...so

I'm here again at these crossroads. Looking for a job and looking about going back to school for some kind of degree. I've been expanding my search to include online schools and degrees. I'll have to do some more researching about the credibility of these online programs like Penn Foster, Kaplan, Capella, etc.

I would like to work with wildlife in some capacity, most specificly wolves. I am thinking about Wildlife Conservation, Animal Ecology and Animal Ethology. I would love to find a Wolf Studies program here in the states.

I'm also trying to get a job in the animal field in some way or another. Which isn't too easy if you don't have any experience already. Its like a double edged sword. In order to apply for a job that calls for experience you have to have the experience, only to get the experience you would have to have the job but can't for lack of experience....Its like impossible!! I'm still trying, hoping not to let that set back get me down.

I'm trying to get back into painting...Sam is overdue for the painting he's been asking for since he first moved into the house last year. I have a few that are laying around unfinished but I'm thinking of starting some anew.

Bite me

I'm not in a bad mood Lobo. I just haven't been motivated to do much writing. I'm trying to devote that to my book...but that hasn't been happening. Though I can report I have written 6 pages today. I'm now 6 pages closer to finishing.

I've been enjoying my week off from the stadium as we transition from the hectic Spring Training into the lazy days of the Florida State League (FSL). I'll be sitting behind that lovely desk once again on Thursday. I'm looking forward to it, getting to work obviously but also getting to know the interns a little better. Hopefully Jim will be back to work as well; he had a heart attack and bypass last month. He was able to make it out to a few games during his recovery and he looked like he was doing well. He said he was hoping to come back but was also looking forward to some traveling as well. But I'm doing a little pre-preparation for work at the desk. I've started compiling my folder with forms as master copies and calendars, as well as a folder on my computer with everything too so I can knock those people flat on their asses when they come to me with questions.

My mom and I participated and completed our 5K Memory Walk hosted in Port St. Lucie on the 26th. It was really a great event and thanks to those who donated to our team especially. I should send out thank yous here shortly. I had a lot of fun doing it and I'm looking forward to another. And not just another walk for Alzheimer, just another walk in general for any cause. I was actually surprised, and I think my mom was too by how much energy I had that morning.

Also, Sam's home makeover is just about complete. I think there are only 3 rooms left to paint. Last week we saw the completion of his kitchen granite countertops and the installation of tile floors throughout the whole house. And he got new living room furniture and entertainment set since the tile guys kinda-sorta messed up on his existing tables and tried to hide it. The good thing though is that they are making granite pieces to go over them, so that should turn out really nice.

I think that sums up just about everything so far. I'll have more to talk about tomorrow and of course Thursday, probably will be done during work.

Until then, sleep well my Lobo.

That makes me a sad panda

(image source: Facebook's Mafia Wars game)
Found this cute little creature while playing Mafia Wars. I mean it stinks that I got the error message when trying to accept an important item but I couldn't resist smiling at his sad little self. I might make him into a panda at some later date.

Any who, this image is kind of summing up my night. First of all I won't have off tomorrow. I agreed to work for Samantha so she doesn't get in anymore trouble at her other job. Not that I had much planned for day off #2 in a row except going to the bank to deposit my paycheck and mail off my tax return. That'll have to wait for Thursday.

Which brings us to the second point, Thursday. I have been hinting and mentioning to Sam about the 17th. We're both off and that I have tickets to attend the St. Patty's game between the Marlins and Cardinals down at the stadium. He said that he wasn't sure because well its so far away and he wasn't sure if he'd have off. Well, we were talking a little yesterday about everything he had gotten done on his one of two days off that week - most important being scheduling Nutmeg for her spay and rabies shots for Thursday. The very same Thursday as the game. I didn't say anything about it yesterday but apparently he realized it today and apologized.

I'm not really mad, just bummed out. I guess because I've been trying to plan it only for the past few weeks. Nutmeg's appointment is at 7:30am and the game isn't until 1:05pm, I mean so maybe it could still happen. He did keep saying on the phone sorry and we'll see. So I guess we'll see. I might still go...even if it is by my lonesome.

If I may...

I want to confess that for reasons unknown I'm terrified of tornadoes. I can remember when I was younger being frightened of thunderstorms and especially lightning. Now that I'm older it doesn't bother me so much anymore. I'm actually fascinated with lightning. My only exception is when the particularly strong storms that occur during the night. I anxious and develop a frustrating sense of paranoia when it comes to the particular "t-word". I used to get terrible night tremors and they felt so real that when I would try and go back to sleep the visions would remain so clear in my head. I couldn't watch anything close to bed time because I feared it would create these hideous visions. I can't watch the Wizard of Oz anymore...not that I ever enjoyed the film to begin with.
Sometimes at night when the weather is bad, as it is tonight, I can't fall asleep because my mind is constantly at work thinking and worrying about it. I'll leave the light on, hugging my Twinkles, (and now wishing I had my Panda near - that's my pet name for Sam) and eventually if I'm able to, fall asleep.

Valentine's Day

Lobo love, I'm getting an early jump on Valentine's Day shopping for my love. It's a month away and I wasn't planning on looking this morning but thanks to an email from Etsy, I contacted the seller just a few minutes ago about personalization on the item. My gift is going to be grand!! He's going to get the 2 small little "gag/funny" gifts and this personalized one. I still have to get working on those paintings too but they're not intended to be given as gifts for a special occasion.

I would love to delve into the incredible find but I never know who my be reading this post. But will definitely do so after the fact. Now I just have to wait to hear back from the seller before going any further with purchase.

watching: Maury
(image: I heart my new tattoo by ~lolly890)

Happy New Years!

