This last year was....different.
Summary...
My son found out that the program he was in at his college was not right for him so he found one that he really wanted to get into...he filled out the papers and did the transfer within THEN the college dropped that program. We scrambled to find something similar at a nearby college then THAT college decided to switch from quarters to semesters and it was a mess. By shear chance, I found a diamond in the rough kinda broadcasting/production school nearby that turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to my son...and is the continuing ed school of choice for my daughter after she graduates from HS this year.
My husband's nephew...who is a few months younger than our son...was contemplating suicide so we offered to let him come live here while he pursued some further training/education so he could have a better life than the alcohol/drug riddled existence of his 2 older brothers. He was just SO excited and appreciative...even though he knew he would have to follow the rules of the house. That lasted about 5 months. There was an additional month that he stayed beyond that...he left to join his brothers in Georgia where he works for many hours, barely makes ends meet BUT they party all the time! woohoo! Whatever floats your boat, buddy.
I got a job as a kindergarten teacher...supposedly. What they really wanted was someone to clean up and organize their kindergarten program for them while basically babysitting a group of kids. I hated the whole thing and lasted about a month...or almost 2. Then I got a job at a convenience store just to have some income to contribute to the household. While working there I was contacted by the local electric utility company about a job I had applied for many months before. 3 interview sessions later and I was offered a job. While a few of the ppl I went through training with are no longer there (2 let go and 2 found other jobs) I am still there. It is not my favorite job...the place makes you feel like you are being watched under a microscope and dealing with some of the customers makes you want to hunt them down and put your foot up their butt...it could be worse and I am hoping to use this job as a springboard to something better.
I also went on a 4 day whirlwind bus tour with my parents and sisters to Shanksville, Pa; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; and NYC. We had security clearance to get a tour of the Pentagon, which was kinda cool and NYC was one of those places that was kinda neat to see but I could never spend much time there. The shear mass of humanity in one place made me very uncomfortable. Believe it or not, I like Philadelphia the best. I learned SO MUCH about our country's history up close and personal and it was all so very fascinating! Shanksville just made me cry.
Bethany really didn't have anything big and noteworthy to write about. She is my rock. She keeps going and keeps her nose clean. She is, however, thrilled with the fact that she was able to lose some weight and is feeling better about herself. Her pescatarian lifestyle works well for her.
Troy lost his job of 12 years and I was worried about him going into a tailspin. The company lost its government division due to Obama cuts in military spending so the company had to reduce in many other places to save itself. Many more jobs lost. We were able to hang on and because of his reputation, training, and knowledge was able to secure another job a few months later. The biggest problem is it means almost and hour and half drive to get there and get home. Depends on traffic. It is wearing on him along with the supervisor above him who doesn't seem to really know what he's doing. But he is negotiating with another company that found HIM and seems to want him to take over their one department. It is outside of the aviation industry, however, and works with lasers and LED displays and equipment. While Troy is quite familiar with this sort of thing, he is an avionics man at the core. Not sure how this is all going to turn out...he may get what he wants and take the job or there may not be an acceptable agreement reached.
For the New Year:
TJ will be embarking on programming an internet radio show...his school has its own radio broadcasting and recording label. They have an opening for a 'dj' for one of their radio show slots and the one that heads the radio division thinks TJ would be a good fit. TJ did a comedy act for the school talent show and got 2nd place.
Bethany will be graduating from HS with a degree in multi-media graphics. She is excellent at what she does but is more interested in music production. That is why she is wanting to go to the school that TJ is going to now. While TJ is going more for the Film/TV production end (the school has its own movie production division also and makes at least one low budget movie a year).
Troy is hoping to have a better job this year...and so am I. Only God's will and time will tell.
