Life

On March 8^th Jason and I celebrated 6 years together. We took a night away from our pets and day to day life to celebrate. It was good fun. Last Thursday, we commenced a deal, I won’t drive if he doesn’t smoke. So far, it’s going well though I need to get the insurance lowered on the car. Thank goodness the weather has decided to be reasonable to help me out.

Midterms

I had Midterms last week. So far I’m doing alright in classes B+ in Sociology, A in History of Herbalism, A in Global Healing Traditions, and an A in Herbs in the Marketplace. I’m not sure I’ll still have my last A after my midterm is graded, I was tired and though I studied for it I hit information overload and I’m pretty sure I bombed the test.

Spring Break

Spring Break is passing quickly. I’ve been busy catching up on homework, fixing a flat on one of my bikes, cleaning up the yard, planning this years garden and hanging with friends. Catching up on Ahh stuff is next on the list.

St. Patrick’s Day

I went herb hunting at the local grocery for the tea I needed to stave off an infection. After trying the 1^st of said teas I decided it wasn’t too bad and I’m feeling better today.  Jason and I went to 1^st Avenue and caught a couple local bands with Boiled in Lead headlining. It was fun, there was dancing and hanging with friends.

Working Subconsciously

I had a dream last night. In it I was taken off the street by people I didn’t know. Put into a chair where they ran all kinds of computer tests, run through a series of physical examinations and then in the end they sat me in a chair, where they cut open my head to examine my brain while I was conscious. I was conscious during all of this, passive but still curious, there was no pain. In the end a doctor came in, I asked him if he’d come to sew up my head. He said he would but he also gave me the results of the tests. I had a interesting anomaly in my brain, I could disassociate myself mentally. He said they could use me. Then he resealed my head and sent me home. From the third person I saw myself going through my life, there was someone telling me that I lived a totally different life half the time and simply didn’t remember it most of the time.

When I think about what might have caused this dream I recollect that I’ve been watching Joss Wheaton’s new show Dollhouse, where the main character has her personality whipped and a new ones installed regularly to suit the clients needs. She doesn’t remember who she is in between clients, and just goes through the motions. In the show though she’s showing signs that the wipe isn’t quite complete and little things are being left behind in her psyche, and that her true personality can come to the surface to give her messages if the circumstances are right.

I also recently reread one of my favorite children’s books Being of Two Minds where a girl and a boy half a world away from each other have since birth had seizures and when one falls unconscious the other’s mind moves in beside the conscious person’s. They trade off and have had this “condition” since birth. Each was raised part time in the other’s culture and family, able to see and hear through the other.

Jason and I went to see Coraline last week. A film where there is “normal” reality and then through the door another reality that has the “other mother” and “other father” that are parodies of the people in the “normal world”. Coraline’s parent’s can’t accept what’s happening to their daughter or themselves. Only she remembers at the end all the particulars.

In my Healing Traditions class yesterday we talked about being in multiple realities. Where your mind is versus where your body is or shifting from one reality to another when we fall asleep. The concept of spirit was discussed in that it is there but most people don’t really pay any attention to it.

I’ve always thought that there are things in our reality that we choose not to or are unable to see. These things remind me that what we perceive as real is only that way because that is what we remember. It makes me ask the question how much are we not seeing and how much are we forgetting or remembering incorrectly?

Status Update

It’s been a while since I’ve updated. Here’s what’s going on. We did the holidays in Wisconsin Dells, it was a lot of fun and very relaxing. January was very eventful as Jason got hit by a car while riding his bicycle. Thanks to his motorcycle jacket, and other protective gear he is okay and he bike has been rebuilt. I decided to go back to school full time in the same week as I was called to interview for the job I applied for and wanted most. In the end I decided that school was the path for me right now. I’m studying Herbalism while finishing up my 4 remaining classes needed to get into the Nutrition program at the U of M.

Back to School

My classes are very interesting. I’m in Herbs in the Marketplace, History of Herbalism, Healing Traditions and Sociology and Technology. The work load is considerable but satisfying. The herbalism feels right somehow, like I’m really learning how I can help people and take care of myself and my family. I’m also learning just how badly we pollute our bodies and our environment. My sociology class has been strongly reminding me of just how badly we’ve screwed up our environment and what the health effects are. Not a day or meal goes by without me thinking about the chemicals around me, effecting my health and the health of those around me. I’m reminded of the sickness the American people suffer from in their use of cars and the “me” mentality that has damaged our world so badly. I look at each piece of food I eat and am thankful that Jason talked me into eating organic years ago. The chemicals in our food and environment poisons our bodies so badly, causing disease at every turn. The cars we drive are such a contributor and the more you learn about automobile manufacture, oil companies, global health effects the worse it is with the cost of life going up at every turn.

