The Dynamic Duo

Wednesday
This was, as typical for this first week of school, a very busy day for me. Last night was my first A & P class, or Anatomy and Physiology for you non biology types (of which I have a sneaking suspicion I may be one of). My friend, Erica, had given me her impression of this professor: “He is old and boring and puts you to sleep, but he tells you everything that will be on the tests.” Prof Ports is a slightly built man somewhere in his late 50’s/early 60’s. His voice registers a bit on the high-pitched end, and his shoulders seem perpetually hunched. The young man seated next to me currently teaches some business type classes, but has medical aspirations. Upon request, he lets me examine his book; mine is still shrink-wrapped. The entire class is spent going over the syllabus. When I get home, I take off the plastic and have a look at my own book. It is full of richly colored, intricate drawings of the human body and its systems.
I spend the next several hours reading Chapter 2 of my Cellular Biology book and the chemical properties of several common atoms and molecules; chiefly, good old H2O. Late to bed, but at least class the next day (today) wouldn’t begin til 9:30 A.M.
I have GOT to start leaving the house a little earlier on school days. I was the next to last on to arrive in C.Biology. The lecture is full of molecular diagrams, different types of molecular bonds and the periodic table of elements. My mind struggles to stay above the comprehension line.
Next is yoga class, much a repeat of two days earlier. I get some good stretches and almost fall asleep at the end of class when we lie supine for nearly 5 minutes.
Then, a few errands around town, and home in time to catch a brief cat nap before returning to Elko for Weightwatchers, where I led the meeting this week. Sometimes I feel like a bit of a hypocrite, as I don’t always practice what I preach, but the meeting seems to go well and we have 6 new members. We (employees) all got out of there pretty late, though, because the paperwork part of the meetings is in the process of changing, and not for the better, despite all the rah, rah, go team go, speeches we have been getting from management lately.
Thursday
For once a morning where I didn’t have an appointment or class! I slept late, took the dogs for a walk and made a stew with a rotisserie chicken I had purchased from Walmart the day before, and herbs & veggies I either had on hand or harvested from my garden. I must say, it turned out pretty good. Work at the prison at 12:00, then A & P class in Elko at 5:30. I’m getting better; I was only a trifle late today. This instructor, in many ways, is the antithesis of my Cellular Biology teacher. He passes out a handout and proceeds to pretty much read it, though he adds a practical anecdote from time to time. There is no computer enhancement for this class; strictly old school. In fact, it sounds like he even uses essay questions on his tests and quizzes. At 7:00 pm, half the class troops to the technology building for our first lab. The other half of the class did this lab yesterday. We are told we will be dissecting a fetal pig and viewing Bernice, the cadaver. But first we must watch a video on lab safety. Next we each make a sign with our name and class date on it so the lab assistant can take a digital picture of each of us. This is the method Prof Ports has devised to help him learn our names. Then comes an array of information that I only half follow. Finally, with 1/2 hours left, we can get our pigs, and I carry the metal tray to the sink to collect the one for our group. The pigs have already been cut open by the previous class; all we have to do is identify a few things: fascia, parietal pleura, visceral pleura, pericardium, visceral pericardium, parietal peritoneum, visceral peritoneum, mesentery and omentum. Whew! I’d assumed we would be finding such things as the heart, liver and spleen. There is one large, tattooed guy in the class who was formerly a medic. He knows a lot and is generous helping our group locate these membranes, or serosa. Bernice reeks of formaldehyde. She has definitely seem better days: she is probably on the tail end of her lab-cadaver days. We gather around as our instructor points out various organs and systems. Somehow, I am the last student to leave the room, which means I have to find my way back to Health Sciences parking lot by myself, which I do with only a minimum of wrong turns. UltraDad made it home tonight, but he was already in bed when I got home.
I’m looking forward to only going to work tomorrow and of having an extra day (Labor Day) to try and make sense of everything. And this is only the first week!

UltraMom (May she be excused? Her brain is full!)