Yeah, y'all, I ignored the blog for 2 1/2 months. Sorry!!! I'm glad to be back, even for a little bit though.
Slight update on life:
-Got a 3.9 GPA for my first semester of Med Tech school. My transcript says that brings my overall GPA to a 3.49. I'm a smart cookie, sometimes :) And that one class that I got a B in...let's just say that after the first exam, I had a 68% in the class. So I'm MORE THAN HAPPY to end up with an 89% in there.
-Boyfriend and I are still together. Nope, no more exciting news with that. Heh.
-Work is becoming less miserable. I have a really good friend there that's my age, has a good personality, is smart, reminds me a lot of myself, really. So I like the 4 hours a day I get to work with her. The other 4 hours of my day, I tend to spend a lot of it engrossed in Netflix, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Ya know, getting paid to browse the 'net. Speaking of, it probably wouldn't hurt if I could just update easily from my phone from work. I should look into that. Then again, last semester, if I wasn't working, I was listening to lectures online.
-When I was out doing some stuff for school 3 weeks ago, I weighed myself and I was down 10 pounds from my heaviest weight. I'm still about 10 pounds from my goal, but all considered...I'll totally take it.
-Which, speaking of, I kind of fell off the healthy bandwagon. I just got SO SWAMPED with school. My eating didn't get that horrible, until finals week, but I had to quit working out. I couldn't put aside that hour and a half a day to do Insanity anymore, and all the other workouts were kind of boring me, to be honest. That, and I wasn't getting results from anything else. I'm planning on changing that soon. Like maybe tomorrow. My eating is cleaning back up though, after the week of finals plus the week before Christmas and working 11 days straight. Yeah, I've been back to working overtime.
So, as a result...I'm not sure HOW MUCH of this blog will necessarily be health related anymore :( I'm having the feeling it's just going to go to lifestyle blog...so I may rename it if I come up with something witty.
In the meantime...a nailpolish tutorial will come tomorrow. I did a version of it about 2 weeks ago, and of course it's sad and chipped right now, so I'm planning on redoing it tomorrow. It's just how to do the glitter gradient stuff, but honestly...I had to figure out how to do it correctly because I couldn't find ANYONE who gave a really good description of it anywhere.
Hope y'all had a good holiday season! I'll be back tomorrow :)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Stress
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school,
work
I'm just ready for this semester to be over. My body is wearing down from it all...or well, I think it's from school. I've had headaches almost daily for the past week, my stomach is going crazy, I can't figure out my sleep schedule (I feel like I'm constantly sleep too much or too little), and I'm just ready to be able to be NORMAL again.
I know this isn't going to happen for awhile. On the plus side, after Friday, 3 of my classes are done except for on-campus labs and finals. I'll have 2 lecture classes and a lab class left for ~1 month. I'm going to love having time to work out, clean, and cook again. I'm not going to lie, I can't remember the last time I vacuumed, the last time I personally cooked something from scratch (I don't consider freezer meals that I put on the skillet to be cooking), or the last time I had a real workout where I was drenched in sweat and felt relieved afterward.
I've just been...excessively stressed the past month or so. I try to keep my relationship off of here, but it's a definite roller coaster. I also try to keep specifics about work away from here, but it's reached the point to where I'm wanting to change my schedule drastically to a schedule that really DOES NOT WORK for me to avoid certain situations or even just quitting because management can't seem to really help me out. I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to have a 4.0, work 40 hours a week, look great, eat well, have a cozy apartment, put together good meals, but...I'm breaking down.
Surprisingly, as I'm writing this, I'm nearly ahead for this week ahead, which I've normally been down a few lectures going into each week. I'm figuring out what I'm wanting to do next, what I want to get ahead in, and I'm thinking I might just finish up my body fluids stuff and call it good.
I'm hoping to make this website more useful again in the future, but right now I'm using it as a mini-outlet.
I know this isn't going to happen for awhile. On the plus side, after Friday, 3 of my classes are done except for on-campus labs and finals. I'll have 2 lecture classes and a lab class left for ~1 month. I'm going to love having time to work out, clean, and cook again. I'm not going to lie, I can't remember the last time I vacuumed, the last time I personally cooked something from scratch (I don't consider freezer meals that I put on the skillet to be cooking), or the last time I had a real workout where I was drenched in sweat and felt relieved afterward.
I've just been...excessively stressed the past month or so. I try to keep my relationship off of here, but it's a definite roller coaster. I also try to keep specifics about work away from here, but it's reached the point to where I'm wanting to change my schedule drastically to a schedule that really DOES NOT WORK for me to avoid certain situations or even just quitting because management can't seem to really help me out. I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to have a 4.0, work 40 hours a week, look great, eat well, have a cozy apartment, put together good meals, but...I'm breaking down.
Surprisingly, as I'm writing this, I'm nearly ahead for this week ahead, which I've normally been down a few lectures going into each week. I'm figuring out what I'm wanting to do next, what I want to get ahead in, and I'm thinking I might just finish up my body fluids stuff and call it good.
I'm hoping to make this website more useful again in the future, but right now I'm using it as a mini-outlet.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Updatin'
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school,
work
Life has been HEC-TIC y'all.
And I'm not going to lie...I have kind of fallen off the bandwagon, so to speak. And I feel hypocritical trying to be all "GET LOTS OF SLEEP AND WORKOUT AND EAT HEALTHY" when I'm not even doing that.
So, I'm just going to be honest.
I've essentially quit working out. I still am walking for hours a day at work, depending on how busy it is and what I'm doing, sometimes I literally don't stop walking at a fast pace (as fast as I can walk before I break into a job) for 4 hours. I have not been doing Insanity anymore. I DID like how I was looking, and I haven't really "worked out" in about 3 weeks and I have noticed some negative changes. I do want to finish the program, but it's going to be at a much more decelerated rate. For me to do one of those workouts, I need to have a good 2 hours free...an hour to do the workout, some time to cool off, time to shower...and some days I'm not having enough time to SLEEP, so working out got pushed to the side.
I quit tracking my meals, but I am still eating healthfully. However, my liquid intake...I've taken to drinking more often than I was due to work stress, and I've also been downing a few Zero Carb Zero Sugar Rockstars a week.
My sleep quality and amount has also decreased significantly. I've been waking up in dead panics, some nights not getting enough sleep at all, and so on. It's frustrating and makes me a cranky panda, but it's what I'm having to do for school.
I've been having a LOT of work problems, relationship problems, and I've been trying to keep up with school in the midst of it. It's hard sometimes, I'm not going to lie. Today was the first day I felt relief, because I have ONE test on Monday that I feel pretty good about right now (and I haven't even studied yet), then I don't have another test until a week and a half after that. I'm used to having 2-3 tests per WEEK. I also had been called for jury duty, they weren't going to let me off for school, but they finally posted who they're going to need next week and I'm completely off of jury duty (they said I could expect to be checking the website for 5-6 weeks...they said for me to not keep checking back). That is the BIGGEST weight off my shoulders right now.
School is going really well right now. I'm taking 7 classes, and I believe I have 2 Bs and 5 As. One of those Bs is an easy fix to bring it up to an A as well, so hopefully I can manage to pull off a 4.0 if I continue kicking it in gear. That's been my goal for the semester. One of my classes is completely done on Thursday except for finishing a paper I'm writing for the class, and another class is completely done the first week of November. All of my lectures are done before Thanksgiving break, then I have a week and a half of labs and some finals. Some of my finals are actually done before I go out to do the lab portion. I keep telling myself if I can just do this stuff one week at a time, take all of this one week at a time, I'll be fine. And that's what I've been doing. I'm not looking ahead that I still have x number of tests, I'm looking at "Well, I have a test on Monday, a quiz on Wednesday, and 3 assignments due Friday"...beyond that, I have lectures, which I can postpone as need be (I'll often spend a few hours on Saturday knocking some out...sometimes I get ahead for the next week even!)
So that's an update on my life right now. I will be trying my hardest to post more often, but the last 3 weeks have been killer...last week I had 3 tests, 2 quizzes, and 2 assignments due! And that was just one week, not including all of my lectures and the study time I put in!
And I'm not going to lie...I have kind of fallen off the bandwagon, so to speak. And I feel hypocritical trying to be all "GET LOTS OF SLEEP AND WORKOUT AND EAT HEALTHY" when I'm not even doing that.
So, I'm just going to be honest.
I've essentially quit working out. I still am walking for hours a day at work, depending on how busy it is and what I'm doing, sometimes I literally don't stop walking at a fast pace (as fast as I can walk before I break into a job) for 4 hours. I have not been doing Insanity anymore. I DID like how I was looking, and I haven't really "worked out" in about 3 weeks and I have noticed some negative changes. I do want to finish the program, but it's going to be at a much more decelerated rate. For me to do one of those workouts, I need to have a good 2 hours free...an hour to do the workout, some time to cool off, time to shower...and some days I'm not having enough time to SLEEP, so working out got pushed to the side.
I quit tracking my meals, but I am still eating healthfully. However, my liquid intake...I've taken to drinking more often than I was due to work stress, and I've also been downing a few Zero Carb Zero Sugar Rockstars a week.
My sleep quality and amount has also decreased significantly. I've been waking up in dead panics, some nights not getting enough sleep at all, and so on. It's frustrating and makes me a cranky panda, but it's what I'm having to do for school.
