As most of you know, I’ve been back in college for a long time now. I’ll finally be graduating in May with that associates degree that has was 32 years in the making.
But that’s over. No more. By gawd I did it!!
I may even consider taking a few additional classes that I had wanted to take (more management classes, a business class or two, a few more jewelry classes, etc). I may even decide to go to the university to get my bachelors. Notice I said MAY. I’m taking time off before I commit to that! LOL. And then it wouldn’t be full time like I’m doing now.
I admit this last year has been hard for me. I’m burning out. I need a break. Honestly had it not been for my dad pushing me and rooting me on, I don’t know that I’d have not taken a year off (and we know how that goes, take time off and it never gets done). I’m grateful, too, that Dad’s health hasn’t given out totally and he’ll be able to attend commencements.
So, what next? Well that’s funny. I am a business management major. I should be going into the business management field, right?
Nope.
I was offered a job as a security officer. You bet your sweet a$$ I took it, too! Michigan’s job market isn’t such that one should pass up any opportunity that comes your way. And what an opportunity this is. Okay, so it’s not my chosen field. I can live with that. Really. I start April 5. I’m geeked.
I’ve survived on child support, government food benefits and occasional earnings from Elsie’s Attic for too long. That’s under $500 a month (not including EA income) for food, bills, meds, gasoline and anything else I may need. Lots and lots of sacrifices, but I never had to sacrifice my internet. LOL! I’ve gotten real good at squeezing a penny until Ol’ Abe cries out in pain!
To now go to a job that, in less than a week will pay what I used to get in a month, is actually a little on the overwhelming side for me. What will I do with all that money? LOL … besides pay bills, not a damned thing. Save. Save. Save. Yeah, there’s things I want. But not that bad that they can’t stay on my wish list a while longer.
I’ve lived below the federal poverty level for too long. I’ve cried myself to sleep too many nights worrying if I’ll have money by the end of the month to keep the lights on or be able to buy groceries when the cupboards were bare. I’ve lived five months with NO gas to heat my home (or the water). I won’t ever experience that again.
And yes, I’ll keep Elsie’s Attic going. The thought of extra income is always welcome. I’ll be graduating finally from catalog sales to eBay. And I’ll have time, too, to really work on Elsie’s Attic. The security job will afford me a lot of free time (at work no less) to pursue other interests, too. Gotta love a job that allows you – encourages you – to bring other activities with you while you’re on the clock.
Who knows, maybe I can even get in some Multiply blog time? LOL … “Blogs From the Field” as I’m guarding whatever they assign me to guard. Talk about excitement, eh? Could ya all handle so much excitement? LOL.
So … what else is going on in Lisa’s world these days besides that soon to be associates degree and a killer (not literally) new job?
Let’s see … the kids and grands are doing well. Grandson and Butterball are both growing way too fast. Grandson will be 5 in May and will be starting kindergarten in the fall. My goodness! Where has that time gone? Butterball is already seventeen pounds – at three months old. Butterball was the right name for that boy, I tell ya!
My folks are okay. We’ve been having issues with my dad and congestive heart failure. He just had a stint put in his left ventricle earlier this week. He’s home from the hospital. I babysat Dad yesterday so Mom could run some errands. He’s looking so much better than he has in the past few months. What a way for Mom to spend her 80th birthday, running errands. LOL. She even brought carry-out dinner home. Mac and cheese from a local restaurant, a tub of the Colonial’s fried chicken, and a few other goodies. Yum!
My brother stopped by their condo early yesterday morning and left Mom a beautiful bouquet and a box of chocolates for her birthday. Mom made me promise to eat them all by the time she got home from her errands – save her from the evil chocolates. Geesh. There wasn’t much damage I could do to the pound and a half box Brother Deere left there.
I just realized … next year I’ll be able to actually afford to be able to do something special for Mom for her birthday … and for Daddy’s birthday this July. And holidays … damn, it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to actually spend money on my family for a holiday.
And a vacation … a real vacation. That’s definitely on my must-do list!! I wonder where I’ll go?
Yup, new beginnings. Ain’t they great?
And another few weeks has passed since my last blog entry.
Butterball is now three weeks old, and true to his nickname, he really is a butterball!! I was going over pictures from Christmas, the boy looks to be about three months old in the photos. I was hoping to post one, but I am experiencing technical difficulties where photos are concerned. I'm thinking it's a multiply problem, I hear they've moved their servers and were having problems with computers adjusting to the new climate.
Any who ...
