School Has Taken Over

I'm alive...promise! Just tired and with too many things to do at once. Plus I mean, I know I have silent lurkers, but I don't know how many of you really are routine readers so mainly I'm just writing for myself y'all :)

Anyway...I've got the flu, a cold, something. Symptoms showed up Thursday evening and I was in bed grading all day Saturday. Felt pretty good Sunday...so of course I finally did some physical activity...and was worse for the wear on Monday. Today I had written and practical quizzes in both of my courses but could only complete 3 out of 4 cause I'm stick snot-nosed and hacking. The thing about health care that I'll have to get used to...you aren't supposed to show up sick :)

Massage school is going well. It's an adjustment. I'm LOVING learning again, especially because I've actually never had to do A & P or Kinesology. In the first 2 complete weeks, I learned all the major bones, planes of reference, and major categories of joints. I also today was tested on the bones and major muscles of the neck and face, as well as some of the cervical vertebrae. That's all just been for one course. In the actual Swedish Massage course, I've learned how to sanitize and set a table, center myself and practice good body mechanics, basic indications and contraindications for massage (ie who should and shouldn't receive massage and when), and learned basic draping, how to turn a client, interview a client, and apply resting & compression strokes. There's a third class but it's mainly review of my social work skills. But altogether LOTS of reading, memorization, and practice. And I pretty much stare at this three days a week:

Honestly though, the hardest part (and the main reason I'm sick) is because of the change in my schedule. Three days a week I have to get up at 5:30am and for some reason my body doesn't want to go to sleep until midnight most nights (or my one current housemate wakes the dogs aka me up early morning hours and I can't fall back asleep some nights also). But trying to operate on 4-5 hours of sleep is no good for anyone. Plus now I have some longer days. At this point, my schedule pretty much operates like this:
Monday--reading for that week & any other self/home/pet appts/care that needs to happen
Tuesday--530 start, 630-730 commute, 8-230 class, 230-330 commute, run/shower/eat, 6-9 teach
Wednesday--finish reading, online work, run/shower/eat, 6-9pm teach
Thursday--530 start, 630-730 commute, 8-230 class, 230-330 commute, run/shower/eat, 7-830 Granny
Friday--530 start, 630-730 commute, 8-230 class, 230-330 commute, crash
Saturday & Sunday--grade for inperson & online classes, errands, try to socialize as possible
REPEAT

I have to have my grading done by end of day Monday which means that the weekend is the best time to do it. And based on the schedule, I really then only have Monday and Wednesday to take care of home stuff and study/do all the weekly reading for class. Between now and the end of the term, I also have to schedule 14 massages with other students into the schedule, which is obviously both a yea! and a where's the time?! :)

Luckily next term I'm changing my teaching schedule so I'll be teaching M/W nights and I can switch to 1130-6pm classes on T/R/F. That still gives me most of Monday & Weds to take care of stuff, but will cut down on early mornings and allow me time to study Tuesday evening at least. It'll mean a change in my regular work-out routine, but honestly I'm not going to be able to keep up to my old exercise levels I don't think.

It's been an interesting experience being in this particular school setting, but again, it's honestly really awesome to be learning something completely different and new. At this point, I'm thinking that I might want to focus on injury management/sports massage but also with elements of acupressure...we'll see. This whole going back to school has me researching some other potential school/career options for a couple of years down the road too. (aka what it would take to become an acupuncturist or do integrative research) Right now they're just ideas but we'll see. If anything I'm excited and invigorated by learning (even if I'm exhausted)....and I think it's what I needed.

My classes I'm teaching are going well. I'm glad I pre-organize the terms cause it's definitely helping. And this term only proves that no two groups of students are ever the same! I've also had some prior students email me to check in this term regarding events in their lives so am trying to refer/help as I can.

In other news, a) Anna's back to running and we did our first hike since the backpackgonebad experience over this last weekend. Happiness! b) I'm making some new friends in the program and have also been connecting with a colleague of mine over the last several weeks c) a month in the housemates are very different but so far okay to live with although d) I can't wait for December when housemate M gets back, I get two weeks of overlapping vacation (the last until I'm done next fall!), and it'll be snowshoe season!

And with those thoughts...I'm off to sleep....night y'all!