been there to see my mom, and ash, and my brother and his fam! but especially those babes who i only see once in a blue moon because i live not in texas.

someone at work saw this pic and assumed that ash was the mom. and said, how old is she? 24. and she has two kids! and then i explained that just because they both have red hair doesn’t mean ashlee is the mom, and in fact she is not. becky is, and luke is the dad.

i am obsessed with the babes.

this reminds me of the time i was a nanny in nyc for a bit after i did my first camp nursing job. i was 18 years old, and was taking care of a 4 yr old lil girl, and 2 boys 7, and 9. it made me appreciate my mother’s trials of single motherhood. but i love love loved it.

one of my day’s off during camp i went to the city with the mom of the babe’s, another counselor from camp, and the lil girl, we will call her baby l. the other counselor and i took a day trip with baby l and her giant stroller to coney island. it was fun, and the longest day, and we spent so much time on the subway.

baby l had brown hair, and i had brown hair and everyone kept mistaking her for my daughter, and thought that the other counselor was our nanny, or my life partner. neither of which were the case.

at first i didn’t know how to react, or if i should react when people that she was my baby, but after a while i just went along with it.

by the time we got back into the city, the other counselor wanted to go to sephora, i knew there was one in times square, baby l was asleep in her stroller and i didn’t mind manuerving it so we decided to make the trek.

Right before our stop on the subway some lady just asked me out of nowhere, “how old is your child?”
I said, “4″.
“That baby is too old to be in a stroller”
“Don’t you tell me how to raise my kid”.

Then we got off the subway. Perfect. It was my most new york moment in all of new york.

jk.

miss being a lil nanny in the big city.

how is it possible that i have looked exactly the same for the past 4 years?!?!?!

i have one more clinical shift of my transition.

you guys, we did it. we made it through nursing school.

i saw we because i chronicled my journey since march of 2010 and some of you have stuck with me through the hard times and the good. i have to celebrate you baby, i have to praise you like i should….jk. y’all fat boy slim ne1. that just happened. went there.

nbd.

but seriously. it has been so difficult and at multiple times i thought i was going to die, or resort to a life of the night…but hair we are…here we are…on the other side.

hooray hooray.

there is an internship at the university of utah hospital that i want SO BAD, and it is the most perfect timing, and much more. so please pray that i get all my recommendations in, and that they want me around, and that i could get it. pretty please.

i am working on our sister floor of the unit were i work. i hope it goes well. night on shift on another unit in the hospital sp-oooooooooooo-ky.

love love love everyone.

hollar at mahyeeee.
love,
melissa.

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Filed under Clinical, Family, nursing, school

April 22, 2011 · 10:36 AM

my so-called life….

I woke up this morning to my one and only ringtone of TI and Usher, “My Life, Your Entertainment”….which always makes me feel like I am straight thuggin….in the best way. I didn’t fall asleep til 5am something. I am pretty much staying on my nights schedule throughout the week. It is becoming easier. That way I don’t have to switch back and forth, making me more tired. Back to my ringing phone already…so my phone is ringing and I look and recognize the number from the School of Nursing, so I answered. I paused a moment to be able to answer in my best most awake voice, even though it was a total farce. I answered the phone and it was my clinical faculty for transitions. There was a group conference today, and I was 30 minutes late of course. I had totally forgotten and had planned on sleeping until 430pm. Or that was what time I had my alarm set for. GEEZ. I am so glad that i answered my phone, otherwise I would have to do some 6 hour research assignment bull or something ridiculous like that. OH BROTHER. When I got off the phone with my clinical faculty I had to log on immediately to the group discussion, and there are about 9 nursing students total in my group, and every week we give a summary of the past weeks clinical experiences to our group. By the time I logged on 7/9 had already talked about there week, and I just had to jump right in and talk about my week with my sleepy voice, and my retainer in.

So unprofessional, so embarrassing.

So grateful that Dr. clinical instructor woke me up, and had me log on.

So grateful for the ability to hear Usher and TI, and the fact that it startled me to awakeness.

so bless’t.

I am back at my clinical tonight, and I am so excited because my preceptor, for the sake of privacy we will call her – Pauline. No one has been named that since the days of little house on the prairie, so you will never guess her real name, or her identity. Take that identity thieves….anyway so Pauline is Catholic. She gave up any sort of sweet treat for Lent. But on Saturday night, at the stroke of midnight when it becomes Sunday…she will turn into a pumpkin. No she will be able to have treats again. So we, and by we I mean I, am going to make it into a treat party. HOLLAR!

So grateful for easter and cavities.

God Bless America.
God Bless Justin Bieber.

