Back to school?

I've spoken recently about my need to find a new career. I was never one for school much, had a hard time transitioning from private school back into public school which ultimately contributed to the demise of my scholastic career in my Junior year of high school. Sigh...

I do regret not finishing high school even though I did get my G.E.D. about 2 months before I would have graduated. Still, that G.E.D. never offers me an invitation to a class reunion :(

Speaking of higher education, I have dabbled around it a few times. I took a Certified Nurses Assistant course at the local community college and worked in that field for a few short years. Later, I took Accounting 101 at a different branch of the local area community college and finished at the top of my class! Of course, my prior on the job experience in the field added to my success.

Thinking about changing or adding to my current career in the Accounting and Payroll field, I'm not sure how I feel about online business administration degrees. I think I need to do a bit more research. Obvious questions keep popping up in my mind. Having no face to face contact with your instructor seems a bit odd. If you have to ask questions, do you just email? Now we are relying on our skills to communicate our needs or questions via written word as well as interpret a response accordingly. Still, when I have ventured out into the job pool at various times over the past few years, a lack of a degree of some kind was a thorn on my resume. I have known several people who have had great success with online classes! Perhaps I should consider and reconsider my options and take a class or two from an accredited online college. I'll keep you updated!

Blog neglect

This blog is suffering from some SERIOUS neglect. I'm surprised the blog-police haven't been around to arrest me yet!

Sometimes, life gets in the way and before you know it, it's been a week since you've done something you normally do everyday! Many things have gone by the wayside the past few weeks, not just my blog. Things around the house like dishes and straightening up...which all comes before the actual cleaning of anything. It's that busy time of year at my main job right now, tax season!

Soon though, things will begin to move back to a normal pace and I may even be looking for a new place to live. So I won't be as concerned with straightening up as I will with boxing things up! :) Hopefully that will mean I am moving on up. I have a few ideas in mind but for now, I am praying about the situation and waiting on the Lord. It's a big decision to move and it hits me about every 5 or so years. So hopefully wherever I end up this next time, I will be able to stay for a while. Then I will need to start considering some new careers because I won't want to keep working 2 jobs just to keep my head above water, like I do now. If I'm working 2 jobs, it will be to get ahead!! So we'll see. In the meantime, I have several blog posts stewing in my mind so stay tuned!!

Light at the end of the tunnel

I think it's been a while since I've played this video I created. Enjoy!

Cheating on my mind...

So, I think my boss is cheating on his wife. No wait, did I say *think*? I'm sorry, I totally meant, I know he is! He brought her into the office on Saturday. UGH, I'm all discouraged and let down and disappointed and aggravated and on and on. I feel very close to my boss and after working with him closely over the past 13 years, I never thought he would be the kind of man who would do this. The saddest part is, he's not even trying to hide it anymore.

And now I'm drinking a Pepsi! See, it's spreading...I'm a loyal Coca Cola drinker! I want to run away and escape...perhaps I'll go in search of some good deals on Toronto hotels for the weekend.

Decline of Intelligenz....

I don't know if you have noticed this in your world...but it seems to me that there is a significant decline of intelligence these days. Now, I won't pretend to be smarter than a fifth grader because let's face it, I have forgotten more than I remember from that era of my life!

I have noticed that, basic rules from spelling and English language skills seem to be harder and harder to see. Texting and Instant Messaging lingo has slipped in and no one seems to care that today's youth uses such bad grammar!! The saddest part is to see adults who *should* know better sliding off that slope with the rest of them. Now it is moving beyond text and IM, here's one tiny example I took straight from a Facebook comment: "HOORAY WHERE BACK ON BUSINESS!" First of all, the saying is "We're back in business." Where is a place and since when is anyone ON business?? Oy vay!!

Chatsling, Netlingo and all the other Text lingos are sometimes hard to interpret as well. For some great online helps, try Teenangels. They offer a variety of helps by teens to parents and teachers for things like cyberbullying, game ratings and much, much more. Did I mention it was free info??

Parents, please have a discussion with your children about these things. Help them with their language and English skills around the house...don't ever give up! Sure itz fun 2 b cre8ive & all dat just try to incorporate some good grammar when you can. Don't rely on the

Ok, now you can go back to researching life insurance quotes or whatever else you do online...

Brand loyalty?

Did you really think I wouldn't notice? Come on...don't even start with me!! Hello, I know you too well! As much as we are together all day long, you have to know I would catch on to your scandalous scheme. I am with you several times a day and with all that handling, trust me...I know you. I know when you are *different* and I do not appreciate your sly moves. I feel cheated!

Dear Quilted Northern,

I have used your bathroom tissue, the 12 pack of double rolls, for the past 10 years. I do not buy any other brands. Ever. Quilted Northern double rolls are exactly what I look for in TP. Absorbent in all the right ways, sturdy yet gentle, never leaves lint and I know exactly how many squares I need for every job that arises. Yes, I have OCD much.