I've been having a LOT of work problems, relationship problems, and I've been trying to keep up with school in the midst of it. It's hard sometimes, I'm not going to lie. Today was the first day I felt relief, because I have ONE test on Monday that I feel pretty good about right now (and I haven't even studied yet), then I don't have another test until a week and a half after that. I'm used to having 2-3 tests per WEEK. I also had been called for jury duty, they weren't going to let me off for school, but they finally posted who they're going to need next week and I'm completely off of jury duty (they said I could expect to be checking the website for 5-6 weeks...they said for me to not keep checking back). That is the BIGGEST weight off my shoulders right now.
School is going really well right now. I'm taking 7 classes, and I believe I have 2 Bs and 5 As. One of those Bs is an easy fix to bring it up to an A as well, so hopefully I can manage to pull off a 4.0 if I continue kicking it in gear. That's been my goal for the semester. One of my classes is completely done on Thursday except for finishing a paper I'm writing for the class, and another class is completely done the first week of November. All of my lectures are done before Thanksgiving break, then I have a week and a half of labs and some finals. Some of my finals are actually done before I go out to do the lab portion. I keep telling myself if I can just do this stuff one week at a time, take all of this one week at a time, I'll be fine. And that's what I've been doing. I'm not looking ahead that I still have x number of tests, I'm looking at "Well, I have a test on Monday, a quiz on Wednesday, and 3 assignments due Friday"...beyond that, I have lectures, which I can postpone as need be (I'll often spend a few hours on Saturday knocking some out...sometimes I get ahead for the next week even!)
So that's an update on my life right now. I will be trying my hardest to post more often, but the last 3 weeks have been killer...last week I had 3 tests, 2 quizzes, and 2 assignments due! And that was just one week, not including all of my lectures and the study time I put in!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Today's Tip - Water
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating
I'm so sorry I'm slacking on this website guys. I had no idea that school would take up SO much time lately. I'm going to try to post twice a week, instead of 4-6 times a week, just so that my posts will actually be of quality and not just crap!
So onto today's tip...water.
Are you drinking enough? Probably not, if you're like most of us. I'll admit, the only way I get enough water most days is because I get SO THIRSTY when working out because I sweat up a storm! I don't normally drink anything but water...I just don't drink a lot during the day, normally just with meals.
But water is so helpful! It helps with bloating and flushing out toxins. If you have skin problems, they will likely get better if you drink more water instead of crappy sugary drinks (and I break out if I drink too much milk as well, so I don't drink tons of milk). It will also decrease how much you eat at your meals - the thirst feeling is often mistaken for being hungry, so you're trying to fulfill that biological urge to eat...which also just perpetuates the cycle because you need the water to help balance out all the "stuff" that's floating in your blood from your meal. If you try drinking a glass of water before your meal, it will also help you feel fuller faster, so you'll eat less from just that one simple thing!
I know a lot of people have a hard time keeping track of how much they're drinking, or they truly think that they're drinking enough. Get out your favorite cup. Also get out a measuring cup. Dump 8 oz/1 cup of water in. You should be drinking AROUND 8 servings of that size. Your favorite cup holds 16 ozs? Great, then you only need to drink 4 refills! Please also note that if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, in a dry climate, etc. you WILL need to drink more water. You also get a lot of water from food, but don't calculate that into your 64oz requirement.
I have a couple of extra tips...buy some water bottles that will hold 32 oz of water. Then you only need to drink 2 per day. I like to fill them up and leave them in the fridge, making them nice and chilled when I'm ready to get to them. It's easier for me to only have to drink 2 bottles of water versus 4 or 8 refills of my cups.
Try additives to your water. I personally like mine plain, but I have seen people add everything from lemons and limes to strawberries and melons, as well as mint and cucumber! Many people like to add Crystal Light or MiO to their water, however these both contain chemicals which have been known to be harmful to your health in large amounts, so use these sparingly. The real thing is best!
I'll also admit, I did not drinking water for a long time. I would be doing good to drink 1 glass a WEEK. I stopped buying sodas/juices for awhile, and subsisted off of Gatorade until I ran out, then I would not allow myself to go to the store to buy anything else until it was time for me to actually go grocery shopping. I've also found that using my Brita filter helps with the taste a lot. Also, depending on my mood/level of hydration, I like my water either chilled in the fridge or at room temp...making water more appetizing helps me drink more of it!
So onto today's tip...water.
Are you drinking enough? Probably not, if you're like most of us. I'll admit, the only way I get enough water most days is because I get SO THIRSTY when working out because I sweat up a storm! I don't normally drink anything but water...I just don't drink a lot during the day, normally just with meals.
But water is so helpful! It helps with bloating and flushing out toxins. If you have skin problems, they will likely get better if you drink more water instead of crappy sugary drinks (and I break out if I drink too much milk as well, so I don't drink tons of milk). It will also decrease how much you eat at your meals - the thirst feeling is often mistaken for being hungry, so you're trying to fulfill that biological urge to eat...which also just perpetuates the cycle because you need the water to help balance out all the "stuff" that's floating in your blood from your meal. If you try drinking a glass of water before your meal, it will also help you feel fuller faster, so you'll eat less from just that one simple thing!
I know a lot of people have a hard time keeping track of how much they're drinking, or they truly think that they're drinking enough. Get out your favorite cup. Also get out a measuring cup. Dump 8 oz/1 cup of water in. You should be drinking AROUND 8 servings of that size. Your favorite cup holds 16 ozs? Great, then you only need to drink 4 refills! Please also note that if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, in a dry climate, etc. you WILL need to drink more water. You also get a lot of water from food, but don't calculate that into your 64oz requirement.
I have a couple of extra tips...buy some water bottles that will hold 32 oz of water. Then you only need to drink 2 per day. I like to fill them up and leave them in the fridge, making them nice and chilled when I'm ready to get to them. It's easier for me to only have to drink 2 bottles of water versus 4 or 8 refills of my cups.
Try additives to your water. I personally like mine plain, but I have seen people add everything from lemons and limes to strawberries and melons, as well as mint and cucumber! Many people like to add Crystal Light or MiO to their water, however these both contain chemicals which have been known to be harmful to your health in large amounts, so use these sparingly. The real thing is best!
I'll also admit, I did not drinking water for a long time. I would be doing good to drink 1 glass a WEEK. I stopped buying sodas/juices for awhile, and subsisted off of Gatorade until I ran out, then I would not allow myself to go to the store to buy anything else until it was time for me to actually go grocery shopping. I've also found that using my Brita filter helps with the taste a lot. Also, depending on my mood/level of hydration, I like my water either chilled in the fridge or at room temp...making water more appetizing helps me drink more of it!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Personal Post
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school
Hoo boy. This is a crazy week! I'm ready for it to be over already, and due to Labor Day (which I would have had off anyway), it's barely even started!
Sorry, for those of you looking for a "tips" post today...You get a personal post again.
I did Insanity yesterday. I'm really ready to switch over to the more "intense" ones. I ended up skipping about a week and a half's worth of working out when I was out of town/messing with school stuff. I also don't work out if it's the weekend and my boyfriend is off work...so I normally pack 6 workouts into a 5 day timespan. So I'm a bit behind where I'd like to be, but next week or week after next, I'll be hitting the amped-up version of Insanity.
While I AM still getting results, I'm not sore after all of the workouts anymore. I'm still modifying a few of the workouts, as they don't work for my wrists (I had problems in yoga with wrist placement...I have small bones anyway and I don't think my wrists were made to hold up my weight at certain angles)...mostly those in the push-up/plank arena. Yesterday I switched out the push-ups for some planks (which I hold for the entirety of the time that I should be doing push-ups) and some inner thigh work (laying on my side and lifting my legs, once again done for the entirety of the time I should be doing push-ups)...I feel like I can't get the area targeted and it was an exercise recommended to me.
Like I said, I'm still getting results from Insanity, I can tell that I'm losing inches (when I'm finished with the program, I might post before and after pictures, which aren't SUPER exciting...it's not like I'm losing 50 pounds doing the program, I'm mostly toning up, which is what I wanted!)...I'm just ready for some more Intensity. And maybe that's why I feel more apt to skip workouts...yeah, I know, bad Ashley. The other day my back was a bit sore, but that was more likely due to cramps and not from muscle building.
I've been doing really well with my eating lately, and also with getting my schoolwork done. I'm finally starting to find a balance with everything. I had to get up early to take a test for body fluids, and I really need to quit second-guessing myself and just submit the exam when I have the questions answered! On both the body fluids and hematology exams that I took, when I went back through and changed answers, while I corrected one answer today, I changed two more and missed them! A similar thing happened in Hematology, so I just really need to be going with my first instinct, which is proving to be right more often than not :) I'm finally starting to get myself into a routine though...yesterday and today will be completely thrown off, but I'm also ahead for the week...and I'd like to stay that way for the semester. It's nice to be ahead with whatever you're doing, so if you have an off day (you get sick, you have computer malfunctions, or you just aren't in the mood for doing what you SHOULD be doing), it'll be okay. And you also aren't stressed out by the 11:00 deadline that you have because you already have it done and submitted :)
Sorry, for those of you looking for a "tips" post today...You get a personal post again.
I did Insanity yesterday. I'm really ready to switch over to the more "intense" ones. I ended up skipping about a week and a half's worth of working out when I was out of town/messing with school stuff. I also don't work out if it's the weekend and my boyfriend is off work...so I normally pack 6 workouts into a 5 day timespan. So I'm a bit behind where I'd like to be, but next week or week after next, I'll be hitting the amped-up version of Insanity.
