New job

I am once again gainfully employed!!! I interviewed on Wednesday the 11th a company called Vital gear here in Lexington. It was a customer service with Peachtree knowledge. The interview went well, but I was concerned about the pay, it was much lower than I had been making. They told me they would start me off low, then revisit it every few months with the goal of me being up to what I was making by next year. YIKES! But, I needed a job. They offered me the job that weekend, starting the week of Thanksgiving. Monday morning they called and asked me if I could start Tuesday. I showed up Tuesday ready to work! The company makes sights and grips for bows and rifles. Ben the owner has the patents on all of the products we sell, he designed them all. His wife Maria was doing pretty much everything else and was completely overwhelmed. They have been in business since 96 I believe, but moved to KY from ID a few years back. I started working closely with Maria taking over a lot of the bookkeeping. Maria was impressed with my knowledge of Peachtree and bookkeeping and was very happy with my work! Tuesday Ben took me aside and told me that after talking to Maria, I don't need a training period and bumped me up $2/hr. He told me that we will meet in January for a review and probable raise, then again in April. Thursday Ben, Maria and I met and discussed more of the responsibilities they want me to take over. I am going to be taking over AP and AR on top of all of the bookkeeping, I will also be setting up and takaing care of the new company they are starting, and they are hoping to send me to some trade shows next year. I really like this job, and I love the people I am working for! Ben and Maria have a daughter who is an Opera major at UK, Arianna, and a son who is a year younger than Ali, Everest. This is a family business and I am excited about my future with them! You can check out our website here!

Brownies!!!

Alison had her investiture ceremony for Brownies this past week! It was fantastic! They had to pick a woman to honor, someone who has taught them how to a good person. Alison picked Tabitha, a friend who babysat her after school last year. Tabitha didn't know she was being honored by Ali, she just knew she was invited. Tabitha has been super busy in her new job as director of a home health agency, but made time to come to the ceremony. Boy was she surprised!







This is the opening ceremony, Ali's leader Mrs Baniak is in maroon. She is FANTASTIC. We love Mrs Baniak!

Here is Ali reading what she wrote about Tabitha. Tabitha started crying.

Here is Ali reading part of the Girl Scout Law and then her and Tabitha lighting candle.

Above is Ali's friend Kally reading her paper about her aunt, and Ali watching.

Here is Ali getting her Brownie pin. I cried.

Here's Kally getting her pin

update

Wow, I have gotten pretty horrible at updating this! The not-so-good-news; I was laid-off a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I worked for a small privately owned company, and when the times got tough instead of tightening the belts, they cut-cut-cut. I had thought they were great people who would take care of me, but I was wrong. As soon as I got the news I went to sign up for a Nurses Aide class. I was a CNA in college, and there are 3 major hospitals in Lexington, so it just made sense. Unfortunately it cost $500, which was a steep price to pay with my income coming to an end. I was out of work for a week then started the 2 week intensive class. I had applied for unemployment in the mean-time, but was dealt a rough blow with that. Since I was taking a class full-time for two weeks (to get a job) I was denied unemployment. I can't understand this. If I were to sit in my butt and do nothing, I am eligible for unemployment. If I take a class to get a job, I am not. To make matters worse, three of the girls in my class were taking it through unemployment. Unemployment paid for them to take the class. When I asked about this at the unemployment office I was told that there was a process I had to go through in order to do this. Since I didn't sit on my butt and wait for the checks to roll in before I signed up for the class, I lose out. What made it all the more insulting was going to the unemployment office after doing clinical all day, still in my scrubs, tired and hungry, only to watch people walk in, high-five their friends and talk on their phones about getting their money. Argh! However, I finished my class yesterday and am now a CNA. I have to take the state boards to become a State Registered Nurse's Aide, but I have already started the job hunt. I actually started the job hunt as soon as I was let go, but now I have kicked it into full speed. I applied to 7 jobs yesterday, I already have one interview next week (not CNA related). This has been a hard couple of weeks for me, but hopefully it will be over soon! I hate worrying about money, I hate not having any, but I always seem to fund a way to make ends meet.