My complaint is that without warning, you have decided to cheat each roll by 1/2" and did not bother to lower the price! How dare you charge the full price and not trade a full sized roll?!? Here, let me demonstrate. I had a roll left from the last pack I purchased. You'll notice the old roll on the left. Exhibit A:

Compare this to the roll on the right purchased last week. Now, I will include a ruler in the shot just to show the actual 1/2" difference. Exhibit B:

Shame on you! I've noticed a trend with companies starting to make smaller packages for the same prices. Candy, toilet paper, what's next? So much for brand loyalty. The brands we are loyal to are NOT loyal to us these days.

Yeah...I noticed. If I were still in school, I would get myself one of those cardboard displays and make a great showcase with percentages and shortages, instead I will blog about your sly dirty secret that is now out of the bag!

Back pain go away, don't come again another day!

Seriously.

My back has been on again / off again (mostly off) since before I went to Branson! I know the unforgiving hotel bed did not help the already brewing situation any...and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been covered under travel medical insurance anyway. It's most likely due to my old, hand me down mattress that I desperately need to replace, but my back is killing me!

This morning I woke up feeling better and stronger and then WHAMMO! Standing over the sink doing dishes and it was good night Betty! Back spasms prompting side muscle spasms that wrap around....making me jerk...which makes my back spaz out more!!! I put ice on both spots today trying to calm it all down. I also took some Motrin but I think I need more.

I have been putting off doing laundry because I just can't imagine carrying loads of heavy laundry down the odd back stairs of my apartment but I just can't put it off anymore. This is one of those times I wish I had a nice strong helpful husband to carry all the laundry down for me! Of course, that would just mean that I would have even more laundry to do!!

Please pray for my back to knock it off and be strong for the next 4 hours. Thanks!

Prayers for...everyone!

Hi all, I'm sure you've noticed by now that I haven't been blogging as much as I would normally like to. It's not like I've been distracted & out searching for the best eye cream for dark circles...but I could cause trust me, I got 'em right now!

No, since my last post about leaving on the road trip down to Branson, there has been alot going on in my world. Saturday night around 2:30 am, the otherwise dark Branson hotel room was illuminated by the light of my cell phone. On the other end was my cousin Lil' Tony who informed me that they airvacked my dad from the country to St. Louis University hospital with blood clots in his legs that had gone to his lungs and that he was doing very good at all.

So once I was home from Branson I spent every night that week at the hospital with him. They were trying to get his blood to a therapeutic level of 'thin' with the various meds so he could go home. He is home now as of last Friday, trying to adjust to new foods and taking new meds. So please keep him in your prayers, pulmonary emboli can be fatal. And I'm not so sure he is ready to meet his maker yet.

Friday also brought yet another trip to the ER for my friend Jen. She has been suffering with abdominal pains of various kinds and degrees for the past 2 years and they never seem to be able to figure out what's actually wrong with her. Needless to say they are extremely frustrated and disheartened. The ER sent her home with pain meds. Again.

Saturday, the pain was THE WORST and she went back to the ER begging them to help her. Ultimately, they sent her home with more pain meds. Again.

Sunday morning she collapsed at home and after arriving by ambulance to the hospital and running some tests, they discovered that things were all twisted up inside and dieing. Emergency surgery was a must and they hoped they would have enough in there that she could survive. That was a tough phone call to get, let me tell ya. I don't want to imagine the pain in her husband's heart and her family too. She came through that surgery ok and had another one on Monday to fix some more and seems to be recovering at a rate they are happy with. I will keep you updated a bit when I can.

Thursday my mom is going to have hernia surgery. Same hospital as Jen...how convenient, thanks guys! I'll keep you informed on her progress. When she gets out of the hospital she will stay with her friend Shirley again like she did the last time since we live on the second floor and I have to be at work during the day. Shirley has 2 steps into her house and is retired and can cook for her and everything! What a blessing to have wonderful helpful people in your life when things get tough. I need to take a lesson, I've been neglectful in that area and it's more than time for me to step up.

So please keep all these people in your prayers, I'll keep you updated as things go along.

Road trip! Branson here we come!

Pack your bags and make sure the motorhome insurance is all paid up, we're going on a road trip to Branson, Missouri!

Mom and I are going to spend the next 3 days visiting Branson. Man, I can't even remember how long it has been since I've been there with my mom! I believe I was a child asking her for spending money...of course some things never grow old LOL

The plans are to do a little shopping and a whole lot of looking. I hear this will be a busy weekend in Branson but it'll be nice because it should be decorated all up for the holidays with lights and bows and all the trimmings!! I'll share some pictures when I get home :) Pray for safe travels, there should be a lot of people on the roads this weekend. We will come home on Sunday. Have a great weekend!!

Black Friday shopping plans

Well, now that Thanksgiving dinner has been served, it's time to break out those black Friday adds and plan out your shopping trips!

Please, for the love of Pete...people, leave your anger and your aggression at home when you roll out of bed at 2:30 a.m. to get the best deal on UGG Bailey Button boots and crock pots to mark off those shopping lists. We do not need a repeat of last year's black Friday fatality. It's just not worth all that! Be safe everyone, if you feel cranky when your alarm goes off, just turn it off, roll over and go back to sleep.