The End Is Near.

The end of fall semester is nearing. This is when an abundant amount of stress comes into effect and consumes a college student. The majority of my stress and concern is focused on my EMT class. Next week is our NREMT Skills test (National Registry EMT). We have a total of seven skills that we have to perform and pass at different stations. I have taken all the extra time I have and devoted it to going into class and practicing my skills. I am nervous but if I am confident I know I will do great. I know what to do. Graduation for class is on the 12th and I am super excited! This is a big step in my life. A huge goal that I have accomplished. I couldn't be more happier. Well...I will be the happiest after I have passed my skills test, graduated and then taken and passed my National Registry written test. After all that, I will have my certification and be an EMT. Next my goal is to get into a Paramedic program somewhere. The 'where' is my road block. I'm very excited for my future though.

I recently did my ER clinical and ambulance ride along. For class we have to do 24 hours of clinical time. Each was a 12 hour shift. Doesn't seem like a long time, but after the 12 hours, my body was tired! Mostly after the ER clinical though. I was standing most of the time and barely ate. It was so awesome to help the nurses and take vitals on the different people that came in. The nurses were really nice and helpful towards me to. I couldn't just expect them to ask me to follow them and help them, I had to put myself out there and jump in. I couldn't be a wallflower. The ambulance ride along was by far my favorite. My shift started at 7am and by 7:50am we got our first call. I got a total of three calls that day. All the paramedics were super and nice and funny. I learned a lot. I loved sitting in the back of the ambulance with the lights and sirens going, speeding down the road. Such an adrenaline rush.

I took an Extrication class the day before my ER clinical. It was loads of fun. I have had some experience with extrication before. We learned about it when I was a Fire Explorer. Most of the people from my EMT class were there, but not all. We had to wear turnouts, but of course I'm the smallest person in the world and nothing ever fits me. You can see for yourself...haha I look pretty sweet though. My friend Amber and I take extrication class very seriously...

Behind us is an old Aerostar Van that we took apart. We took the whole roof off, so you can't really tell that it is a van anymore. The guy in the middle was our instructor for the day. He is a volunteer firefighter/paramedic/ER nurse. Yeah, he pretty much does it all. I worked with him in the ER the next day. He is awesome and I learned a lot from him.

Levi and I sit next to each other in class. He is the funniest guy I know. I apologize for my face. I started to laugh then made a funny face. We have a lot of fun in that class together. Sometimes when we practice our skills we like to mess around. Levi was strapped to the spine board and wanted to see if he could do a push up. We flipped him over, he did his push up but then wanted to add some weight. Kassie then laid on him. We also like to take things to the extreme, so we flipped Levi all the way around, and put him upside down. It was so funny. I promise we are safe! Learning needs to be fun right?

Tennis as usually is going great. The fall season is over so we can't practice as a team with the coaches. We can go out and hit together, just as long as the coaches aren't there. So pretty much we still have practice. We also condition everyday...lots of footwork drills, sprints...technically just running. The joke is that if the college didn't have a tennis team we would be the girls cross country team with all the running we do. All this hard work will pay off soon enough. February our season starts. I know we are all ready to start playing some matches. In January we will gain another player. She is from Zimbabwe. Crazy I know. After stalking her on Facebook, I know she will be a great asset to our team. Pretty much every one of her pictures includes her holding a tennis trophy of some sort and she pretty much looks like a sibling of Venus and Serena Williams. We did lose of our girls last month. Long complicated story. There are currently five of us, but the girl from Zimbabwe will make it six. Coach is still trying to see if she can get a couple more girls to join us. I love my team. We have too much fun together.

I promise I'm sane. It was suppose to be a funny picture but Kindra, Sally and Patty didn't really do anything out of the ordinary. Then there's Kenna and I looking sexy as usual.

Have I ever talked about the sunrises and sunsets here? No? Oh, well let me show you some majestic views. The first is a sunset, the second was my awesome view on my drive to my ambulance ride along at 6:50 in the morning.

Longboarding down main street at night is often a fun adventure my friends and I like to take. The streets are smooth, there is oldies music playing outside some shops, the sense of freedom and the cool breeze overwhelms me.