While I AM still getting results, I'm not sore after all of the workouts anymore. I'm still modifying a few of the workouts, as they don't work for my wrists (I had problems in yoga with wrist placement...I have small bones anyway and I don't think my wrists were made to hold up my weight at certain angles)...mostly those in the push-up/plank arena. Yesterday I switched out the push-ups for some planks (which I hold for the entirety of the time that I should be doing push-ups) and some inner thigh work (laying on my side and lifting my legs, once again done for the entirety of the time I should be doing push-ups)...I feel like I can't get the area targeted and it was an exercise recommended to me.
Like I said, I'm still getting results from Insanity, I can tell that I'm losing inches (when I'm finished with the program, I might post before and after pictures, which aren't SUPER exciting...it's not like I'm losing 50 pounds doing the program, I'm mostly toning up, which is what I wanted!)...I'm just ready for some more Intensity. And maybe that's why I feel more apt to skip workouts...yeah, I know, bad Ashley. The other day my back was a bit sore, but that was more likely due to cramps and not from muscle building.
I've been doing really well with my eating lately, and also with getting my schoolwork done. I'm finally starting to find a balance with everything. I had to get up early to take a test for body fluids, and I really need to quit second-guessing myself and just submit the exam when I have the questions answered! On both the body fluids and hematology exams that I took, when I went back through and changed answers, while I corrected one answer today, I changed two more and missed them! A similar thing happened in Hematology, so I just really need to be going with my first instinct, which is proving to be right more often than not :) I'm finally starting to get myself into a routine though...yesterday and today will be completely thrown off, but I'm also ahead for the week...and I'd like to stay that way for the semester. It's nice to be ahead with whatever you're doing, so if you have an off day (you get sick, you have computer malfunctions, or you just aren't in the mood for doing what you SHOULD be doing), it'll be okay. And you also aren't stressed out by the 11:00 deadline that you have because you already have it done and submitted :)
Monday, September 3, 2012
Getting Back
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school,
work
I haven't actually written a post in about a week...all the posts I made last week I wrote in advance and scheduled.
Then life hit.
I got super busy, had some issues with work, and got in all-around a fairly nasty mood. I'd like to partially blame the female hormones, lol.
I'm feeling better, but I haven't worked out in a few days, so I'm feeling very anxious about that. I shouldn't be, especially since I haven't had the time to do so. But it also makes me feel hypocritical to be writing "You can always make time for a workout, etc!" when I haven't done so. I'm still attempting to figure out a good schedule for myself, and last week there were 3 nights where I managed to get 6 hours or less of sleep per night. I really enjoy getting 8 hours, especially when I've been doing a lot of physical activity, but it just wasn't in the cards last week. I had my first test (which I made a 91% on...more on that in a bit), I had multiple lectures to get through, 3 quizzes, 3 assignments...all of that was Wednesday onward.
Then I had to work this weekend, which allowed me to get through about 6 lectures and 2 assignments. I try to get ahead on the weekends when I can...which is what was allowing me to have time to workout, do school work, as well as getting domestic things like grocery shopping and cleaning the bathroom sink done ;)
My stress level has been through the roof lately. I HATE HATE HATE making negative posts, but hopefully it can help someone else out. My job has been getting worse by the week. I tried to talk to my boss's boss on Friday afternoon, but she wasn't in her office. That's going to be a top priority for this week, because last week I came home so frustrated that I was crying 3 times. Out of 5 days. That's ridiculous!
I'm also putting a ton of stress on myself about school. Like that 91% I made? It's not good enough for me. I should have made a 100%! This is my attitude about it, and while it's a good thing from a career standpoint, I guess, it's horrible on my mental and physical state. I'm just going to have to keep plugging away at it though. It's just insanely important to me that I understand everything, that I can remember everything, etc. and so when I'm doing these classes, if something is contradictory-seeming to me (which, there is one thing I'm in the middle of, actually), I have to go and research it myself. I've only had one instance thus far, but I've already spent over an hour trying to find a way to justify why some results are the way that they are.
So guys! I'm going to get back to writing those posts, hopefully they're helpful to some people. I'm trying to figure out a blogging schedule...I may just do 4-5 days a week, with tips and such 3-4 of the days and personal posts the other days. We shall see what happens! Be sure to check back though :)
Then life hit.
I got super busy, had some issues with work, and got in all-around a fairly nasty mood. I'd like to partially blame the female hormones, lol.
I'm feeling better, but I haven't worked out in a few days, so I'm feeling very anxious about that. I shouldn't be, especially since I haven't had the time to do so. But it also makes me feel hypocritical to be writing "You can always make time for a workout, etc!" when I haven't done so. I'm still attempting to figure out a good schedule for myself, and last week there were 3 nights where I managed to get 6 hours or less of sleep per night. I really enjoy getting 8 hours, especially when I've been doing a lot of physical activity, but it just wasn't in the cards last week. I had my first test (which I made a 91% on...more on that in a bit), I had multiple lectures to get through, 3 quizzes, 3 assignments...all of that was Wednesday onward.
Then I had to work this weekend, which allowed me to get through about 6 lectures and 2 assignments. I try to get ahead on the weekends when I can...which is what was allowing me to have time to workout, do school work, as well as getting domestic things like grocery shopping and cleaning the bathroom sink done ;)
My stress level has been through the roof lately. I HATE HATE HATE making negative posts, but hopefully it can help someone else out. My job has been getting worse by the week. I tried to talk to my boss's boss on Friday afternoon, but she wasn't in her office. That's going to be a top priority for this week, because last week I came home so frustrated that I was crying 3 times. Out of 5 days. That's ridiculous!
I'm also putting a ton of stress on myself about school. Like that 91% I made? It's not good enough for me. I should have made a 100%! This is my attitude about it, and while it's a good thing from a career standpoint, I guess, it's horrible on my mental and physical state. I'm just going to have to keep plugging away at it though. It's just insanely important to me that I understand everything, that I can remember everything, etc. and so when I'm doing these classes, if something is contradictory-seeming to me (which, there is one thing I'm in the middle of, actually), I have to go and research it myself. I've only had one instance thus far, but I've already spent over an hour trying to find a way to justify why some results are the way that they are.
So guys! I'm going to get back to writing those posts, hopefully they're helpful to some people. I'm trying to figure out a blogging schedule...I may just do 4-5 days a week, with tips and such 3-4 of the days and personal posts the other days. We shall see what happens! Be sure to check back though :)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Getting the Word Out
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school,
work
So guys. I got a Twitter solely for this website. It's @HealthAndSnark...I got original, I know.
I also have an email account if you want to email me anything...if you have questions, want to link up, want a guest post...it is HealthAndSnark [at] gmail [dot] com. Or if you have something you want me to delve into for you...I may already have some ideas coming about it, but if not, I'm more than open to doing some reason or just giving my opinion!
I'm trying to promote this site! I'm also wanting to be able to link to other blogs/sites! I don't care if you're a mommy-blogger, fashion-blogger, or fitness-blogger, I want to link to you! I will be adding in some of my daily links, but if you would like to be linked, please either leave a comment or shoot me an email. And if you want to link me back, that would be awesome as well :)
I hope everyone is having a great day! I'm trying to get some school stuff taken care of as the end of the week closes in, but there will be a new post tomorrow with real content. I have a running list on my phone right now of topics, and I'm putting them in as I think of them.
I also have an email account if you want to email me anything...if you have questions, want to link up, want a guest post...it is HealthAndSnark [at] gmail [dot] com. Or if you have something you want me to delve into for you...I may already have some ideas coming about it, but if not, I'm more than open to doing some reason or just giving my opinion!
I'm trying to promote this site! I'm also wanting to be able to link to other blogs/sites! I don't care if you're a mommy-blogger, fashion-blogger, or fitness-blogger, I want to link to you! I will be adding in some of my daily links, but if you would like to be linked, please either leave a comment or shoot me an email. And if you want to link me back, that would be awesome as well :)
I hope everyone is having a great day! I'm trying to get some school stuff taken care of as the end of the week closes in, but there will be a new post tomorrow with real content. I have a running list on my phone right now of topics, and I'm putting them in as I think of them.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tracking
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating
Tracking what you're intaking and burning is always helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, at least until you get used to what things are "worth".
I have used different trackers at different times in my life and I've found it extremely helpful.
For the past ~6 months, I've been using the MyFitnessPal app daily on my iPhone. It allows me to track my calories, fat, protein, carbs, fiber, sugar, vitamins, and more, along with different types of physical activity.
And honestly, I wasn't "dieting" for the first few weeks I was using this app. It made me AWARE of what I was eating. I saw how much I was eating that was SO unhealthy for me and how I wasn't getting enough protein, fiber, etc. It also makes you a little more aware BEFORE you eat of what you're putting into your body. I've used this app before to look at a menu and say "Oh, this is a little better for me because it has x grams of protein vs that other thing" or "Do I really want to waste x number of calories on THAT when I can eat this similar thing for half the calories?"
I would recommend tracking your nutrition and physical activity at least for awhile, to ANYONE that's looking to revamp their health status. I'm not telling you to go and obsess over it, but I make a conscious effort every day, on my dinner break at work, to just go into my app and track everything I've eaten for the day. I'll have often started my tracking earlier in the day, but it's a nice way to keep track of everything.
