craigt2k

Today marks yet another birthday. It's special in a few ways. It's a pig year and yes, believe it or not I am a pig. It's supposed to be extra special because it's the year of the golden pig but I'm thinking that's more of a marketting thing rather than an astrological thing. Guess I should buy a few lotto tickets. It's also special because I have finished my certified nursing assistant class and have passed the boards. So, I can officially clean butts like nobody's business. Though, I feel very fortunate to have gone through what I went through to get it and feel better prepared going into my nursing program. Well...that and I can officially wear the T-shirt that I got for Xmas which reads, "Yes, I am a straight male nurse".
It was a pretty busy year. Not all of it good, but it wasn't entirely bad either. I have a feeling that this coming year will be busier and better. I hope everyone's year of the pig is golden.

....but I've been crazy busy. The holidays were pretty relaxing and fun. Got a chance to run off to Vegas with the wife and some friends. My first chance to get away in about 2-3 years. What can I say about Vegas other than walked alot, drank a little too much, and had a good time? What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But really, we mainly partied hard and walked alot.

For those who don't know, I've been accepted into the Masters Entry Option of Nursing at USF. And as a prerequisite for the program I have to become a certified nursing assistant. To meet this requirement I've enrolled in ROP's, regional occupational program, CNA class. I have now finished my first week of clinicals for my certified nurse assistant program and am about to start my second week. It's a lot of hard work, waking up inhumanly early, and difficult. But it's extrememly gratifying I have to admit. I also have to admit that I'm happy that I'm going into nursing rather than being a certified nursing assitant. I don't think I could hang with as much as they have to do. Nothing but respect for those that chose CNA as their career. I was so nervous I had trouble sleeping and was constantly worrying. Ask the wife. But now that the first week is over I'm feeling a little better. Not that confident yet....but hopefully getting there. The more that I'm doing this, the more I feel as though I made the right decision. Now if I can only get this deer caught in headlights look off my face I'll be just fine.

Overall, not too much has been going on. It's been mainly a mixture of work on classes, go shopping, and try not to spend money. Rinse, repeat, catch a rat or a mouse, etc... Thursday, after a nice day in Gilroy we (the wife and I) took my grandmother and mother to BJ's for dinner, and after, my grandmother to the knitting club at Barnes and Noble. We had a great time. My wife and grandmother got a chance to socialize and do something they love, gossip and knit. I got to do some reading and studying. We took my grandmother home and walked her to her door. Only to discover a pile of dust and dirt in her entryway. Figuring something was amiss we checked the rest of the house only to find out somebody broke in. Apparently they used a pry bar to force their way in on her back patio door and back house door to gain entry. Though they ransacked most of the rooms the only thing of value they took was my grandmother's 80 pound safe under her desk. I didn't even know she had a safe. It seems as though they tried to open the safe with a hammer, broke the hammer, and decided to take off with the safe. They pushed the safe down the street actually. The safe has wheels, but because of the weight of the safe, it left tracks down the sidewalk.....to a house about 8 doors down. Showed all this to the cops but nothing has materialized. They searched the house to no avail. Spent the better part of friday, beefing up my grandmother's locks doors, etc. We're hoping some of the stuff will be returned but we're thinking the thieves are long gone. The neighborhood has really gone to crap....

doing laundry, doing a little studying, walked to get a burrito, feeling a little broke.....thinking about coffee

no complaints....

Well, once again it has been a long time since I've updated this thing.  I find myself taking yet more courses to better my chances at getting into a nursing program and without a job.  This is my last week at Barnes.  There is nothing quite like a retail job to make a person hate people, and when the manager is a bit of a jerk, it makes certain decisions easy.  So, if anyone hears of anything, or needs something at barnes, now is the time to hit me up.  Y'all only have 1 and half weeks to use up my employee discount.  

On the brighter side of things, I did rather well on the GRE. (I did better than I needed to score anyway) But I have to take another test. doh!  Blueskysmiling, it looks like I won't be able to go to New York this fall.  Sorry buddy.  Maybe we can get KungFuJeff out and do a weekend thing.

Oh, and I saw some final fu show on MTV........gayest show ever!

...and I didn't forget his birthday.  Its belated because this has been the first chance I had to get online.  Sorry for the nostalgic birthday O.  And what I mean by nostalgic is that we decided to hit an old haunt but didn't know anyone there, and we're all poor, so we didn't have enough money to get properly drunk (plus I was designated). But it was hella good hanging out everyone in celebration, and just chilling with the guys and girl, having a drink, lounging, and talking. good times....


 Not to mention, we're all old and it was past our bedtimes. And what I'm really sorry for is taking olmendoza to see nacho libre. The horror, oh the horror....

Alex Toth passed away on Friday. A moment of silence for one hell of an artist. 

I have a lot of fond memories in front of the TV with a stack of paper, my crayons, and a bunch of the cartoons he worked on goin by.

If you used to watch Hanna Barbera cartoons then you know him.

I think I'm just gonna post a couple more picts and be with my memories.

Wow, finals are done. I'm pretty sure I locked in the A. Getting ready for a crap load of tests (WST,TEAS,GRE and the nursing entrance exam). Had a couple (like 7) drinks with the boys. Things are looking pretty good.

A new low at the store. Some jerk keeps leaving the porn mags and sex books by the train set at the children's department. If I find whoever is doing this, I am going to beat the crap out of you and then kill you as slowly as possible...

Well, as everyone knows, I'm a big fan of doing as little as humanly possible. But for some odd reason I decided to work out on Wednesday. Good lord am I in pain now. Why is it, I'm more sore the day after the day after? Why does this house have 3 stories and 2 sets of very steep stairs........? Why did I think going on a run was a good idea? gah.