I wish I had a sonic screwdriver- it would make hanging shelves easier

We moved last July. I’d lived my whole life on the same block, and then my parents picked up and moved 40 miles north. I went with them. I don’t have a problem admitting that, but I’ve gotten a lot of flack for it from acquaintances. I think it would be different if I were just mooching. (and if I’d graduated before 5 days ago). I don’t pay rent per se, but this week I might buy groceries, or next week take care of something else. It works.

Wow, I didn’t mean to spend a whole paragraph explaining my living situation. It was just supposed to be a quick setting of the stage.

The priority when we moved was to get the rest of the house set up, since my sister’s boyfriend was going to be visiting. By the time that was done, and he’d headed back to base it was time for me to start school and I was living in a very spartan room.

The amount of time I actually spent at home was minimal, and when I was only working 10-15 hours a week the priority was not buying shelves or frames or curtains.
This has been my lucky week. I’d been eyeing shelves for months, but not willing to pay $15-30 for them. Hobby lobby is having a great big awesome sale and shelves are 50% off! I got two 12″ shelves for $6, easily made my night. They hang up easily, and look great. (I’m just not a great photographer)

I know it still looks sparse, but just imagine this without the shelves. It was like a Russian prison.

I got the bird cage from Michael’s ($1). My plan is to spray paint it turquoise, but it’s been raining for the last month. Slight exaggeration, it’s been raining every time I think of it, or whenever I had free time.
This is the photo going in the empty frame. Sculpture gardens in Minneapolis!

Frames from Target. target is my biggest weakness. Luckily the nearest one is now 23 miles away. it used to by 9 minutes away, now it’s less dangerous.

My project for today is to decorate my bookshelf. I have so many books. A lot of them I don’t read often, but I want to keep. I’m thinking of getting a book for under my bed so I can stage the shelves a little. I just love how the staging looks on pinterest, but I’ve always needed the shelves to be more functional than stylish.

Jessica, BSN

It hasn’t sunk in yet, not fully. Every once in a while I’ll get a sudden realization that I am, in fact, done, that I did graduate on Saturday. Everyone around me will have to live with me geeking out about this for the next 6 months.

Friday night we had our pinning ceremony. There’s a lot of history to it. Basically it officially signifies the transition from SN (student nurse) to GN (graduate nurse). (RN will come after taking the NCLEX)

candlelight and the nurse’s pledge

It was a beautiful ceremony, and I’m glad that I was able to be a part of it.

Saturday was graduation day.

I made so many friends in the last four years. I’m going to miss everyone so much.

I went to Belize on a missions trip with this crazy girl! this is pretty much the first “nice” picture we have of the two of us (ie the first picture where we’re smiling and not pulling faces)

I was so excited that my friend Lex was able to come to my graduation. We’ve been friends forever and she’s moving away soon :(

And my sister. Isn’t she gorgeous? She’s an author, and she’s hilarious.

Saturday night a friend had a bonfire. No textbooks were harmed, but I was up way too late. And up way too earlier the next day. This morning I slept in til 10. I’m such a lazy bum!

because life is short and you’re hot.

I’ve spent way more time this week taking a break from studying than I have actually studying. Oops! I could make up excuses for myself, but in all honesty it’s just that everything else is was more fun than studying.

I spent the early part of this week re-seeding the lawn, and digging out a garden and planting seeds. Photos to come

And the middle part of the week spray painting some shelves, which is whole ‘nother post.

And this weekend I spent was too much time watching press releases for Star Trek Into Darkness, because I’ve been counting down since 300 days ago. Because I love Star Trek, and I love Benedict Cumberbatch and you can’t just combined two of my favorite things and not expect me to geek out about it.

And tonight when my friend called asking to do coffee of course I accepted.

So here I sit, too hyped up on coffee to sleep, and way too hyped up to try to study, with an exam looming in 10 hours.

And man, I feel awful. I swear, I’m never going out for coffee late at night ever again.

P.S. bonus points if you know the quote I stole for the title.

Seriously though, can you get food poisoning from coffee?

Commence Final Countdown.

So it’s a dark and rainy Saturday. The kind of day that I love. The buds on the tree outside my window as the most glorious shade of “new tree bud” green, and as against a canvas of sky of sky so grey, and if I weren’t terrified of drowning my camera I’d be out there snapping photos for hours because that is my favorite color combination in the world. I live for it every year.

In other news I’m sitting at home, and I just finished writing one of the worst papers of my life. It’s due on Monday at midnight. I’ve been procrastinating for 9 weeks on writing it. That’s right NINE. That is not me. I am the girl who gets the syllabus and immediately begins to work on whatever projects I can.

I have senioritis bad.

But guys. The end. It’s in sight. And I don’t know who is more excited. Me? or my mom cause she gets her kitchen table back!

This is how the kitchen table has looked for the last 4 years. My mom is a trooper for putting up with it. This picture was taken about 2 weeks ago, the sky is not the deep grey with glorious green tree buds.

Sigma Theta Tau

Today was a big day for me. The year that I started my undergraduate nursing journey my program started their own chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, which is an Internation Honor Society of Nursing. Being asked to join is a recognition of excellent and going above and beyond and it’s a tremendous honor. One that I wanted ever since that day 4 years ago when I saw a group of senior nursing students inducted and received their purple honor cords.

Today, 34 days before my graduation was my induction day.

Sigma Theta Tau

I forgot my camera though! I’m so annoyed with myself, so I need my friends and fellow inductees to send me some pictures!

The 39 steps

I love Alfred Hitchcock. Way to weave some scary stories there. So when I saw the countdown some of my fellow nursing students were posting today I couldn’t resist. 39 steps days

39 days from graduating with my BS-N. That is a slightly terrifying thought… almost as terrifying as a Hitchcock movie. I’ve got so much left to do, and just thinking about it makes me feel overwhelmed!

I’m just grateful my parents are putting up with my books spilling out of my room and onto the kitchen table. As long as it’s picked up for dinner we’re all good.

Most days the end is hidden from sight by textbooks reading on cardiac tamponade, lectures on myesthenia gravis, preparing presenations on birthing positions, and NCLEX practice questions about bioterrorism and botulism. Then every once in a while something will happen to remind me that 39 days is really not long…

Graduation Cap and Gown, let the countdown begin!

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PRN coffee

I have no way to explain this. It leaves me completely mystified.

Mondays and Tuesdays are my super long days. They’re about 12 hours long apiece, more if you include travel time. I honestly consider my week over when Tuesday evening hits. Somehow, the next five days slip by with greater speed than these two days. It absolutely boggles my mind.

The weeks are picking up furious speed as we rush closer to graduation. Today I’m paying the last of my tuition (this doesn’t include loans). Wednesday I’m ordering my cap and gown (!!).

I’m picking out my nursing pin, and what review course I want to use for NCLEX prep. I’m on the senior banquet planning committee, selecting a venue and putting together a slide show. We’re planning baseball games and tailgating to celebrate the last four years together.

I’m thinking about beginning the application process. It’s still a bit early yet.

But until then, as my Mondays and Tuesdays still drag on, I think I need this mug for my coffee.

caffeine, by mouth every four hours as needed.