There are many different programs out there which can be used to track your progress - I'm aware that the Weight Watchers program has something similar, however I'm not really a fan of tracking points, and although I've never used the program, I like being able to see if I need to kick up my Vitamin A intake that day, or maybe I'm eating a bit too much sugar and I need to not have that dessert that I packed for dinner.
A few programs I've used and can recommend are: SparkPeople (which also has an app), MyFitnessPal (also has an app available), and CalorieCount (also has an app). These are all apps available on iPhone, I'm not sure about other smartphones. I've been using MyFitnessPal the longest and that's the only reason I haven't switched to some of the other apps, is I like having that progress to easily look back on.
I really like the Calorie Count app because it gives you a rating next to each (A+ through F) for how good it is for you, and also gives you a daily grade and gives you a breakdown of all your nutrients. It also has a scanner and voice-recognition feature, and goals to meet. I haven't used it extensively but it seems like an upgraded version of My Fitness Pal. It allows you to input your own goals along with its goals, and will auto-compute how much you should be eating per day based on your goals. There is a user-interaction area which I haven't played with much.
Spark People seems to have the most limited app. It has goals on the website (you earn points to get trophies), as well as an extensive user-interaction area, but the app really leaves something to be desired. I used the website when I did use this tracker.
My Fitness Pal is what I currently use and it allows you to have weight goals but doesn't give you any specific goals like "drinking 8 glasses of a water a day" or "logging on 10 days in a row". It does, however, allow you to put a target weight and tells you what you should be eating per day and can auto-create a diet plan for you if you choose. It also has the barcode scanning feature like Calorie Count. It has a user-interaction area that I've used to search for what different activities should be counted as in the fitness tracking section. I really like how I can create recipes or meals for things I use often or have concocted in the kitchen to see how detrimental it is to my health ;)
I have used different trackers at different times in my life and I've found it extremely helpful.
For the past ~6 months, I've been using the MyFitnessPal app daily on my iPhone. It allows me to track my calories, fat, protein, carbs, fiber, sugar, vitamins, and more, along with different types of physical activity.
And honestly, I wasn't "dieting" for the first few weeks I was using this app. It made me AWARE of what I was eating. I saw how much I was eating that was SO unhealthy for me and how I wasn't getting enough protein, fiber, etc. It also makes you a little more aware BEFORE you eat of what you're putting into your body. I've used this app before to look at a menu and say "Oh, this is a little better for me because it has x grams of protein vs that other thing" or "Do I really want to waste x number of calories on THAT when I can eat this similar thing for half the calories?"
I would recommend tracking your nutrition and physical activity at least for awhile, to ANYONE that's looking to revamp their health status. I'm not telling you to go and obsess over it, but I make a conscious effort every day, on my dinner break at work, to just go into my app and track everything I've eaten for the day. I'll have often started my tracking earlier in the day, but it's a nice way to keep track of everything.
There are many different programs out there which can be used to track your progress - I'm aware that the Weight Watchers program has something similar, however I'm not really a fan of tracking points, and although I've never used the program, I like being able to see if I need to kick up my Vitamin A intake that day, or maybe I'm eating a bit too much sugar and I need to not have that dessert that I packed for dinner.
A few programs I've used and can recommend are: SparkPeople (which also has an app), MyFitnessPal (also has an app available), and CalorieCount (also has an app). These are all apps available on iPhone, I'm not sure about other smartphones. I've been using MyFitnessPal the longest and that's the only reason I haven't switched to some of the other apps, is I like having that progress to easily look back on.
I really like the Calorie Count app because it gives you a rating next to each (A+ through F) for how good it is for you, and also gives you a daily grade and gives you a breakdown of all your nutrients. It also has a scanner and voice-recognition feature, and goals to meet. I haven't used it extensively but it seems like an upgraded version of My Fitness Pal. It allows you to input your own goals along with its goals, and will auto-compute how much you should be eating per day based on your goals. There is a user-interaction area which I haven't played with much.
Spark People seems to have the most limited app. It has goals on the website (you earn points to get trophies), as well as an extensive user-interaction area, but the app really leaves something to be desired. I used the website when I did use this tracker.
My Fitness Pal is what I currently use and it allows you to have weight goals but doesn't give you any specific goals like "drinking 8 glasses of a water a day" or "logging on 10 days in a row". It does, however, allow you to put a target weight and tells you what you should be eating per day and can auto-create a diet plan for you if you choose. It also has the barcode scanning feature like Calorie Count. It has a user-interaction area that I've used to search for what different activities should be counted as in the fitness tracking section. I really like how I can create recipes or meals for things I use often or have concocted in the kitchen to see how detrimental it is to my health ;)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
How I Got Into Healthcare
I said I was going to post this awhile back and never did.
The way I got into healthcare is not a long story, but how I ended up doing what I'm doing and what I'm going to school for IS.
My father passed away at the age of 43 (a few days prior to his 44th birthday) due to colon cancer. I was 9. He had been diagnosed with cancer about 3 years prior. I don't know a lot of the specifics even to this day because it kills me to ask my mom about it and I end up bawling my eyes out for hours afterward. I don't know what stage he was diagnosed at, but he was given less than a year to survive at the time, so I'd probably say Stage 3.
Ever since, I wanted to be able to do something to stop others from suffering in that way. And not just the patients with cancer, but their families and friends as well.
In elementary school, when all kids have the various ideas of what they want to do when they grow up, I had wanted to be everything from a teacher to an astronaut to a doctor. I stuck with doctor for awhile.
In middle school, before I knew much about cancer still, I had decided I wanted to do research and find a cure for cancer. Some kind of treatment that would kill the cancer.
In high school, I learned a little bit about cancer, and I was also involved in forensic science classes along with my many other science classes. At that point, I had flipped back into wanting to be a doctor, but more specifically a medical examiner.
I began my college career as an Undeclared major, switching in the first semester to Chemistry. Hah. After I completed my Calculus I class that first semester, I realized I did not have it in me to take all the way through Calc IV. So I switched to Forensic Science. It was still a fairly new major in my college at the time, and it seemed to combine Chemistry with Biology fairly seamlessly. That second semester of my freshman year, I took Intro to Forensic Science and kind of had my hopes dashed about that degree as well - I had wanted to work in the lab, more in the biological field rather than chemistry or fingerprint analysis or anything like that, and the professor had indicated that before too long, the department would be fairly automated and I felt I wouldn't have much of a job. However, I stayed in that major and enrolled in some more classes that would work in multiple degrees. One of them was Microbiology. In the fall of my sophomore year, I spent more time studying for one test in that class that I have studying for any other class in total, and I was genuinely intrigued with it. So, I went ahead and switched over to Biology.
From that point, I stayed a Biology major. We had a wide variety of science electives to choose from, as long as some of them fit into certain categories (ie: Animal Physiology or Human Physiology, x number of junior/senior level courses, etc). I stayed with a lot of human-focused classes...I took human anatomy, human physiology, pathogenic microbiology+immunology, virology, biology of cancer, etc. Biology of Cancer was when I finally figured out that they already had cancer drugs for many types of cancer that were fairly effective at killing cancerous cells, as long as the cancer was caught fairly early. I started applying for research jobs anyhow, hoping to get on with doing some kind of research that would benefit humans. I had a friend of a friend that told me to apply at their workplace, since I had a BS in Biology, and there should be plenty of openings.
And I got a job in the lab as a laboratory assistant. It was implied to me multiple times that I would be able to progress into a tech position, although when I started the job I had no idea what that really entailed. I worked there for a few months before realizing that that was what I really wanted to do. After getting impatient, I finally applied to a school for an associate's degree in laboratory science, however I strongly disliked how the program was set up and quit after a week. There were multiple schools in the state that offered a bachelor's program, so I started researching those, applying, and taking some prerequisites for them. Unfortunately/fortunately, I didn't have all of the prerequisites fully completed by the time I interviewed(which was last fall), and I feel that is the main reason I was not accepted. However, I found out about the school I'm currently attending not long after, and saw that I could apply by May and be accepted into the fall class. So, I applied, was accepted, and here I am! I have been offered a few opportunities to get trained on-the-job for a tech position, however it would take longer, be less comprehensive, and I would not be a fully-certified tech. So, I decided to do the school route, which will take a total of 3 semesters and have me be certified in 4 areas, versus on-the-job training, which would take a full year to just get certified in 1 area. It was also not absolutely guaranteed that I would get that training, it was just somewhat implied that in downtime from the job I would be accepting, that they would train me in a tech capacity. And I didn't want to take that risk.
I want to be able to help people. I don't feel as if I have the patience or personality to be a nurse or doctor, and lab stuff makes me extremely happy anyway. The fact that I could possibly save someone's life from one lab test is the type of thing that keeps me going.
Right now, I do love what I do. I love being able to help doctors make a diagnosis due to either helping them order the proper test, resulting it out, or simply preparing the specimen for analysis. But I want to be able to do more, and be more active in the process.
The way I got into healthcare is not a long story, but how I ended up doing what I'm doing and what I'm going to school for IS.
My father passed away at the age of 43 (a few days prior to his 44th birthday) due to colon cancer. I was 9. He had been diagnosed with cancer about 3 years prior. I don't know a lot of the specifics even to this day because it kills me to ask my mom about it and I end up bawling my eyes out for hours afterward. I don't know what stage he was diagnosed at, but he was given less than a year to survive at the time, so I'd probably say Stage 3.
Ever since, I wanted to be able to do something to stop others from suffering in that way. And not just the patients with cancer, but their families and friends as well.
