here goes nothing....

The boards are tomorrow and Wednesday; two days, each day has two 4 hour blocks of about 200 questions a piece. Tomorrow at 7:30ish am I'll check in and by 8am I expect that I'll be filling in bubbles with my handy #2 pencil. (note to self: this is not connect the dots.) The school is an hour and a half from here and so I went ahead and booked a hotel room for tonight and tomorrow night. I know I won't sleep very well either night but it'll save me from having to travel before sunrise tomorrow.

I'm leaving the still unfinished striped sweater here because chances are pretty good that I'm going to be too distracted to mattress stitch. I'm disappointed it's not done (it wasn't done the first go round either) but I have lots of sock yarn that will keep my hands busy.

These are two poems that I wrote in June, just before the last time I did this. I think they're fitting for now too. (I went on a four line craze after Cassie's (too much wool) Ode To Wool contest. I kept waiting for the inspiration to hit this time but so far, no luck!)

See you on the other side.......


less than a week til the boards
a big 2 day test
time to prioritize topics
(cleaning's not oneand this apartment's a mess)

there are piles of papers
and notecards and books
my highlighters are drying up
studying's not as easy as it looks!

the practice tests are finished
my scores all over the place
I make plenty of mental notes
and then against time I race

there's OMT, neuro, pulmonology,
cardio, anatomy, physio and bugs,
don't forget biochem and pathology,
histo and repro and life-saving drugs.

food? frozen dinners and chocolate
with cups and cups of strong tea
I buzz through the nights,
only stopping to pee.

my biggest test worry?
my own greatest fear?
that the knowledge I've got
will fall out my ears.

_________________________


all across the United States
t’was the night before day one.
I’m off to bed (with books under my pillow)
my alarm set to be up with the sun.

an old med school roommate of mine
used to eat fish the eve of a test
I’ll eat tuna for breakfast
if it’ll get me more points then the rest.

my #2 pencils are sharp,
I’ve got 3 forms of ID
at the door they might take my thumbprint,
just to make sure that I’m me!

no breaks once the exam begins
so for hours in one spot I’ll sit.
(I’d feel better about the whole thing
if only they’d let me knit!)

some have lucky underwear
or socks they haven’t washed
me? my striped sweater is unfinished,
but in each pocket there’ll be something I swatched.

I knit them while I was cramming,
these last few days and weeks
in hopes what I studied will eeep back out
(this system beats socks that reek!)

thanks for all the previous comments
the good thoughts and wishes you’ve sent
if I could send you each a sheep I would
to me it’s that much (or more!) that they’ve meant.