CNA To LPN

A few weeks ago I received an acceptance letter into the school of nursing at JALC. I have been working to get into the school for over a year and now that the time has finally come I am a bit nervous about going because: they have the most difficult program around, and I fear failure. However, they are trivial worries and really don't count for much at all. I know I can do the work successfully and there is nothing really to stress about. I am very excited to have my orientation this Friday.

The photos are from the CNA class I took last fall. Yeah, we had to learn how to give bed baths, which I passed with flying colors, I'll have you know... but making an occupied bed and offering the bedpan gave me some problems. After some practice I finally got the hang of rolling people over and making half the bed at a time. Then I learned which way the fracture pan should be facing.

The class had a great bunch of people in it. It was like we were a large family... seriously for as much time as we had to spend with each other. I did feel a little out of place my first day because I was the only guy in the class, but everyone made me feel welcome. Especially Michealann, who sat directly behind me and if you have not had the good fortune to sit close to her while learning how to give basic care... then you have not lived. I could tell you about the day we learned about oral care, showers or peri-care, but I won't. I will just say it was an adventure sitting in front of Michealann for a semester.

As you can see our instructor taught us well. This falls under the "how not to properly strap a gait belt on a person" category.
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Now playing: Dead Poetic - New Medicines
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Finding Your Roots

It's that time of the year where family's set aside a few hours a year to spend with each other. My family is no exception; we got together for the Ford family reunion on Sunday. Most years we find out about it only a day or so ahead of time. However, this year we were told weeks in advance.
I spent the day talking or listening to my family tell stories about the past and news about the present. I learned about how I am related to everyone on the "Ford" side of the family. Trust me it's a little confusing, but I think I have it straight. For example, I found out that my "great, great" uncle and aunt were present and that my aunt plays guitcha fiddle (guitar), fiddle and mandolin. I had a lot of fun getting to know everyone and seeing familiar faces.

One strange fact: I learned my cousin Tiffany is a vampire and her brother is a werewolf and they were arguing who would win in a fight. I don't know where I stand Tiffany and Trevor... I don't know who would win between a vampire and a werewolf.

A couple of my cousins.
Related?

You bet! Beards and caps are in the genes.

There has been an absence in posts... after the "inland hurricane", and router problems... but I hope there will be no more problems.
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Now playing: The Rocket Summer - TV Family
via FoxyTunes

CPR Instructor

This morning I fulfilled the requirements to become a CPR Instructor. Way back in march a coworker and I sat through the CPR Instructor Training course and as our final exam we were to teach a class while being observed by a mentor. I was very nervous about it, but the course is mostly video based now and all I have to do is: give a short introduction, play the DVD, encourage proper technique and answer questions.

If you are interested in taking a CPR class from me then all we have to do is get around 10 people together for a class.

The best thing about it is you get to learn how to potentially save a life for FREE!
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Now playing: The Fray - How to Save a Life
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Bear Grylls Season 2

I am a fan of Bear Grylls, he could be one of the toughest men alive. He has traversed the North Atlantic in an inflatable raft, served in the SAS, Para-glided over Everest, and survived in many inhospitable environments. He always fines himself in tight situations, but it's his attitude that impresses me most. Bear always stays confident in himself, and the crew. No matter the problem he remains optimistic and focuses on a solution. You should keep up with him on his blog.

Thanks mom for the Easter present!
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Now playing: The Mamas and the Papas - Dancing Bear
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Play Jenga

You think Jenga is a great game? Well, I found a new way to play and it is sure to make things more interesting. On every turn you have an infant help you take the blocks out. The infant is the only one allowed to touch the game pieces during your turn, but you can coach the infant. It is a more sporty way to play the classic game. Hope you enjoy.

Have a great "Good Friday"!
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Now playing: Alex Van Halen/Eddie Van Halen - Respect the Wind
via FoxyTunes

Good Ole Fishing Stories

Travel into the past with me today. Three years ago marked an adventure on the Big Muddy River that will not be soon forgot. A few friends set off in a very small john boat in search for large catfish. What they found still haunts them to this very day.

The day of fishing started off nicely in the sunshine around 6pm, but by 7 things turned into a nightmare. Brian, David and I stepped into the little 10 ft. boat with two paddles, a hammer and some fishing gear. Brian and I are seasoned veterans when it comes to river fishing, David however, was as green as a freshly cut maple sapling. Brian paddling in the front, David in the middle, and I was steering the boat with my paddle in the far end of the boat. Shortly we reach our fishing spot, drop anchor and begun fishing.