In elementary school, when all kids have the various ideas of what they want to do when they grow up, I had wanted to be everything from a teacher to an astronaut to a doctor. I stuck with doctor for awhile.
In middle school, before I knew much about cancer still, I had decided I wanted to do research and find a cure for cancer. Some kind of treatment that would kill the cancer.
In high school, I learned a little bit about cancer, and I was also involved in forensic science classes along with my many other science classes. At that point, I had flipped back into wanting to be a doctor, but more specifically a medical examiner.
I began my college career as an Undeclared major, switching in the first semester to Chemistry. Hah. After I completed my Calculus I class that first semester, I realized I did not have it in me to take all the way through Calc IV. So I switched to Forensic Science. It was still a fairly new major in my college at the time, and it seemed to combine Chemistry with Biology fairly seamlessly. That second semester of my freshman year, I took Intro to Forensic Science and kind of had my hopes dashed about that degree as well - I had wanted to work in the lab, more in the biological field rather than chemistry or fingerprint analysis or anything like that, and the professor had indicated that before too long, the department would be fairly automated and I felt I wouldn't have much of a job. However, I stayed in that major and enrolled in some more classes that would work in multiple degrees. One of them was Microbiology. In the fall of my sophomore year, I spent more time studying for one test in that class that I have studying for any other class in total, and I was genuinely intrigued with it. So, I went ahead and switched over to Biology.
From that point, I stayed a Biology major. We had a wide variety of science electives to choose from, as long as some of them fit into certain categories (ie: Animal Physiology or Human Physiology, x number of junior/senior level courses, etc). I stayed with a lot of human-focused classes...I took human anatomy, human physiology, pathogenic microbiology+immunology, virology, biology of cancer, etc. Biology of Cancer was when I finally figured out that they already had cancer drugs for many types of cancer that were fairly effective at killing cancerous cells, as long as the cancer was caught fairly early. I started applying for research jobs anyhow, hoping to get on with doing some kind of research that would benefit humans. I had a friend of a friend that told me to apply at their workplace, since I had a BS in Biology, and there should be plenty of openings.
And I got a job in the lab as a laboratory assistant. It was implied to me multiple times that I would be able to progress into a tech position, although when I started the job I had no idea what that really entailed. I worked there for a few months before realizing that that was what I really wanted to do. After getting impatient, I finally applied to a school for an associate's degree in laboratory science, however I strongly disliked how the program was set up and quit after a week. There were multiple schools in the state that offered a bachelor's program, so I started researching those, applying, and taking some prerequisites for them. Unfortunately/fortunately, I didn't have all of the prerequisites fully completed by the time I interviewed(which was last fall), and I feel that is the main reason I was not accepted. However, I found out about the school I'm currently attending not long after, and saw that I could apply by May and be accepted into the fall class. So, I applied, was accepted, and here I am! I have been offered a few opportunities to get trained on-the-job for a tech position, however it would take longer, be less comprehensive, and I would not be a fully-certified tech. So, I decided to do the school route, which will take a total of 3 semesters and have me be certified in 4 areas, versus on-the-job training, which would take a full year to just get certified in 1 area. It was also not absolutely guaranteed that I would get that training, it was just somewhat implied that in downtime from the job I would be accepting, that they would train me in a tech capacity. And I didn't want to take that risk.
I want to be able to help people. I don't feel as if I have the patience or personality to be a nurse or doctor, and lab stuff makes me extremely happy anyway. The fact that I could possibly save someone's life from one lab test is the type of thing that keeps me going.
Right now, I do love what I do. I love being able to help doctors make a diagnosis due to either helping them order the proper test, resulting it out, or simply preparing the specimen for analysis. But I want to be able to do more, and be more active in the process.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Soy Chorizo Review
Labels:
health,
healthy eating
Last week I decided to try making some soy chorizo.Ever since my boyfriend introduced me to chorizo about a year ago, I have loved it. However, my stomach does NOT enjoy it. My system does not like pork products, especially very fatty ones and in large quantities. I have replaced normal hot dogs with 100% beef hot dogs, I normally will replace bacon with turkey bacon, and I generally avoid other pork products.
When I saw soy chorizo at the grocery store by the string cheese that I routinely pick up, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I got this variety (picture from the Cacique website), and I'm not sure if other companies make soy chorizo. I have seen this brand in Walmart and Crest stores in Oklahoma.
I let it sit in my fridge for a few days before I got in the mood to cook it. But then I decided to cook it.
It took about as long to cook as regular pork chorizo of the same brand. However, it did not crisp up as pork chorizo does. I like my chorizo about the same crispness of Bacon Bits, however this soy variety soaked back up more of the spices and whatever it is packaged in, instead of sitting there cooking in fat. Which is fine. It just ended up being about the texture and softness of cooked ground beef or ground turkey...still fairly soft on the inside and a bit chewy instead of crispy.
However! It tastes very much like normal pork chorizo. I haven't had pork chorizo in months because I don't like spending my evening with an upset stomach, but the spices seem the same or very similar. It definitely did not taste bad.
I cooked the chorizo and had about a serving's worth right after I made it in breakfast burritos. I made two breakfast burritos with a total of two scrambled eggs and about a 1/4 cup of fiesta blend shredded cheese on fajita-size tortillas. It was great! Not too spicy, not too bland.Then a couple of nights ago, for an evening protein-packed snack while studying, I combined about a cup and a half of 2% small curd cottage cheese with about half a serving's worth of the chorizo stirred in. It was also wonderful! I would not have thought of it but I was wanting the chorizo again and didn't want to dirty dishes and make the noise of cooking more eggs. I also wanted to try something a little different, and my cottage cheese was due to expire at the end of the month.
For a nutritional comparison of soy chorizo to pork chorizo, of the same brand, for a 2-2.5 oz serving:
Soy Chorizo: 80 cal, 4g fat, 0g saturated fat, 5g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g protein
Pork Chorizo: 260 cal, 24g fat, 12g saturated fat, 3g carbs, 3g fiber, 10g protein
Which one would YOU rather have affecting your health?
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Better Frame of Mind
Labels:
fitness,
healthy eating,
school,
work
So, after having the weekend off (well, somewhat), I'm in a better frame of mind.
In fact, after my last post I got some good news, as well as some not-as-good news. The good news was that the school where I'm having my exams proctored decided to give me nearly a 50% discount, because they hadn't realized I was going to be up there for ~25 tests, haha. They also seemed much more willing to let me come up there early, etc. So that made my Friday much better.
The not-as-good news...I'm not going to discuss. It involves some money I wasn't really counting on getting anyway (but obviously it would have been nice had I been able to get that money)...but it seems that the money is probably not going to end up in my hands. Karma...is all I'm going to say.
I've been eating way too much lately. Bleh. I've been eating TONS better than last week when I was visiting my parents, but I'm just eating more than I'm burning off right now. I'm trying to get a schedule established though, and I think I finally did, to where I can get back into doing Insanity for 5-6 workouts/week (any time there is a Fit Test day, I skip that day of working out and use it as an extra rest day). I normally work out only 4 days of the week, though sometimes 5 depending on how tired I am, and therefore there's a day or two where I do two of the workouts (one in the morning around 10am, the other after I get off of work around 1am). I also have mentioned that I normally walk quite a bit at work...it depends on the day and who else is working, but some days I walk in excess of 5 hours at a very fast pace (if I were moving any faster, I'd probably consider it to be jogging), so I have been working out in that way.
With school, I'm definitely staying on track. I believe I mentioned it before, but there's 3 classes 4 days/week and then on Fridays there is normally 2+ assignments/quizzes due. By the end of the weekend, I try to have Monday's classes done and therefore I can chill out a little bit during the week and try to get about 2 lectures done per weekday. Some days I slack off and other days I'm more motivated, but I'm trying to keep up with what is done each week. In addition, if I work on the weekends, I can get a few more lectures done while there (last weekend I believe I got 5 done, many of which were from the previous week because I had been on campus in labs and not in the lectures).
I'm super proud of myself though. I'm glad I'm having the motivation to get my schoolwork done, get my health under control (with eating and working out), as well as still having time each day to have leisure time, whether that's watching TV, reading health blogs, organizing things, or paint my nails ;)
In fact, after my last post I got some good news, as well as some not-as-good news. The good news was that the school where I'm having my exams proctored decided to give me nearly a 50% discount, because they hadn't realized I was going to be up there for ~25 tests, haha. They also seemed much more willing to let me come up there early, etc. So that made my Friday much better.
The not-as-good news...I'm not going to discuss. It involves some money I wasn't really counting on getting anyway (but obviously it would have been nice had I been able to get that money)...but it seems that the money is probably not going to end up in my hands. Karma...is all I'm going to say.
I've been eating way too much lately. Bleh. I've been eating TONS better than last week when I was visiting my parents, but I'm just eating more than I'm burning off right now. I'm trying to get a schedule established though, and I think I finally did, to where I can get back into doing Insanity for 5-6 workouts/week (any time there is a Fit Test day, I skip that day of working out and use it as an extra rest day). I normally work out only 4 days of the week, though sometimes 5 depending on how tired I am, and therefore there's a day or two where I do two of the workouts (one in the morning around 10am, the other after I get off of work around 1am). I also have mentioned that I normally walk quite a bit at work...it depends on the day and who else is working, but some days I walk in excess of 5 hours at a very fast pace (if I were moving any faster, I'd probably consider it to be jogging), so I have been working out in that way.
