This is the season for exams! I think I’ve had two a week for the past two weeks – and I’m only taking three classes. Lab is still pretty fun. We learned to put in foley catheters. Nothing to it, really. Just keep it sterile. But I’m thinking that the meatuses on real people are a lot smaller and harder to find than the gaping holes on our mannequins. I think it would be so fun to try it on a person. I’m getting very anxious for clinicals to start.

And soon they will! I got my schedule for my first “mini” clinical at a nursing home, where we will take lots of vitals and administer hygiene (yes, that means sponge baths). The first real clinical has also been scheduled, for my Adult 1 class starting mid July. That one’s in a real hospital. I’m gonna refrain from writing where I’m going to keep things confidential online. I’m happy to talk about it outside of the blog though.

I made date pinwheel cookies just like Mom used to make. Now I understand why she always made so many – it’s a huge batch! We’re going to enjoy them while watching Zatoichi tonight

OKAY. whoa. While writing the above Jem escaped. Ben was out moving our cars (our carport spots were blocked by construction all day) and Jem was on the porch. Apparently when Brian opened the back gate Jem ran out. Ben called me and said “Jem ran away.” I panicked, hung up the phone, and ran outside. Brian came running up the parking lot, saying he lost them in the apartment complex next door. I tried to call Ben back but couldn’t reach him, so I just started running around the neighborhood looking, calling her name, no idea where she or Ben were. (Might I mention that at this same moment a thunderstorm started, making it unusually humid.) After circling a few blocks of the neighborhood I came home. Brian met me at the gate to say someone phoned who had found Jem, Ben and Justin were driving to pick her up. By then everyone had arrived for movie club. Miranda plopped Azalea in my lap and commanded her to make me feel better. They came back with a thrilled beagle, panting hard. Do you know why? She RAN TO 26th AND KIPLING! That’s 1 1/2 miles away. She had to cross two major roads to get there. She was caught at the gas station across the street from Crown Hill. We think that was her destination since it’s her favorite place and she definitely knows the way there. I’m glad she didn’t try to cross Kipling.

Damn dog. Doesn’t feel the least bit sorry for what she did either. Let this be another lesson to everyone with pets: even if they are microchipped it’s important to have your phone number on their tag.

So the evening turned out great. We got our dog back. Zatoichi came from Netflix and the disk was cracked. Brian brought alternative choices, Nate picked Monster Squad. Funny, terrible 80s kids movie, apparently making a big cult come-back. Some new folks came to the club, hopefully we can continue to expand our little circle of friends. They said they would come next month too.

Egads. I’m all wound up. Between destroying my knitting (tangling four skeins, two needles chewed to splinters, row counter demolished), chewing up the basement phone this afternoon, and running away, Jem is really trying my patience. We should have named her Demolisher instead of the cat (that’s Molly’s namesake).