Happy New Years everyone! Sam and I tried our best to stay up for the big event but around 10:30 we couldn't make it any longer. We had our early New Year's kiss and zonked out. Yesterday, according to Sam, was our "last night of debauchery" (when it comes to diet and lifestyle). It's true though, we both need to get back in shape, he just finished cutting out the seams to one of his uniform shirts because its too tight with him and his vest.
Weight loss seems to be one of the big resolutions out there this year. On my MSN homepage was an article on 13 Ways to Keep Off Pesky Pounds for Good. I'm looking forward to slimming back down hopefully to my 125 or somewhere around there but also to shape up my arms and tummy at the same time.

The New Year

is looking extremely promising! Sam was discharged from physical therapy early, only seven sessions. And after an agonizing two-something hour wait at the doctors office he was cleared for full duty. Starting Sunday, he goes back to serving up "justice with a side order of spaghetti." I'm so glad he can go to work and not sit around twiddling his thumbs. He'll be back to training for SWAT in no time at all.

Lobo my sweet, I have to admit (as I have to him) that I'm not too fond of him switching over to midnights. Firstly, I will not have him to cuddle with in the night because well, he'll be working. The night shift as he has told me is a little more on the dangerous side. But that's what he loves and I can't exactly stop him. He knows how I feel about it and he has assured me that everything will be fine, which I know is true. At least I know his mom is in the same boat as I am.

Now all we need to do is get him a toy for his patrol vehicle. Speaking of toys, I found a great find for him at Staples the other day. I originally saw them during Black Friday and thought about getting him one but hesitated then. I happened to see them on clearance and decided to grab two as gift ideas. I'm going to be in a bit of a gift crunch with Valentine's, his birthday and our first year anniversary; birthday and anniversary just so happen to be in the same month. Well I have a big gift for his birthday already but I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for other ideas for anything else I can think of.

Well time for bed...maybe something will come to me in my dreams :)

Howls to the New Year

Sweetest Lobo,

2011 is practically right around the corner and I'm hoping for new and grand adventures to happen right off the bat. I'm actually looking forward to bringing in the new year, something I haven't done in the recent years past. Something else I want to make sure I do is stick to a New Year's resolution (something else I haven't followed through on in a few years and it'll be the first resolution I've made in a while). I have 3 resolutions so far:

1. Whip it good!! I want to get back into shape. I'm a 140 lbs and I hate it! We're having another cold winter and only one pair of jeans fit. You can only wear a pair of jeans for so many days in a row. Luckily I won't be alone in this venture. It's actually my boyfriend's resolution to get back in shape starting in January so he can get back into a regular shift at work (he's a police officer and broke his leg on the job two weeks before Thanksgiving and just started physical therapy a few weeks ago. He was lucky he didn't need surgery). He said he was going to wait until the end of December before he started getting back into regular workouts and I said I would do it with him. It probably won't be pleasant since he has the P90-X DVDs. They're brutal! My goal is to get down to my normal 125 lbs and get more definition in my arms and stomach.
2. Meet my deadlines. Another deadline for my fox story has come to pass and the manuscript wasn't ready in time. It's no excuse but I have been busy; when my boyfriend had his leg broke and out on worker's comp, I was there to help him out with much objection. I've also been busy looking for work and rejuvenating my resume, which has been a bitter process. So every time I sit down to work on my manuscript its either late at night and I'm just too tired to think of anything or its the middle of the day, my mom is home and she's pestering me about wasting time on the computer when I should be out looking for a job even though she is one of the main people pressuring me about finishing this story now coming in its seventh year of revisions. Don't get me wrong. I want to finish this story as much as the next person but with all the stress and pressure, its been difficult to find the inspiration. Regardless, it will be done hopefully sooner than later.
3. Get that job! Like I said, I've been looking for work and constantly working on my resume. Technically, I've been regularly unemployed since September. I've had some Per Diem work as a file clerk at the jail and doing some pet sitting, which has grown from one to two clients this past month. Financially, I'm doing okay. I don't have too much of a social life outside my boyfriend which can get a little mediocre but it really helps with the bank account. But I can't support myself like that for much longer. I want to feel like I'm contributing to something even if its only to myself like not having to rely on my parents to pay for my bills and stuff. My boyfriend told me last night that he may be able to get me a job at Publix (yeck!) between the city he lives in and the city he works. Its like 7.5 miles north of his house on city streets (just short of a 20 minute drive, which means I would stay with him on the days I would work) but its almost 30 miles from my parents house so close to a 40-45 minute ride via I-95. I could give it a try but I would really need the wages per hour and schedule to outweigh the price of gas it would take me to get there and back each day. Because I just got the offer to come back to work at the baseball stadium in Jupiter. Its only seasonal work and I was lucky I got to work there the whole season this year (Feb-September). By 95, the stadium is again just short of 30 miles and a 35-40 minute drive. By the end of the season I was making $8 an hour only working upwards of 4 hours a day but I was working everyday and I'm not sure if I would start at $8 or back at the $7.50 when I started. Maybe I could pull off both jobs. I'd only be driving through three different counties but I'd be making money. I'll have to talk to my family and boyfriend about it. They don't know yet that I got asked back to the stadium for the upcoming year. I would probably have to give up my pet sitting though which would suck, but I may have to sacrifice it in the end.

Also, its not a resolution but I have been thinking of writing a letter to my younger brother who is currently serving time in Brevard County. I'm not sure what to expect but I'm not going to let it stress me out for one second.

Well, that's enough for today. I'll check in later but I need to get back to finishing this manuscript and looking for a job as well. Its so wonderful that I can multitask...sometimes anyway.

Drink: Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa mix
Watching: Maury
Outside: Currently sunny and 34 degrees