The Countdown begins...

Finally moved in, and it's 90 degrees in SF. Wow.
So, things have been moving along. We've been getting letters that include stuff we have to do pretty much weekly. We got logins and dates and deadlines and such.

Let me give some more advice: DO YOUR HEALTH FORM ASAP.
Because I'm stuck.
I had a titer come back negative, which means I didn't have antibodies from one of my immunizations. It's varicella; apparently I never had the chickenpox. Ha.
That requires one injection now, one 4 weeks later. If you don't have your health form in, your account is placed on hold. Kind of a problem. So, future MEPNs, do it!

Every time I feel like I have a break before school, I find that there's a bunch more stuff to do- I just ordered scrubs in the uniform standard of UCSF (not white, thank goodness!), fixed my danskos- which are the most comfortable shoes in the universe. Filled out the MPN for financial aid. Reality set in fast when I did that.
We started a MEPN group on google, so about 15 of the incoming class are talking to each other about financial aid and such. This group has been considerably helpful.

A few other thoughts:
Get a good stethoscope. I have a Littmann. They are expensive, but think about the fact that your steth can last for decades. In that light, $150 is not so much money- and it makes a huge difference. The little cheapy scopes make it difficult to hear heart sounds in a busy environment, and my Littmann has always made getting a difficult BP or heart sound much much easier.
http://www.allheart.com/lit.html
Trust me, it's worth it.

Also, SF Paramedic Association has CPR classes available. My personal opinion is that a Healthcare Provider should have at least Healthcare Provider CPR, not just Adult/Infant/Child.
If you already have you HCP-BLS, you can renew it in 2 hours through SFPA, which was stellar.
BRING YOUR AHA CARD. If you don't, you will be asked to leave and have to pay $15 to reschedule. I watched in horror as this happened to two RNs who had signed up for the class I was in.
http://www.sfparamedics.org/

Now we have about a month before we're fitted for TB masks. Orientation is on June 20th. Classes begin June 23rd.
The only injustice I can see so far is that finals are Sept 2-5, right after Labor Day weekend. This means 1) No Labor Day vacation for us, and 2) probably No Burning Man for me this year.

Some cool realizations:
1) I'm not going to work a full river season this year. I'm already scheduled for 5 Tuolumne trips in the next two weeks, and you know what, I'm actually kind of excited to have a little time off from the river for the first time in 10 years. I get to go to concerts this summer... maybe.
2) I'm living in San Francisco, and Pride Weekend here is going to be a blast. Straight friends, gay friends, bi friends, trans friends are all around, and everyone wants to go. My boyfriend and I are going. It's the first time I get to go while actually *living* in the City. Even if I have homework, I'm going to the parade. Many friends of mine are marching in the parade, and I'm rather open about who I am - I've had girlfriends in the past, and a boyfriend now. I get to march if I want!
3) We have a kickass view of the Golden Gate Bridge, which means we don't have to go anywhere during Fleet Week. We can just sit on our balcony...

Looks like it's going to be a busy month.