Memorial Day Lists

Apparently, everyone in the world had Memorial Day off of work except for me. Hmph. Well, I do realize it is a bit of a retail holiday, so I guess I understand. It actually turned out beneficial because Henny Penny was quiet, so I was able to tackle my list of to-dos that have piled up since we got back from vacation. On said list:

1. Print and cut 200 pamphlets for In Good Taste, Megan's dinner delivery business.
2. Print and cut birth announcements of Logan for my sister.
   
3. Finish reading submissions for M Review.
4. Edit accepted submissions for M Review.
5. Find yummy vegetarian recipes for this week's meal plan and make grocery list.
   
6. Organize and update my medical binder (recent doc visit before and after our trip rearranged my medications.)
7. Plan itinerary for Allyson's visit in three weeks.
8. Plan menu and details for graduation party, June 21st.
9. Research nursing schools for Dan.
10. Update blog.

I managed to check 3 items off my list, and they were #5, #9, and #10.

#5)

1. Grilled cheese sandwiches with sauerkraut on rye (um, sounded good, but why did I think I'd like it? I had a grilled peanut butter instead...)
2. Pesto tortellini with garlic and olive oil (dressed up with cheese and hot giaridiniera for Dan)
3. Chipotle bean tostadas
4. Chickpea and tomato salad
5. Spinach and orzo salad

#10) It felt good to write about Illinois, because it's something that I am constantly thinking about but find it hard to explain. (One of the reasons Dan and I fell in love with each other and clicked so well was because we both could communicate exponentially better by writing than talking, and our courtship before I moved to Chicago was essentially composed of long e-mails.)

#9) Fortunately, I found All Nursing Schools, a nifty little web site that makes it super easy to find programs anywhere in the country. However, I didn't anticipate the small amount of schools that offer second degree programs. Dan already has a BS in Biology, so ideally we want him to be able to build off of rather than start from scratch getting an Associates for RN, then doing an RN-BSN track, which would take longer and cost more money. Unfortunately, Dan's hopes for trying schooling here in Oregon (and then getting a job wherever we would move to) were thwarted by the fact that there are no programs that accommodate this situation. The results in other geographical areas of interest were:

1. University of Northern Colorado School of Nursing in Greeley, Colorado
2. Colorado State University School of Nursing in Pueblo, Colorado
3. University of New Mexico College of Nursing in Albuquerque, New Mexico
4. University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing in Columbia, Missouri
5. Lakeview College of Nursing in Danville, Illinois
6. Spalding University School of Nursing in Louisville, Kentucky
7. University of Louisville School of Nursing
8. Northern Kentucky University School of Nursing and Health Professions in Highland Heights, Kentucky
9. University of Kentucky College of Nursing in Lexington, Kentucky
10. East Tennessee State University College of Nursing in Johnson City, Tennessee
11. Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing in Charlotte, South Carolina

Whew! It's not much but it certainly narrows things down! (It's both exciting and bizarre to think we will be living in one of these cities.) We'll have to keep our fingers crossed as we continue to research because most of these schools are highly competitive and getting Dan into a program isn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be.

It's funny I did all that research for Dan, because when I got home from work, I found he had spent his day cleaning for me. What a sweetheart. (I told him to take a nap!) Dan's hard work included:

1. Vacuuming carpet
2. Sweeping and mopping floors
3. Cleaning toilets
4. Laundry
5. Cleaning garbage baskets and taking out garbage
6. Dishes and cleaning kitchen
7. Cleaning porch
8. Making bed
9. De-clogging drains in showers and sinks
10. Taking bottles to recycling at the store
11. Washing and cleaning out car
12. Cleaning out litter box
13. Cleaning and reorganizing kitchen drawers