We soon find that our line has something unexpected on it. I bring the line up out of the water with some struggle to find a beast attached to the end of it. There was a great SLAP... SPLASH... FLOP! I manage to pull the spotted gar into the boat while David tried to find a way out. Standing up in a small boat is rarely a good thing and today was no exception. David was trying frantically to get away from the fish, Brian was doing his best to steady the boat while yelling to David "Sit down!". All I remember was trying to get the hook out of the mouth of this fish which resembled an alligator more than a fish. Being very careful in the chaos I encircled the snout of the beast with my left hand and with my right begin to extract the sharp hook out of the mouth of the gar that has hundreds of sharp teeth.

The next part in the story happened very fast. The gar slipped out of my left hand leaving my right hand holding the extracted hook defenseless. SNAP! I felt the monster's upper teeth in the palm of my hand and it's lower teeth sawing into my elbow.

Yelling in anger and pain I pulled out the 3lbs. hammer and smote the savage gar on the head nearly splitting it into halves. Brian and David had traded places in the boat and they sat there glancing between the gar and I. After letting the moment set in a bit Brian said "Holy cow, Dude!" and we paddled back to shore.

We carried the body of the great fish up to the house to be photographed and thus remembered in history forever as the day one the great monsters of the deep tried to over take three fisherman.

Fishing season has started and hopefully more great story's and adventures this year.
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Now playing: Brad Paisley & Frank Rogers - I'm Gonna Miss Her
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See Yourself In The Mirror

Today I had what alcoholics would call "a moment of clarity". Things in the past... past year especially have been blurry for me. No, not because of an inebriated state at any time, but because I have felt like I had no direction. Let me backup, I do have direction... I know where my life has purpose for all those really BIG ideas. For instance, I know my basic purpose in Christ, I know I want to have a family and I know what line of work I would like to be in. However, what about my experiences where are they leading me?

How can I best use the life I have been given? On my way home listening to some worship music (honestly it has been a long while since there has been a personal worship session in my car) things in my head started to make sense. Like I am being lead in a direction for a purpose. I don't feel so fixated as before.
For a moment I was allowed to think clearly and now I know a bit more about myself. I am grateful for another puzzle piece in understanding myself and my experience. It's like looking in a mirror and seeing who you are. Not that I have not been introspecting myself, but for a moment I had contacts in while looking in the mirror (so to speak).

Tomorrow are plans to start off on this new juncture. I have been thinking about it for two years and it comes with a lot of thought and prayer. When I start traveling down the path I will let everyone else in on my new adventure.

You can be praying that everything works out.
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Now playing: David Crowder Band - Obsession
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Go To A Softball Game

I went to a softball game and saw number thirty play. While I was there she hit two singles, but they could have been doubles or even triples if the ball had gone in a different place. Number three zero has one heck of a swing... I would be afraid if I were pitching to her.
"Swing Away"
Number thirty is none other than my cousin Katie. She has the heart of a lioness, it is very impressive to see how she handles difficulties. When life throws her a curve ball she swings away and take what she has been given with gratefulness. She stays confident even when things are going all wrong. I am proud to call Katie my cousin.
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Now playing: Anathallo - Declared, Bannered
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Discipleship

Every week I meet with this guy. He is a carpenter, bus driver, school teacher and an elder at my church. His name is Glendall and aside from all his jobs, he still makes time to meet with me every Tuesday.

This week we met at Denny's and discussed 1 Corinthians chapter 8 over black coffee (Glendall) and unsweetened tea (yours truly). I have a theory that the more involved one gets into bible study over a lifetime the need for stronger drinks correlate with the delving deeper into the bible. I think Glendall had 4 cups of coffee in an hour... I had maybe one glass of tea.

Discipleship is about learning and then teaching. At least in the Christian perspective we are to make students and teach them all that Jesus commanded. Matthew 28: 19+20 ^"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." I have been a part of discipleship for a few years now and I can tell you that it is important on a spiritual level.

Over the years not only have I gained more knowledge from the weekly appointments, but I am kept accountable. Yeah, I am accountable to those sins of omission and commission, but it goes deeper than that. Glendall holds me accountable to having a relationship with Christ. Praying, bible reading and worship are all parts of what he holds me to. Through guidance in the bible my spiritual life is kept in check and that effects all other parts of my life.

Most of the time during the hour we are together is spent two sentences behind while my mind is trying to catch up to Glendall's train of thought. I smile and nod my head, but it's rarely good enough because he asks some hard questions to make sure I understand. Many of the topics we study are not that deep nor complicated, but they teach me how to observe and think about life differently. However, when we do get to a deep topic a nice portion of the hour (if not the whole hour) is taken to understand the thought.

I greatly appreciate the chance to learn from a man with expert knowledge of the bible (he would never admit to it). The experience has changed the way I view life. I highly recommend becoming a disciple if you ever have the chance.

