Welcome! This blog is Retired. However, you may still enjoy some of the finer pages of vintage online ramblings out there! Inspired by the certainty of my headaches, "The Headache Diaries" may include my headache log, people, places, and things that I don't like, as well as people, places, and things that I do like. Blog officially retired 02.14.2021
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So of course I didn't do half the things I wanted to do yesterday! I was stuck on the phone for hours settling things. One of which was trying to get UA to find and or read the letter from KCC and see if they will take it. I called KCC again, and talked to the toad bitch who always has an attitude. Anyways, she faxed over the letter, after wrangling with her stupidity, and apparently UA finally has a copy. Now where the original went, I don't know. So now all they have to do is read it and confirm its validity. Of course, the secretary said they would call me back, but I wasn't banking on it. (They didn't) So I will call next week to see what is up.
I am getting quite tired of this, if you must know. Some days I want to pursue this and other days I think it will be KCC all over again. Especially if I do go the CC route. Which seems most likely. I did get confirmation from Gateway that the current KCC letter is acceptable, so I may run with that. On the days that I am just sick of this, such as today, I just want to go and get a warehousing job and get into logistics. Of course, there is the ever present, "I wish I had all the money for flight school" wish that is THE most difficult part of everything. That was my only dream. I don't have other dreams. Not much matters. I like to drive machines. Plain and simple. Of course, the machines I really want to control cost a very pretty penny, of which I do not have.
TJ has a few years left until retirement. I don't think he is going to retire though. I think that if he doesn't find another job, he will just drop down to part-time and finally go to college. Which is what I strongly suggest. However, in order for him to do that, I need to have a job that pays at least his salary. And since no one pays that kind of money to those without schooling anymore, I need a degree in something "specific" in a field that pays that much. But what that is, I don't know! The "easiest" route seems to be nursing. And that may be only because I have these prerequisites from before. Let's say I was to start over with no credits in any of this, would I choose nursing? Not sure! I only found out about it from reading some book where the author became a nurse and was able to support her family with the salary. I would also like to have a government job. Of course, it would be great to be in the FAA, but I think the VA may be a close second. And to get into the VA, you need something medical related. Many dilemmas with no answers!
Sometimes, I think that the program at UA is a bad idea. I think it will be KCC Part II and I will hate it. I easily hate many things, I have learned. Sometimes, like today I think it is better to go the CC route and let the hospital pay for it. That way if I hate it, I didn't invest too much money into it. However, I would be investing more time. And thus adds more dilemmas. Sometimes I think that the UA program will be too much, and I won't be able to focus because I have too much stuff that I hate to focus on. Especially for a masters; there will be a lot of busy work bullshit. And of course, I will have a child. I won't have time to see it really. Then what? Then sometimes I think I should just go and do the LPN only and then see if I like it, then go on. But that has its issues as well.
At this point in time, I am full of issues!
I guess an important step is figuring out what TJ wants me to do as well. I know he wants me to go to flight school. Yeah so do I! But I said that "I have to conform first, then I can make money to pay for it." This is the truth. I know he doesn't really care if I work or not, but I do. I'm not really looking at work like "I need a career that says I'm special" I just need something that is steady and I can make a decent wage. Fedex was a cool job, but I wouldn't make enough doing that even full time. If I want to stay in "logistics" I would definitely have to get an MBA or something like that. I can't rely on "moving up the ranks" to make money. So that is why I am reluctant in that field as well. I just don't know what to do at this point in time. Especially since I'm pregnant, I can't just do WHATEVER I want to. I have to think about what I am doing. If I take the CC route, I can spend more time with the child, especially since I'd have to wait to get in out here in Arizona. The problem is that I am "old" and don't have infinite time left. Or so I am looking at it like that. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, none of this matters. I will die eventually. But I must remain motivated to do something. Otherwise, I will end up a "Dishwasher for Lyfe!!"
Ugh, enough ranting, I need to slice some pickles.
Anyway, I am on week 24, or month six now, and I thought I was starting my third trimester but I have to wait another month. Duh! Well, yesterday I was very uncomfortable as the fetus was constantly kicking me and shifting all over the place. Today it seems less active thankfully. I don't think it likes to eat too much bread, as I ate a bagel and two Red Baron pizzas yesterday. Obviously not the best diet, but it's better than nothing because I did not want to eat much yesterday. Some days I am hungry and other days I am "meh." This pregnancy has been pretty uneventful so far. I guess that is why I am not saying much about it. I get distended here and there and some days I feel "uncomfortable" or "not into it." Most of the time I am okay and have nothing to talk about. When people ask me about it, I really don't have anything to say! They probably think I am weird or don't want the baby, but I just really have nothing to report. I think I am lucky in that aspect, so I am glad I have nothing to say!
