The scores are in...

I actually got the scores back last Friday (8/5), but I've not had time to share the results with my blog-family.

When I did get the scores, I sent off an email to my program contact to whom I give progress reports every two weeks. This email was subject lined as:
Midway progress report - Assessment Exam scores.
I think it sums up just about everthing. So, without further ado...

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Hi [Name deleted] :-)
I simply couldn’t wait for the progress report. I feel like I’m bouncing around the room and had to let you know that I just got my scores back from my Assessment Exam:

Objective portion: 90% (9 out of 10 questions... stupid mistake, too - UGH).
Practical portion: 97% (144 out of 149 points) -- [Zero errors on the radiology reports!]

Those dictations were very difficult and I was sweating the score. As of today, I’m also VERY glad that human beings who grade transcriptions can tell the difference between “exact words” and “exact meaning.” I made several word choices that were not exact, but the meaning did not change. You don’t get points off in those cases. Whew!!!

So far the introduction to the editing training is going well. It is a bit cumbersome because we are back into the quizzes and review tests that were so abundant in the objective portion of the training (July through December). It also gets a little frustrating when the answer key changes something not specified in the instructions and you get it wrong because you didn’t... or the opposite, you correct something that is glaringly wrong, but the key implies that they didn’t tell you to fix it. [I think this part of the course may be new enough that they are still working out some of the bugs. I’ve actually submitted a few questions to their support department, and received replies back saying that they would check into them and submit them for repair if appropriate. That should be good news for the students behind me, but it trips me up as I hit them. ] The part that slows me down the most is the fact that, in order to get credit for the quiz scores, you have to change your answers to match theirs... even if your answer is technically correct. It is good practice, though.

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful day & a great weekend!
[signature line removed]
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As of today, I have completed the first module of the editing training: Editing Theory. I will be beginning the next module, Editing Techniques, tomorrow morning.

I do have one fly in the ointment at this time for which I would ask for any stray prayers. My unemployment benefits are done this week. Done-done, there won't be any more.

Although Mr. Squirrel has been enjoying some part-time work, he has been waiting for a call back from a local opportunity that would be a near-perfect fit for a pastor... should there be an opening. I am praying for that opening or for God's hand to show him some other opportunity... SOON. It is very plain that we cannot make ends meet on only one part-time job.

At this point, I will also begin taking odd jobs as they come my way, which will hinder the schooling, but it must be done.

Thanks for listening.
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God bless & Godspeed to one and all :-)

Finally... an update...

Recently, I mentioned I haven't even had time to send an email to friends and family. I no longer feel guilty as I took care of that today.

As you pretty much already know about weather topics and my knitting excursions, I thought I'd share the school highlights with you.
;-)

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The update parts about school:
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Actually, I do have some schooling “landmark” news: As of 2:30 p.m. on 7/29, the Transcription portion of the training program is done. [All 918 reports! Whew!] Because the Assessment Exam instructions given at the end of the section indicated that it should take 3-5 hours to complete, I opted to take the exam on Saturday 7/30. I’m glad I didn’t try to do it on Friday as it took me 6.25 hours (clocked) to complete. Well, that was when I finally gave up trying to fill in some blanks that I simply could not understand, even after stepping away a few times. [It also does not count the breaks taken to clear my head, a very nice walk to get the blood circulating again, and lunch.] Like the other assessment exams, it will be a week before I get the results back.

As it turned out, this was not just a test on the last section of the transcription training as I expected. [I had already had prior assessment exams for both Clinics and Basic Acute Care, so why not expect one for Advanced Acute Care?] This exam was actually a “dry run” for the Final Exam. It was presented in 2 sections. The first section was objective stuff, multiple-choice questions. The second section was straight transcription, grouped into 4 subsections (Clinics/History & Physical, Discharge Summaries, Radiology, and Operation/Procedure) and each subsection had 2 dictations to complete.

[All of them had... shall we call them... challenging... speakers. Not totally unexpected, but they really shoot down my confidence about the resulting grades. So, I’ll keep hoping I did well, but I’ll not be holding my breath. Besides, all through college, I often did better on an exam if I didn’t actually feel very good about it. I know, strange, but it worked out that way.]

I will officially begin the Editing portion of my training on Monday 8/1.
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I guess in many ways this update is a praise. It is also a prayer.

I really want to do well on the assessment exams (even if they don't count in the grade books). They are a window into how I would do on the Final Exam, which is the ONLY grade that counts in this course. I do imagine that there will be another assessment exam at the end of the Editing training, but I really don't know. The way the course is set up, we don't get a 'preview of coming attractions' until you turn the page and find it.

Thanks for listening!
Have a relaxing Sunday, for tomorrow... is a school day!
:-)
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God bless & Godspeed

More puttering...

When it gets hot inside the house (we don't have air conditioning), the brain doesn't concentrate on school very well. Right now, it's about 85-degrees in the house.  Not to worry. It's over 10 degrees warmer than that outside. So, I thought I'd share some additional play-time with you.

