School?

So school has changed for me... dramatically. I am no longer a full time, but rather part time student. I still work full time, which sometimes makes homework a bit of an afterthought. Thankfully I don't have too much homework this semester. I am taking Health Terminology. That class basically goes something like this: I read two chapters. Those two chapters take up at least 3 hours of my life and a whole pack of note cards. I study those two chapters from the note cards and a computer program. I take a test. I do it all over again. No class. No teacher. Not bad.
My other class is Nurse's Aid Training, which prepares me for the test to become an STNA (state tested nurses aide). Please let me clarify a few things. Just because I am taking this class, it doesn't mean I am a nurse. I cannot answer your medical questions. I don't know why you're sick or what you should do to get better. I can't give you a shot. I can't give you medicine. Basically, I now know how to correctly flip you in bed so we can wipe your butt if through some unfortunate situation you find yourself immobile. The end.
So this class is a huge stretch for me. Those that know me well will understand. Let me say for those that don't know me, I am not a touchy feely person. No this doesn't mean I have never held hands with a guy or don't enjoy a good hug. That's not it. I just greatly enjoy independence. If I am sitting by you, your leg doesn't need to be touching mine (not even a little). You don't need to touch my shoulder as your passing by. I don't need a comforting hand. And if you are ANYONE other than the love of my life, Linzi Buhler, you don't need to cuddle with me in bed.
In this class, everything we learn we practice on each other. We all have a lab partner and you and your partner, to put it nicely, get to know each other very well very fast. My lab partner, bless his soul, is a wonderful boy named Judson. Judson is very gracious and puts up with me a lot. I fully believe he will be a wonderful nurse someday. When I found out my partner was the only boy in our class, I will admit my heart sank a little. Like oh great, this is going to be a long year with a guy cracking "that's what she said" jokes all the time. Thankfully, I am not partnered with any of the guys I went so school with, and Judson is just very respectful all the time. That being said, I hate people touching me. Even respectful people. One day I must have had a look of 'i think I'm going to barf' on my face well pretending to be a patient. Judson asked me what was wrong and I just looked up at him and said, "This has nothing to do with you, but I honestly just hate this. I hate other people touching me." Judson smiled and said, "well then I am sorry about what I am about to do. " Then assuming proper positioning, Judson politely put his hand on my bum and my shoulder and rolled me over and bed. Ha ha, I'm sure I make this all sound very dramatic, but for someone who has never EVER had to be in the hospital other than birth, this is a huge growing experience for me. If I am to be a nurse someday, this is also a very good experience, since I have an idea of what it's like to be laying in a hospital bed, and feel like every human dignity has just been ripped away from you. Not to mention I was happy and healthy while doing it. I would hate to know what it's like coupled with pain and sickness!
So that's what's going on in my life, and what school now is for me. A far cry from school starting at 8 and going till 3, filled with boring lectures and just trying to stay awake. Now I try to stay awake only when I am laying in a comfy hospital bed. And after a long day (my class is 5-9 at night) that hospital bed can be very welcoming!