Those are just 2 of the things I am really grateful to have in my life right now, Justin Bieber and his music, and America.

Knock this country til you are blue in the face if you want….BUT there are so many good things about it, I am not going to go into all the detz.

I will just say that I have a close friend from the School of Nursing that is doing her clinical transition in labor and delivery on a unit and Uganda. She sends weekly updates, and they are terrifying.

I am so proud of her and what she is doing. Don’t get me wrong….but I am grateful to be here in the states…where we have supplies at the hospital, and the women aren’t expected to bring their own razor to cut the umbilical cord, or a plastic sheet called a cadera – to sit on when they give birth, and get penalized by the midwives and nursing students when they don’t bring them. To me it sounds so scary. The Ugandan nursing students sound like a nightmare. They just watch the laboring women from a distance, and don’t help them, or try to comfort them while they are laboring, and when there is an emergency situation they just laugh at the women who just might be dying. The women are not allowed to have any one with them through the delivery, and my friend has delivered multiple babies are her own already. When I read about what is going on with her, it makes me count my blessings that I can take a bus to the hospital, with little to no fear that there will be a political riot on my way there, and that there won’t be any tear gas going off in route, and that I am not expected to deliver a baby alone, and that when I call for help SOMEONE will come to my aid, promptly.

Alls I’m trying to say is, it’s good to step back and count your blessings.

No offense to the Ugandan labor and delivery unit that they are serving on….I am just not ready for that type of experience in my nursing career right now, and I am so glad to be at JHH.

I love everyone, and everyone deserves a chance to be offered an epidural and get one if they are so inclined, and not be laughed at while they are giving birth in a really scary situation. AMEN.

Love my girl, and I am so proud of her. Please send her and my 2 other classmates your prayers as they finish their Ugandan adventure.

Watch this best 90s clip from my so-called life. I seriously loved the show, why’d it have to end so soon? RIP. I am a sucker for teen dramaz and I don’t know why. Teen at heart? of course.

I watch this boy, Ricky, dance on this clip and I feel like that it is a very similar situation to when I dance. Really intense, and the people around don’t know what to do, because I am having such a good time.

love you all,
meliss.

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Filed under Clinical, dancing, entertainment, school

April 14, 2011 · 4:12 AM

what the what.

i feel like i have no control over….anything in my liz-ife.
i don’t know what to do except keep going and try to get things manageable?

i will keep trying, i guess that’s all that i can do.

suit up and show up. am i right ladies?!?!?!

i don’t know if anyone else has this problem that isn’t a member of my family, i think people that don’t know me think that i am quiet and reserved or something, and then a rap song will come on or a mariah carey jam. and of course i will know all the words and i will start being zany and then it’s curtains for anyone ever taking me seriously again, or being received as anything but the court jester of the group.

dance monkey dance.

but i keep it going because, i guess i would rather be thought of as the clown of the group instead of not being thought of at all?

right?

i don’t know what i am supposed to do.

it’s like when i worked at that camp and i would dance with the 7 year old girls, and they loved me, and i loved them, and then the head girls counselor told me that i wasn’t allowed to dance anymore because the girls were getting too excited to dance with me that they wouldn’t really eat their meals and then they were too excited afterwards.

could i just dance with them where they could want to finish their meals and then be calm later? not possible. i only have extremes and nothing in between. so i decided i wouldn’t dance anymore, and then the cha cha slide comes on and all is supposed to be forgiven? i don’t think so. you can’t tell me that i can’t dance, and then that rule doesn’t apply when the cha cha slide is on. alright.

i think that is why i have such a hard time being “social” because i am too extreme.

but baby i was born this way.

please keep my family in your prayers right now. we are in troubled waters and we will take all the prayers and positive thoughts we can get.

my preceptor keeps telling me i am meant to be a pediatric nurse.
i never knew.

i thought labor and delivery was where it was at for me….but i guess i just can’t get enough of those babes.

who knew?

it’s okay. hopefully i will just be able to get A job and then get picky about where i want to be after i have experience because at this point i really have no say in the matter.

i keep getting spanish patients and i couldn’t be more thrilled, and not like i can even speak spanish or anything…but i am learning and it is really great, and i love them so much and every chance i get to speak with a spanish patient i leave knowing more than i did coming in, and for that i am SO GRATEFUL!

i go into the patient’s room with like 1 kajillion different books, and i carry around the heaviest backpack just in case i might have the chance to have a spanish patient so i will have all the necessary resources to communicate with them. yo soy loca.

and even though my ability to speak spanish is very limited in our nursing notes it says that i am a bilingual resource. i got so excited!!!! maybe one day i can really be one….a girl can dream. right ladies?!?!?!