If you are wondering you don't have to be a Christian to be a disciple. All that is needed: is a willingness to learn and an interest to change your life.

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Now playing: Joe Bonamassa - Palm Trees Helicopters and Gasoline
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Day Of Photography

Lake Murphysboro is a wonderful place to take pictures. There is something about it that turns my creativity on. The lake offers multitudes of wildlife and some great landscapes. However, Thursday was not the best day for landscape photography because it was too cloudy. Nevertheless, the clouds scatters the light making it more diffuse allowing pictures a softer appearance.
The real reason why we went out is because Matt got his new camera. Yep, the Nikon D90... jealous? Me too. Well, not too jealous because I am a Canon man. Matt is as new as his camera in picking up photography, but he is learning very quickly. I think he knows more digital photo-babel than me.
Early signs of spring.
Stairs are always great subjects. They offer a little perspective into photos. Stairs remind me that life is a journey and it always seems to go up. Another symbolism, they represent a fixed destiny or a choice in our lives. Or stairs just simply make nice lines in pictures.
The last photo of the day. Matt got this one of me.

So get out there and take pictures, be creative. You don't need an expensive camera to get quality pictures. Just patience, practice and persistence (the 3 P's of Photography).

Throw Discus and Shot-put

Levi (my cousin) and I were working on our technique this weekend in throwing Shot and Discus. He has just started track this year and he goes to a very small school. His coaches do not know much more about discus and shot-put aside from just throwing it down the field. So we worked on how to throw in proper form.

We are starting with the basics and then moving on to things such as spinning when you throw. We had great fun catapulting the 8lbs. shot-put and swinging the 2lbs. discus around the backyard.

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Now playing: Atomic Opera - Stop The Rain
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Destroy A Camper

This is a friends camper in which I spent some nights in during high school. The camper is now getting old and a little nasty. So my friend wants to tear it apart and make a hauling trailer out of the skeleton. For the better part of two days we have been working on destroying this camper.
This is after day one. Today we got down to the skeleton of the camper and now we have to work on clean up.
We had a fire to burn the wood from the camper, but the wind picked up and it quickly got out of control. We got the spreading fire put out (the black spot). The police showed up an hour later to tell us that it is illegal to burn "anything" within city limits. So much for that idea.
Another photo of the fire ablaze.

Finding Comfort With A Pitt-Bull

Zoey is a pit-bull full of excitement. She runs around the yard then finds an interesting stick and runs around with it. When she does stop she happily chews the stick to oblivion. After the stick is thoroughly destroyed, she then goes to the farthest part of the yard to dig a hole for some unknown reason. Zoey soon looses interest in the ground and will decide to chase Mikah around the yard several times.

After exploring the yard she comes in to sleep. She snores something fierce when she sleeps, but don't let that fool you. Zoey, is one of the most well behaved and kindest dogs I have ever met.

She is always wanting to give you kisses on the face, but will settle for your hand. She snuggles up with you on the couch and rests her head on your lap. I really enjoy her personality.

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Now playing: Lifehouse - Hanging By a Moment
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Amiable Giants

I spent a good portion of my day today with these wonderful creatures. It is great to spend the day with such great company. Horses are gentle giants, but it could of been the apples I fed them today.

Some thoughts:
Horses have better personalities than most people
They are very smart
They are messy
They are demanding
Finally they are friendly




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Now playing: Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
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Keep Moving Forward

This is Max. He is an inside/outside cat who only has three legs, but that does not stop him a bit. Today I found him in the loft of the barn. He can climb up and down the ladder leading onto the loft. He also wrestles with the dogs. I am amazed at how well Max does with only three limbs it is encouraging. What I mean is; even though things are not in his favor, he does not give up. He is slower getting around, but he does get places. Not only does he do normal feline things; he is also happy. I am proud of Max.

Something I am happy about and something that has been an ongoing battle is:

I received my test results for the nursing entrance test. I passed! I spent the whole year studying, and now I have a pretty fair chance of getting into the LPN program at John A. Logan. The last two years I have been trying to pass this test and I am glad to finally have the chance to get into the program. This does not mean I am getting into the program, but it means I stand a chance. The point scores are out of 53 total points and I had to at least score 41 on writing, reading and 39 on numerical skills to pass. This has been the answer to many prayers.

The title for this post comes from one of my favorite movies Meet The Robinson's. I recommend seeing it.
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Now playing: T-Model Ford - Let Me In
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Discovering Man's Best Friend

For the next few days I will be pet sitting at a friends house. They have many animals, dogs, cats and horses, but today I want you to take a look Mikah. Could she possibly be the cutest pup ever?