With school, I'm definitely staying on track. I believe I mentioned it before, but there's 3 classes 4 days/week and then on Fridays there is normally 2+ assignments/quizzes due. By the end of the weekend, I try to have Monday's classes done and therefore I can chill out a little bit during the week and try to get about 2 lectures done per weekday. Some days I slack off and other days I'm more motivated, but I'm trying to keep up with what is done each week. In addition, if I work on the weekends, I can get a few more lectures done while there (last weekend I believe I got 5 done, many of which were from the previous week because I had been on campus in labs and not in the lectures).
I'm super proud of myself though. I'm glad I'm having the motivation to get my schoolwork done, get my health under control (with eating and working out), as well as still having time each day to have leisure time, whether that's watching TV, reading health blogs, organizing things, or paint my nails ;)
Friday, August 24, 2012
Discouraged
Labels:
work
I'm definitely discouraged with a lot of things now. I never meant for this blog to be a negative one, so I'm going to try to keep posts like this to a minimum.
But work has gotten me way down. It's spilling over into other areas of my life. The really sad thing is, I used to LOVE being at work. I loved my job, my coworkers, everything. Now...the only reason I'm staying there is so that they'll pay for part of my schooling.
I'm also incredibly frustrated with my living situation. Anyone that follows me on Twitter is probably aware of it. I have two horrible sets of neighbors...one set has about 6 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment, taking up no less than 4 parking spots per day, often leaving me with nowhere to part. This set of neighbors also is loud (often with domestic disputes, but sometimes just music, slamming doors, loud cars, etc) and they are the reason I have roaches. Yes guys, I have cockroaches in my apartment. It's disgusting and embarrassing, but everything I've tried thus far will not get rid of them. I did not have roaches in the 4 1/2 years I lived here before these idiots moved in, and then about a month after they moved in, I noticed a couple in the kitchen. They've now moved to all rooms in my apartment and there's more than I'd like to admit.
Then I have the other set of next-door neighbors. This set rented their apartment a month before they were going to move in to set off a bug bomb. Which made myself and other members of the building physically ill. A girl upstairs was vomiting for days. Nobody was told there was going to be a bug bomb set off and we had to figure it out on our own. This is after they spent an entire weekend cleaning with harsh chemicals and I got a migraine because my entire apartment reeked of bleach. These people constantly have maintenance in there, or so it feels, hammering on something, even if it's just them pounding on the door to be let in. The woman also wear shoes all day, and shuffles her feet in shoes that sound like the plastic children's dress-up heels. They cannot close their door quietly, no matter the time of day, and one weekend they were entering and exiting their apartment until 4am.
I also got notice this morning about an inheritance that I was supposed to receive about 3 years ago. Us ( the family) has taken it to a lawyer because the executor of the estate has been extremely flaky. Well, they sent my $1500 check to some address that I had NEVER lived at about a year and a half ago. I had called the office about it, they said they couldn't cancel the check but that they'd send me a new one - that obviously never happened. I found out this morning that someone endorsed the check and cashed it IN MY NAME, probably the SOB executor of the estate that had been stealing from the account anyway, and now there's $73 left in the account. There was still supposed to be about $15000.
Between some of the people I interact with at work, my neighbors, and the previously mentioned SOB executor, I'm disgusted with people in general lately. I am genuinely a nice, thoughtful, caring person. I don't do it because I'm afraid to get punished by God or whatever, I ACTUALLY care about people. But why is everyone such an asshole lately? Maybe it's just me getting older...but even when I worked in retail, it didn't seem THIS bad. And I worked at TJ Maxx, which isn't exactly the classiest place, especially when you have people arguing over a penny discount, lol.
But work has gotten me way down. It's spilling over into other areas of my life. The really sad thing is, I used to LOVE being at work. I loved my job, my coworkers, everything. Now...the only reason I'm staying there is so that they'll pay for part of my schooling.
I'm also incredibly frustrated with my living situation. Anyone that follows me on Twitter is probably aware of it. I have two horrible sets of neighbors...one set has about 6 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment, taking up no less than 4 parking spots per day, often leaving me with nowhere to part. This set of neighbors also is loud (often with domestic disputes, but sometimes just music, slamming doors, loud cars, etc) and they are the reason I have roaches. Yes guys, I have cockroaches in my apartment. It's disgusting and embarrassing, but everything I've tried thus far will not get rid of them. I did not have roaches in the 4 1/2 years I lived here before these idiots moved in, and then about a month after they moved in, I noticed a couple in the kitchen. They've now moved to all rooms in my apartment and there's more than I'd like to admit.
Then I have the other set of next-door neighbors. This set rented their apartment a month before they were going to move in to set off a bug bomb. Which made myself and other members of the building physically ill. A girl upstairs was vomiting for days. Nobody was told there was going to be a bug bomb set off and we had to figure it out on our own. This is after they spent an entire weekend cleaning with harsh chemicals and I got a migraine because my entire apartment reeked of bleach. These people constantly have maintenance in there, or so it feels, hammering on something, even if it's just them pounding on the door to be let in. The woman also wear shoes all day, and shuffles her feet in shoes that sound like the plastic children's dress-up heels. They cannot close their door quietly, no matter the time of day, and one weekend they were entering and exiting their apartment until 4am.
I also got notice this morning about an inheritance that I was supposed to receive about 3 years ago. Us ( the family) has taken it to a lawyer because the executor of the estate has been extremely flaky. Well, they sent my $1500 check to some address that I had NEVER lived at about a year and a half ago. I had called the office about it, they said they couldn't cancel the check but that they'd send me a new one - that obviously never happened. I found out this morning that someone endorsed the check and cashed it IN MY NAME, probably the SOB executor of the estate that had been stealing from the account anyway, and now there's $73 left in the account. There was still supposed to be about $15000.
Between some of the people I interact with at work, my neighbors, and the previously mentioned SOB executor, I'm disgusted with people in general lately. I am genuinely a nice, thoughtful, caring person. I don't do it because I'm afraid to get punished by God or whatever, I ACTUALLY care about people. But why is everyone such an asshole lately? Maybe it's just me getting older...but even when I worked in retail, it didn't seem THIS bad. And I worked at TJ Maxx, which isn't exactly the classiest place, especially when you have people arguing over a penny discount, lol.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Workout and Importance of Protein
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating
Oh geez. I finally got back to working out today...did Insanity's Cardio Abs and Pure Cardio. I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER. I didn't realize how much working out did for me until today!
So, now I'm trying to do some protein-loading before I go to work. Post-workout is one of the most important times to get some protein in guys. Pre-workout, you should get some carbs and some protein as well, but after you're done with your work out...you NEED protein to build muscle! So all the muscle that you just broke down during your workout can have a chance to rebuild and be bigger and stronger! It's also important to replace the fluids you lost as well as getting some carbohydrates for quick energy. It's best to do this within about an hour of being done for maximum results. You are still burning increased calories even after you work out, so you're not going to automatically cancel out your workout by taking in a few hundred calories post-workout.
So, now I'm trying to do some protein-loading before I go to work. Post-workout is one of the most important times to get some protein in guys. Pre-workout, you should get some carbs and some protein as well, but after you're done with your work out...you NEED protein to build muscle! So all the muscle that you just broke down during your workout can have a chance to rebuild and be bigger and stronger! It's also important to replace the fluids you lost as well as getting some carbohydrates for quick energy. It's best to do this within about an hour of being done for maximum results. You are still burning increased calories even after you work out, so you're not going to automatically cancel out your workout by taking in a few hundred calories post-workout.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Finally
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school,
work
I'm finally starting to get back to my normal healthy stuff. I ate a lot cleaner today than I had been (I still had a dessert with dinner...but I've been trying to do that so that I don't go on a wild rampage when I'm PMSing and go after ALL THE SUGAR IN THE WORLD)...and I'm hoping to start getting back into exercising tomorrow, since I have a day (mostly) off of work.
I'm extremely proud of myself with my schoolwork though. I'm trying to stay ahead of my stuff...I'm not as far ahead now as I was on Sunday, but the schedule is 12 lectures/week, normally with an assignment or two due on Fridays, and possibly a test. Right now I'm already sitting at almost 4 lectures done for the week. One of them has little "review quizzes" in it and I'm doing fairly well on those, and two of them have objectives to help you study. I've been keeping up with those as well. All of this was also after I basically goofed off yesterday and today during my designated "school time", but I did get a few lectures done at work.
Work is continually getting me down. I HATE dwelling on it and I feel like I sound like a whiny brat about it, but when I walk in the door and my boss stops me and in an accusatory tone, asks if I erased his weekly schedule (literally, his hours for the week) AS I'M WALKING IN THE DOOR AFTER CLOCKING IN...that puts a damper on your day. Which, no, I didn't erase it and I did not want nor need the lecture about it. I told him who did it and he continued to harp on me. That does not help my mood and does not make me want to continue working there or even for the hospital itself. The latest I have to stay there to receive the full-tuition stipend will be May/June 2014...so I may be looking for a new job then. I won't be working for him at that point, but he also has a horrible habit of annoying both people that don't work for him and never have, as well as people that have transferred into other departments and he tries to force them into taking overtime, etc.
Enough ranting. I wanted this to be a positive post! But, I do need to get back to some schoolwork. :)
I'm extremely proud of myself with my schoolwork though. I'm trying to stay ahead of my stuff...I'm not as far ahead now as I was on Sunday, but the schedule is 12 lectures/week, normally with an assignment or two due on Fridays, and possibly a test. Right now I'm already sitting at almost 4 lectures done for the week. One of them has little "review quizzes" in it and I'm doing fairly well on those, and two of them have objectives to help you study. I've been keeping up with those as well. All of this was also after I basically goofed off yesterday and today during my designated "school time", but I did get a few lectures done at work.
