Making Decisions

Well, there's nothing like a good round of cathartic decision-making to scare the bejeezus out of you. I am constantly reevaluating my current educational path and decided to give it another hard think. I realized that my current path was challenging only from a time-constraint perspective and had the major fault of potentially being less effective than I knew I could be if I chose my next path which I can only refer to as the "I told you so" path.

You see, plan A was to end up with my Nurse Practitioner's license and Paramedics license and retreat to my small town (and a couple other interests) that need my help and expertise. I realized, though that the NP track was going to take me longer and have fewer opportunities for financial aid and less independence than, say, PA school. Never mind that my primary spiritual advisor told me to go to PA school three years ago. I mean, really, what does he know?! Uncannily, he really does seem to hear quite a lot and had I listened to him I'd be done with it all now and have my clinic open and growing.

So, here I am three years late and it's the faster, cheaper option. So here I go. I have to take the MCAT again (mine's got to be too old)and see what else I lack course-wise and where I have options to go. It's not that drastic of a change, but will implement med-school-like conditions around my house for about two or so years and one holy-hell-of-a-commute. Yuck. Thank goodness for family. I hope my kids forgive me for the absence, but as a parent in need of options for paying for things long-term, I gotta get some things going here. Perhaps when they're eight and eleven they'll forgive me for having my head crammed in a book for most of their early childhood years. Love those kids. Or I would just get a job at the grocery store. Ok, no, too boring, but you get my drift. Gosh I hope my mind continues to work...

Waitin' for things to gel...
Scat

The List

This idea is totally stolen from Chris at Notes from the Trenches, but I thought it was a cool idea and a very thought-provoking exercise. Forty things I'd like to accomplish before I turn forty. Two-and-a-half years is sounding like five minutes right now.

My 40 before 40 list:

1. Go on a date with a decent man.

2. Toilet train all my kids (Half way there...8/10/2010. Cha-ching! Done.0).

3. Get another dog. I believe firmly in liberating what I call "pound dogs." Got a chicken, instead. Her name is Houdini McNugget

4. Lose forty pounds for good (15 to go 8/10/2010).

5. Improve my credit score. Hmmmm....

6. Visit/tour Hoover dam with the boys.

7. Get all my teeth fixed for the LAST time. Yeah, bad teeth are in the family.

8. See all my relatives (this is a mammoth undertaking and probably overrated).

9. Hear Alex call me Momma again.

10. Find a way to keep my house clean without the gnashing of teeth.

11. Consistently grow the gardens from season to season.

12. Add herbs/spices to the gardens.

13. Write a book.

14. Ride the Roaring Tornado again.

15. Go to New Braunfels and float like a river rat for days.

16. Own a King-Sized bed and sleep diagonally.

17. Take the boys on their first camp-out (probably on our land).

18. Take the boys on their second camp-out (not on our land).

19. Simplify.

20. Expand my library. (mwahahaha)

21. Start taking pictures again.

22. Hike the Lone Star Trail (yes, all of it, and for no particular reason other than it's there).

23. Revisit Enchanted Rock.

24. Go on a cruise, OK two. One where I am a total lazy bum and another aboard one of the scientific research vessels that cater to us geek-head tourists.

25. Get out of debt. This is gonna be a miracle given the medical expenses of my kids, but a very healthy goal (and it's actually happening! Yay!).

26. Learn how to make soap (I'm leaving this one b/c it's random and weird and even I am wondering WTH I was thinking when I wrote it).

27. Integrate essential oils into my health regimen (mostly done 8/10/2010).

28. Write more consistently.

29. Love without fear. Live without fear (that's really two).

30. Have confidence in myself and my abilities.

31. Learn how to make my own candles (again with the earth momma crafty stuff that I really don't find appealing).

32. Visit Tokyo again...for about two weeks alone. Go again sometime and take my boys with me.

33. Stay in better contact with friends and acquaintances.

34. Relax and enjoy each day without care or worry for tomorrow.

35. Teach something (again).

36. Build something.

37. Review my genealogy with my grandfather so I can continue the work when he is gone.

38. Pay more attention to the world I live in and contribute (I think the clinic idea fits in here).

39. Attend my high school and college reunions (strike one and strike two for the 20 and 15 year marks due to circumstances beyond my control).

40. Ride in a hot air balloon.

Wow, that's a lot! And you?