So I started my new job on Monday, and it's safe to say it is boring. However, it's boring in a good way. I at least have a chance to sit, and I don't have to manipulate heavy or irregular objects with my fingertips. We actually get an HOUR break (what??) and that is REALLY helpful. Everyone there seems keen on taking the stairs, but the job includes walking around so much that I would rather just take the elevators going up and stairs down. The job is very similar to a CNA, just no butt wiping. I don't wear scrubs, just the bottoms if I please, and a collared shirt. That's nice cuz then I can wear something nice since I hate scrub tops. I like scrub pants, but the tops are just hideous. The job involves us helping out therapists, so I'm not involved in nursing in any way. I was thinking about looking into occupational therapist for a master's degree, so this job should help me see if that is something I can do. I don't have access to the computer system yet, which is kind of critical to the job thus far. I will ask for extra days next week, assuming I get the password by the end of this week. If I don't get a password soon, I won't be able to be on my own because I can't enter anything in as needed. Well, we shall see how that works out.
Lately I have been thinking hard about what to do with my future. I got some information back from Gateway Community College about their nursing program. I sent them a copy of my KCC letter and they said it was sufficient. I haven't heard back from UA, so I may call them soon, or not. I was thinking well, I can just apply anyway and see what happens. If they take me, great, if not, oh well. There would be nothing I can do if they won't take me because of the letter. So I was thinking about what I could do in terms of different routes, but it seems that doing UA or the CC is the best and most cost effective route. Granted the CC's out here have a two year wait list, but I think in the meantime, I could get an LPN if SHC will pay for it. It does say they pay for LPN on their tuition form, but I am not sure. I will call them about that soon and see if they still cover that. If they do, I will try my darnedest to start in August. I was also reading online that if you have the LPN, you can transfer into block 3 (second year) out here without too much of a wait. Maybe I will try that? I dunno. All I know is that I would like to get started on finishing something before I can't do much at all later.
Like I said, I was also looking in to occupational therapy. It seems they hire them at the VA, so it is an option. You are probably wondering why I am so fixated on the VA. Well, they are one of the few places left to work that offers transfers, lots of holidays, and pensions, however small they may be. They also pay good. Not like SHC. SHC does not pay well at all. My new job pays okay for what it is though. I can certainly make more as a handler at Fedex, but that is a different field. Right now I need work that is not strenuous, and this fits the bill. There is an "OT" program at a few schools out here, and one is part time, so that would be nice. I would have to take the GRE, which is something I have been trying to avoid. But one thing at a time: I will apply to the UA program and (most likely) start the LPN. If UA rejects me, I will continue on with the LPN and finish it. I will then apply to the CC as a transfer and see what happens. If I get in, great. If I don't, I will consider the master programs like OT. Of course all of this is going to take a lot of time, but I figure I have a few years to go before TJ can "retire" and the baby grows up. I think I have about seven years left. And that would put me into the 4th decade of life but, well, that's life. Or at least, that's my life!
So of course, I never got around to finishing my room clean up. I just hate that kind of work! Anyways, today I have other chores to do, and I was considering starting the KITCHEN instead of my room. There are boxes and things in the kitchen that I left there from my Caribbean school days and I think it's time to get those things out of the way. I was going to consider using one of the crates as a Christmas bin, and the other to store stuff in the garage. (Don't even get me started on the garage!!) I don't know if it will fit in the Christmas closet, so that would be part of the tasks today. Maybe this weekend TJ can take down the Christmas tree? Who knows! Luckily it is fake, so it is not a dried out mess. The shelves in the kitchen need to be dusted as well and the appliances need to be organized. I also have to go buy some tofurky, but I think I will wait until TJ gets home to do that. I just don't feel like going anywhere. Again.
And now that it is late enough, I should eat. Then "clean." HA!
I am finally DONE with dishwashing! And to throw out one more piece of music to celebrate this wonderful event, here is a very special song. Especially the smoking crack part.
Anyway, I was surprised how many people at work were sad to see me go. I got two presents and a going away cake. They sang "jolly good fellow" to me too. I was surprised. But unfortunately, I still have to go. That job is just too much.
I start my new job on Monday. I am very excited about it because I finally get to learn something. I can have something nicer to put on my resume than "slave worker aka dishwasher - no skills." In my new job I will assist physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and audiologists. I have been looking into occupational therapist in case UA doesn't accept my KCC letter. This job requires all of my current prerequisites so I won't have to take a bunch of classes. I would have to take the GRE, which is something I don't really want to do. But this job will hekp me see if that is something I would be interested in. There is a school out here that also has a part time program for occupational therapists so we shall see. If not, I will still consider the MBA. I have a few years before that GMAT expires.