Time for a Change??

It reminds me to go back to nature, to live simply. Yesterday, I realized that I live within 5 miles of my jobs, my school, and most of the stores I go to. I initially though about the resurgence of electric cars. The Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) that don’t use gas but only go 25 mph. Most people don’t go more than 30 miles in a day and most of them can get that on an electric charge. The production of cars though costs so much and drains so many resources. So, I’ve been reevaluating my decision to own a car again.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be trying out the bus route I think might work between the hospital and home, it’s about 4 miles and in good weather I bike. I’ve been walking back and forth between my massage studio and home for months now. Getting to school usually requires a bicycle ride but it’s less than 3 miles, and I have taken the bus when it’s really cold. When the gas prices got so high last year I started taking the bus to St. Cloud to visit my family. People I visit are more spread out there but in summer it’s a viable bus/bike option and there are enough cars at my mom’s I can probably borrow one.

The nag is emergencies and long distances like visiting Jason’s parents. A friend said there is a kind of car insurance that is much cheaper if the vehicle isn’t used for the daily commute. That would work if I don’t want to sell the car.

Then there is getting the gear to do all season riding. I’m short some rain gear, lights, mirrors, body armor, a speedometer a bag or two on top of the fact that I need a more comfortable upright bike to make it all come together cause my current one just isn’t comfortable for me, in more ways than one. I wish I still had my rocket, it was almost perfect. Comfortable in all ways except the seat. When it got stolen and I replaced it with the Giro it was due to the fact that the Giro rides more comfortable for long distances. It doesn’t fit on a bus rack though and the rocket does. So I will keep my eyes peeled for one and maybe replace my upright in the meantime.

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been the answer is, school, work, working out, socializing and hibernating when it gets really cold. I hope all is well with everyone.

Cut!

Yesterday, I was called into my boss's office at North Memorial (the hospital I work at) and informed that my position in Respiratory (8 hours a week) had be totally cut and that my position in Women and Children's had been reduced from 20 hours a week to 8. The reason was budget cuts. Apparently the Hospital is having a tough time of it. They laid off a lot of people.

My reaction? Okay... I wasn't really surprised about Respiratory I thought it might happen. I was pretty surprised about W&C. They've been increasing my work load and now that is going to have to be reexamined and reduced. The change was effective immediately. So, I went home yesterday to ponder things and absorb.

For those that don't know, I've been thinking about going back to school full time. It would require a lot of financial aide but I thought about that a little bit more yesterday. So far on the school front I'm three classes short of my associates degree. I'm registered for one of them for next semester and am working to cover the pre requisites I need for the other two classes. So school for this year seems pretty much mapped out. The problem is I can't go back right now full time because I don't have the pre requisites I need for my next classes and the classes are full for next semester anyway. So full time will have to wait till 2010 at the earliest. Then I'll have to decide between going for Herbalism or Dietitian/Nutritionist.

I've also been pondering parenthood. Being a full time parent is a admirable job that takes a lot of work. Problem with starting that now... it takes 9 months to cook a baby and we haven't started yet. It's super scary to think about living on just Jason's income and what I can bring in on massage alone. Not to mention that I'm not positive I'm ready to jump into the whole parenthood thing just yet. I'm still in research mode.

So where does all this pondering leave me???

Underemployed and trying to find a job.

Today, I did the things a person does when they become underemployed I updated my resume and started looking for and applying for jobs. Cool things. There are still some hospitals and clinics the the twin cities looking for employees. More cool things. Among them is the U of M Physicians. They had 6 clinics looking for Patient Representatives, which are basically front desk people. 5 of them are full time positions, something I haven't done before due to school and Ahh. Of those 4 of them are on campus. I've applied for these because I want to work in a clinic over a hospital and tuition reimbursement at the University is hard to say no to. There is a 6^th position I have applied for. It's at a clinic just down the road from my house 20 hours a week and totally withing biking/walking distance. Tuition reimbursement is less for part time but it's still there. I want this job so bad I can taste it. But wait! Is that another cool thing I see over the horizon??? Fairview, who has a partnership with the University is also hiring. For a Nutrition Clerk. One part time position and one full time temp position and it would get me into a nutrition clinic up close and personal. I've applied, it would give me a nice look at what a nutritionist actually does. And while I was looking at it, they were also hiring Dietitians which puts a little more weight on the dietitian career direction if only for job availability.

So, I'm around. I've been working on getting all Ahh things caught up, finances caught up, thank you cards written, pictures uploaded into albums, hanging with my dog while, studying, crocheting a baby blanket and swimming.