Integrit-izzle

So today was a hard day. I stayed up late working on my clinical write-up and it was really frustrating and I don’t know if I even did that well on it. Then I had to wake up early this morning because it is my long day of classes on campus. By the time I got ready and got my paper all printed and ready, I left a little later than I normally do, and so I had to basically run up to campus and from where I live it normally takes me at least 10 minutes or 15 to get to this class, but today I made it in 7 because I was really cruising.
And I am almost always (like 99% of the time) on time for class anyway, but I know I always have to be on time to this class in particular because they have quizzes about every other time and you don’t get to take it unless you are there right on time and they won’t give you the powerpoint handouts (the notes) for the class either unless you are on time.
So I was feeling pretty good when I ran in with a whole minute to spare. Aubrey was saving me a seat and I slid into it and sure enough, we were having a quiz. Now usually, these quizzes are basically just attendance-based and so as long as you are there and take it, it doesn’t matter how many points you actually get, they just give you 100%, but not today. And because I was Indianapolis last week, I didn’t read and I haven’t gotten caught up yet and so I still haven’t read the material for last week (which is what the quiz was on) plus I hadn’t reviewed over my notes or anything since class a week ago, and blah blah blah.
Anyway, the point is when I looked at the questions I knew I was in trouble. There were 5 and I only really knew 2. And that is exactly how many I got right. 2. 2 out of 5. 4 out of 10 points. Which 6 points no big deal, but that is how many points I missed on my first EXAM and now I just missed that many points again within a matter of seconds over a stupid little quiz. And I didn’t do so well on my second exam in that class and so I could have really used the points. And this is my ICU class and there just really aren’t a lot of points that you can miss. Also I was bummed because I almost put the right answer on 2 of them but I second-guessed myself.
I tell this story because I was pretty disappointed, in fact I almost cried (I think that was just because I am just SO tired though and it was frustrating) but also because it could have turned out another way.

When I didn’t know the answers, I was really tempted to look down on either side of me at Taniel’s or Aubrey’s papers. They are both smart girls, and although they were kind of whining that they didn’t really know either, I was pretty sure they knew better than me on this one. But I didn’t look. I thought, “you know, this is a really BIG deal right now, but in the grand scheme of things, it definitely is not worth cheating for.”

I don’t write about this to pat myself on the back, because honestly I am appalled that I even really considered looking at either of their papers, but because after the class I was feeling REALLY discouraged about getting a 4, and Aubrey and I went over to the auditorium in the basement of the Art Museum to watch the devotional like we normally do.
Elder Jon Huntsman spoke. I think the main focus of his talk was about how God didn’t set us up to fail in this life which I totally believe, but he started his talk out by saying “Without integrity nothing else matters and with integrity nothing else matters.” and then he said it at least 2 more times throughout his talk. And I instantly was SO grateful that I had made the right decision that morning to miss a few little stupid points but keep my integrity because I know that really is what matters. If I hadn’t I cannot even imagine how I would have felt when I heard him say that. I probably would have wanted to crawl under my chair and bury my head into the sick nasty floor and hide.
I hope you won’t think less of me that I even considered cheating (because I know probably most of you never would have) but I don’t really care, because I didn’t do it, and boy am I so grateful and I think or at least hope that it won’t ever be such a strong temptation again, because I already know what I am going to do (or not do) now.

cheating has apparently gotten a little more high-tech these days?!

Horrific but Hillarious

Check this out!!
All I can say is "OH MY GOSH!!"
Incredible.

Halloween in Indy

Yep, three posts in one day. It's Sunday so I'm not doing homework, and I am in Indianapolis so there aren't any sick or afflicted people I know around that I should be visiting.

So last night was Halloween. Possibly one of the most uneventful Halloween nights of my entire life, EXCEPT for the fact that on our way home from eating at the famous Irish Pub (notice I said EATING, not drinking; and we were with our 2 BYU PROFESSORS) across the street from our hotel, we passed a bar that had a security guard standing outside dressed in probably the most UN-PC Halloween costume I have ever seen!

He was dressed up all in Middle-Eastern attire, turban and all, and then had like 20 sticks of DYNAMITE strapped to his stomach!

I am not saying that I am the most PC person ever, and am actually probably far from being such. However, even I was somewhat appalled or at least found his little get-up quite jaw-dropping. I wonder what Mr. Obama would say. Tsk. Tsk.

You Might be a Recluse if. . .

. . . you don't mind eating in a sit-down restaurant all by yourself.

Two posts in one day!! No I am not bored, but I wanted to share another experience with you from my trip. So tonight Christie Sue was out at her brother's house and my professors had something else which left little not-so-old me "home" alone with no one to go to dinner with. I think some people might have just ordered take-out or room service, or waited until 9:30 pm when Christie Sue got back and had already eaten dinner but asked her to go anyway, not me.

