Well I am still at the hospital unfortunately. These doctors are very intent on keeping me under observation to ensure that THIS time when I depart I absolutely positively DO NOT have to report back. There are a number of precautionary evaluations they are performing in the wake of my procedure from almost two weeks ago that they are currently in the process of doing.

I mean on the one hand I am appreciative for the care my doctors are giving me to try their best to ensure that I am 100% okay. They want to rule out all possible issues that could arise while I am home on bed rest to make sure I am as comfortable, pain free and healthy as I possibly can be. However on the other hand I am really REALLY just sick and tired of being in the hospital and dealing with all of these issues that have arisen since my procedure that have done nothing but inconvenience me, my family and my friends and constantly complicate my life.

I have been reading some of my Penn Foster study notes on Business from one of my earlier Business course textbooks that in essence said to "keep your eyes on the pie" to help yourself get through the tough parts. That piece of advice has been welcome as I have applied it to this situation in looking forward to getting done with all of this so I can go back to being healthy. Another meaningful nugget of information I have been able to gain from the time I have put in on my Penn Foster studies !!!

So they had to keep me overnight AGAIN at the hospital. I am soooooo bummed out. Although they are saying that it is nothing serious they just want to keep me under observation for at least a 48 hour period to make sure that this time when they release me to go home that I will not have to come back. I can not tell you how sad I am that I have to stay here AGAIN……

In my efforts to be prepared as best possible I try to take the perspective in situations like this as best I can to "Prepare For The worst and Pray for the Best". With that being said I had acknowledged that there was a CHANCE that I would be kept overnight again so I brought my Penn Foster Business textbook that I have been trying my absolute best to get through both before and now after my procedure. And I brought my mini laptop to "keep me company" as I try my best to be strong and get through all of this.

I swear they say that you never really appreciate things until you do not have them. As much as I would think my life was challenging I really do see how comparatively simple it was when compared to what I am dealing with at present. I just want to be better again so that things can finally get back to normal….the way that they used to be for me…..

Well at least I can keep reading m textbook(since I did not bring my open or notebook for study notes) so that I can help this time pass until the doctor and nurses come back to check up on me…..Hopefully I will be able to go home tomorrow – If I am fortunate…..ugh….

Okay so I am in a great deal of discomfort and pain still that is forcing me to return to the hospital emergency room for urgent care. I do not feel well and the pain level is just to great. I have been sitting here trying to read and study hoping that occupying my mind somewhere else would help take the pain away or at least distract me from what I am feeling. However in the course of me trying to read I keep wincing in pain and closing my eyes for seconds at a time which keeps making me lose my place in the book yet alone hold a pen to write in my notebook my thoughts on the sections of material I am studying about. This last wince of pain brought ears to my eyes which I am sure you can understand might make it a little bit difficult to find my place in my text book to study with tears coming out of my eyes….

I am admittedly a little bit concerned as I would think that I would be feeling a LOT better by now after having my procedure done last week, however, that is DEFINITELY not the case. It is my hope that the doctors can help alleviate my discomfort so that I do not have to stay there longer then just tonight. I mean if it was not for this pain then I would be okay and I could rest and relax and most importantly STUDY like how I want to.

I guess that all that I can do is "Hope for the best" and pray that things work out positively for me…..

There is an expression that says "Reading is Fundamental". That line is so profound that an entire branch of the government has been created to use that line as a slogan for literacy and libraries and productive learning along those lines. Although I do not disagree in the least as to the validity of that line I would personally like to add one as an addendum to that statemt "Music is fundamental TOO !!!" LOL !!!!

I have been feeling so down and bad and in so much PAIN since my procedure that it is very hard to get in the right mind frame to do ANYTHING yet alone STUDY !!! I mean it is hard for me to rest at all and even when I do it is not very restful or pleasurable because I toss and turn and it does not feel good when I do that.

However there are a few new songs that I purchased that totally and completely change my mnood !!! "Tik Tok" by Kesha, "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks, and "Party In The USA" by Miley Cyrus !!!! AAAAHHHHHH !!!!!

No matter how bad I am feeling when I put those songs on it is like better then taking a pain pill !!!! My mood gets so much better and I really FEEL so much better. I notice that my study level is SOOOOO MUCH BETTER when I am listening to my musical rotation then it is without it !!!!!

So for the record I think that when it comes to me with my Penn Foster Associate degree pursuit n my current life predicament in my recovery effort my slogan should be "Reading is Fundamental – And Ms. Passion's Play list is TOO !!!"

