Finally

It finally FINALLY came. My first day in the OTA program.

Last night I had the 1st day of school jitters, something I don't think I've had since...? high school maybe? I woke up several times through out the night, and even had a dream that I woke up late and missed all my classes. I WAS PISSED! I cried and screamed because I missed all my classes and my life was OVER and then I woke up and was so happy because IT WAS ALL A DREAM! I DO have class today! And then I laughed at myself for being such a nerd and went back to sleep.

Getting ready for the first day of school just felt so different than any of my other years of college. Actual excitement and enthusiasm. Who would have thunk it? I packed my EIGHT huge books into my overstuffed rolly backpack (backpack awareness people!) grabbed my cup of coffee, let my mom take a "1st day of school" picture of me in front of the swings where Rylee always has her picture taken because, hey, why not? and was off.

NERD.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into class were the words "Welcome OTA class of 2011!" written in different colored chalk, and it was something about the way the teacher used different colors for each word that made me feel like I was really in the right place. Like this will really be the perfect profession for me. Sounds lame, but it's true.

Most of the day we just went over the program, we did the general "what's your name and tell me something about yourself" and we also explained why we decided to go into Occupational Therapy. Everyone in the class seems really passionate about helping people, about making a difference, and overall, everyone just seems really....happy.

Then during our break the second year students threw a surprise lunch, and walked around talking about the program and giving us "tips" on the first year. Apparently the next semester is going to be brutal, with five classes and three labs for a total of eight classes in one semester. Their "tip"? STUDY. HARD. LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. It's intimidating, but not discouraging and I say BRING IT.

We had another short class after lunch and then that was it, we were done with our first day in the program.

I feel even more excited now then I did yesterday, I'm eager to learn, and even more eager to pass the national exam and start practicing professionally.

It's just...good. Very, very good. :)

My Mom's on Facebook

It is true my dear friends.

Initially she signed up because my sister would have new Facebook pictures of her and her husband's crazy travels (what up Coro and Tonro!), and I would have to sign in each time for her to see them.

But now I think she's going to be a regular Facebooker.

I helped her sign up, helped her enter her email and create a password, and then Facebook suggested a few friends for her based on her email address and, when the results appeared, she nearly fell out of her seat. "HOW DOES IT KNOW WHO I KNOW!? HOW DOES IT KNOW WHO I KNOW?!??? OH MY GOD!!! I went to high school with her! That name sounds familiar who is that guy...oh yeah! We dated! ahahahaha!!"

It's the Future... the Internet knows all!!

So she uploaded a picture, sent out some friend requests, and accepted some requests from others. Notice my use of the word "some" I italicized it so, ya know, you should have. She seems a little more than hesitant to accept some friend requests from those she only kinda knows. Or to be more specific: "ooh no one likes that woman, why did she request me, I don't want her on my page!" Snobby Facebooker my Mother.

Now every so many minutes she tells me how many more friends she has....she's up to 11....look out Internet...here comes WANDA!

....hi?

So yeah. I haven't been blogging. Like, at all.

I don't know, all I can say is it was just one of those things where it gets to an awkward point where you don't feel like you can just jump in again...like when you make a stupid lie, like say for instance So and So is like "hey have you seen fill in the blank movie?" and you're all "yeah I've seen that!" and then they're like "didn't you love the part where bla bla bla and bla bla?" and you're like "yeah! That was hilarious!" and it goes on for a little bit, and then you're stuck having to continue telling this stupid-doesn't even matter-lie because it's been too long, but you don't even know why you lied about it in the first place and you know that you're going to have to admit it at some point and feel totally douchey? Yeah I guess it's like that. I tried to restart this blog a few times, but every post just wasn't First Post After A Month worthy, and so the void continued.

I love how I'm making such a big deal out of this...don't you? YOU DO.

Anyways I'm here!

Um, class starts Monday..... MONDAY!!! And I bought all 540 dollars (yes FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY DOLLARS) worth of my 8 books and I've browsed through them all like several times and I'm just OOH so excited! This also means that my time at the fartmacy (wow that totally was not funny) will be limited and OOH more excitement! And fun things are going to happen soon like football games (um GOING to football games, not watching them on TV, because? booooring) and Rylee's gymnastic meets, and um...fall shows!!

So yeah, happiness all around... sprinkles and kittens and la la la....and I've finally blogged and although it wasn't great, it was something right? Now, if I could only admit to So and So that I haven't in fact seen that movie....

BEHOLD

Pool Beer Pong Floaty Thing!!

A post just to post

I've been gone from this here blog for a while...don't know what that's about. Every time I try to write something it comes out smelling of poo. And really that's not something I'd want you to encounter, so, you should thank me.

You're Welcome.