Over the weekend, I started digging into boxes to find knitting & crochet patterns and things to encourage my brain to play a little. [Not to mention finally getting everything into one location, and it's still not all done!] In that foray treasure hunt, I found little proto-projects (i.e. sample patterns) that I'd entertained over the years for making toys or gifts. I also found bags with left-over yarns from completed projects.

As the hunt continued, I found a bigger knitting project that I had started back in 2005 during a particulary rough onslaught of funerals that Mr. Squirrel and I endured (which included the passing of both of our fathers... within 33 days of each other). The knitting project was just an extra wide scarf in the most uncomplicated stitch (knit one row, purl one row). No patterns, no nothing. It was a baseline sanity saver; something to let my hands work when my brain was so numb I couldn't think on anything, or a retreat when I simply didn't WANT to think on anything. I actually worked on it for several months and probably got 75% of it completed... then life kicked back into full speed... and I never touched it again.

Fortunately, with my recent re-ignited love of knitting, the little tug-of-war with myself that happened when I rediscovered the unfinished project didn't last long. The battle for finishing it outweighed the memories that it brought to the surface. [Thankfully, enough time has passed that the memories coming to the surface are more fond than they are sad.]

So, Sunday afternoon, it began -- again. Picking up the needles and the yarn, I found that I actually had to go back to the books and relearn how to knit, how to purl, and how to cast off. That much time had passed, and unfortunately, I tend to hold the yarns differently than anyone else I've encountered, so first I had to figure out how "they" do it. Then, I could go from there and rediscover how I used to do it. That hurdle behind me, it all came back with the incredible ease.

The only bad news: After a few hours of working the rows, I found that I really didn't want to finish such a boring (if beautiful) piece (monotonous pattern, monotonous color). At the same time, I also didn't want to start working on a new project when I had a perfectly good one in progress. So, creator's perrogative: I changed the plan.

The original plan: An extra wide scarf, long enough to put pockets at the ends for hands to tuck into at football games.

The new plan: A hooded scarf/cowel.

Although my hands always get cold, and the scarf with pockets might have been the better idea, this was a faster finish. So, here is the final product.

[I'm also quite glad that my first SCA helmet -- the closest thing I have to a human head -- doesn't mind the hot temperatures and makes a reasonable display

The current length allows me to wrap both 'wings' around my neck to meet in the back, like a bulky cowel. I may eventually crochet more rows onto the ends to make it longer (purples and reds would be pretty). However, right now, it may be better for wearing underneath coats, so length may not be necessary. [Not planning to test that until the temperatures drop again!]

Luckily, this blue is in fact darker than the blue in the slippers. I can get by wearing this color better than the other (and the white crochet border helps, too -- added to tame the natural curl of the knitting, an oopsie in the original plan that I hadn't allowed for).

Although I think a warmer color would have been a better choice, I had a huge 1-pound skein of this very soft yarn gifted to me... with the unknown size of the original/final project, it was a no-brainer what color I was going to have to use! 

But for an experiment, it turned out not-too-bad.
 ;-)

Saturday musing...

Why is it that when you finally think you're getting ahead in the game, you suddenly realize that everyone else is about to lap you?

As I sit down in preparation for yet another school day, I am amazed at the passage of time. Things have gotten crazy-busy instead of settling down. 

I just want to ask: "Where is the pause button?"

I haven't even been able to make time to send out update emails to friends and family.  [I am such a snail.]

For those who check this blog, here is a quick snapshot of the chaos:

1.) Happy news: I am less than 20 reports from completing the transcription portion of my training (that will be 918 reports in total). When that is done, I will take the assessment exam for this last section (Advanced Acute Care). After that, I begin the Editing portion of the training.  I am hoping that it will go more quickly and smoothly, but I have underestimated this course at every step so far. So, we'll just have to wait and see what happens when I get there.

2. Happy news: Thanks to the rumor of some pending visitors, the living room has FINALLY been completely set up (...and how many months ago did we start this?). So, even if the guests are unable to cross paths with us, we have a very nice living space again!

3. Happy news: Mr. Squirrel has a job! He's been hired on with a local fellow to do some part-time carpentry work. I have no idea how many hours/week that means (for the start he will be REALLY busy), but he still has to leave some time to mow his mom's property (designated Mondays) and still work on his sermons.  I am praying that it all shakes into a workable schedule, quickly. This current job-project should last for at least a few weeks, and hopefully there will be more work after. [Mr. Squirrel is also researching some work-from-home computer support-type jobs, as well as some additional local work options... maybe God will provide something that would mesh together well for him.]

4. Transitional news (somewhat stressful): With Mr. Squirrel working again, I am faced with taking back some duties that I had thought I'd handed off. I'm just not sure how to juggle it all back together again, but it has to be done.

4. Transitional news (somewhat stressful): My unemployment benefits will be drying up very shortly and we are going through "assistance review" this next week. I'll be making an appointment on Monday to go in to see our caseworker. Hopefully, she can schedule me for a day when Mr. Squirrel can be there. He's better at explaining some things than I am. 

Fortunately, Mr. Squirrel's first paycheck should be available about the same time that my funds end.

God is good in His timing, but these faith-stretching exercises can be killer sometimes!

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God bless & Godspeed