Friday, November 27, 2009

Seven-O and Go

The paper got done - and while I'm not proud of it, I can't help but hear the words of a recent midwifery-grad echoing in my head...: "7-0 and go!" She maintained that the only way to get through the MEP was to believe in this refrain and be happy with a passing grade rather than my ideal grade. Hmm. Not my usual motto, but I'm starting to see her point.

I had a sudden realization this week that next week is December - our final exam is on December 16, and I'm less than halfway done my coursework for the fall semester. I have a lot of work to do, and fast! In the meantime, I'm holding my breath for the release of the 4th year lottery placement choices. I want to get that show on the road so I know where I'm placed for next year. Will Rob and I have to move again? Half of me feels that, karmically, because I had such bad luck in the last lottery, I am due to get my first choice this time. I can't get screwed both times, right? But the other half of me knows all too well how it feels to receive an email stating that I didn't get any of my choices... and how real that possibility is. I just have to trust it's all going to work out the way it's supposed to...

The potential adopter for Wally called me the day after my last post to let me know they had fallen in love with another cat. It hurt a little bit! But I understood. Then he said that they had had a really good time with us and maybe sometime we'd want to go for a drink with them? I said "for sure!" and so we're hoping to do that this upcoming week. So that's fun.

This week we've had friends from Winnipeg staying with us and it's been great. We went to see Edward Sharpe - a show I never would have gone to otherwise and it was awesome. Totally wild - I had no idea what to expect... which made the fact that it was totally surreal all the better. They're weird. The whole thing had a distinctly cultish vibe.... iinteresting. We had so much fun.

We also went to see the Fantastic Mr. Fox - it's great. So so great. Go see it.

Yesterday a midwifery bud came over and we ranted about placements and coursework and our papers. We ate an entire batch of cookies and drank a pot of coffee and three pots of tea. It was therapeutic.

So we've been busy. And I've been happy. But I probably need to do some homework if I want to pass... and I do!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Everything and Nothing

The other night, the guy and his roommate came by to meet Wally. They didn't bring a cat carrier - they weren't planning to adopt that night, they just wanted to meet him. They were meeting a few cats and still had to make a decision and buy supplies before they could adopt. They were really cool and interesting, and they ended up hanging out for nearly two hours just chatting with us. It was an unexpected and fun evening. When they left I felt certain I'd hear from them about wanting to adopt Wally... however, I haven't heard from them yet. So maybe they fell in love with someone else. Wally was kind of tired that evening and not his super-cute normal self. Oh well - more time with him for us!

It's funny how we can go weeks and weeks without any plans, and then everything happens on the same night. Tonight our friends from Guelph are in town to hang out with some of their friends, and have invited us out. Also my girly book club meets tonight. And the potential cat adopters mentioned where they'd be tonight if we wanted to drop by.

I also have a paper due at midnight tonight, and do you think I'm working on it? No, I'm writing a blog. I have a serious procrastination problem... but this is nothing new. In any case, I'm really enjoying my day. Tea, music, cats, and internet at home for the first time in three days.

I'm half wondering if we're going to end up staying in tonight, as we tend to do. Maybe, if I'm still paper-writing, Rob will go out without me. He deserves it.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The Art of Letting Go...

To update from my last post... sadly, our beloved little Louie passed away at the vets the very day after I wrote. It was hard. I wished we had just kept him home with us if he couldn't be helped. I feel guilty and awful that he died alone, in isolation, in the basement at the vet clinic. I hope he knows he was loved.

While I was in Winnipeg, Beth rescued Walker (Wally) for us. Rob went and picked him up, and took care of him for two weeks before I got home. He kept him and Marve separate for a week, then slowly integrated them. I'm so proud of my "not-a-cat-person" husband! Wally had gone into the shelter a stray - skinny, flea-bitten, almost fur-less and covered in scabs. He lived there for far too long before he was rescued.

Wally before

I came home from Winnipeg to a brand new Wally! He has filled out, grown, his fur is growing in fluffy and soft and he plays ALL the time. He is so sweet and funny. He sleeps on the bed at night, and has even got Marve doing the same. Marve wakes us up a little less often during the night. Overall, we've got a good thing going.

However, yesterday the reality of fostering kicked in when we received a phone call from a guy who saw Wally's photo and bio (which had only gone up two days before), and wants to come over to meet him. He is coming tonight with his roommate. Rob and I are working on being okay with the possibility that he may not be with us beyond tonight. We love him so much already... but we know that if we adopt him we won't be able to continue fostering (my allergies can't handle more than two right now). And fostering is really important to us. So we have to let go.

Wally now

I had a good experience in Winnipeg. A month got a little long to be away from home, but the prairie air gave me so much energy and motivation. I walked everywhere. We had a real, full-blown fall so I didn't miss out after all. I spent time with people who make me happy. I had a gorgeous room in my friends' gorgeous house to live and study in. And the placement was challenging, but really rewarding. I had to fight to make it a good experience a little bit, since none of the doctors or NPs had ever had a midwifery student before, and weren't sure what to do with me. But we made it work, and by the end I felt I had improved visibly in some basic clinical skills. I was so impressed with the clinic itself. If we ever were to end up back in the 'Peg, I would be honoured to work there.

Since being home from Winnipeg, I have done nothing but sit. I sit in pyjamas and stare at the tv, stare at the cats, stare out the windows. I have tried to do homework, but despite my previous resolve to do nothing but for the rest of the term, I can't bring myself to do it. And I feel like a broken record for saying this all again. Still. Why is it so hard to find motivation?

Today we lost our (borrowed) internet connection, so I packed up my stuff and hiked down to the library. So here I am. Ready to write a paper. Procrastinating, maybe just a little. But it's about to happen.