Okay so just when I thought that the bulk of my problems were behind me I had an unpleasant discovery. You see a week or so ago I had a "new addition" to my life. I finally achieved enough financial security where I could FINALLY purchase a new car that I wanted !!!! I did so because I rationalized with the busy lifestyle that I have as a single mother, working parent and school attendee, I have a VERY car dependant life. I NEED my car to be able to handle my responsibilities daily so that I can take care of my kids, run my errands, get to and from work  and do all of these things in an expedient and as productive manner as possible so that I can leave enough hours free n the course of the day for my study time and of course my "ME TIME" !!!

With that being said there have been a number of setbacks that I have had over the past few years with used car maintenance and I just got tired of not having the peace of mind that I needed. Buying a new car was supposed to alleviate all of those feelings to give me the peace of mind I need to be "okay". However I have discovered that no sooner then I have bought the car that I have a, what they are terming a "brake adjustment", because my break pad and sensors are not properly aligned thus making the warning light flash on the dashboard and the brakes squeak !!!!!

I need to hurry up and get my Associates Degree from Penn Foster so I can expedite my career advancement so that I can afford a DRIVER SERVICE so that I do not have to do deal with this drama any more !!!!! GRRR !!!!!

There is an old saying or cautionary tale of advice that says that "You should be careful what it is that you find yourself wishing for – Because you juuuuuust might GET IT."  Well let me be the one to tell you that that saying is sooooooo TRUE !!!! And especially in my current case as I am discovering day in and day out !!!!

You see I have been finding myself wishing to myself that I had more quality and quiet time in my day and week that I could better utilize for studying and my schoolwork. With all of the responsibilities that I have squarely on my shoulders as a single parent and as a working adult my energies and time is split in so many ways that I often times find myself forcing myself to study and take a better approach to my schooling as it is a constant battle not to just study to "Get It Done" as opposed to actually LEARNING the material that I am studying about.

This is what occurs when you do not have a lot of QUALITY time to "go around". I often times found myself wishing for either an extra day a week or a few extra hours a day to have to rest and study at a higher level. Well let me tell you I have an abundance of such time at present and I will tell you that I MISS not having as much !!! LOL !!!! All of this time that I have on my hands day in and day out where I am in bed 90% is about to drive me crazy !!!!!

Now granted I have been somewhat "out of commision" dealing with health related issues on a personal level over the past few weeks but I have had a chance to catch up on current events both near and a far by watching the news and reading up on some stuff online. Is that not an amazingly horrific event that occurred in Haiti?!?!?!?

I feel as though I am watching a "movie" that just played out a few years ago in New Orleans, LA with what happened with Hurricane Katrina !!!! Reading about and hearing about the incredibly challenging and unfortunate events that have befallen the residents of Haiti is really unfortunate and really makes you feel for them and appreciate what we have here in our country !!!!

The luxury of being able to study virtually to advance myself through my Associates Degree in Human Resources Management through Penn Foster College is something that I admittedly take for granted. Such an option is not readily available for such residents ion Haiti, even of there had not been an earthquake, and schooling in general is not a primary option for life there !!!!

When things like this happen the best I feel that we can do is give what support that we can and also appreciate what we DO have in life and cherish such as "nothing in life is guaranteed" as this event has demonstrated.

With the incredibly challenging circumstances that these Haitian residents are forced to cope with I have NO EXCUSE not to be studying my school work daily and taking advantage of my blessings and options, schooling and otherwise, even if I am on bed rest !!!!

Well I am STILL not feeling all too well. I have never had a surgical procedure before IN MY LIFE thankfully. Although I have and still do consider that a positive that I have been healthy enough in my short time here in this thing we call "life" to not require a need for a surgical procedure, the flip side is that my body is learning now how to recover from one and boy was I not aware of how this would make me feel !!!!

The pain is constant and there is no relief in site. The medication that the doctors provided to me helps a little bit however everyone keeps telling me that there is nothing that is going to take away all of the pain and that I am just going to have to accept and deal with it until I heal fully which is not going fast enough for me.

Given that I will be on bed rest for the foreseeable future the one productive thing that I CAN do is some school work as it is a VERY welcome diversion from watching television or surfing the net until my brain oozes out of my ears.

