#I'mASurvivor

I put a potato in the oven for dinner two hours ago. I just now realized that the oven wasn't on. Can we just blame it on finals brain?

I am one paper away from officially closing the books on Spring Term 2014! To say this has been an intense semester is a gross understatement. I knew working full time and taking classes would be difficult, what I didn't foresee, was becoming an area coordinator for the Gui.de Dog Fo.undation (responsibilities include: running bi-monthly meetings, coming up with times, places and content for said meetings, reviewing tri-monthly evaluations, and dealing with issues as they arose.), taking in another puppy (i'm officially insane. I knew two puppies is a lot, but he was cuuute ... see?)

Insert lots of stressful life decisions/ work drama and you have my life this spring.

Study Sesh @ Panera 

Despite all of that, I really enjoyed being a college student again, I felt since my classes were more relevant to the work I do on a day-to-day basis, and I got more out of them than the two other majors I 'tried out'. Right now I'm majoring in Business Administration, because after working at six different places with different levels of monument dedication.. (shall we say) I'm ready for my turn to make a difference in the work force ... I think.

Right now I'm hunting for an administrative assistant position, as I feel I have all the skills nessecary for that postion, and would be good at it. Now if only I would get my nerve up to actually apply for these positions in a timely manner, instead of procrastinating until they've been taking down.

Ah well. It probably wasn't the job for me anyway.

Now that I can taste the end of the semester, I'm extremely excited to get some goals accomplished this summer. I've learned a lot over the past few months, and I want to go into next semester prepared. So

Plans and Things for Summer 2014

1. Establish Credit 
• I have FINALLY found someone who will lend me money and not ask for an arm, a leg and $700. I almost signed up for it this week, but decided to wait until I actually had the deposit amount (and some cushion) before jumping in. Also, I found that I do better thinking things through, rather than making snap decisions. (see also: 2013) 
• Accomplishing this goal: The thing about me, is that my money and I are soon parted, so in order for me to get a credit card I have to have a specific goal in mind for it, or I'll wind up blowing it. I've run through several different options. I could Pay a huge chunk of my vet bill, but that would use all the credit at one time, and I'd have a monthly bill forever and ever amen. I could pay off my remaining school debt. But I'd be in the same boat as with my vet bill. Right now neither of those bills are incurring interest, and are best paid off in big chunks. However, I do need to replace one tire on my car and I need more window a/c units. Both of these are small purchases and I could pay cash for them, therefore it makes sense to purchase it on the card, and immediately pay it off. Credit begins to get established and I'm ... well establishing credit. 
2. Internet! 
• This one is pretty self-explanatory. I'm so tired of having to stay propped up by a window in order to steal my neighbors internet. (Don't worry, they know I'm doing it, so it's all kosher) 
• How I will accomplish this goal: Pay off school, then celebrate by calling Co.mcast to come out and set me up. The end. 
3. Apply for Four Year Schoool 
• So one of the roadblocks I ran into this semester was the fact that I've taken way too many credit hours for a associates degree. You would think that I should be congratulated on that fact, but noooo they slapped my hand, and took away all my financial aid. "Too many credit hours attempted at a two year institution. Now I'm stuck trying to find a four year school, offering the same program that my community college is offering. UT is an option of course, but they are expensive. 
• How I will accomplish this goal: Start reseraching schools, and applying 
4. Apply for a job as an Admin Assist
• It's time to move on from my current position. Just a matter of finding another place. 
• Goal Strategy: Start applying. 
5. Home Improvement 
• Really want add some plants/ landscaping to the outside, finish kitchen decor, figure out my bedroom ... can we say ka-ching, ka-ching
6. Establish a workable Morning Routine/ Weekly PLanning Routine 
• The organizer in me loves routines, (We'll call her Tina) she loves the idea of routines, she loves creating routines, for her the monotony/autonomy of routines is absolutely delightful.. Because it means things are getting done. However, the lazy girl (we'll call her Erin) likes the idea of routines, but dislikes enacting them. She likes to blame her inability to accomplish things on the fact that she is gone 12 hours a day, has six animals to take care of, and really can do nothing more than sit on her behind after a long day. Erin and Tina have some kinks to work out in this relationship. This is the summer its.going.to.happen.
• Maybe. 
• Goal Strategy:
7. No. More. Puppies 
1. Just. Say. No 

What are your plans for this summer? 

Latest Obsession

Via

I don't claim to have a green thumb, in fact, if you ask any of the plants that lived in my house of the last year, my thumb is pretty black. What can I say, plants would be so much eaiser to take care of if they were more demanding of me, that doesn't stop me from wanting more!

Besides, whats a easier way to decorate than with plants? Lots of green plants to hide the ugliness of my porch for instance...For me, plants help the outside of a house seem more inviting. There is something about a place without any plants that just seems...I don't know, cold...but that's just me. Sure my house is surrounded by trees, but ....no es lo mismo...

Knowing me, I've probably started too late in the season to actually have a nice looking "garden" but one can always hope right? I'd really like something with a lot of greenery that will stay year-round, and won't attract a lot of bees to the door I go in and of most. On the other side of my house, I'd probably do more flowering pots to hang off the side of the porch for instances.

