Application Ready to Go!

I finally got off my butt and gave the University a call with my scores to find out for sure if they were good enough. I was quite confident but felt that leaving it a week to call them and check is probably way long enough, so I made the call. The lady confirmed for me that my score was well over the Minimum Acceptance Score for this course and should feel quite confident. So I then asked her when applications opened and she told me that I can apply immediately. Oh Crap! That means writing the application letter.
The application letter - there is nothing more painful than having to talk yourself up on paper! I find it a very uncomfortable process, especially when they are asking you to list your personal qualities. Ummm.............I have proven to be good at taking direction, but not afraid to step up and take control of a situation when necessary.  - Could probably also be written  -  I have proven to be good at taking direction, to a point, but not afraid to step up and take control of a situation when you start to piss me off.
Anyway, I did manage to behave myself and finish it tonight and I am happy with it. I had a friend proofread it for me and it is now printed signed and read to lodge tomorrow morning.

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STAT Test Results

Nearly 4 weeks ago I sat the test that decides if I get into University or not and it has been one hell of a wait for the results. Well, today the postman delivered that scary letter. I took one look at the University Admissions Centre logo and ripped open that envelope. Then I froze! I couldn't look! I stood there next to the mailbox with shaking hands staring at the envelope and I had that sinking feeling in the guts.
The test has a funny grading system but to make it easier for you to tell how you went they give a Percentile Ranking which tells you which percentage of candidates nationwide in the last year you did better than.
Well, my overall Percentile Rank was 95.3%. I just about passed out! I am VERY happy! That means (that unless every one of those 4.7% who did better than I did decide to move to our small town and do their Bachelor of Nursing) I am in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One Hell Of A Week But On Top Of The World

This week has been draining to say the least. Our town holds a 4 day Jazz Festival every year and the cafe I owned with the Ex cops a flogging every year. The first year we had only been in business for two months and had no idea what we were in for, which led to both of us being there until 3am prepping for the next day each night. It was a success but nearly killed us. 
Last year found us just as busy but a lot more prepared. To complicate matters our relationship was over, we were still living together and the pins placed in our son's arm had worked their way to the surface and left lovely gaping holes which required me to run him out to Slightly Bigger Town ER each night to be checked and dressed as well as keep up with the prep for the weekend. So it is no wonder that we both involuntarily cringe at the words 'Jazz Festival'.  
This year as the time approached we both started wondering if we were mad. I was going to go back for the 4 days and reclaim my kitchen for the Festival, do 14 hour days with the Ex in a pressure cooker situation and hopefully nobody was going to get hurt in the process. We knew it was crazy and had all the makings of a disaster, but our staff and customers also saw trouble coming. One regular customer was placing bets on when he would see me storming off down the road in tears, and I'm not sure I blame him for expecting it. In the end the Ex and I decided that the weekend would be declared a success if we got through it without having to call an ambulance.
Well, we did it! No snappy moments, no arguing and a lot of really good teamwork. I am very proud of us both. It turned out to be by far the least stressful year so far and the only downside was that we missed out on setting a new sales record by $16 on the Saturday and $14 on the Sunday. And our amazing son stayed at the cafe all weekend without a complaint and amused himself so well that there were several times I looked up to find him in the sea of people with a certain amount of panic because I had not heard him for hours and suddenly had a Mummy Panic Moment. He has been substantially rewarded for being the perfect Hospitality Kid and been told how proud of him we are so much that he is now starting to growl at the compliments. Also very proud of our wonderful staff who made it so much easier for us this year.
So that is my final stint at the Cafe over and done, and I must say it is like a chapter of my life has been finalized. I did the right thing going back to help and I am so glad it all ended on a high.

Legs Eleven

I turned up for my shift this morning to be greeted by a Rec Centre full of LOL's and our token bloke Reg all of whom were looking rather anxious. "There's no-one here!" was the chorus. What the? As nobody had turned up to run bingo they had raided the cupboard and set up themselves and were now starting to panic, but apparently I was their saviour! I was expected to call bingo, me, the one who learned how to play a week or so ago from a demented lady! Holy crap! The microphone was promptly jammed into my hand and that was that! Only two options available - call the damn bingo or run away and let the riot begin! So I sucked it up and away we went! "legs eleven" "and lovely legs they are!" "Zipp it, Reg, or I'll call security" Apparently he has a thing for the fiesty ones. Well I made it through without too many complaints, but call me Chicken, it is never going to be something I put my hand up for!
So now I have destressed and I'm off for the afternoon shift and whatever suprises that may bring!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone.]

Hahahaha!

Did you know that when someone annoys you, it takes forty-two muscles to frown, But it only takes four muscles to extend your arm out and smack'em in the head?