My roommate/friend Sally is in a Phlebotomy class and she needs a certain amount of blood draws to complete the class. The nice whiling person that I am, allowed her to use me as a pin cushion. I have never had my blood draw because I don't weigh enough. Teachers always give extra credit if you donate blood. I have come to terms with my size and know that I will never receive those extra credit points. Anyways, I'm not afraid of needles, blood or someone sticking me. I mean, if I was afraid of all those things, I wouldn't be going through the EMT class and pursuing to become a paramedic. Sally needed three sticks to complete her paper. Long story short...Sally wasn't able to able to draw any blood from me. She stuck me three times on the arms and a prick on the finger. The whole time I was teasing her and making her nervous. I would act like it was hurting and was freaking out, but I really wasn't. In my view, it seemed like Sally was getting the needle in my veins, but every time she would stick the tube on the end to get blood nothing would come out. Blood would come trickling out when she would pull the needle out but nothing more than that. Afterwards I seriously looked like I was a druggy or something all patched up. I consider myself supernatural now. I like saying that rather than that Sally is just a bad Phlebotomist...good thing that isn't going to be her career.

Remember how I really enjoy watching Volleyball and cheering loud at all the college sporting events? Yeah, well one of the volleyball girl's sister caught me in action. I was in the background of one of the pictures she took. Pretty good looking I'd say. Intense also. EAC's #1 fan. I bring my megaphone to every game and wear a school shirt.

You thought I was going to forget to talk about my Thanksgiving break huh? Well...I almost did. I get writing and find pictures that I want to add stories to and sometimes I forget the big things.

My Thanksgiving was great. I didn't drive home and surprise my family again this year. Although it was on my mind. I think my mom had it in the back of her head also, trying to figure out what I was doing for Thanksgiving. I went to my roommate Sonora's house on Thanksgiving day. I was welcomed into her family's house with love. I had many offers from friends to join them for Thanksgiving since I was not traveling home. I am very appreciative towards all of them. It means a lot to me that people are willing to share such a special family day with others. I felt very comfortable at Sonora's house. Her parents and brothers were all very nice to me. Dinner was amazingly delicious as always this time of year. After dinner some of us went to Walmart for a little black Friday shopping. Craziness I tell you. People go ape. I enjoyed spending Thanksgiving day with another family since I wasn't with mine. Having this holiday break has been super nice. Even though I haven't really been that productive, it is just nice to relax and be lame. I did do some homework today though mom, don't worry, I was somewhat productive. Finals are coming up quickly I can't get behind on homework. I need all the time I can get to study. I honestly can't wait until Christmas break. It will be like heaven. My body is going to go into shock when I get off the airplane. Its been cold here but not Utah snow cold. I am adjusted to the Arizona weather.

Until next time my friends. Be Strong. Live Free.

November?

It's already November...my how the time flies. Soon it will be Christmas break and I will be flying home to the cold Utah winter. It still amazes me that I am living, going to school, and playing tennis in Arizona. I have lived on my own for over a year. I can't drive home on the weekends for home cooked meals and to do my laundry. I don't get to see my siblings for family dinners or birthday celebration get togethers. But you know, I do alright. I make it through the rough times and think about my family often. I can't wait until I unload from the airplane at Christmas break and see my mom smiling (and probably crying) waiting for me. I'm counting down the days until I'm warmed by her arms around me. Dad don't think I forgot about you...but it sounds like your "Girls" are high priority now. Making the newspaper and all. I can't wait to jump into your arms and wrap my arms around you.

Let me catch you up with some of my random adventurous. The Student Counsel put on a dodgeball tournament and us tennis girls got a team together and played for the heck of it. Yes we are an odd looking team. We needed some guys to bring some extra strength to the playing field. We wore pink since it was breast cancer awareness month in October. It was really fun and we ended up winning gift cards to R&R a pizza restaurant for 'best outfits'. 

