I Am Surrounded by Bees & Monkeys

Nice Weather

Cheri — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:05:49 +0000

So, the weather has warmed up considerably here in SW PA. We have had sunny, warmth for the last two days and have been taking the dogs for walks at local parks. Yesterday was Twin Lakes Park with it’s 2 mile hike around both lakes. Today we went to Mammoth park which is only 1 mile, but still a fun workout with the boys.

The reason I am telling you is because Mammoth has a little island in the middle of the lake that you can get to via a bridge. Diesel has always loved this island due to it being the favorite hangout of all ducks, geese, swans, etc. today, none of them were there and neither was anyone else so we let the dogs off of their leashes to run for a little. I thought it was a good idea because it was kind of like a fenced in yard with the lake going all the way around it. I was wrong. Diesel went down and put his feet in the water. Blue went down and didn’t realize that the ice was not the same as the ground. He broke through, of course, and both Brian and I started emptying our pockets post haste thinking we were going to be going in after him. He pulled himself out really quickly but was on the other side of the hole. the standing out on the lake side of the hole. Now, keep in mind that he is not yet trained to come when called and only recently started looking when his name is called. He walked around on the ice for a bit and checked stuff out on the lake side. Then he JUMPED IN! He swam (took us almost two years to tech Diesel to swim) back to shore and shook it off. Then he was dry (thank goodness for the husky coat) and wanted to do it again. Now he is sleeping by my feet. He is so ornery. He fits our family perfectly.

Just Looking Back

Cheri — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:09:41 +0000

I was just reading through my old posts. Have any of you ever done that? It was a fun experience to see how long it has been from certain milestones in my life. The guinea pig in now almost three years old. The quad accident has been almost forgotten. Brian’s deployment is over.

Some things remain the same, too. Dani is still up my butt with affection (sometimes too much). Erica is still a very smart and beautiful child. Diesel is still our dog.

I write these posts now from a laptop instead of the old computer that I wrote on before. My spelling and grammar have improved as have my writing skills. I also read over all of the comments from each of you and laughed again at some of the corny and silly things my loved ones comment on.

Wow, two posts in one day. What is the world coming to?

New Baby in the House

Cheri — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:15:51 +0000

So, most of you already know that we got a puppy for tax return time. (This, by the way, is a new holiday that I am proposing to Hallmark). It has been affecting my studies and my sleeping habits. Difficult is not even the word. Several of you had warned us that it would be tough, but we chose to ignore you and get the little guy. While I am very glad that we have added to our family, it is hard going. As the mom, I am the one getting up with him at night and playing at 4am. I am also the one home with him all day due to my being in school online and I am getting sick of cleaning up pee. I do not for one moment think this is anything like having a baby in the house, but this is as close as I want to get for now.

School is going well. I got an A in my first class and a B in my second. So far I am not doing as well in my third class and am holding steady at a C right now, but it is only the second week and I am hoping to redeem myself in the coming weeks. I did get my Recovery Specialist Certification and am now trying to figure out what to do with it.

Brian had back surgery and is recovering very well. It was outpatient. They had him in the operating room at 9am and we were going home by 3pm. Hard to believe they can open up his back and do major surgery on his spinal column and have there be no need to stay overnight in the hospital. He is back to work now and feeling stronger every day. No more numbness in his leg.

I am sorry to have been so slack on writing posts and I can say that I will try harder, but who knows what tomorrow may bring.

Going Back To School

Cheri — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:57:04 +0000

Well, it is time for me to grow up and go to college…..again! I have enrolled in online classes at Ahsford Univ. My first class is November 3. I should be getting my books any day now. I am nervous and excited.

Home From Vacation and Back to the Job Hunt

Cheri — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 04:21:06 +0000

So, vacation is over. Now is the time when I will begin, in earnest, to search for a job. I am not looking forward to this part of my life. I am 32 and back on the market so to speak. Was kinda hoping to be working towards retirement at this age. Not sure if this old heart can take the stress and the let down of not getting jobs I interview for. Don’t get me wrong, I have a beautiful resume. There are always job openings for secretaries. Only a matter of time before I find one for me.

In the meantime we are getting ready for school to start again. We still don’t know who the girls teachers are yet. We are supposed to be getting a letter from the school this month with details. This is KILLING Erica. She wants desperately to know whose class she will be in and if any of her friends are in it with her. Dani just wants to be in first grade. She is not so concerned with anything else. She wants new clothes for school. 180 pairs of new clothes.

Brian is continuing his physical therapy and under doctors orders not to do anything physical. He is, of course, doing all sorts of the things he shouldn’t be doing. I came home today and found him mowing the lawn. “Nothing physical”. Nice.

On a totally random side note, I have been working out. I have lost 4 lbs in three days. Diesel and I have been taking LONG hikes at Linn Run. He loves it and I feel better about me! Win win.

Too Excited to Sleep

Cheri — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:47:03 +0000

The girls and I are preparing to leave this morning for our trip. Last night was a rough one trying to get them to go to bed. We are all a little exctied for the vacation. I finally got them to bed by 11, but I woke up at 7am and could NOT go back to sleep. I know I will be tired on the drive and that I may not be in the best mood for it, but I couldn’t make myself sleep. So, I came downstairs and went on Facebook for a bit. Checked in on other people’s blogs that I check regularly (none of you have updated since yesterday when I checked). And now I sit here listening to the dog and the kitten play. I will start getting ready in about 15 minutes. The car is packed and we are off!

Prep for the Soldier’s Return

Cheri — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:29:13 +0000

Brian will be home in another week. We have lots of things to do and not much time to do them. We are taking one room a day and cleaning from top to bottom. Vacuuming, dusting, moving furniture, the whole nine yards…..

