Mary asked if Front Range made you get your EMT Certificate before you go on to Paramedic training, and the answer is yes, you have to be "basic" EMT certified before entering the Paramedic program. There are two other levels of EMT training however, which I will probably go ahead and do....on my way to..something else. I would just stay at that point and work as a paramedic, but the pay is not up in the numbers I'm looking for. The notices I saw in the job book at Front Range were around 28K for paramedics, but Kaiser had a job posting board for Nursing grads there, and they were starting at 24.50 an hour, plus differential and sign on bonuses. Yes, please!

It's not just the money, although that's a big part of it. If money were no object, I think I would stick with the paramedic certificate, because that holds the most attraction for me..and it's what I've really always wanted to do. But I think physically that would be a lot more demanding, which would be ok for a while, like while I'm waiting to be called up for the nursing program, but not forever. A lot of people have asked me if I wanted to "nurse" anywhere in particular, and truthfully I really have no preference. I like babies, I like old people, cranky people don't get to me much, and ER nursing would be good too. I dunno, maybe my "calling" will hit me in the face during some clinical somewhere along the line.

I've got my schedule all figured out, 10 semester hours for the summer. A bio class and a nursing class at the school, a composition class online, and a math modules class that is self paced, you do it at school at a math lab for an average of 2 hours per week. Fun in a big fat whole wheat bun!

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We went up and got our ID Cards for the APEX Center, and Emma fell in love with the place. We could hardly get her out of the play room, which Mark described as a McDonalds Playplace on steroids. Truly. The swimming pool was magnificent also, with lots of slides and ropes, a big circle pool where water propels you around the circle, lap lanes, tube slides and lots of squirty things. Emma was squealing while we were watching the kids in the pool from up above, at an observation deck type thing. We walked all over the place, and Emma was especially enamored at the ice skating rink, tho no one was skating at the time. We signed her up for her Toddler Tumbling class, which starts 2 weeks from tomorrow. She keeps asking us... "what am I going to do at germ-nastics again?"

Katie really liked it too, and I'd like to get her a yearly pass, so she doesn't have to pay every time she goes. Her comment was "So, how much is it to get in with an ID card..and what if I want to come every day?" All in all, I think this idea was a hit with everyone.

I have a turkey in the oven believe it or not, King Soopers had Butterballs on sale not too long ago and I bought..a few. Hey, I gotta keep my freezer in the garage full! This turkey is just shy of 16 pounds and it was about $3.30. Can't beat that with a stick, you know?

Time for the couch. For just a little bit.