Volleyball had a pink out game during the month of October. So my roommates and I decided to make it fun since we stand up and cheer every game. We...well they, decided we should make pink tutus to wear to the game. I was down because I thought it would be funny. It took us forever to make them. All we used was elastic and pink tool. Once I finished mine I put it on and then really didn't take it off because I was caught up in watching one of my tv shows online. I wore some of my roommates pink clothing to go along with the tutu. One of my roommates came home from work and caught me in my tutu and about died of laughter. Everyone at the volleyball game got a kick out of us and thought it was funny. All the volleyball girls and the coach couldn't believe I was wearing a pink tutu. I told them it was just for them. The team got a picture with us after next to some signs the tennis team made for them. You can't really see Sally, Stephanie, and I but its the thought that counts right?

                     

My friend Alyssa (one of the vball players) and I hung out one weekend and carved some pumpkins. Pumpkins that actually came from my home in Utah. Thanks mom for shipping them to me! ....Just Kidding. Sally traveled to Utah for conference and stayed at my house one night and my sweet mother sent her home with some pumpkins from our garden. Alyssa like any typical girlfriend would, carved her initial and her boyfriends initial in her pumpkin. I was artistically original and carved a face in mine. Needless to say we had fun. This picture also shows how short I am...Which happens in all my pictures. Typical. Whatever. I'm used to it.

My roommates on Halloween night planned a dance party in our house. I had EMT class until 10pm so I missed the beginning. I wasn't expecting many people, but word definitely got around. Especially since our party was the only cool thing going on around campus. There were so many cars parked on the street I thought we were famous or something. I walked into my own house and couldn't even make it to my room. Everyone was dressed up and I must say, people get creative with their costumes. In a good way. My friend Alyssa dressed up as a sister missionary. She pulled it off perfectly. I was an...EMT in training...Since I didn't change out of my uniform. Don't worry the people in the back of the photo are playing Mnt. Dew pong...no alcohol was involved.

My roommate Sonora (far right) borrowed her brothers Nintendo 64 for a weekend. We could't stop playing Mario Kart. We would get very competitive and into racing each other. So much so that we would push each other and yell if we got hit or lost. 4 girls playing Mario Kart is a sight to see. When her brother came to pick it up, we were devastated.  

I pride myself on being fit and getting good grades. ...I wouldn't show you the bad grades though, would I? I have had 3 perfect papers in my Sports Med class. It feels so good to see that written on my quizzes when I get them back. I'm just one step closer to my future. Yes...I did take a mirror workout selfie, my roommate Stephanie laughed at me. We have been going to the gym and working out Monday, Wed, Friday mornings, and on Thursday mornings we do Insanity. I love it. I want to be a buff little girl.

Like I always say, I'm loving life! Changing my life little by little to be the person I want. When I head home for Christmas break I will hopefully have one of my goals fulfilled. And that is to have passed my EMT Basic tests and be a certified EMT. I'm one step closer each day.

SMILE! 

Many Exciting Adventures.

I sincerely apologize for the lack of writing. This year has been a busy one and will continue to be.

These last couple months have been good ones. I have been on many exciting adventures with my friends. We are definitely living the college life. Rather than write a novel about my adventures, I will just make it a picture story. So enjoy.

Here in Thatcher you have to make your own fun on the weekends since it is such a small town. Something we do for fun is go mattress surfing. You hook up an old mattress to the back of a truck and pull it on dirt like you would a boat pulling a tube on a lake. It's so much fun. Sort of an adrenaline rush too. You get very dusty...We wore goggles to protect our eyes. Hence the outline on my face.

Something else that I do with this set of friends (which includes two of my roommates, Tesia and Stephanie, and the boys Dakota and Logan) We go shooting sometimes.We take glass bottles that we have saved and random crap like old T.V's out to a dirt mountain and shoot at them with different kinds of guns. It was so much fun.

For Homecoming week they had a parade. There are a lot of people that are in the parade line. A lot of the school clubs, all of the sports, other school groups and non groups. It was fun to be in it as a tennis team. We hitched a ride on the back of the firetruck with the basketball girls so we didn't have to walk the whole time. We know how to work the system.

Random thing, but you all know I love catching frogs. Check out the difference in the sizes that I've caught here. I have yet to catch a lizard. Those guys are just too fast! ....Yes I'm wearing gloves...it freaked me out a little.