Speaking of KCC, today I am going to scan the copy of my "nursing letter" and email it to the person who does the admissions at UA. I have to see if that letter is even acceptable. If it isn't, then well, this track is probably not going to happen. I will also see if the community colleges out here will take it as a plan b. If they do, I guess I can just roll with that. If not, I don't think I can go in this direction. I would rather go to the UA program above all else, but I realize nothing goes smoothly in my life, so I am anticipating a bad outcome.
Also today I plan on starting to clean my room. I would like to clean out the closet and get rid of many clothes. However I had attempted that before and I didn't really get rid of much. I don't know if I will throw anything out!
P.S.: My lab results say I am NOT a carrier for Tay-Sachs! HA!
But I didn't touch the guest room! Well, I can do that tomorrow, that is why I needed more days off! I don't have tim to do everything in two days. I think with my new schedule, I will be able to do the things I need to do without getting overwhelmed.
The deadline for the spring entry to that MEPN program is almost here, but that is okay, I am going to wait for next year. That will give me time to get used to the baby and see if I can even get in with the crappy KCC letter. I could call today to see if they got it, but I can wait. I have a feeling I will have to go back to Kingsborough and mail it myself. Oh well.
Now that I am sufficiently tired of cleaning dust and putting away AV equipment, I should eat something. Hooray!
Now that I actually have some time off I can get to some of the things I was hoping to do before Lou visits, like clean the room she will be staying in! Ha ha! That room has basically been a storage room for quite a while, so I plan to get it in good shape. I also feel very inclined to get rid of many old things I don't need or use anymore, so it is a perfect cleaning day. I am not going to get ahead of myself and say Im going to clean everything, but I definitely want that room cleaned and I think I can at least do that today. I just have to eat something and I will be ready!
My phone is still working, but I don't want to charge it unsupervised in case it blows up. So I have to charge it when Im home and kind of right next to it. So far so good. It is not overheating or sparking so I am hoping it will be okay until the upgrade. I had to keep my phone in my shirt pocket because I have to wear bigger pants because of my belly. The pants that I am wearing have no cargo pocket and only one butt pocket. I don't like the butt pocket but I guess I will have to keep it there until I transfer.
Oh right! MY TRANSFER! WHOO HOO!!
Oh yes, before I go and do the room, I am supposed to set up my new used (refurbished) DVD-R! Yay! Since me and TJ go to bed so early, he usually misses sports shows he wants to see, such as the Rose Bowl. I had been meaning to get him this device for a while, but it does require some finessing to get it to work with the coaxial cable we have. Hopefully I won't have to return it, but in the very least, I can record my old tapes to DVD. I guess that is okay. Here is a link to what it is, although I didn't buy it from Walmart.
Anyways, I finally got a call back about the therapy aide job. I was thinking that if they didn't call me that day or the day after, I didn't get it. Well, they called me a few hours later and I was very happy! I have a perfect gig: a weekend job with one afternoon a week! Ha! And it will be at Shea so if I need the daycare, it is right there. I was worried to tell my manager because she had supposedly agreed to give me three days a week. However, I couldn't trust that would work for the long run. I think that if I trusted her and turned down this job, she would revert back to her old ways and I would be screwed. Plus, in the future, I would want weekends and nights only, and I am not sure she would give that to me. I am just glad that I finally secured a position that involved patient care. Not only that, this job will help me get references and experience that I can use if I find something a the VA. Plus, it allows me to swich off baby care with TJ, all while making a little extra dough. Dough that will probably be used to buy a new van! Yay!
In any case, I am glad I am done with washing dishes. My only concern is that they didn't notice I was pregnant and when they see me, they will be annoyed. I can still do my job, but maybe it will make them uncomfortable? Who knows. I do know that they can't fire me just because of that so, hopefully I won't be given any problems.
In some, er, funny news, I managed to put my phone in the dishwasher! I guess it fell out of my shirt pocket as I was bending over to get a tray on a cart. I was standing at the other end to get the tray... and I saw my phone. I was like "Is that... my... phone???" I was more shocked that I had no clue it went in there rather than "oh shit I have to get a new phone!" Well, it was still on, and I played with it a bit. I turned it off and took it apart to dry. I noticed the battery had a the little white box turn red indicating it was water damaged or something. Well, after a few hours, I put it back together and it still worked s I made a quick text and turned it off. Then it didn't turn back on! Well, luckily I had my Caribbean phone so I emailed TJ that I was without phone and went home. I was trying to get it to turn on but no luck. The next day (today) I tried to take it apart but there was no sim card so I figured Id have to buy a new used phone. I was very close to hitting the buy button when I figured I'd plug it in to give it another chance, and it worked!! Then I put in the battery and like a defibrillator, it make the phone come back to life! Hooray! Well, I can upgrade to a new phone later this year, so hopefully it will work just long enough!
So that is the story for now. I will update when they call me back for my start dates!!
