Spent most of the day completing online quizzes – approximately 450 true/false and essay questions – in preparation for my upcoming Psych exam on Thursday. I still have a similar number of multiple choice quiz questions to tackle tomorrow. I’m feeling a bit more confident going into this next exam since I at least recognize some of the topics an haven’t failed any of my practice tests yet. We’ll see how the real deal goes down in a few days.

I did, however, pay close attention to the answer to the question surrounding the success rates of using nagging as a behavioural modification technique. I’m sure husbands and children everywhere are now quaking in their boots.

Tomorrow morning I have to stop by the office and get my flu shot. I think I’ll bring Drew with me so he can finally meet some of the coworkers I babble on about at home. It’s always good to put name faces to names. Won’t hang around too long though. Will have to return home and get back into studying mode as quickly as possible.

On the off chance that more of the subject materials the class sticks in the noggin.

Have a great night all.

Despite being off work this week so I can study and complete my exams I’m still receiving lists of “emergency” issues to deal with.  I’d tell you how I really feel about the situation but I’m trying to clean up my language these days.

As for today’s exam – I read the textbook and readings, studied all the guides, did the practice quizzes… and spent the 3 hour exam guessing at the answers. I recognized NOTHING on my exam. Ok, so it wasn’t that bad but it certainly felt like it when I was writing it.  This is not a good sign. The essay questions didn’t seem to be based on past papers or the contents of the quizzes and study guide questions. Usually I exit the exams with a certainty that I passed – even if I don’t think I did that well on it.  No such reaction after today’s exam. Here’s hoping I at least squeaked out 50% so I don’t have to retake the Enviro Chem class.

We spent the evening at the pre-deployment briefing for Drew’s tour. From my perspective it felt like a complete waste of time. I know that their services are valuable for some members and families but ours isn’t one of them. I work full time and we have no children. Most, if not all, of the services offer nothing that I can or would ever make use of. Having been through similar briefings in the past, I didn’t learn anything new at this one.

The fact that the briefing was made mandatory – as opposed to optional – made it seem patronizing. I was insulted that I’m not considered to be adult enough, or intelligent enough, to determine whether or not I need to attend a meeting outlining the available services. Too bad they didn’t have a 360 review and didn’t  solicit feedback from those who attended.  I met a few others who also felt the briefing was a waste of their precious time. I think they might have been surprised at any feedback they received. Of course, first they would have to be open to receiving feedback from those they are supposedly serving…

I certainly could have used those two plus hours studying for my next exam.

We seem to be getting a handle on things at work and I think we might survive into the new semester without the mass panic that preceded the last one.

Ummm. Hold on.  I need to go find some wood to knock on.

Much better.

Whatever it brings, tomorrow is my last day at work for a whole week.  Yippee!  I’m taking time off.  Ummm. Never mind the temporary animation and apparent loss of sanity.  I’m taking a week off so I can write my finals for the classes I took this past semester.  They seem to be earlier this year than they were last year. Not that I’m complaining – or, to be honest and factually correct, I’m not complaining as loudly as I normally do – I get an extra week off school before the next semester starts.  Whee! No more pencils or books until early January. Don’t worry.  I’ve stocked up on cool school supplies to meet my crazy addictions needs for the upcoming torture session semester.

Guess it’s a good thing Drew is working all weekend.  I need to study for exams sometime…

Woke up this morning with a terrible case of eye strain headache. I’m convinced it’s entirely due to the bazillion hours I spent attached to my computer this past few days as I was madly attempting to finish my final Enviro Chem paper before exams. There’s no chance I got the eyestrain from reading ebooks on my iPhone.  Nope. None at all.

My brain feels like mush and I have one final assignment due for my Psych class on Monday before I start the mad dash studying that is required to prepare for my final exams.  This entire semester I’ve felt like I’ve had no idea what was going on.  Sure, I’m doing well on my papers and assignments, but that’s pretty easy when you can take lots of notes, continually reference documents, and randomly type away to make sentences form paragraphs.  I find exams much more difficult since I can’t bring anything into the room with me other than my clothes and shiny personality.  They even go so far as to provide the pencils and paper.

No new news from Drew which is probably a good thing.  Last plan I’d heard was that they would be working all weekend long so he’s probably busy “supervising” or whatever it is he does now that he’s been shifted back to a desk job.  Poor guy – spend years in the desk job position only to get promoted, moved to help run a crew, send off on a promotion related course, and thrown right back into the office.  I think he misses playing with tools more than he says. How else can you explain his desire to go build houses with the neighbours on his days off?

As for my eyes, I’m going to go put a nice wet warm cloth over my eyes and hope for the best.

Back in the dungeon working on Enviro Chem papers. At this rate I’ll soon be able to bore my enemies to death with facts and figures. For the moment I am busy reading “The National Defence Sustainable Development Strategy: 4th Iteration – Environmentally Sustainable Defence Activities” and can feel my eyeballs burning. Someone hook up the caffeine IV. I’m going to need it STAT!

On the home front we’re still in hurry up and wait mode.  Just don’t tell me that “no news is good news”.  We’ve been on stand-by for close to a year now and of late the waiting is far harder than the knowing.