On the happier side, I joined the local roller derby league; Rollergirls Of Central Kentucky (or ROCK). I joined just before I lost my job, but it really has been a God-send since. The girls on the team are amazing, I have found a fantastic group of women who I get to see at practice and get away from all the stress of the job hunt. I am not skating yet, I don't have the money to get my equipment and skates, but I go to the practices, help set up the track, learn the game and he rules and watch it all. I have a derby name - Salem Slammah, and I think my number is going to be 93. I am eager to get my gear and get on the floor. It such a fantastic way to escape everything going on! Alison loves it, not only are there other kids to play with (many single moms on the team), but it is like she just inherited 10 aunts (even if they do have crazy names). The women come from every walk of life and background; Junk Drawer is a math TA at UK, Rainbow Smite runs the honors program at UK, Ellie Slay is a patent rep at UK, Sharon Moonshine is a real estate agent, Bitty Bastard has a son who just turned 27, Kitty O'Doom works at UK, Jessie Maims is a student at Translyvania and Ragdoll Ruby is a skate rep. There are two other Ashland Moms on the team, Bjoink has a 5th grader and Scare-a has a kindergartener and is on the PTA with me! I will post some pictures when I get them.

Alison is doing amazing. She has one of the strictest teachers at Ashland, and is of course flourishing. At first she was scared, but once we talked to the teacher and she got to know her, she just loves it. She is reading well above her grade level, her teacher said about a 4th-8th grade level, and her math scores are even higher! She loves the after-school program. During my CNA class I was getting out early and was able to pick her up early. She asked me to stop coming early. She is in Brownies and LOVES it. A born Girl Scout just like the rest of the women in the family. She is old enough to acolyte at church. She hasn't served yet, but she goes to the trainings and will be soon! As for the trainings, the acolyte leader at the church had to go back to work because of the economy, and our minister asked my cousin Lorie and I to "help out" (take over). Lorie is actually my mom's cousin, but she loves to have family in the area and has really taken care of me, and her daughter Sara is a few years older than Alison and they are very close.

I will try to be a little better at updating this in the future! Here are some pictures of Ali...

Here is Alison and Sara in a hot-air balloon gondola at our church festival. They were unable to actually go up in it because it got dark out, but they got to watch it get inflated and then get into the gondola.

I love this picture. This is Ali and Charlie, a boy from church in the gondola. They were sitting in there when they fired up the flame to heat the air in the balloon. The look on their faces is priceless.

This is Alison with some of the acolytes and our Bishop, Stacy Sauls at an acolyte event. Top row; Lauryn, Bishop Sauls, Kaelyn, bottom row; Emily, Alison and Erica

Ali in her Brownie uniform!

Ali carving a pumpkin. She did all of the work this Halloween!!

Work

Wow! Have I really not mentioned work?? Last real mention of work was when I was still a temp at Yazaki. They had to let me go, last one hired, first one to go, but I had done such a great job they kept me until the temp agency found a new position for me. The position they found was as a bookkeeper for Energy Sports and Fitness Management Company. I started there in February learning Peachtree and working my butt off to get everything right. I did the books two of our clubs and the management company. Time progressed, I was handed another company to handle. Finally in June I was made permanent. Within the last 2 months since I was made permanent I was given the other gym's books, the restaurant which the president and gym owners own's books and the title controller. Now I am beyond busy. I work straight through the day, usually eating lunch at my desk. It is a fantastic company, there are only 7 of us at the most in the office, although normally only about 4, some days just me. Of the 7, we actually handle quite a few companies so it can get crazy! As much as I still do miss my students and teaching, I like the business and responsibility of my new job!