Tonight we tackle the dining room.

Update on Brian and his back. He officially deployed in September, went to Louisiana for training and picked up some ruck sacks that were too heavy (due to National Guard members NOT being able to following simple rules of packing and having too much stuff, one pair of civvies = one pair of civvies). He ended up herniating three disks in his back and got an umbilical hernia. They took a look at him and changed his status to non deploy-able. Then the Army sent him to Fort Gordan and the Eisenhower Medical Center. In January he had his umbilical hernia operated on and I was able to take time off of work and be there for his surgery and the rest of that week. Since then he has been undergoing all sorts of different treatments for his back, none of which have worked for long. He is in a lot of pain and miserable since he didn’t deploy, but can’t come home either. Now they have decided there isn’t anything else they can do for him and are sending him home for three months of physical therapy and then a final evaluation.

I will try to keep you up-to-date on any new developements with his health and my fun-employment…

Funemployment

Cheri — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:31:27 +0000

‘Funemployed’ revel in freedom from work

Kimi Yoshino, Los Angeles Times

Sunday, June 7, 2009

(06-07) 04:00 PDT Los Angeles –

Michael Van Gorkom was laid off by Yahoo in late April. He didn’t panic. He didn’t rush off to a therapist. Instead, the 33-year old Santa Monica resident discovered that being jobless “kind of settled nicely.”

Week one: “I thought, ‘OK … I need to send out resumes, send some e-mails, need to do networking”‘

Week two: “A little less.”

Every week since: “I’m going to go to the beach and enjoy some margaritas.”

What most people would call unemployment, Van Gorkom embraced as “funemployment.”

While millions of Americans struggle to find work as they face foreclosures and bankruptcy, others have found a silver lining in the economic meltdown. These happily jobless tend to be single and in their 20s and 30s. Some were laid off. Some quit voluntarily, lured by generous buyouts.

Buoyed by severance, savings, unemployment checks or their parents, the “funemployed” do not spend their days poring over job listings. They travel on the cheap for weeks. They head back to school or volunteer at the neighborhood soup kitchen. And at least until the bank account dries up, they’re content living for today. ”

Never heard of funemployment? Here’s Urban Dictionary’s definition: “The condition of a person who takes advantage of being out of a job to have the time of their life. (Example:) I spent all day Tuesday at the pool; funemployment rocks!”

As frivolous as it sounds, “funemployment” is a statement about U.S. society. Experts say it’s both a reflection of the country’s cultural narcissism - and attitudes of entitlement and self-centeredness - and a backlash against corporate America and its Dilbert-like work environment.

“Recession gives people permission to be unemployed,” said David Logan, a professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. “Why not make use of the time and go do something fun?”

Nina Flores, 28, quit her job as a jury consultant Feb. 1 and has no regrets.

“You figure out how much … you miss when maybe you’re tied to your BlackBerry all the time or, in my case, traveling for work all the time,” she said. “I can’t imagine doing that again and sacrificing everything I want to do for me. … I think it is a new way of thinking.”

Flores said she finds herself looking into jobs she would have never considered before, even if it means taking a big pay cut. What’s more important, she said, is flexibility, lots of vacation time and something that doesn’t have “that 9-to-5″ feeling.

Flores’ decision to quit her job was initially met by concern and worry by her parents and some friends, but she thinks it’s partly because they simply can’t relate. By the time her parents’ generation reached their late 20s and early 30s, most were married with children.

Logan, the USC professor, isn’t convinced “funemployment” is unique to this generation. Slackers - or whatever label is in vogue - have been around for decades. What’s different, he said, is the new social media that allows the unemployed to find each other and make plans through Facebook and Twitter.

By thumbing their noses at unemployment, they also are sending a message to corporate America, Logan said.

“People are saying screw it, and they’re leaving companies,” Logan said. “We need to figure out how to make companies work better for everybody. Until that happens … early retirements and furloughs are going to continue. People are going to opt out of the system.”

This article appeared on page L - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Summer Plans

Cheri — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:41:10 +0000

Today we are setting up our summer plans. The kids and I have decided to keep to the schedule that they have at school. We are going to have an art day where we will do something arts and crafts. We will be having a library day, we have already signed up for the summer reading program and the kids have already logged over an hour of reading. There will be gym days where we can go on hikes and swimming. There will be time for science and math and language, etc.

Today is music. We are going to make mix cds. Should be fun……

Laid Off = 6 Months Paid Vacation

Cheri — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:44:43 +0000

Well, it has finally happened. I am one of the 7.5% unemployed of PA. (How can there be a .5%?) Now I am forced to make the dreaded descision, what do I want to be when I grow up? No more monkying around with excuses. The children are old enough now for me to go back to school! I am also getting motivated to work out.

Of course, right now I am enjoying a little R & R. We put up our hammock on the front porch and it is a great place to nap–I mean read! I am also getting in some quality Wii time. Fishing Master here I come…

Lots of things to do when you don’t work, but also lots of down time. I am trying not to take naps during the day as that does two horrible things:

1. throws me off of schedule so taht I am awake until 2:30 am

2. will make me wish to nap when I have to go back to work.

So, I read and watch TV (they are running “Bones” marathons on TBS), play on the Wii, play BigFish games on the computer and various other slacking off things. I make time to do the little goals I have set for myself each day, but they really only take up so much time. I need to get involved in school or something. I pity the girls once school is out for the summer because I will force them to keep me entertained.

I just looked at my watch and I have over and hour before I can pick Erica up for her dentist appointment. I guess I have plenty of time to check on Facebook!