Trolley Dolly

What did I learn today?

• Never skip Kevin's room with the Canteen Trolley - He doesn't move fast but he will track you down.
• The trolley run consists of 1 hour ambling up and down corridors, 1/2 hour standing in corridors trying to figure out which way we were heading, 1 hour searching for lost wallets and purses (daughters seem to steal a lot of them) and 1 hour calculating and recalculating and recalculating the price of the two items you are calculating. (Thinking I should be able to shorten the trolley run by about 1.5 hours simply by walking at a reasonable pace, remembering which direction I am heading in and knowing how to calculate change in my head quickly.)
• Your Bingo Partner will always remember you and be in a great mood on the day you don't work with her!
• Everyone wants chocolate!
• Those with a sense of humour will be waiting in the lounge every Mon in the hope that you will roll the trolley getting it out of the lift!
• Most of the Auxiliary Ladies have worse memories than most of the Patients.
• If you get your toes run over by the trolley it really hurts!
• Putting your feet up with a coffee and a smoke in the staff garden at the end of a shift is really quite therapeutic.

I love this job! What a hoot!

How To Dial 000

I have just been crawling around and around and around the couch in my living room on my hands and knees chasing my son. About five minutes into this hilarious game I have pulled muscle in my neck and can no longer move my left arm or turn my head. So I have pleaded game over and sent my son to bed with Transformers 2 to watch on his portable DVD player. About two minutes later he reappears.

Son - Mummy, where does it hurt?

Mummy - All the way up here.

Son - Well, just let me know if the pain moves down and you have trouble breathing, because I know the ambulance number and I have my phone.

Mummy - OK sweetie, I don't think that will be necessary, but thank you. Now off to bed! 

Son - Makes an appearance 2 mins later carrying 'Emergency First Aid For Parents -  Actually Mummy, the movie is really loud and I probably won't hear you so you will have to call yourself. The number is here on the front of this book.

Yep, thanks son! You are really cute but Go To Bed!

 

 

Fun, Games and Dementia

Well I made it through my first full day at the NH and I am totally exhausted. Not physically but mentally. The morning was fairly easy as I was assisting with the art classes - fetching supplies, changing water, getting cups of coffee and generally giving moral support as I know nothing about painting. This will be a regular Friday Gig.
After NH Fish and Chips for lunch (not bad either) it was back to set up for the afternoon game. Last week I learnt how to play Bingo, this week was Hoy. So I paired up with my partner from last week Hilda and we actually won the first hand!!!! Not sure who was more excited, her or me! Last week I believe I called her a Cantankerous Old So And So, well I am changing that to Cheating Cantankerous Old So And So. Boy did I have to keep an eye on her. At one stage I said 'No, that was not the card that was called' only to be told 'I KNOW but I am sick of losing every game!' so I promptly reminded her that we won the first and turned the card back over which was greeted with a big 'Hmmmppphhhh' and lots of sniggers from those with hearing good enough to follow what was going on. There were quite a few occasions where I could not look up at my supervisor for fear that we would both start laughing. Well she stayed for the whole round again, so points to me!! 

Hilda 0 - Bingo Girl 2

More Therapy

Mini Mushrooms

Back Lake

Ripples in the Sand

Rollercoaster

What a roller-coaster of a week! Some really shitty moments, but some amazing feel-good moments too! The past and present have certainly been contrasting each other!

Which I guess is a good thing as it reminds me why I left the life I had 6 months ago and why I love my new one. I have tried to use the whole experience as motivation to continue on towards my goals and I guess, mostly succeeded. The negatives of the week are now learning experiences to propel me forward and those feel-good moments are being cherished in the hope that there will be more of the same in the future. 

Grays Anatomy

I took my son out to dinner last night because I was simply way too tired to think about cooking. He had had enough to eat when I was less than half way through so to stop him from getting fidgety I decided to give him my iPhone to play with and in the absence of any games loaded the Grays Anatomy app. He was super stoked  and sat there happily looking at body parts while I enjoyed my dinner and glass of red and answered the odd random question. After about half an hour I saw someone I knew and stood up to talk to her, completely forgetting about what my son was doing. About five minutes into the conversation the phone is thrust under our noses and the question asked. 'What is that?' He was up the Female Reproductive System External Organs picture. She just about choked and I had one of those moments when the whole world seems to slow down, but managed to say in my best Mummy tone 'How about we just skip that chapter for now?' to which the reply came back 'Don't worry Mummy I've already looked at all of the pictures of the doodles!' and at that half the restaurant turned and looked at the two speechless women and the small boy clutching the iPhone.