Finding myself in this situation, I thought, I can sit here and be hungry or I can treat myself to a night out on the town. Okay so I didn't quite treat myself to a "night out on the town" because being in a somewhat of a strange city and it being dark, I didn't really dare venture out farther than across the street, which put me at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Said restaurant is not exactly my FAVORITE restaurant by any means, but it did the job nicely.

The hostess sat me at this cute little table with luxurious tall wing-backed comfy chairs. My waitress was very kind and gave prompt service, and I have to say that I overall, I quite enjoyed myself. At first I was kicking myself for not bringing my planner or something to keep me busy, but I now am glad that I didn't.

I am not saying that I would rather go out to dinner by myself every time instead of with friends. I much prefer the dinner with good friends option. I am simply wanting to say, that instead of being a TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD experience, it was actually quite liberating and refreshing. I think I quite enjoy my own company.

That is all.

Windy Indy

Here I am reporting in from Indianapolis. Who knew it would take getting out of Provo to get me to start writing on here again. "Why Indianapolis?" you ask? Well you see there is some big biennial Sigma Theta Tau International (an international honor society) conference that I got chosen to go to. And lest you start thinking that I am super cool, the only reason I really got chosen is because my name was drawn out of a hat of like 5 eligible people, so don't go off thinking I am too wonderful. :)
Anyway, I came here along with one other student who I went to Ecuador with and two of our professors. We presented a research project that was conducted about using student nurses in global health efforts (Ecuador). It was pretty cool because we are like two of probably 15 students at this conference of probably more than 500 people and then we actually presented. There were probably only 30 people that attended our presentation, but when I started our presentation by introducing us as students, you could just hear the awe pass over the room. It was pretty cool.
We probably weren't the most professional presentation in the conference, but I can say that at least out of the group of the three presentations that we presented with we were probably the most fun and interesting to listen too. Not to pat myself on the back or anything. . . :) It just seemed like everyone else was so caught up in using sophisticated terms and everything that you just kind of got lost in the details, instead of leaving with a good overall picture of what they were saying. One cute lady in the front of the room even gave us a little standing ovation. It was so adorable.
The whole experience has been interesting, and it makes me want to always continue learning, but I also have realized how much I like being on the practical side of things. So many of the nurses here have not actually worked as a nurse on the floors of the hospitals in YEARS, they are all professors or nurse educators, etc. which are very important, I just don't know if I ever want to be on that side of things. I think much prefer the patient interaction.
Today we watched our chapter get its first key award. Don't ask me what that means exactly, but apparently it is kind of a big deal. Then we went to the Spanish branch. It was so fun. We got there a little late because we got a little lost, well not actually lost, but it took us longer than it should have because we had to drive around the football (Colts vs. 49ers) traffic to get there. Anyway, we walked in with a little family that even as they were hopping out of their car I thought to myself, "I bet they are investigators or new members" because they just seemed a little nervous. We walked in with them, and showed them to the chapel where an elder came out to meet them.
Luckily we sat just a few rows behind them and it was just so fun because it so took me back to mission days as I watched them try to figure out how to follow along and sing the hymns. I wanted to tap the elder and tell him that they needed help, but I couldn't reach him nor them. She figured it out though by the last verse of the closing hymn. Anyway it took me back. Also the fact that it was fast and testimony meeting and I remember always praying as a missionary that none of the members would say anything too weird. :)
After church, Christie Sue (the other student), took off to see her brother who lives pretty nearby, and the rest of us went back to the conference. I only went to one more set of breakout sessions and then Sheri and I, took off back towards the hotel but ended up just walking around the historical center of the city. It is so pretty. I guess I just never really thought of Indianapolis as a place with a lot of history but we saw the Civil War monument and then even went inside the World War II history museum (which really had stuff from nearly every war that the U.S. has been involved in, not just World War II) and that was pretty neat because with everyone being at the Colts game, we were the ONLY ones in the museum.
Then we headed home and here I am now. Anyway, I was pretty bummed about missing Halloween with all of the friends peeps, but it has been a pretty fun weekend and I have appreciated having Christie Sue here with me who keeps reminding me that we are on "VACATION" every time I get stressed about not going to all of the conference or about taking a nap or relaxing.
Overall, my first time to Indianapolis has turned out to be a real treat. I still think I would rather end up in Boston than here, but it is a lot prettier and has more history than I would have thought.
I will try to post a few pics of the trip when I get home.

PS If you ever want to feel REALLY PRETTY just walk around downtown Indianapolis after the football game got out and all of the drunken fans are heading home. FUN!