Couch 176: The happy cake couch

Thanks for asking! I'm doing pretty well. Though for some reason I'm having pain radiating from my bladder. Doctors can't figure out why. They've ruled out an UTI. My incision sites don't cause me any pain. The gynecological exam came back normal. So they think it might be an infection in the abdominal cavity or simply my body is not happy with the surgery and catheter. I'm starting to think it's just my body not being happy about being invaded. So that would be good news.

Yay!

Have to not move my hand for a few days due to the cat bite... I can't even move my fingers. Probably not gonna post here anymore until I can use my right hand again.

I hope your hand heals quickly.

One of my friends had some side effects from the catheter after a similar surgery--think she got back to normal after a week or two maybe? So could be that. Or it could be from internal healing--I had some random pain after my c-section.

I hope your hand heals up soon, Chicken

Here's some love to help you through

Here's a get well soon cake since this a cake couch.

If I quit therapy, I'd have so much extra cash. I'd be living the high life. Or the high life for a student. I am thinking this because I am in the university bookstore marveling at the outrageous prices.

hello hope this finds everyone as good as they can be ♥
finally had a good day after a cruddy week. we have season tickets to our local NHL hockey team and had to run to the arena to drop something off to our ticket rep and when we got there he surprised us with a tour of the press box it was really fun!

Good idea! I am slowly working my way through an online video course that's related to my field right now.

The reason I'm considering actual grad school is that I need the degree/license/certification (depending on the route I take, which will probably be the shortest easiest one) to make up for the fact that I've been home with my boys for so long, so I gave up that career development x# years of experience bit. I do like where I am right now, it's a great back-to-work job and I like the people and the environment, but I am feeling pulled to get back into direct service with children and families.

Textbooks are insanely priced. Amazon often has some rental or used options.

I used Chegg.com for some of my books for classes in undergrad and for a few in grad school. The rental option is nice especially for those classes that you have to take but aren't really ones you want to keep for reference. I found that Chegg was the cheapest option sometimes.

That's a good idea. My son was able to rent a couple texts directly from the bookstore at the school he attends. It was an awesome deal, especially since he didn't have to deal with trying to sell them when the term was over.

The price for actual purchase was .

Yeah... my current textbook was $130 and it is loose pages I put in a binder.... didn't even look at the hardcover price haha I am going to take a poetry class cuz I need one more Fine Arts course - that book is only $17 woohoo!

I will check chegg.com for better prices on the expensive ones...

You also can see about checking the texbook out of the library or see if it is on reserve.

Did I tell y'all I don't have as many classes left as I thought to get an AA in psychology? I was wrong when I thought it required 16 credit hrs of foreign language and then also they're letting me 'double dip' some of the requirements, letting the same course count in multiple areas. I know it's kinda silly getting an AA after I already got a BS in 1985 haha but it's just for me anyway... so... yeah I'm doing it.

This is very likely also stuff you’ve absolutely already considered but for what it’s worth, my two cents from spending a looooooong time in grad school — if the program has a pretty good placement process for its students, it may be worth it to take on the loan and pay it back very very slowly. I have friends who went to med school and grad programs with zero funding who got nice jobs and are now okay paying back a tiny amount every month.

If your field offers a PhD and a Masters on the way to the PhD, that’s a solidly reliable way to get funding — most PhD programs would offer full funding with admission and you can possibly get out with a Masters.

I hope things work out for you — your interests sound lovely and nourishing all around.

It wasn't the textbooks I was referring to. I get mine from Amazon and my dad gives me the money for them (although for some reason didn't the first semester in school when everything was $400!). I actually did check the library for one book, but somebody beat me to it.

No, the items I was referring to are things like $70 sweatshirts. I expect I'll graduate with only the free t-shirt I got at orientation to show I went to the school. Well, Wal-Mart might have some $20 t-shirt versions. For some reason, they don't have hoodies. Must check Amazon...

Just popping in after a long absence to say that grading still sucks! Hope all is well with the couchies.

I know what you mean. I'm currently wearing a $40 school tee-shirt with a $50 long sleeved school tee shirt underneath. Every year I buy new tees and sweatshirts and every year I'm amazed at the prices. But I guess the connection to Uni is so strong because I buy them anyway. The thing I didn't buy at the bookstore which I kick myself for is this plush throw blanket that was either $70 or $90 I forget, around the time of graduation, and I didn't buy it because I had to buy the cap and gown and all of that. And I've never seen it since. I kick myself over that one. I should have bought it when I saw it.

Some hugs for you, welcome back automobile (sorry I can't spell the first part of your username)

My fault for not thinking things through, but...ack.

Oh but my favorite thing is this little stuffed animal of the school mascot that is wearing a school tee shirt. It was something my parents got me when I graduated with my BS and I carry it with me everywhere, it's only about 6 inches high. So I stuff him in my bag but I love him!

I’ve only read Oranges and Why Be Happy- I enjoyed both. They’re similar. Oranges are not the only fruit is influenced by her experience and was written when she was in her early twenties. Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal is a memoir written several decades later. I listened to it on audiobook a few summers ago when I was doing a lot of outdoor work— it was quite enjoyable. Jeanette reads it and has a very sweet voice. I like interviews I’ve seen with her online, too. I find her quite likeable.