The semester is over (yay) and grades have finally been posted. I got an A in both my jewelry and my Principles of Supervision classes. I did pass the science class from hell, barely. I never thought I'd be elated over a D+. But I am!! I really am. Going over my transcripts the only other D I have ever had in college was a computer class in 1979. Hell, I don't even remember the class it was soooooo long ago.
All of my other grades since the beginning of my college days have been As and Bs. Not a C in there anywhere. 
So, I graduate in May of 2010. It only took me 32 years to get my associates degree. Yay!! I'll be soooo glad to say I finally did it.
Next terms classes will be a breeze for me. Principles of Advertising, Principles of Marketing, Human Resource Management and ... last but not least ... Principles of Retail (or Retail Theory). Funny story about the Retail class. I was talking to Mr. B, my Supervision teacher, and soon to be my Human Resource teacher. He was asking me what classes besides his I have for my last semester ... and I told him "Principles of Retail Therapy". We had a good laugh over it ... let's see how he uses that next term to embarrass me in HR class.
And I have Penguin Girl to thank for planting "retail therapy" in my head.
Let's see ...
My 50th birthday went well. We had a Star Trek Christmas party on my birthday. Funny how these things just work out - that's what happens when you're born six days before Christmas, I guess. Soooooo ... my birthday was spent with a room full of Trekkies. Had a wonderful dinner, opened "Secret Santa" gifts (I got a vanilla sugar scented candle - YUM) ... then some of the "gang" went off to watch the new Star Trek Movie while a few (myself included) stayed behind to play rummy and euchre.
Christmas went well. Brother Deere hosted yet another holiday feast. The folks, kids, grandkids, aunts, and a host of cousins and their kiddies were there. Grandson was so cute with his looking at the wall clock (he can't tell time yet), and asking whomever was nearest the clock "is it time to open gifts yet?"
I got to hold Butterball for a bit, when he wasn't screaming for a bottle or diaper change anyway. My cousin "DM" would relieve me. I was afraid she was going to tell her hubby she wanted another baby (they have three kids). Poor Butterball, it was all so overwhelming for him that he screamed for a good part of the evening. Only after Alien wrapped him up tightly in a swaddling blanket did he calm down enough to sleep in Gramma's arms.
Santa still brings gifts to 50 year old Grandmothers!! I got a Rummy Cube game, clothes, picture frame, and lots and lots of cash. Oh, and I got a blow-torch from Married Son. Ya, a blow-torch and I am excited about it, too!!
Now that I've got a little experience in jewelry making and do want to pursue it further, he got me my torch. I also have a job starting next month with a jewelry maker (she does not know how to solder) ... so I get to charge her per piece to solder sterling silver jump rings to her finished product.
So ... hope ya'll had a a good holiday.
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year!!
It's with great pleasure I take this moment to share with you photos of my newest grandson, Butterball.
It's about three am here. I'm listening to the wind blow outside, and hearing the bang bang bang of loose siding. This can't be good. Just another thing to add to the fix-it list.
Two weeks left in this term. Yay!! I'm enjoying my classes, though. I had an appointment with my counselor yesterday to fill out my application for graduation. Everything's good to go! Yay! It's only taken me 32 years, but *by gosh* I'm finally getting that degree!!
I wasn't going to do the commencement thing, BUT ... after talking to my dad last night he wants me to go .... says it's not every day he gets to watch his daughter get that long sought after degree. Yes, I'm still a Daddy's girl. What can I say?
Speaking of daughters ... Alien is less than 24 hours from having a c-section. They are estimating the baby weighs between ten and a half and twelve pounds. Ouch! Surgery is at one pm, I won't be going to see her until Friday (she'll be in recovery until after visiting hours are over). I will have pictures of the new baby to post later. Now, I just need to come up with a blog nickname for the little butterball. 
Not a whole lot else going on here ... Married Son is back on the road doing long haul driving. He's loving it and missed being on the road for almost two years. Of course, DIL is lost without him, but she's got her family. Heaven knows she's not around here when he's on the road.
I'm enjoying the quiet for the most part. Single Son is still here, but I hardly see him. I do hear sound coming from his room - the movie he's watching, the game he's playing ... whatever. But that's about it.
Guess I should crawl back into my cave now. I have two final exams to study for, and two pieces of jewelry to finish for my jewelry class. I am still designing the ring I'm to make for my final project, and the drawings are due next Monday. No pressure there.
As always, I do follow what's going on with ya'll through email updates. Miss not being around as much as I used to, but know I think of ya'll often ...
Hugs!!
