I love Green

Somebody told me to put clear polish on these chigger bites that are covering my legs and making me absolutely miserable. But all I had was green.

Ugh

I've got a book review due tomorrow and I haven't even finished the book yet! It's not too horrible bad, but it's written like a text book, so it's pretty dry reading. I'm not one of the freaks, I mean people, who enjoy reading text books. It's called "The Way I See It A Personal Look at Autism & Asperger's" by Temple Grandin.
The way I see it, I'm bored already.

Woot Woot!

Ok, please don't fall over on me here, I know it's been a while since I posted. Things get in the way, life keeps on going, and actually, facebook happens.

In the 10 months since I've blogged, there's been a whole lot of changes in my life. Another reason I quit blogging was because it was just too dang depressing. I noticed that I was always sad, and it came through in my posts. I don't want to bring anybody down, so I kinda just gave up. But, I'm feeling like I'm on the up swing, finally, and maybe I will pick this blog back up where I left off.

Mike and I are still apart, he still has his same old girlfriend (pun absolutely intended) and I still miss him like crazy. I am relentless, though. And I have absolutely no doubt that God will keep his promise to me that my marriage will be restored. Romans 4:21 says "Fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised". He was talking about Abraham and the promise that God had made him and how many years it took for the promise to be fulfilled. I sincerely hope it doesn't take that many years for me to get my promise, but I am still holding on to that promise no matter how bleak it looks.

Mike bought Shael a Camaro and to be honest, the thing is a POS. Constantly breaking down, but I really don't worry about it, that is Mike's concern, I don't worry myself about it in the least.

Shael is getting ready to start her senior year at Wyandotte this year. My only baby is growing up so fast. She turned 17 years old last week. Wait...WHAT? How did THAT happen? Yes, 17. She's been through so many boys that I tease her every time she gets a new boyfriend by saying "Are you going to introduce me to your next ex boyfriend?"

She is now working at Long John Silvers in Miami. She doesn't work a whole lot of hours, and sometimes I wonder if it is even worth it because it takes more in gas than she gets paid, but, the experience is what she needs as much as the money. Well, maybe not quite, but almost. She had to deal with a stupid incident of sexual harassment at her work and I was so not pleased with the outcome. I think the guy needed fired, and I still think he needs to go because he isn't complying with the agreement. We'll see how that goes.

The last time I blogged, there was a major upheaval going on at my work. My boss got caught embezzling money from our FEDERAL PROGRAM! Only about $1700 was proved, but I really think she took more over the years that she was here. I think she started stealing the same time she started working here as the CCDF director. I won't mention any names, but her maiden name is synonymous with trouble in Ottawa county.

But since then, I have a new director. The job was offered to me, and I was very very tempted to take it. But, I'm so close to being done with school, I passed it up. It would have required me to quit school, and that ain't about to happen. My new director came from in house. She worked for ICW (Indian Child Welfare) for many years and was ready for a change of pace. I feel bad, because she went from a tight knit circle of ICW people, to the Bitches of CCDF. The CCDF ladies do not stick together, they are catty and if you get blackballed, you can forget about being invited into their clique. I'm black balled, thanks to my former director, and so now my new director is guilty by association. But, we get along, and things are so smooth at work now, I don't mind coming in anymore. I really don't know how I made it for a year in this place with my former director. She made sure I knew she didn't like me. That's ok, because the feeling was mutual, and now look who's still working here and who resigned before she could get fired.

I went 2-1/2 months without a director and was doing both jobs to the best of my ability. In the toughest semester to date. I had no money to eat on, so I was not eating. I had no money to pay my bills, so I wasn't paying them. I was only taking 12 hours, but one class had a 2 hour a week lab and another had 1-1/2 hours a week of field work. So, it was like taking 16-1/2 hours of class, but getting only 12 hours of credit for it. 16-1/2 hours a week of school, 20 hours a week of driving, 24 hours a week of working, church twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday. No money, no food, no sleep, no time. Let's just say I was counting down the days to the end of that semester.

Spring semester came along, I broke down and got a student loan. It made all the difference in the world! I had money to pay my bills, I had money to eat on. My parents are helping me out with gas money. I try to pay them back as much as possible, but it's not as much as I would like. I had to drop a class because it just proved to be too hard. Which really threw a monkey wrench into my plans, because that meant an extra 3 hour class I had to make up. But, a W is better than an F, so I tried not to let it get me down. The class was Environmental Sociology. It was a 4000 level course and I didn't understand ANY of it! I didn't understand the terms, the projects, anything. It was humbling, that's for sure.

Summer brought on 3 classes, which is more than full time for summer semester. One class I had to drive down for 5 days a week for 6 weeks. The other two are online classes. One is actually from NEO and it is proving to be the most difficult because I can't seem to get their on line crap to work. So, far, I'm halfway through the time allotted and haven't done a single assignment. I can't even get my email to open. I think I will end up going to NEO to their computer center and sit down and have someone help me get started and just do it all at once, if I can.

Since I got the new director, I've been able to go to any of the trainings that I want to go to. Last December I went to Dallas, in April I went to Minneapolis one week and the following week to Scottsdale. I'm still kicking around the idea of Vegas next month, but I'm not sure yet. I do get to go to Orlando in November, though.

I took Shael with me to Minneapolis back in April. We got to go to Mall of America and we had a very good time. She wants to go back. Ha! The following week when I went to Scottsdale, I went alone and it was AMAZING! The workshops were great, the weather was beautiful, and I was alone! What a wonderful week. I tried new foods, some of which made me want to throw up, but some were fantastic.

This year for vacation, I'm going to Myrtle Beach with my parents. Shael and I are tagging along and I am going to be driving my own car, which means I can stop and see anything I want. They are going to be driving their own car, with my Aunt Edie, her son Travis, his wife Lori, and their son Brandon. One of the things on my bucket list is to walk a portion of the Appalachian Trail. I am by no means an avid hiker, so I won't be doing the big long hikes, but I am able to hike a few miles. I can hardly wait, it's going to be so exciting! Not to mention the beach time!

This fall semester is my very last semester as I will be graduating in December. I'm enrolled in 19 hours. And some of them are major classes. It's going to be tough, but I can do it. I can do anything! It's definitely going to be a 16 week long marathon. I at least have a trip to Orlando in there to look forward to. And a boss who does a great job. Nothing lasts forever. I got this.

These are my classes:
Public Policy Advocacy (Human Environmental Science)
Communication Research (Communications)
Music Lecture (Music Literature)
Curriculum & Assessment 3-K (Human Environmental Science, formerly Practicum)
Curriculum & Assessment Lab
Administration & Leadership(Human Environmental Science)
Children & Family Services (Social Work)

It does not look to be an easy semester, but it does look to be an interesting one. I am enjoying not having the drive down every day, but I am eager to start so I can get this over with.

Who's with me for a little celebration party in December?