We've already got a lot of wasps around that area anyway, what's a few more?

Lowes.com

Did I mention, I stepped on a bee Sunday? That was my first time being stung, and GOOD NEWS! I'm not allergic to their stingers!! However, who ever mentioned using Bread + Milk to get the stinger out..? THANK YOU!!

But I digress.

I'd really like to find some cool things to stick plants in. Chairs for instance or cooking pots ...or furniture...

This is probably one of those "good ideas' but never gets done things. I should add it too my 101 list that I'm currently revising....hehe.

When I mentioned this idea to my friend, she laughed. Hard. We'll just ignore her for now ok?

A Series of Adjustments

I have this bad habit of starting a post and never finishing them, so in an attempt to go ahead and post them here are some I started last week. Let's hope I can remember WHY I started those posts! :) 


- Monday October 11, 2010 


Life is a series of adjustments.
And most of the time I hate having to adjust.
Its the before God, Honest, Truth.
I don't like big changes.
Hence why it took me two years to move to TN.
I couldn't comprehend laying aside all my plans and diving off a cliff into the unknown.
God had to straighten me out on that one.
However I have found that I'm sort of a control freak.
I hate it when things don't the way I've carefully planned them to go.
As in go into slight panic attack, shortness of breath, tightening of chest sort of "hate". 


After the first six months of this year, I'd thought I'd gotten past this stage. If you haven't notice, this has been a, less than ideal year for me, I hate complaining or even mentioning anything about it, because I know there are those going through MUCH WORSE then being broke. At least I have a job to keep the money coming in (as it goes out the back door).  But that doesn't mean its any less serious. 


Without any money that meant a LOT of what I had planned for this year, in regards to trips, and just life things such as school etc.. had to go by the wayside. I had to change a LOT of what I had in mind for this year. 


So one would think I'd be used to it by now. 


I'm not. 


So I had this plan, Pompei (the yellow lab/golden pup I'm training to be a future guide dog aka seeing eye dog) was to stay with me for about a year. I raise and train him during that time, and then send him back to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, so he can continue his journey to becoming someone's eyes. I found out around May that my group leader was housing a German Shepherd that was to be used as a Breeder for a new line of dogs that GDF was going to work with. I asked our representative if I could raise one of the puppies and was given the affirmative. So I began planning my life towards getting a fifth guide dog puppy around late November, and sending Pompei back around that time as well. 


Now this may seem like a little thing to those who are not puppy raisers. Its just a dog.  Um..No. When I say I'm a volunteer I mean I pretty much center my life around this pup for the year its with me. When they are puppies we can only leave them alone for a certain amount of time, so I have to arrange for someone to check in or watch said puppy if I can't do it. Since my job doesn't allow me to have the pups at work with me, I having to make my schedule so I can have time to go home, pick up the puppy and proceed on to school. 


So 75% of my life is spent wearing my puppy raiser hat. And I love it. My plan was to go ahead bring puppy number 5 into my home and after that take a break for a couple of months, just to have a little down time. 


That was MY plans. 


So when I heard that we welcomed 9 more future guide dog puppies into the world  on 10/10/10. I was estactic! Not only would I get to follow my newest baby before he/she got here but I was FINALLY raising something without "retriever" in its name. 

All those plans were shattered today. Yes shattered may be a bit dramatic...but I had the last couple months of this year set to go in a certain vein, I had my trips and school planned around it. I had my mind getting prepared for it, and within five minutes of sending an email those plans were tip off the self they were sitting precariously on. 


Apparently my name was never written down on the list for one of these special pups, thus knocking me out of the running for one. 


I'd forgotten the puppy raiser motto to "write it in pencil" and had most satisfactorily written that down in ink. 


::Saturday October 16, 2010:: 


Now that I've had time to work through my feelings, move on, face bigger more important "problems" such as my $193.50 charge for those registration tickets, and having the money for that....I've come to realize this is a little deeper then just not getting a GSD pup. Its more about loosing Pompei.


Pompei is special. This is another one of those "you've got to be a PR to know what i'm talking about moments" but I'll try to explain. 

With the high volume of dogs going through my home, you don't BOND  with every dog. There are some dogs you just live with. Out of 12 trainee's only four would I have kept as a long term pet..had I been given the option. The fourth of that group being Pompei. 

I think I was hoping by getting a GSD that it wouldn't feel like I was replacing Pompei's presence in my house. This next puppy has some high standards to live up to, and I guess I didn't want just ANY puppy that was available. I can understand a little better why people don't get new dogs soon after their previous one passes. 


Now that I've had time to work through my emotions and adjust my thinking, I'll most likely wait and see what I feel closer to Pompei's IFT. I've never been through a semester dog-less.  I've never been without a service dog pup for more than a month in the last five years.


I don't know if could take a break now, even if I wanted to. 


We.Shall.See. 


Though I've heard rumors that Midnight (first picture) is supposed to go into heat sometime soon....thinking about waiting for one of her pups...  

Until another thought strikes me,