:: The Headache Diaries (Retired) ::

:: The Headache Diaries (Retired) ::

:: 2.25.2010 ::

Back To Work (On My Studies)

Today I am back to work on chemistry. Today's topic is thermodynamics. It looks like a beast so I am cleaning up my study cards and notes then going to tackle this section.

In other news, I finally had some time to do all these things I wanted to do with my stuff, like put in new locks, mow the lawn, and sell my Lion King stuff. Ive had this big lion king collection since 1994 and when I moved I couldnt take it with me. It sat in the closet in my old room for years and when I moved, I wanted to t ake it with me but it was just toomuch stuff. So when I was able to make a skid of all my stuff, I put all my Lion King stuff in there and thought I would put them up on ebay. well, two years have passed and finally I posted up my stuff once and for all. Only about half my stuff is selling, so I will try for about a month. After that, I will just donate it to Goodwill or something. I can get a tax write-off.

Speaking of tax write-offs, I donated my car to the Salvation Army and I was able to get $1800 for it! Can you believe it? I Know it was in good shape, but I thought Id only get $1000 tops. It sure beats selling it yourself. They come and tow it away for you and then send you a letter for what you got for it at auction if its in good shape and running. If its not running, they will take it and you will get $500! Yeah you can get $500 for your piece of crap that doesnt even run! Well Im glad I donated it because I sure as hell didnt want to spend my days off showing my car to a bunch of flakes who dont show up or wont buy it anyway.

This year will be a good tax year for me. I should get a nice return with all my donations made this year. Im going to try Turbo Tax this year since I cant file the 1040EZ. I get a discount through American Express so its worth a try. I will do my taxes next month.

The Jeep has been doing well. I havent driven it as much because the Acura has better fuel economy, even though it uses premium fuel. I drive my husband to work and pick him up everyday so the Acura works out better for that. I need to have the transmission pan replaced on the Jeep because it is leaking. I might go to Yellowstone for a vacation and would like to use the Jeep. Honestly, we dont need it for trails or anything, but you can sleep in it (I took out the back seats).

My cat hasnt had any new lumps, thank goodness. I had found a lump in her armpit area in late October or early November, I cant remember. I took her to the vet and she said it was probably nothing but I was weary because when I cam back from my cruise it felt bigger. I opted for the surgery anyway and sure enough, it WAS cancer. If I listened to the vet, my cat would be dead by now! So if you feel a lump on your cat ANYWHERE near the breasts, get it removed. I know its expensive ($1000+) but think of the joy your cat brings and maybe you will see it differently. All I hope for is that it doesnt come back and she lives out many more years with me. I want her to see me through med school!

Back to the topic of med school, I am still trying to be positive and motivated. I think I can finish chem and physics review by the end of March and I hope that I can be ready to take the MCAT by the end of the summer. I want to take organic next spring and summer. Perhaps I can get into school by next fall, but Im not betting the house on it. Its just a tentative schedule, but that is what would be best. Even if I have to drive to Wyoming to take the MCAT, I will. I just hope I score well. Come on U of A!!!!

Well, until next time. Its time for thermodynamics, yippeeee!!!

:: Jane Dee 9:44:00 AM [+] ::
...

Almost At One Month

I have about twenty minutes to spare before I have to pick up the husband from work. I am approaching a month since leaving my job and my progression isnt too bad. I have a terrible headache today so things were a bit slow today. I only managed to get a few things done. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I get to start on thermodynamics in chemistry.

I will say that the some review guides have quite a bit of errors. I work with the "dummies" books, namely chemistry and physics for dummies and their respective workbooks. I must say that the chemistry workbook for dummies is HORRIBLE and FULL of mistakes. Not just typos but actual mistakes! I have made a not of all that I pass and rest assured I will tell the publisher about them! Also, I noted an error in my video study series on waves and I noticed that other people have it wrong too. Apparently, the displacement of a wave is x=Acos(wt) NOT x=Asin(xt)!! All of the references I have that are exclusively physics (i.e., physics textbook, physics for dummies book, physics department websites of universities) all say that displacement is a cosin function not sin. Beware, many review places such as this one also think that a sinusoidal function of time MUST mean SIN. NOPE!!

Well, its bee 20 minutes. just about and I have to go get the man now, see ya!

:: Jane Dee 5:28:00 PM [+] ::
...

Last Day Came And Went And Now I Am On Week Three...

AND LOVIN' IT!

My last day was pretty uneventful. Only a handful of people said good bye and my manager wasnt even there to see me off. I was annoyed about that. There was another woman in my workgroup who also left the same day as me (no, it wasn't planned) and I guess my manager bought some cupcakes and soda for her (maybe us, I dont know). Either way, my last oncall was Firetrace in Scottsdale. My last pickup was Honeywell. I even gave back my badges that night. When Monday came around, it felt weird. I was crying a bit because I wasnt sure if I was going to be able to handle not working. I'm the type of person that always needs to be doing something. I was also scared that I somehow "miscalculated" and that we actually couldnt afford to live on one salary. When my husband had to go to work the next day, (Tuesday) I was crying because I knew this was my first day alone and on my own. I think I may have been scared for about three days. However, by that next Monday when he went off to work, I wasnt crying and I was happy that I got to stay home and fufill my goals. I was glad my heel spur wasnt hurting and that I didnt have to wear those tight shorts anymore. I was also glad that I didnt have to put up with anyone at work anymore. You, know the list went on and on.

And it is now the end of my second week work free and I must say I love it. I wakeup with my husband and make him breakfast and lunch and drive him to work then I comehome and do chores and study. Its been really nice. My house is in such a quiet neighborhood that it feels like Im in Kingsborough all day, minus the ocean and screeching seagulls. I get flashbacks of being in chemistry class with Prof. Schwartz and how shitty it was. Then I get flashbacks from my high school advanced chem and AP classes. They were so much better that most of the stuff Im recalling is from my high school years. So much for college. Im studying chemistry so hard because I felt that I may have missed something from my shitty KCC chem classes that I think I would do bad in orgo if I just took it now. I want to give myself the best opportunity to get an A in orgo. Right now I just finished (FINALLY!!!) the chapters on stoichiometry, moles, and some other crap. Tomorrow, or maybe Tuesday?, I go back to the work and energy chapters I left off in physics and finish those chapters before I go back to chem. At least the next topics are thermochemistry so it should be more interesting.

Im trying to get this chem crap done faster but Ive hit a snag of some sort. These few chapters are similar to the VSEPR Theory chapters: I never learned them like I was supposed to because I was too lazy. I dont count my college class because I cant remember learning anything in that class. So whenever I speak of chem memories its from high school unless I specify. Its okay, I dont want to get worked up with some small detail. I am gaining speed now. I only have a few topics left, and although they are the biggest ones, I will do better in them because they are more math heavy.

I spent hundreds on books and dvds to help me study and I must say that The Rapid Learning company makes the dvds that I bought to study chemistry, physics, biology, and organic chemistry with and they are awesome! A msut have for anyone who needs to study a subject THOROUGHLY!!

Im writing now to take a break because my eyes were glazing over. As I look at this old ass blog, I see that I need to update it a bit. Some of those links on the side are lame. Anyway, I should try to work on that soon.

Till next time!

:: Jane Dee 7:01:00 PM [+] ::
...