Work is continually getting me down. I HATE dwelling on it and I feel like I sound like a whiny brat about it, but when I walk in the door and my boss stops me and in an accusatory tone, asks if I erased his weekly schedule (literally, his hours for the week) AS I'M WALKING IN THE DOOR AFTER CLOCKING IN...that puts a damper on your day. Which, no, I didn't erase it and I did not want nor need the lecture about it. I told him who did it and he continued to harp on me. That does not help my mood and does not make me want to continue working there or even for the hospital itself. The latest I have to stay there to receive the full-tuition stipend will be May/June 2014...so I may be looking for a new job then. I won't be working for him at that point, but he also has a horrible habit of annoying both people that don't work for him and never have, as well as people that have transferred into other departments and he tries to force them into taking overtime, etc.
Enough ranting. I wanted this to be a positive post! But, I do need to get back to some schoolwork. :)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
T'day
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school,
work
I feel like today was the longest day ever.
I woke up at 5:15, got ready for school, drove the 45 minutes to school, had lab for 4 hours, drove back to my parents', packed up my stuff, then drove the 5 hours home from there. It's 8:20pm now and I'm EXHAUSTED. I have had crazy insomnia lately, but I think it's mostly due to my schedule being all out of whack.
But, I now have clean clothes, a wireless connection in my apartment (which I wish I would have known that my modem was also a wireless router before I dug out my old router), and...yeah. I should probably be doing some stuff for my classes right now but I am just WIPED. And I still have to work 4 days before I get a break...which isn't that bad. Especially since I will be doing school stuff at work.
Which speaking of...it's really bad when I'm this exhausted mentally and physically from school and I considered it a vacation because I dislike my boss so much! I'm dreading going back to work for that sole reason...I honestly do like what I do and I like a lot of the people I work with, but he just makes my entire life miserable.
I feel like I've gone through a massive transformation in the past 3 days. I feel like I'm radiating happiness. It's so weird. I never knew that school was going to make me this happy, to be honest. I'm really excited. I sound like a huge dork, but I'm just THAT excited to get started in the professional part of my field ASAP. I love learning anyway, and this kind of stuff is the exact stuff I would be interested in researching on my own...I do a lot of research to the side on workouts, nutrition, etc. and while this isn't involved in that part of it, it's HOW YOUR BODY WORKS. And when we get certain results from lab tests, how they can tell you exactly what's wrong with you, or be at least more accurate than WebMD. All from a simple chemical reaction with a colored indicator. How I got into healthcare will be a different post for a different day, but man. It just makes me happy.
And with that, I should finish unpacking my massive piles of laundry and eat some dinner. I should also workout too, but that may wait until later tonight. This sounds dumb, but I have two workouts to catch up on from last week, then I'm considering this week entirely a cheat week (I've been way over on my calories, but had I worked out, I would be under by a few hundred every day) and starting back up with my workouts and good eating on Monday, since that's what aligns with both my Insanity schedule that I have written out as well as my MyFitnessPal app.
I woke up at 5:15, got ready for school, drove the 45 minutes to school, had lab for 4 hours, drove back to my parents', packed up my stuff, then drove the 5 hours home from there. It's 8:20pm now and I'm EXHAUSTED. I have had crazy insomnia lately, but I think it's mostly due to my schedule being all out of whack.
But, I now have clean clothes, a wireless connection in my apartment (which I wish I would have known that my modem was also a wireless router before I dug out my old router), and...yeah. I should probably be doing some stuff for my classes right now but I am just WIPED. And I still have to work 4 days before I get a break...which isn't that bad. Especially since I will be doing school stuff at work.
Which speaking of...it's really bad when I'm this exhausted mentally and physically from school and I considered it a vacation because I dislike my boss so much! I'm dreading going back to work for that sole reason...I honestly do like what I do and I like a lot of the people I work with, but he just makes my entire life miserable.
I feel like I've gone through a massive transformation in the past 3 days. I feel like I'm radiating happiness. It's so weird. I never knew that school was going to make me this happy, to be honest. I'm really excited. I sound like a huge dork, but I'm just THAT excited to get started in the professional part of my field ASAP. I love learning anyway, and this kind of stuff is the exact stuff I would be interested in researching on my own...I do a lot of research to the side on workouts, nutrition, etc. and while this isn't involved in that part of it, it's HOW YOUR BODY WORKS. And when we get certain results from lab tests, how they can tell you exactly what's wrong with you, or be at least more accurate than WebMD. All from a simple chemical reaction with a colored indicator. How I got into healthcare will be a different post for a different day, but man. It just makes me happy.
And with that, I should finish unpacking my massive piles of laundry and eat some dinner. I should also workout too, but that may wait until later tonight. This sounds dumb, but I have two workouts to catch up on from last week, then I'm considering this week entirely a cheat week (I've been way over on my calories, but had I worked out, I would be under by a few hundred every day) and starting back up with my workouts and good eating on Monday, since that's what aligns with both my Insanity schedule that I have written out as well as my MyFitnessPal app.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
08/15/2012
Labels:
fitness,
healthy eating,
school
Once again, another long day. Not as bad as yesterday though, because I was at least semi-expecting it.
I also did my first venipuncture today...on someone that I couldn't see the vein on as well! Just had to do it by touch. Also did a slight bit of hematology and some urinalysis.
I absolutely love this. Love love love it. I know all of the work for it will be worth it in the end. This is what I've been wanting to do for over a decade...not this specifically, but I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field and I specifically had a cancer focus, which I could probably move that direction if I chose to do so...but I finally found the job for me. And I also am having a good time with the other people in the program. For my previous degree, half the time you were doing good if you talked to anyone else in the class. After two days, I've got a fairly solid base of people that we will all support each other through this. It's the best feeling in the world.
I still haven't been eating the best and I still haven't worked out. Considering I haven't had cheat days since...June(and even those were kind of pathetic ones)...I'm using this as a bunch of cheat days. I know I'm going to regret it later, but honestly, when I'm getting up at 5:30am, not getting home until 4 or later, having other stuff to do, and then trying to combat insomnia...it's hard. Actually, this may be the cause of my insomnia, now that I thought about it. That, y'all, was the sound of the lightbulb clicking on in my head.
I also did my first venipuncture today...on someone that I couldn't see the vein on as well! Just had to do it by touch. Also did a slight bit of hematology and some urinalysis.
I absolutely love this. Love love love it. I know all of the work for it will be worth it in the end. This is what I've been wanting to do for over a decade...not this specifically, but I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field and I specifically had a cancer focus, which I could probably move that direction if I chose to do so...but I finally found the job for me. And I also am having a good time with the other people in the program. For my previous degree, half the time you were doing good if you talked to anyone else in the class. After two days, I've got a fairly solid base of people that we will all support each other through this. It's the best feeling in the world.
I still haven't been eating the best and I still haven't worked out. Considering I haven't had cheat days since...June(and even those were kind of pathetic ones)...I'm using this as a bunch of cheat days. I know I'm going to regret it later, but honestly, when I'm getting up at 5:30am, not getting home until 4 or later, having other stuff to do, and then trying to combat insomnia...it's hard. Actually, this may be the cause of my insomnia, now that I thought about it. That, y'all, was the sound of the lightbulb clicking on in my head.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Long Day
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school
Hoooooooly crap y'all. Today was SUCH a long day.
They had apparently sent me the wrong schedule for orientation...I thought I was getting done with stuff today at noon and I wouldn't have to come back until noon tomorrow.
Nope. I had to stay until 3 today and I need to be back up there again at 8 the next two days. Thankfully, on Thursday, I'm done by noonish...but that also means a drive back to Oklahoma afterward.
Today was amazing though. I think I finally found a really good fit for me. Even while sitting there, I was wishing I could do the on-campus courses instead of the distance program, but that was before I got into the distance program classes. They are going to be wonderful! All of the lectures have audio accompaniment to the PowerPoints for one thing. Just the entire way it's set up is great. I sent a text to my boyfriend in the middle of the day telling him that I was actually super excited.
I have access to the class stuff right now, even though I'm not technically registered yet. I haven't really started it yet, though I did go out after school and got a notebook and three binders. That *should* get me through this semester, I hope. I have two more I can reuse at home. But one of the classes has ~250 pages of printed notes. ONE class. Another has over 100. Craziness.
Also. For anyone curious, I'm taking Hematology/Hematology Lab, Immunology, Body Fluids/Body Fluids Lab, and Parasitology this semester. It doesn't sound like a lot but that IS 12 hours and Immunology is ~3-4 lectures per week, while the others have 2 or so. Also, Parasitology is over on the 1st of November, so after two months, I'm basically down to 8 hours of classes. Then again, at that point in time, I'm also spending nearly 2 weeks on campus.
And now it's time for bed. It's past 11 again, and I have to get up around 5:30 again. I did nap earlier, but my body is exhausted and I haven't been able to fuel it the way I like to, nor have I been able to get my Insanity workouts in. I have no idea if I'll be able to this week...today I didn't get back from class until after 5pm...and I left at 6:15am!
They had apparently sent me the wrong schedule for orientation...I thought I was getting done with stuff today at noon and I wouldn't have to come back until noon tomorrow.