someone asked me if i ever wore makeup. which was pretty embarrassing for me, how can you make someone that thinks they look like a trash can all the time feel like they look even more like a trash can? ask them if they ever wear makeup, and then ask them if they are a tomboy when they are in their 20s, because they don’t wear jewelry. just in case you are wondering, that is how. oh and also if they decide to wear makeup for once because they are tired of associating themselves with a trash can, and you ask them, “oh you are wearing makeup today. is today a special occasion or something?” it still promotes a self identity of a likeness to a trash can.

love,
trash can

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Filed under Clinical, nursing, school, work

April 3, 2011 · 6:17 PM

freaking weekend.

all i find myself being able to do when I am not doing 12 hour clinical shifts or working at my job is to sleep and watch foreign films, or bad medical dramas on hulu. i can’t help it.

BUT i did some serious cleaning in my apt this weekend so i can start sewing…

i am going to make a jumper and i am so excited.

i got a new backpack and i look like a 9th grader. i think i will continue to look like a 9th grader when i have this new jumper.

so the other day i did one of the most grown up things i have ever done….which is to order my graduation cap and gown and my college grad invitations (it was a package deal, saweet saweet…but freaking expensive and i am muy pobre….i am really poor).

and i was talking to my mom and i asked her if it was customary to put a picture in your graduation invitation for college, and we weren’t sure. i have come to the conclusion that in my case i should send pictures because what good is an invitation without a picture as a keepsake? right ladies?!?!?!?!

but my mom thought it would be hilarious for me to put my same senior picture that i sent in my high school graduation invitations to send in my college grad invitations. because i pretty much look just the same, and could anyone really tell the difference?

my style has gotten better, i hope, and my ability to do my own eye makeup. but who knows?

it probably hasn’t.

but i think i will have my picture taken and be legit with a recent pic with my fancy velum hopkins seal invites. omgeee.

i should just have a picture in my cap and mini gown next to a big number ’11. perf.
this is the closest i found to what i am looking for, even if it is a little dated.

or something like this.

yeah seniors ’11

also i found my doppleganger model in vogue knitting.
or better yet, i wish she was my doppleganger model.

this would be my life if i was 2 inches taller and 15 pounds lighter and a model for vogue international and i was probably foreign or something. dream life!!!!

nbd.

well i have to go spend money i don’t have for a cab to work!

not to say poor me or something.

i mean poor me, because i don’t have money and i am poor.
but not poor me, like, poor nana poor poor nana.
like don’t have pity on me or something.

is it wrong that i am hoping that one particular nagitha christy patient has been discharged in the past week? and if they haven’t that i am not assigned to their half of the unit?

idk idk.

g2g.

love,
melissa.

2 Comments

Filed under nursing, school, work

Tagged as

March 4, 2011 · 10:31 PM

1 more week of classez.

hi ladies.

i have a new plan for the moment. i am going to get my masters of science in nursing (INFORMATICS!). this is a new plan….and i will do it in a year, and then go on a mish. what do yall think? lizzy wants me to move to slc while i am doing it. it’s an online thang so i can do it anywhere. don’t worry you guys the online school is accredited and also pretty much every nursing informatics program is online….so there you go and there you have it.

also, you guyz, next week is my last week of class of nursing school….and then after spring brizeak i get to start my transition into professional practice. I got my assignment today and it is perf. I am so grateful, I will be on L and D at JHH, so I don’t need a car. SO BLESS’D. not saying that my other peeps aren’t blessed. it was just my perfect one, and i was dreaming of it. i am so grateful…thank heavz and thank one of my favorite profs dr. tay.

it will be one more week of class, 1 week of spring break, and seven weeks of professional practice (play nursing) and then i will graduate. HOW ON EARTH!?!?!?! no entiendo. frealz.

i haven’t done it yet…but we are almost there, so let’s all say it together, “hang in there, baby”. and by say it together, i mean say it to me please.

i have finals next week and i need your positive thoughts and prayers. please. por favor, y’all.

so we are having a spesh breakfast this coming week to celebrate our 2 years in nursing school….so we were asked to send in pictures.

so here are my pics through the ages. one from each semester.

first semester with adam cooley. happy birthday adam. obvz my fattest semester, pre gastric bipass surgery aka emergency apendectomy status post swallowing of foreign object.

second semester in L and D, totz the happiest.

3rd semester, post med surg. hollar

4th and current semester, in public health practicing carrying water like peeps without clean water that have to carry 20L upwards of 5k to get home. it was really heavy and i struggled to carry it through the room. omg.

love,
melissa.

8 Comments

Filed under baltimore, Clinical, nursing, school