I am still adjusting to studying with the effect of some of these pain medications in my system as my comprehension and motor skills can be a bit impaired at times. This too is a foreign concept to me and my body. However I think I am starting to adjust so that I can read, comprehend and study at a good pace so that I can possibly get ahead of the pace and schedule for schooling completion that I was originally on.

AT least that is ONE positive that has come of all of this…..

So I am doing a little bit better today. I had a really rough night. When they finally gave me my pain medication it made me feel a bit dizzy and disoriented because I have not been able to eat any solid food for over twenty four hours. I got a little bit of reading done but at some pint I pretty much passed out because I remember having my book in my hand and then when I woke up it was book marked and placed on the stand next to my hospital bed. I guess the nurse must have stopped in to check on me and saved the page for me and placed it to the side for me.

They ended up letting me go home earlier this afternoon as they were encouraged and pleased with the healing my body did overnight. I am still very sore and am in a lot of pain however it is a little bit better then it was yesterday when it was a 12 on a scale of 1 – 10 seemingly each and every way I moved.

I am now in the process of trying to position my pillows in my bed so that I can be as comfortable as I can be given my condition and be able to relax and rest as painlessly as possible as I will likely be bed ridden for at least a week now…..

Again the positive that I am trying to take from this experience is that I will have plenty of private, quite "me time" to read and study as the kids will be at school and I will be home from work. I have placed an order at Chipolte which my Hunni Bear is bringing home to me. I am hoping that once I get some solid food in me and take my medicine I will feel better and he able to get some reading done in my Principles of Managment textbook.

I am really glad to be home, really thankful to still be here and glad I have my school work to occupy my mind and time while I heal…..

Okay so I had underwent my procedure today. The good news is that I am still here fortunately. The bad news is that there were some complications that are requiring me to have to stay here at the hospital overnight for observation. From what I am being told it is nothing serious, just more so precautionary to monitor my recovery because my procedure was more "challenging" for my team of physicians then they originally had anticipated thus resulting in a longer procedure time.

I am just thankful that I am still here and able to be okay for the most part. I am in quite a bit of pain however as I can literally feel my body throbbing at the place where they went in at and it is anything BUT a "pleasant feeling" for me. I would give anything for some pain medication and a burrito bowl from Chipotle right now, but they say I can not begin to have my pain medication administered until later on when my anesthesia wears off as the mixing of the two, given my weakened state could be dangerous. Additionally I am on a "liquid diet" for the next 24-36 hours until my body settles back in a little bit.

I specifically brought my textbook with the specific intent to get some reading done at this point. However I really feel dizzy and overall "out of it" and I can not focus or read right now which disappoints me because I am AWAKE and tired but I can not go to sleep….it is hard to explain….

I  will try to drink some more water and hopefully that will help to clear my head and make me feel better so that I can be productive with my studying to help me pass the time in the late overnight hours since I will have to stay here overnight and I am not able to sleep…..

Okay so my new baby has to be dropped off at the dealer.(For those of you who may not know my "new baby" is my new car….lol…I just have not given her a name yet because we are still "bonding" ) Nothing serious. I guess the break pads are brand new and they have to do a slight adjustment to the underneath part of the car because they are squeaking a bit and making the "brake sensor" flash here and there while I drive.

Needless to say I am sad, not WORRIED, but sad. I will have to drive another dealer car in the interim until my car is done which is not expected to be long. But I feel like I am "cheating on my car" !!!!

Well fortunately I have two diversions to occupy my mind, one of them is a welcome one and one is just something I have to do. My procedure that I have to undergo an operation for is tomorrow so I have to "gear myself up" for that. However my always present and VERY welcome diversion is my Penn Foster business curriculum for my never ending quest for my Associates Degree in Human resources Management. The studying and reading that I plan to do over the next few days will more then occupy my mind and make them time fly by and not only will I be "mentally better" from the studying that I will do that I just KNOW will enrich and invigorate my mind, it will help me pass the time until my baby is all set and ready to be picked up !!!!!!

So did I mention that I have a new car !?!?!?!??!!? I LOVE IT !!!!!! Do you know how good it feels to have something new and on top of that something that you WANT ?!?!?!?

My new car is so CLEAN and STYLISH and FAST !!!!! Okay, okay, okay…I have a confession that I am not proud but at the same time that I do not apologize for. I am a SPEED DEMON !!!! I find it EXHILARATING !!!! Okay I do not drive like 100 miles an hour but I do like to "get where I am going" let us say….