Nope. I had to stay until 3 today and I need to be back up there again at 8 the next two days. Thankfully, on Thursday, I'm done by noonish...but that also means a drive back to Oklahoma afterward.
Today was amazing though. I think I finally found a really good fit for me. Even while sitting there, I was wishing I could do the on-campus courses instead of the distance program, but that was before I got into the distance program classes. They are going to be wonderful! All of the lectures have audio accompaniment to the PowerPoints for one thing. Just the entire way it's set up is great. I sent a text to my boyfriend in the middle of the day telling him that I was actually super excited.
I have access to the class stuff right now, even though I'm not technically registered yet. I haven't really started it yet, though I did go out after school and got a notebook and three binders. That *should* get me through this semester, I hope. I have two more I can reuse at home. But one of the classes has ~250 pages of printed notes. ONE class. Another has over 100. Craziness.
Also. For anyone curious, I'm taking Hematology/Hematology Lab, Immunology, Body Fluids/Body Fluids Lab, and Parasitology this semester. It doesn't sound like a lot but that IS 12 hours and Immunology is ~3-4 lectures per week, while the others have 2 or so. Also, Parasitology is over on the 1st of November, so after two months, I'm basically down to 8 hours of classes. Then again, at that point in time, I'm also spending nearly 2 weeks on campus.
And now it's time for bed. It's past 11 again, and I have to get up around 5:30 again. I did nap earlier, but my body is exhausted and I haven't been able to fuel it the way I like to, nor have I been able to get my Insanity workouts in. I have no idea if I'll be able to this week...today I didn't get back from class until after 5pm...and I left at 6:15am!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Insomnia
So I was awesome enough to not go to sleep until 5am this morning. I had to get up early to come to my parents' so I can go get school stuff taken care of the next three days. I ended up with about 4.5 hours of sleep.
Now, after denying myself a nap all day, even when I was tired...it's nearly 11pm and I can't sleep. I have to get up at 5:30. I haven't had any caffeine since around 10am. I didn't bring my melatonin with me. I think I'm stressed out because I honestly don't really know where I'm going tomorrow, and I get to try to avoid rush-hour traffic in the process.
Either way, I need to try to sleep. Get some nice, boring reading up on my iPhone and hopefully doze off to get...6.5 hours of sleep. Thankfully on Wednesday I get to sleep in a bit, but Thursday I have to be up before the sun again.
And so that I don't sound like a spoiled brat, guys please remember that I work until 11:15 every night and I don't get home until 11:45 or so. It's impossible for me to go to bed before midnight. So this is really screwing with my schedule. If I normally had to be at work at 6:45, then all of this wouldn't be a big deal.
Now, after denying myself a nap all day, even when I was tired...it's nearly 11pm and I can't sleep. I have to get up at 5:30. I haven't had any caffeine since around 10am. I didn't bring my melatonin with me. I think I'm stressed out because I honestly don't really know where I'm going tomorrow, and I get to try to avoid rush-hour traffic in the process.
Either way, I need to try to sleep. Get some nice, boring reading up on my iPhone and hopefully doze off to get...6.5 hours of sleep. Thankfully on Wednesday I get to sleep in a bit, but Thursday I have to be up before the sun again.
And so that I don't sound like a spoiled brat, guys please remember that I work until 11:15 every night and I don't get home until 11:45 or so. It's impossible for me to go to bed before midnight. So this is really screwing with my schedule. If I normally had to be at work at 6:45, then all of this wouldn't be a big deal.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Intro Post
Labels:
fitness,
health,
healthy eating,
school,
work
Healthy Eating
I'm currently trying to clean up my eating. I've been working on this since about April, but more hardcore the past couple of months. I've been tracking my eating via the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone, and I have to say I'm pretty fond of it. Right now I'm just trying to get more healthy food in...I eat a lot of processed/frozen food, and I definitely don't eat enough fresh fruits/veggies/whole grains. I don't eat enough veggies period.
But, I have gotten portion control down, as well as how much I eat in general a day. Tracking your intake is amazing for showing you just how much crap you eat. And I also tend to eat when I'm not actually hungry...when I'm bored, upset, watching TV, etc.
Fitness
I've been doing the Insanity program for 2 weeks now, I'm starting week 3. Starting out with the program was ROUGH. The first time I tried it, I couldn't even make it through the warmup without feeling like I was going to die on the floor. Then I would pause more often, extend breaks, etc. Now I'm at the point where I will extend breaks to get more water or if my joints/muscles are absolutely killing me. I've found that having my own music on instead of listening to their music really motivates me into finishing the workouts (I listen to a lot of Katy Perry, LMFAO, and Breathe Caroline Pandora stations as well as music I have downloaded of theirs).
I do modify a few of the exercises, almost entirely (if not entirely) ones involving push-ups. I have weak wrists, so I'll often hold a plank position/modified plank position for the time that the exercise is being done. Or I'll do "girl" push-ups on my knees so that there's less weight on my wrists.
Before starting Insanity, I really didn't work out. I walk at a fairly moderate pace at least a few hours per night at work (sometimes up to 6 hours a night), five nights a week. Before starting Insanity, I was using the Nike Fitness Club app on my iPhone and then did a week's worth of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred (I started on Level One for a few days, stopping being challenged and moved up to Level Two, but even that seemed fairly easy after two days, so then I switched to Insanity).
I do my full 6 Insanity Workouts a week, except I skip the days I have fit tests and have an extra rest day. I mostly do my workouts after I get off of work, and sometimes I end up doing more than one workout in a day. I try to not torture my boyfriend and avoid doing them when he's around, so my Friday and Saturday workouts often get done earlier than scheduled.
Work
I work in a hospital lab as a lab assistant. I do a lot of the ordering of tests, processing of specimens, answering phone calls, etc. It's definitely a fast-paced job, and I do like it, but I'm ready to move up in the lab world, hence why I'm going back to school to become a tech. I'm also have issues with my boss currently, which makes things even more painful at work (it's painful because I'm ready to move up and I know that I will be able to in about a year and a half maximum, hopefully sooner).
School
I'm actually travelling today to go register for school and get all of that kind of junk done. I'm doing it online through a school in another state because there really isn't a feasible option for me where I live to get it done. I already have a BS in Biology, which got my foot in the door in the lab, but it's much easier for me to go back to school for a year and a half (and get a second BS) and get fully certified than it is to try to work my way up in the lab otherwise. Plus I would likely never get fully certified otherwise. It's the smartest move for me, plus I have the feeling I'm one of those people that will be a perpetual student.
I'm currently trying to clean up my eating. I've been working on this since about April, but more hardcore the past couple of months. I've been tracking my eating via the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone, and I have to say I'm pretty fond of it. Right now I'm just trying to get more healthy food in...I eat a lot of processed/frozen food, and I definitely don't eat enough fresh fruits/veggies/whole grains. I don't eat enough veggies period.
But, I have gotten portion control down, as well as how much I eat in general a day. Tracking your intake is amazing for showing you just how much crap you eat. And I also tend to eat when I'm not actually hungry...when I'm bored, upset, watching TV, etc.
Fitness
I've been doing the Insanity program for 2 weeks now, I'm starting week 3. Starting out with the program was ROUGH. The first time I tried it, I couldn't even make it through the warmup without feeling like I was going to die on the floor. Then I would pause more often, extend breaks, etc. Now I'm at the point where I will extend breaks to get more water or if my joints/muscles are absolutely killing me. I've found that having my own music on instead of listening to their music really motivates me into finishing the workouts (I listen to a lot of Katy Perry, LMFAO, and Breathe Caroline Pandora stations as well as music I have downloaded of theirs).
I do modify a few of the exercises, almost entirely (if not entirely) ones involving push-ups. I have weak wrists, so I'll often hold a plank position/modified plank position for the time that the exercise is being done. Or I'll do "girl" push-ups on my knees so that there's less weight on my wrists.
Before starting Insanity, I really didn't work out. I walk at a fairly moderate pace at least a few hours per night at work (sometimes up to 6 hours a night), five nights a week. Before starting Insanity, I was using the Nike Fitness Club app on my iPhone and then did a week's worth of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred (I started on Level One for a few days, stopping being challenged and moved up to Level Two, but even that seemed fairly easy after two days, so then I switched to Insanity).
I do my full 6 Insanity Workouts a week, except I skip the days I have fit tests and have an extra rest day. I mostly do my workouts after I get off of work, and sometimes I end up doing more than one workout in a day. I try to not torture my boyfriend and avoid doing them when he's around, so my Friday and Saturday workouts often get done earlier than scheduled.
Work
I work in a hospital lab as a lab assistant. I do a lot of the ordering of tests, processing of specimens, answering phone calls, etc. It's definitely a fast-paced job, and I do like it, but I'm ready to move up in the lab world, hence why I'm going back to school to become a tech. I'm also have issues with my boss currently, which makes things even more painful at work (it's painful because I'm ready to move up and I know that I will be able to in about a year and a half maximum, hopefully sooner).
School
I'm actually travelling today to go register for school and get all of that kind of junk done. I'm doing it online through a school in another state because there really isn't a feasible option for me where I live to get it done. I already have a BS in Biology, which got my foot in the door in the lab, but it's much easier for me to go back to school for a year and a half (and get a second BS) and get fully certified than it is to try to work my way up in the lab otherwise. Plus I would likely never get fully certified otherwise. It's the smartest move for me, plus I have the feeling I'm one of those people that will be a perpetual student.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)