Sometimes for practice we have a pool day. Which sounds like it'd be fun right? Na...Its not all it's cracked up to be. We often have to swim laps forever then do little swim exercises. I'm not a great swimmer so I get tired fast. It is nice to be in the pool where it is nice and cool though. After one of our pool days, Sally, Patricia and I took some "Sophomore" photos. I may not have a tan stomach but I have great abs. 

Two weeks ago it was my beloved 20th birthday. Everyone jokes about my age..."How old are you now? 16?" What's funny, is most the people that say that to me are younger than me. I'm one of the older people of my age group. But either way I don't look 20. Which is fine by me. It allows be to still get stuff on the kids menu. Just kidding. My roommates did a lot for me on my special day. I didn't mention anything about my birthday at all. I didn't want people to know. I mean it's nice when people know, but I hate all the attention. Days leading up to my birthday I didn't say anything. I thought I had done a good job. Only to find out that they all knew and had plans for my day. They decorated the house and my roommate Stephanie decorated our room with athletic pre-wrap and ankle tape. You know you're a student athletic trainer when...haha I didn't even wake up to her doing it. At practice Kindra and I were the only ones on time. We were so confused about what was going on. Everyone showed up a couple minutes later. We were waiting on Sally though. I called her and she said she was on her way. No joke..20 mins later she shows up. She apologizes for being so late and what not. Coach tells us to run to the baseball field and back for our warm up run. We do so and when we get back to the courts coach tells us that for practice we are just going to eat pizza and chill since it was my birthday. Pizza and a dessert type pie was sitting on the bench. I was surprised. Everyone was excited and happy that it was my birthday. Sally had gone and gotten the food. That's why she was late. Her and coach had planned this. It made me happy. We ate then just hit around a little after. Coaches left us to mess around. What an awesome practice. After practice Sally and I longboarded around campus and went to the Post Office to check our mail. Later that night there was a home volleyball game which I was super excited about. I love the volleyball games. I am their biggest fan. I cheered my heart out! My roommates and I went to the game together. I always stand up during breaks and timeouts and dance to the music. During the break between game 2 and 3 one of the volleyball players went to the announcing table and took the mic and said, "We would like to wish Loni a Happy Birthday and we want all of you to join in with us to sing her happy birthday." I was already standing up on the bleachers and I was not expecting that, so I couldn't sit down. My face was super red. I loved it though. I love the volleyball girls so much. After they all came and gave me big hugs, I thanked them all. Having them do that for me seriously made my day. I loved it. Later I found out that it was Sally's idea for them to do that. They knew I would love it. They got Logan to talk to one of the volleyball girls and he asked them if they would do it. Best birthday present ever! Later that night my roommates had made brownies and they stuck 20 candles in it and sang to me. Then my best friend Katie who is stationed in North Carolina for the army video called me and we talked for hours. That honestly was the best birthday present I could ever ask for. She is my best friend and I miss her so much!

Being college students we are often spontaneous and do things spur of the moment. Last weekend, my roommates and I were talking about how we wanted to get a ping pong table for our kitchen area which is big, open and empty. So I got on Craigslist, found one for $40 in Tucson. My roommate called the lady and she said it was ours if we came and got it. Logan, Tesia, and I loaded up in Logan's truck and took off. It's about a two hour drive to Tucson. We arrived at the ladies house, loaded the table into the back of Logan's truck, payed the kind lady, and headed back home another two hours. Granted it wasn't that quick of a process, but you get the idea. Now we have a ping pong table in our house and play it often. We have so much fun! Our next investment, and I'm not joking, is a trampoline for our backyard. We have big plans for our house. 

One of my roommates dog had puppies and the other day she took me and Stephanie to see them. I love dogs so much, and miss mine back home. They are little boxer mix puppies. They were so cute!! I needed some dog interaction. It is a calming relaxing feeling.

The volleyball coach gave Sally and I some of their team volleyball shirts to wear to the volleyball games since we cheer every game for them. I can't thank Coach enough. I honor this shirt. Not everyone gets one of these since they are the girls team shirts. Coach loves my cheering and I love them.

School is going good, EMT is great, tennis will forever be my favorite and I'm working really hard this year. I'm loving life and all it has to offer me.  

 

Be Strong. Live Free.