August 3, 2009 - A trip to the bookstore

I worked on Hin-zeit's Amer-ica after mid-night and contin-ued until I went to sleep.

I'm still running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I have a doc's appointment tomorrow to check the MRSA rash on my abdomen and still have to make an appt to have the suture, from last week's procedure, removed.

I received an email from the school's financial aid office telling me that they have completed the processing of my information and I will be receiving my financial aid package in the mail. They also emailed to let me know I had a Bookstore Advance of $400 to purchase my books and supplies, so Kasey and I headed over first thing this morning.

I wound up having to buy more new books that I'd planned, but it worked out because the digital copies I was going to buy separately were included with the new books. I also purchased a canvas tote with purple accents, including a very pretty machine-embroidered motif on the front pocket.

One of the bookstore employees carried the books out to the truck for me because they were so heavy. There was no way I could navigate with Kasey and two bags of books in my left hand. She won't walk on my right side (she's trained too well) and the suture pulls if I lift anything heavier than a couple pounds. The math text- and workbooks together weigh about 10 lbs (and I am not exaggerating!).

I went back inside and pur-chased some sup-plies, includ-ing a clear, PUR-PLE!, clip-board. Since I'm left-handed, it's hard for me to write in spiral notebooks or a 3-ring binder. I bought an expandable file with 5 removable plastic folders so that I can place my week's work in there for easier transportation (I have a feeling I'll be doing alot of homework during dialysis treatments). I rounded out my purchases with some filler paper, a pocket dictionary, Webster's College Dictionary (being an English major, they'll come in handy!), a mouse pad that I can write on (it's sheets of graph paper) and a white-out pen. I had previously bought an organizer, which I showed you a few Saturdays ago.

Oh! Did you notice the purple gingham ribbons in the books? Those are my new bookmarks. I took the remainder of the spool of ribbon from Kasey's birthday bow and cut it into appropriate lengths for my textbooks. I was getting frustrated trying to find the Mary Shelley section of the Companion, so I had to do something! And you know when I do "something" it's usually purple!

Back to that math book...it came with SEVEN CD-ROM's! There are four lecture CD's, one for test preparation; one for the graphing calculator; and another for the computer interface, MyMathLab, that the math professors use. I have alot of preparation to do before classes start!

My English course, Composition & Literature, concentrates on Gothic novels. I don't read things like that because I do not find enjoyment in being scared or grossed out. I don't even watch shows that scare me. When my Pop-pop would watch The Incredible Hulk, I would hide behind his recliner, sit on the floor, and plug my ears so that I couldn't hear the Hulk roaring; that's how wimpy I am about scary shows. I watched The Mummy from behind a pillow behind my b/f's shoulder the first time I saw it. It's a favorite now but the first time through I screamed a few times (those bugs!). I am not looking forward to the course, unless the instructor is really good (but that's gonna be alot to ask because the course is 100% online). I am determined to get through it, however.

I went back to bed after eating something for lunch because I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I had about two-and-a-half hours before my treatment time and they passed in theblink of an eye.

I took the Three Gothic Novels and the Companion volumes to dialysis so that I could begin reading. I started with the Companion book, reading the introduction and then moving on to the section pertaining to Mary Shelley. One of the three novels in the compilation book is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, so I thought I'd read what the Companion had to say about her. Which put me right to sleep!

I need to read these before the class begins, though, because I know it will make it easier when I re-read them for the class itself. Having never read anything of the genre, I know it is going to take more than one time for things to sink in and realize the nuances of the writing. I'm just not looking forward to it. Did I already mention that?

I had a nice nap during the last half of my treatment. I definitely needed it because I only slept for five hours before the girls woke me up this morning to go outside. It's sorta funny because Kasey comes in to wake me up when Daisy starts pacing around the livingroom. I've noticed this is her signal to go outside, but apparently Kasey knows it as well.

Daisy sleeps on my bed with me while Kasey sleeps on the bath- or bedroom floor. Even though there's another dog in the house, it's too warm for her to sleep in bed; she much prefers the cool tile or wood flooring. She gets up when I first get in bed because she knows that's our cuddle time, but as soon as I stop petting her she moves to the foot of the bed for about ten minutes and then ultimately gets down to sleep on the floor. Daisy, on the other hand, sleeps right beside my knees.

Daisy is winning the war with the squeakers in Kasey's old toys. I rescued another one tonight from the clutches of her jaws. I wasn't going to give her a chance to remove the little whistle from the plastic bubble. I found three of them separated from their bubbles last week. They could do some damage if she were to swallow one. She was not pleased with me, but I'd rather that than a visit to the emergency vet! So the score is now Daisy: 4; Squeakers: 0, with me intervening on behalf of the last one. He went into the trash with his whistle (and dignity? Do inanimate objects have "dignity?") still intact.

That was my day, with some writing of email and blog posts thrown in. Have a great week!