Up in Smoke

All hopes of going on a vacation went up in smoke today. Yes ladies and gentlemen, we have managed to put another computer out of commission. How you ask? Apparently my husband believes it's the "third world hell hole" of an electricity grid we have here in Canada.

After suffering 6 hours of NO water (from 6pm to midnight), our power went every 10 minutes to 1/2 an hour.....no real reason, just random power outages. Now, despite us having these surge protectors, the electricity flare ups were no match for the CPU.

After spending a ridiculus amount of money, my husband has gone pissing off to bed totally fed up with his new computer parts. And I really don't blame him.

How much more can a couple of people take?

Vacation?

What I wouldn't do for a vacation.....

My husband and I have gone through way too much - at least more than the average newlywed couple should. We've cashed out his remaining RRSPs (didn't even know we could!! and desperate times call for desperate measures) and we've paid off a huge chunk of our bills. It's so NICE to feel like you're making a dent in the bills and that you're starting to make headroom.

Granted a vacation right now would be TOTALLY irresponsible. But hey...a girl can dream. I'd love to go to the Dominican Republic or Mexico....I think I'd want to steer clear of hurricane season though. There have been some loo-loos!

Heck, maybe we'll wait until after the Christmas break. They're always hurting for people to go then and there aren't that many storms we have to worry about in January. Who knows with all this global warming though.

Ah well...I continue to dream!

Assessment Class

Well, I've officially started my first class in my Career Development Practitioner certificate. They've fixed their registration errors and now I'm all set. I must say I'm thoroughly enjoying the class!! I'm starting to get back into the swing of doing schoolwork-I must say it's been some time since I've been to school.

We're learning about how one would go about selecting the appropriate assessment tool for your 'client'. These tools include things like personal tests, aptitude tests, interest inventories, etc. I didn't realize how many tests were out there!

I can really see myself doing this as a career. It seems to fit in with what I need from a career (helping people, assessing their needs, researching) and doing these courses are just a step in that direction.

As if my plate wasn't full enough already, I'm looking at getting some practical experience in the field. The distance education option for this certificate is ideal for me, however there is a big social component to this career choice as well. I need to also learn the social skills, and how one adapts to the needs of the 'clients'.

I could see myself running a business like a career counselor position...but I don't know how much a demand there is for it on a full time basis. I guess that's something else to explore. For now, I'm just delighted that I've found something I really enjoy!

Ok, so....let me get this straight....

Right. I go to your website and find out you have a certificate I'd enjoy doing. FANTASTIC! Then I find out that everything you offer is available online through distance education. EVEN BETTER! Then I find out you charge $300.00 for me to take it. Steep, but I decide to do it anyhow.





THEN you send me how much it'll cost me in books. $114 + tax? ok....
THEN you tell me that I've only REQUESTED to be signed up and we have to process everyone else first....ok
THEN you tell me that "Oh, we just filled the class up, sorry".
THEN! you tell me that the course is being offered in January, so 'sign up early in November" to get it. Right.

Right. So I have until Sept 20th to register...but now it's closed? But don't you mean "I-still-have-time-to-put-in-my-request-then-get-my-hopes-up-and-find-out-how-much-my-books-will-cost-me-before-I-register-to-be-told-that-I'm-not-really-in-your-class?"

I just want to make sure we're on the same wavelength. Wouldn't want to get any misinformation right?

Idealist? Me? Never..........

I don't know about you....but I love to dream. I love to dream about what lies ahead and the possibilities in my life. Things aren't the best right now. They probably won't be for a long while to come...but I know that I'm on the bottom end of a curve and I can only go up now.

I'm feeling a lot better today. Talking to my best friend about what has been happening makes me feel a lot better. I'm not the only person that all this CRAP has happened too....she's in a very similar situation herself. The best thing you can do...is go on.

Because my friends, the world doesn't stop. It won't stop for me, or you, or anyone else for that matter. It goes on. What you do in the 24 hours you have everyday is up to you. What you do during those hours is up to you.

Things will be better soon. I know they can't get any worse. I trust in my intuition, and trust that things will be ok. Although I feel that God should recheck his files...I know that He won't give me anything I can't handle.

I will persevere.
I will find meaningful work.
I will have an awesome marriage.
I will have a beautiful home.
I will have children.
I will have a future.
I can do it all, and I will.

Yeah....I'm stressed out.

So. My life in a nutshell: Stressed. Everything has been stressed....everything. My marriage, our finances, my time, and my energy have been maxed out fully. And, I'm sad to say...that there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight.

Living off of one income with a depressed husband isn't all it's cracked up to be--please don't try this at home.

It's during times like these when you realise how much you can take. Just how much pressure gets put upon you before you realise how much it'll take to break you. How close you get to saying something you're going to regret...and just catch yourself. You know...there's not enough yoga, dog walking or scented candles for moods like this. When you've reached the bottom of the bottom of the barrel.

All I know is that something needs change. Something does. 'Cause like said...I don't know how much more of this I can take.

"You have good day?" Not anymore!

Well. I had quite a day today.

I was asked to do a site inspection for my manager in a rougher area of the large city I work in. The councillor for the area wanted to do some neighbourhood beautification, and asked if our department could help. I grabbed my camera and headed off in the company car to take some photographs of the site.

While I was waiting for the street light to change, a nice little, OLD man crossed the street and approached me. I felt sorry for him as I could see his arthritic joints were giving him a lot of trouble. He barely made it across the street while the lights were green.

"Hello there little lady" he said, in that rather sweet, older man type of way.
"Hello" I replied.
"You have good day?" he said.
"Oh yes, how about you?" I could tell he was lonely.
"Oh good. Good. You have sex with me?" he said.

Huh? Umm. Did I hear that right? While I took about 3 seconds to process what this 80 year old arthritic man just asked me to do....I replied with "No, I don't think that's a very good idea". All I can say is...dumbfounded.

"Oh. Ok. I just come over your house then." he replied.
"Um. No, I don't think that's a good idea either."

What a bizarre and truely surreal experience. Was I just approached for sex by an 80 year old? Not only that, but is that what 'foreplay' is taken for by an 80 year old now a days? I mean...HONESTLY!? Well, I guess at his age, he doesn't have a lot of time to waste.

Man, now I know what kind of neighbourhood beautifcation the councillor wanted. Clean up the area of dirty little men!