stream of consciousness (yep, again!)

Another Wednesday, another, “let’s see what comes out when Kristen sits down to type” post. 😉

The good news is: by the time next Wednesday rolls around, I will be DONE with my semester! My final exam is this coming Tuesday and all I have after that is a second-semester orientation and a mandatory convocation.

(I am not even mentally counting those as school because they are not graded and I really do not have to think or prepare for either of those things. Yay!)

Unfortunately, the upcoming exam is cumulative.

Fortunately (and depending on the exam grade I get back this afternoon), I probably will only have to get something like 40/60 to maintain my A. That’s good because trying to review the entire semester’s worth of information is pretty daunting.

Work left before the final exam:

I have to do a presentation on one of the patients that I took care of at the assisted living place, and I have to make a PowerPoint and an interactive game for it.

Luckily I only have to present this to my lab group, not to the entire class of 130 people! I would have serious stage fright if it was the whole class.

I also have a podcast assignment to do.

And I have a weekend of simulation clinicals at the college.

Still, the end is feeling SO close.

In other news, Zoe and I got a Christmas tree last night. This is our first Christmas with Chiquita and given that she is a very curious cat, we are exercising caution with the tree.

We set it up in the living room with a string of lights, just as a test.

If Chiquita does not pass the leave-the-tree-alone test, Zoe and I will move the tree to the downstairs living area because we have already established that Shelley does not bother Christmas trees.

I am 99% sure that Chiquita will not pass.

But I could be wrong!

We definitely thought a fake tree was out of the question; that might be easier to tip over than a real tree.

Plus, since I finally de-rusted my Christmas tree stand earlier this year, I wanted a chance to actually use it!

So we got a real tree and we purposely bought one that is rather hard to tip over. This is not the year for a tall, skinny tree.

I can tell you, even without a test run, that I am most certainly not going to light my little candle carousel if Chiquita is around. That would be a quick trip to having my whole house burn down. 😉 

In 2022, I had the carousel on my kitchen table, but I think this year it’s gonna have to go up on a high shelf because Chiquita is 100% going to think this is a fun cat toy, not a decoration.

Switching back to school, because that’s what my brain just did: it’s going to feel wild to have six weeks with no school. That’s almost like…half of a summer!

Maybe I should make a Winter Break Bucket list.

Or maybe I should just take a very big chill pill.

Let’s be honest, though: I am probably not going to be able to chill for a whole six weeks. We all know I’m gonna spend at least some of that time getting my life in order and doing some projects.

(Scuffed table, I’m looking at you!)

I also want to read books for fun. And play my piano. And go for hikes.

I love nursing school so much. I am so grateful for the chance to be there.

And also I am very ready for a little breather. 🙂