It's true I am a sucker for large eyes, pointed ears and her hyper active disposition. She is always the one wanting to be closest to me. Mikah, will follow me through the house everywhere that I go and she snuggles in under the covers as I sleep (I suppose this is why they call dogs man's best friend). However, sometimes she follows me too closely; this morning while trying to feed the horses I stepped on her tail (don't worry no harm done). Right away she let out a scream and actually I am supprised that I can still hear out of both ears.

I will introduce some of the other animals in the next few days.



What was the name of Radar's dog?

Ranger

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Now playing: Francoise Hardy - Moments
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Trivia Night

Saturday night I was a part of a fundraiser for cancer. We donated money to play a game of trivia with 20 teams about 8 people on a team. I was on team E with 7 incredibly smart people who put their minds together to get us tied for third place. However, we ended up getting fourth in the end because of a tie breaker. It was a great night filled with useless information about who showed up out of uniform for the 50^th anniversary of the UN, who was proven innocent in a crime 25 yrs. after they were put to death, and what was the name of the first U.S. nuclear submarine? In case you're wondering, Fidel Castro, Marie Antoinette and the Nautilus.

Here is a question that stumped everyone on team E. See if you know the answer.

What was the name of Radar's dog of the T.V. series M*A*S*H?

Camping Under The Stars

So this is where I slept last night. Not quite 5 star hotel comfort, but tons of fun. I like to get out into the woods and spend the night looking at the heavens, and listening to the sounds.

I am a follower of Christ and I think our spirituality greatly changes our outlook intrapersonally and how we view the environment around us. Last night, looking at the skies I got a chance to see how big my creator is, and how personal too. I could look up at the stars and see how much space and time God made, but I also realized that He is everywhere at once. It's an odd experience to view things in the macrocosm and microcosm simultaneously. After the night out, I felt humble, very small in the big scheme of things, but also I got a sense of how much I am vauled.

3:30am. and still kicking. I figured with a little fire that I would not get real cold... boy, was I wrong. I slept around that fire like a crescent moon. My hands were trying to encircle the fire to shake hands with my feet.

In the forest the frogs were croaking, the wind was gushing and there was a little mouse not too far from me making squeeky noises. It was all wonderful and relaxing. However, my ALARM clock this morning was to the noise of a turkey getting killed by a hoot owl. I would not of guessed that turkeys are on an owls menu, but they are. Not one of my most pleasant experience during the night and I am pretty sure that goes for the turkey too. When I did wake up after the listening to the dying cries of a turkey I saw this, which makes everything a bit more pleasant.

If you get the chance I think you should definitely make this your adventure. The experience is very rewarding.

Swimming with Kids

I had a wonderful day at work. Why? Well, almost all my swimming students trust me enough to jump in on their own now (in the "deep end"), and all are progressing (some more than others). One student in particular is moving along nicely, she started swimming classes a few weeks ago for the first time and on her first day she was so nervous that I barely could get her head wet. Today however, she started swimming the backstroke ("all by herself"). All the other children are hardly floating on their back. Did I mention she is only 5(purple suit and blue goggles, in the above photo)?

The kids to the right are in my intermediate class and we worked on the backstroke all day. I enjoy this class especially because the kids are almost always excited to be in class. However, at the same time I have the most problems with discipline with this class, but I think the classes that give you a little trouble are the ones which are the most rewarding.

If you have never worked with children on a regular or semi-regular basis then I encourage you to do so. It is always an adventure working with children especially in the water in between bathroom breaks, adjusting goggles and fear of the water or the lack there of. Working with children is great, because there is never a dull moment.

Thanks Chris for taking the photos.

The photos were made blurry to protect the identities of the students.

Fly a Kite

Since it was a windy day, I thought it would be perfect to fly a kite. I mean it, we had a nice breeze today.









Kite flying has always been a favorite activity of mine. When I was a child I would dream that the kite would keep ascending bringing me along with it. Now a little older I am still trying to find a way to get swept off my feet and travel via Kite Air. It is still a work in progress, but there are plans being made for a kite large enough to accomplish lift off. Today, I sent a prototype up and it was a success. The Kite soared at an estimated 100 ft from terra firma. With the information gained today the lab projects that within a year we will be off the ground.




Some specs.

Height - 6 ft
Width- 10 ft
Tail Height- 20 ft
Tail Width- .5 ft
Made with pine wood frame and painters plastic.

Remember kite flying is not for everyone and be careful about the conditions. Check out what happened to Bear when he got the idea of a kite and a pair of skies. Also Ben Franklin had an unpleasant experience when he decided to fly a kite during a thunder storm.