My car DEFINITELY fulfills my "need for speed" !!!! On top of that, which I love as well, I have the auxiliary plug-in port on my control console which I can sync up my MP3 player with to listen to my audio files on my study notes that I tend to listen to at the gym. The system is so much clearer and the car is so much more silent that my listening experience and in turn my STUDYING and LEARNING experience is even THAT MUCH BETTER !!!!

I love now how I can pretty much study for a seemingly good half of my day. I can do my reading, note taking and Dictaphone review and file creation at night, sleep on my material, listen to it at the gym while I do my cardio and calisthenics, take a "break"(if you will ) to get dressed and take care of the kids, then continue with my audio Penn Foster notes for my thirty to forty five minute commute(depending on the day and traffic) to work and then get another "shot of Penn Foster knowledge" on my 45 minute or so commute home !!!!

I AM a learning machine thank to MY new Machine !!!!

So I had a consult with my doctor today for a corrective procedure that I have to have done. I have been assured that everything will be fine and that I am in good health and shape to go forward with everything. I guess from what I understand I will be "laid up" in bed for a few days following the procedure which I am NOT too thrilled about let me tell you !!! Grrr…..

Well in my concerted effort to "practice what I preach" please allow me to make "lemonade out of lemons". The positive, or POSITIVES, that I can take out of this upcoming "life errand" is that I will be in an even better, more desirable position health wise, which will grant me even better peace of mind which will likely allow me to relax a little bit more as my subconscious has been quite preoccupied as of late as relates to this.

However what I can really gleam and beam about as a positive in this matter is that I will have lots of time to get some quality studying done for my Penn Foster classes and maybe, juuuuuust maybe, really knock a good dent out of this stuff so that I can get further ahead of the pace that I have been on thus far !!!!

As the saying goes "Everything Happens For A Reason" and I guess that this scenario is no different in that respect. It is times like this that I am very appreciative and thankful for having a welcome diversion like my Penn Foster schooling to help occupy my mind and pass time both now and AFTER my upcoming "appointment".

Sooooooooo I had a FANTASTIC day today !!!!! I had a wonderful night's sleep and an excellent day at the gym. My morning of "mommy duties" was stress free and uneventful and I got the kids dressed, fed and to daycare on time and my commute to work was drama free.

Over the past week or so I went back in my cursory review and did a financial analysis of my situation following the guidance and suggestions that Penn Foster laid out in my initial schooling books to do an assessment as to where I stand for a big decision I was on the cusp of making. I initially undertook this assessment back when I started down this "school route" and implemented a number of Penn Foster's pointers to tentatively arrive at this date to fulfill a HUGE need I have been stressing about for the better part of the last year.

So after doing my RE-assessment and doing some soul searching via my Penn Foster notes I decided to go forward with my investment. That is right !!! I went and got a new car !!!! AAAAHHHHH !!!!!! I am soooooooooooooooooooo HAPPY !!!!! You do not know how good "peace of mind" is !!!! I can not tell you how stressful and inconvenient all of the car drama and repairs has been on me in my life. Now that I have saved and can afford it I can now rest assured that my car issues, barring something absolutely CRAZY, will be at a minimum for the foreseeable future !!!!!

Yeah for me and thank you Penn Foster !!!!!

Wow !!!!! I went to go see Avatar in 3-D and it was AMAZING !!!!! Now I admittedly do not tend to dabble in those sci-fi-ish futuristic kinds of movies but seemingly everywhere and everyone I turn to is talking about or showing clips from the movie and how it is an "all time classic" (already !!!!! and it has only been out for like a month or so, right ?!?!?!?) and "this generation's Star Wars" and all the "bells and whistles that come with such accolades !!!!

So after all of the hoop-la surrounding the movie I just had to go check it out as my kids were begging me to go see it day after day after day. We went to the 3-D showing and it was AMAZING !!!!

I remember all of the marketing that was done for the movie as I saw ads on every billboard, internet site, commercial, McDonald's box, grocery store and seemingly everywhere in between. All of this while I am in the midst of learning the fundamentals of marketing in my textbook and how successful strategic marketing can greatly increase sales and product movement resulting in a sizable bottom line. Well I certainly see what my Penn Foster textbook is talking about because last time I checked, after only a month Avatar is ALREADY the number TWO highest grossing movie of all time beating out former cornerstones such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park and others !!! Only movie left in its path is Titanic which many for see a distinct possibility in passing as well !!!

And you now what ? I may just help that become a reality because I want to go see it again !!