Well, the New Year is into full swing and even though it is only the first month of the year, I've had to adjust to a lot of changes in my life already. Its kind of a new experience for me, because normally things don't change that much in the new year for me. In a way it always seemed pointless to me to even acknowledge or mark the fact that a new year had come because in past years not much changed for me in the new year. This year, however, was different. This year I didn't make any resolutions this year because I figured that I would have enough to deal with without adding any extra changes to my life. Probably the most major change has been not being in school. On January 8th I began my fieldwork for my Kinesiology degree. Its pretty much like working a full-time job except I don't get paid. Instead, I have to pay tuition to take it which doesn't really make sense to me at all because the agency where I am doing my fieldwork does not receive any of that money, it all goes to the school. I mean, I understand that they need to pay a professor to oversee the fieldwork students but it would make more sense to just pay one course fee rather than paying full-time student tuition. Oh well, this way I can maintain my full-time student status even though I'm not taking classes.
I'm really enjoying my fieldwork and am glad that I chose to remain here for it. I've lived here for the past 5 years and so I feel settled here. My mother was likely right when she said it would not be good for my mental health if I tried to move to do my fieldwork because that way I would not only be adjusting to not being in class but also trying to settle into a new city and make friends etc. Besides, I'm in an excellent fieldwork position which will allow me to have a broad experience. I am doing it in the Adult Program in Wascana Rehab working under an exercise therapist. My supervisor is awesome. She's only like 7 years younger than my mom but she's very youthful and full of energy. She is pretty laidback and likes to joke around with and I feel comfortable talking to her and I don't feel judged when I make mistakes. Plus, she's been working there for like 15 years and so she knows a lot. I think a large part of it is that she is also a farm girl and so we already have something in common and can chat easily about what it was like growing up. The clients we have seen have also been great to work with. We see worker's comp and government insurance clients but the great thing is that we get to see the ones who have recently been injured. If something is wrong and they don't seem to be healing and progressing as expected for someone with an injury like them we send them off to the Functional Rehabilitation Program where they work at rehabilitating them to go back to work. I've heard that you have to have somewhat tough skin to work in FRP because there are a lot of people trying to work the system because they don't want to go back to work. Apparently you see a lot of interesting/nonsense symptoms and limps down there. It makes me thankful that I am in the Adult Program because we kind of get the "cream of the crop" clients. For the most part, the people we see are motivated to work hard so that they can get better and get on with life. Most of them are really easy to talk to and joke around with. I'd have to say, I am quite enjoying working one-on-one with clients as opposed to having to plan activities for groups that will meet the needs of most of the people in the group. That is the situation I find myself in at the nursing home I work at and it just seems like when you are doing general programming (ie. exercises) for a large group, it becomes difficult to meet individual needs and therefore difficult to help everyone improve. At Wascana, the programs are all really individualized which I really like. It gives variety to the day and it also means that you can see improvement in the client as the program is tailored to his or her needs.
I'd have to say I'm definitely enjoying the whole working full-time thing rather than doing classes. I work Monday to Friday from 8:00-4:30 p.m. so I technically have my evenings free (although I'm often working another part-time job or doing other organized activities) and my weekends off. I like waking up Saturday and Sunday mornings knowing that I pretty much have the whole day to myself and that I do not have to force myself to study.
With the new year also comes my birthday. I think I've gotten to the point where birthdays are no longer that big of a deal for me. I no longer feel the need to go all out to celebrate. This year my birthday was not really joyous at all, mainly because the day before I had received some very disturbing news. The night before my birthday I received word from a good friend of mine that her baby had died inside of her and that she was in the hospital. At first when her and husband found out that they were pregnant, I wasn't sure what to think but as time went on and on I began to get more and more excited about this little one that they were going to welcome into the world. Any time I saw baby clothes I would think of them and then agonize over the fact that they did not know the sex of the baby because it meant I could not buy clothes for the baby because all of the really cute stuff was not gender neutral. As my friend's belly grew I began to become more and more excited and would think about what it would be like to hold the baby and see my friends as parents and maybe even hear myself called Aunty Karen. Well, all those hopes and dreams were shattered the night before my birthday. On my birthday my friend delivered a perfectly-formed, 34-week old baby girl. Hearing the news over the phone from my friend seemed not to phase me that much because it did not seem real. When I went to see her in the hospital it really hit me. The moment I walked into the rooom and saw her I lost it and just started bawling. I hugged her and cried on her shoulder and she cried on mine. The aching in my heart vaguely reminded of the way I felt the day I stood beside my good friend Mike's grave and wailed. Before I came into the room, the nurses had brought the baby for her to see. The baby was dressed in a little dress, booties, and a hat and was lying in a little basket. It was so surreal to see this tiny little one so lifeless, to think that this little girl had come out of my friend's belly and that my friends had waited 8 months only to have it end like this. I ended up spending most of the evening of my birthday in the hospital and when I came home I was just drained. Its hard to know what to say to comfort my friends as I can in no way, shape, or form relate to that kind of anticipation and heartache. Being Mennonite, I did the only thing I knew how to do: I told them I would be here for them and then I made some food for them and took it to them at their house once my friend was discharged. Its funny that that is one of my first reactions when someone is hurting. I always think of giving them food, but I guess that's the way I was raised.
On a lighter note, all of my hinting for my birthday present worked and my roomates bought me tickets to the Dirks Bentley concert. And even better, they did not send me alone. April, Kat, Sheryn (April's sister) and I went. I hadn't been to a concert in years and so it was great. Eric Church and Doc Walker were the openers. Eric was okay bot DW totally rocked!!! They totatlly stole the show. It was like Dirks should have been opening for them. Besides, DW is Canadian although Dirks does have a guy from PA playing on his band. How does someone from this neck of the woods get on to a band like that? I figure he must have just gone down to Nashville and really got in people's faces. When Dirks introduced the band he had to wait awhile until the cheering for the PA guy faded away so that he could talk again. Every time that Dirks mentioned the guitarist from PA the crowd just cheered and cheered and cheered, even more so than they did for Dirks. Afterwards, the 4 of us went out to the Pump for the after party because you could get in free with your concert ticket. There were a lot of people there and we had fun dancing but had to cut the night short because Kat and I both worked the next morning. I was surprised I wasn't more tired for work.
I'd have to say, I sure like the sound of typing on April's laptop. People tell me I am a fast typer and I think I sound like a pro when I am on this thing. My stinkin computer is broken because stinkin Norton is messing it up. Oh well, I'm a farm girl who grew up without the Internet. I think I can survive.
Note to self....when you know you are going to be in a picture, always be sure to wear a shirt with straps or sleeves to at least indicate that you are actually wearing clothes. Not such a big deal if you are a guy, but when girls wear tube tops they usually end up looking naked if the picture is just head and shoulders. Its just sketchy.