I had a fun weekend! Pete and I drove down to see Whitney and her Toddest and it felt REALLY REALLY REALLY good to be there, and GAWD did it make me miss living close to them. Todd created a pool beer pong table in the few hours before we arrived, and we played beer pong in their White Trash Bithlo Pool (their words!). It was fun, but I don't have the magic drinking powers I once had (college) and unfortunately I still have the same beer ponging powers (which means I lose. Every time.) and therefore drank...... a lot. Or maybe a little but a lot for these days. So to sum up my story, forty minutes later Pete peeled my sleeping face off the toilet seat and dragged me to bed. Two minutes went by and I found my head once again in the toilet, this time throwing up. HILARIOUS I KNOW! And Whitney is such a sympathetic friend because she decided it would only be nice to throw up as well just to make me feel better (THAT'S why you threw up, right Whit?) except she threw up in the middle of the night, but peaches to pears my friends (wait, that's totally not the right saying is it? apples to oranges? sticks to stones? apples to apples!?) and suffice to say we were both hurting a little bit in the morning. But I'd go back and re-do the entire night, pukies and all, because it was great to be around those two.

And now I'm going to slather my feet in lotion because they along with my hands are feeling really dry and nastay right now, and then I plan on watching The Tudors and going to bed. Thrilling I know.

And off I go...

I want to savor this moment. This time I am new to the world of Occupational Therapy, and blissfully ignorant and curious all at the same time. I've been reading anything OT I can get my hands on, any videos I can find online, any blogs, any anything. I'm really excited about starting school and about having this new chapter begin.

I wish more people knew what Occupational Therapy was though, that definitely takes away from some of my high points, because people don't really understand what I'm going to do. It's not a commonly recognized profession. It's annoying to try and sum up Occupational Therapy, because the therapy is so broad, reaching so many different individuals, with so many different situations.

However I think this passage is the best explanation I've found so far.

"Everyone has a defining moment, when the things we take for granted can't be counted on anymore.

Suddenly, your parents are facing changes because of aging and can't do what you have watched them do all their lives. Your child, so beautiful and perfect since the day he was born, is frustrated and acting out because he can't do the seemingly simple things the other children at school can do. You or your spouse, coping with a debilitating illness or the results of an accident, realize that you are not what you once were and may never be, again. Suddenly, you or people you love can't do the things in life they need or want to do.

Occupational therapy is for individuals of all ages-to identify and improve skills that help people perform daily tasks at home and at school, at work and at play. Occupational therapy is really about helping people do what they need to do, what they want to do, to help them succeed in everyday life. Occupational therapy practitioners make a difference in people's lives-the kind of difference that makes a patient look them in the eye and say, 'You have given me my life back.'"

Yes, I like. I likey a lot.

I'm so anxious for this school year to begin. It won't start until the end of August! That's way too long people!! What am I going to do with myself?

I GOT INTO THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT PROGRAM!

REJOICE REJOICE REJOICE!!!!!

Yes. It is true my friends. I have been accepted and this fall I start my classes. I can hardly believe it, I'm so excited. I had a certain papers to fill out, and papers to get mailed to various places and even though I had ten days to do it, I did it all the very next day. If you know me, you would know that getting things done any day BEFORE the last day before it's due is incredible. SO. EXCITED.

I actually found out a couple days ago, but I've been busy trying to acclimate to my new living situation, so I haven't blogged. Lazy blogger! Lately all I've been doing is playing HGTV diva for realz. I tore up my carpet in my room and stained the wood underneath. This is of course AFTER I painted the room, and all the furniture that will go it it, but BEFORE I made my headboard, which hopefully will look AWESOME.

Today I've been trying to sort out all my things, and holy crap, I have a lot of things. Things EVERYWHERE. Stupid things, things no body should keep longer than...well longer than ever having them. Admittedly most of these things are weird gifts I've been given, or birthday cards, or other THINGS I feel guilty throwing away. So instead they just transfer from box to box, closet to closet, until....I die I guess? Who knows.

Anyways a couple of hours ago I was putting away a box of these things, jumping up on a stool and lifting this box of things into my closet when I saw something brown fall from the box and land on my chest. I looked down and IT WAS A FREAKING SPIDER!!! ON ME! So, of course I freaked the freak out and jumped off the stool, dropped the box, ran out of my room and stripped out of my clothes (who wouldn't). Then I tip toed back into my room looking for this asshole who by now was probably hiding somewhere waiting to attack me again later, (probably in mid sleep) when I looked down at the mess I'd created and saw it. "oh." I said.... "Oh." because...well because I'll just show you it:

Yes, that's right. A PIECE OF STRING. I freaked out, dropped my box and E V E R Y T H I N G in it because of a piece of string. Now I have this to clean up...


FUN!

Um, and in other news...we have been having AWESOME sunsets here in The House of the Lees. One of the many benifits to living on a Florida marsh. Check out this one from last night:



WHAT?! And just when you thought it couldn't get any prettier, it got dark out and the sky turned colors again:



Love it. Love summer. Love the fact that I'm in the OTA program, even love how ridiculous I acted over a piece of string. Things are good.