If I Wanted Your Advice...

...I'd ask for it.

I know people are merely trying to be helpful, but I swear to the Lord up above that the next person who talks to me about how I need to spend more time working out will see me flip out like never before.

Apparently, no one gets it. Paramedic school is tough. It's time consuming. It takes an incredible amount of energy.

Here's a pretty good idea of what a day looks like:

I'm up between 5:30 and 6 am. Classes start at 8 or 8:30 depending on the day. Most of the class, myself included, meets at the school around 7 or 7:30 to study. We have at least one test every morning (usually we have 2, but we've had up to 4 in one morning). After the test(s), we either participate in a lecture or we have a skills lab, it all depends on the day. We're in class until whenever the instructors say we're done. Sometimes it's as early as 4:30 or as late as 7. We generally get out between 5 and 6. Then, we go home and study for several hours for the next days tests. I then make my lunch, then go to bed so that I can do it all over again the next day. This happens 5 days a week. Now, on top of that, we have to complete a certain number of ride a longs. So our Saturdays and/or Sundays now are filled with an 8-12 hour ride. So far, all of my rides have been down in south county (National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Spring Valley... that area). So, on Saturdays I have rides, I wake up around 5am, leave the house around 6am and start my ride a long at 7:30am. They generally end between 5:30 and 7:30, then I drive home.

I try to fit working out in when I can. Honestly, I am so tired after having been studying or learning for 15 hours, that all I want to do is prepare my crap for the next day and then go to bed. I do not want to hit the gym for a 30 minute cardio sesh or go lift for an hour. DO NOT LECTURE ME ON WORKING OUT. Spend a few weeks in my shoes and then I'll lecture you about working out and we'll see how it feels. Don't tell me you've been there before. Don't tell me I just need to "push through". Don't tell me "this too shall pass," either. I've got 7 more months of this and I am doing all I can to stay sane and it's just barely working. There is no light at the end of the tunnel yet. So let me do what I need to do to get through this.\

"Working out helps relieve stress, though."

So does drinking into oblivion, getting high, having sex and beating the crap out of people. The only way for me to constructively relieve stress is to be sure that I'm well prepared enough for the next day.

I have friends and family I don't see, I have laundry and cleaning that don't get done. My car doesn't get washed or cleaned out. I live on caffeine. Sometimes, the only way I stay awake in class is by munching on snacks (carrots, popcorn, chips, gobstoppers, tic tacs, m&ms... anything small and easy to eat).

If I wanted your advice, I'd ask for it.

Picking up the pieces:

Well, the front end of my car is dented and the hood is bent. the brakes are worse than before, too. I dropped it off at the shop today and my insurance company called and told me I'm entitled to a rental car for up to 30 days, so I took them up on that. It's fun driving a nice car, haha. It has keyless entry, working A/C, a CD player, a working radio, volume controls on the steering wheel... It's the bright side in the current situation.

Unfortunately, my brother can't drive the rental car because he's not 21 yet (darn! 5 months shy!), so we're working on getting his car up and running.

Sigh. What a way to spend my only day off!!!!

Long story short:

They found my car. The front right light is smashed and my hood doesn't close all the way (an unfortunate consequence of the thieves ramming into another car) and they took everything that was inside (really? You stole my hot-pink notecard holder that had medic school notecards? And you took my gym bag and only pair of running shoes??) But the car runs the same and no windows are smashed up like in the other car they stole tonight (in which they completely and purposefully trashed).

Big thanks to the apartment complex manager who reported the suspicious activity that was going on behind his complex. Also a huge thanks to the Vista Sheriff's Department. Within 4 hours of being called, they had my car back in my possession. The deputy even came and picked me up (at 1am) and took me to where they found my car, saving me the cost of a cab or thd fees associated with the car being towed and stored. Thanks, guys!!

Now, I realllly need to get to bed. 0530 will come far too soon...

WHAT?!

Yes, it's true: car was stolen! NOOOOOO!!!!

My brother went outside to leave for work and he called me and said "Hey, where did you park your car?"

"In the carport," I said.

"Um, it was either towed or stolen, cause it's not here," he replied.

"Whaaaaaaaat?!" I exclaimed.

It's true, sadly. My poor, poor Honda Accord has been stolen from me. As I type, I'm sitting in my living room waiting for the Sheriff's Deputy to come and take my statement. This really was the last thing I needed. Having my car stolen did not need to be added to 5 days a week of school, multiple tests in a day, fatigue, sickness and stress.

Sigh.

I guess I should study and make use of this time... I was seriously around 5 minutes away from going to bed when the discovery was made... BUMMER!