Thanks for the memo.

This day has just been awesome. (I exaggerate.)

In all reality, it hasn't been all that bad ... but, I digress ...

For this semester - i.e., the last four weeks - we have only had 'class' on Wednesdays and Fridays. Key point: NOT on Thursdays.

Except, that is, for this Thursday (i.e., today).

And what's the big deal about today? Well, today is the day - after several days of false forecasting and pre-emptive school closings and general unneccessary freaking out by Michiganders - that the 'blizzard' actually hit. So, it was with anticipation that our class thought that just maybe, our 8am-3pm class today would be cancelled due to the inclement weather.

Wrong.

So I layered on the layers, and braved the road's at the break of dawn so I could make it to class in time while having to drive at a speeding pace of 5 mph the entire way (Did I mention I exaggerate?).

On this particular day, we learned how to suction a tracheostomy. AND, we learned the highly anticipated skill of starting an IV. Yessss. But ... no, just as the day we learned injections, we did not get to torture our classmates. Instead, we practiced on some plastic arms complete with blood flow (looked like red kool-aid to me) and accessible veins. I kid you not - the veins were huge. It was like drawing blood out of a pipe with a straw. Key point: Guaranteed success and not exactly a realistic situation.

So, I inserted the IV. No flashback (the key to a successful IV start). Ummmmm, but this is not possible - like I said, it was a drainage pipe for a vein. Luckily, there was indeed something a bit dysfunctional with the plastic arm or else I probably would have been compelled - or forced - to drop out of school right there.

Next up, I was again volunteered against my will (previous posts here and here) along with three additional unsuspecting classmates to complete a patient simulation for the class. Several minutes into the demonstration, in which our patient was unconcious, the instructor told me to hook the patient up to the heart monitor. Simple. Except for the fact that I've never done it before.

"So, we need to hook up the heart monitor?" ... "No. We don't need to hook up the heart monitor, you do."

Let's just say ... it was humorous.

It wasn't long after that when Mr. Message Deliverer came into our lab, whispered secretive-ly to our instructor, who then delivered the following message:

"I have just been informed that the university will close down at 3pm due to the weather."

That.

Is.

Perfect.

Let me remind you that our class was scheduled to end anyway at 3pm. The time at that exact moment? 2:50 pm.

Figures.