ch-ch-ch-changes

It has been three months since I have updated this. Wow. More over, the last two weeks have been double wow. I have a hard time believing it has only been two weeks. Two weeks ago Jeff broke up with me. I don't know why, I don't know what happened, I doubt I ever will. He had sold the truck and took the car he had given me. I was heart-broken, devastated. I walked to the hotel near the house where I spent the weekend a broken mess. I was determined that by the time Alison came back from MA on that Thursday I would have a car, an apartment and be ok. The first few days were hard, taking a taxi to and from work, having a hard time concentrating on anything, crying at the drop of a hat, but I slowly worked out of it. I opened a bank account, then looked at cars. Jeff told me he was moving to a new apartment, so I decided to keep the old one. I bought a car, and by Thursday when my mom, Nana, Katie and Ali came back I picked up my new car, knew where I was living and was ok. Sunday Jeff moved out of the apt and I moved in. I have been cleaning and arranging after work each day, Mom, Nana and Katie headed back to MA on Tuesday, Ali started 2nd grade on Wednesday. Today I slept late, then met Jeff to give him the rest of his and Julianna's stuff left in the apartment, the cable guy came and set up the cable, phone and internet, then we did laundry and went to the pool. It was a nice day, and amazingly it has only been 2 weeks!

The Beach House

Saturdy evening we went to my cousin Lorie's boat house on Lake Herrington. What an amazing place! We had a fantastic night, we didn't want to leave!

On our way there as we were driving through gorgous Kentucky countryside, we saw this foal. He couldn't have been more than a few days old. We pulled over to look, mommy and daddy were very protective, not at all happy that we even pulled over, but we just snapped a few pictures and headed off.

Look at that sweet face!
In the directions from Lorie, once you pull onto the road, she put "look out for cows in the road." We thought it was a joke. Then we saw this:
Then this: The buckshot definately adds to the authenticity!

Next thing we know, there are cows on ether side of us, and no fences! There are things in the road called "cow fences", they are grate like things that go across the road and are about 3 feet wide, I guess the cows can't cross them. Jeff decided he wanted to pat the cows. He stopped the truck and got out and stated to walk slowly over to the nearest cow, talking nice and soothingly. The cow wasn't fooled, he must have smelled the beef from his last burger in his system, cause he backed away and took off! I turn around just in time to see this behind us!

This is Lorie and Dave's boat house and dock from the patio, which is about halfway between he house and the lake

And here is the house from jut below the patio (you can see the patio). Amazing!

And there is my hot boyfriend on the patio on the way up to the porch.

My favorite picture from the day. Alison and Sarah Beth (Lorie and Dave's daughter) fishing at the boat house.

They have a paddle boat and the kids had a blast! Here is Julianna on the right and Emily, a friend from church on the left. In the back is Sarah Beth and Alison.

And here is Phil, Emily's dad with Emily and Julianna on the boat. He kept yelling "Ahoy!" He reminded me of the scene in Alice in Wonderland when they characters are in the flood of Alice's tears and the Dodo bird yells "Ahoy! And other nautical terms!"

While the kids were paddling around the lake, Jeff and I walked down the street to check out the other houses (and see what was for sale...). It is hard to see, but this is a roof, see the dish on the right hand side? From the lakeside, it was amazing!!
Then we found a house that had this! An actual railroad car, on tracks! Jeff was in heaven. He loves trains, and the woods and the lake. This was like his utopia!

I thought this was cool, the way the tree grew around the barbed wire. We should learn from the tree, learn to embrace what irritates us!And this is a little guy I like to call "Angry cat". I know, not original, but still, look at that cat! And this was using my zoom, we were no where near them!

On our way back we saw this hex on a farmhouse. A while back in art class they learned all about hexes and what they are for. They were very excited to see this one!

And finally this. What a way to end the night.

Raven's Run Sanctuary

We went to Rivers Run Nature Sactuary today. What a great place! It is pretty close by and it has amazing trails. It was a rainy day, so there wasn't a lot of people on the trails. We walk the red trail past the Kentucky River Overlook, the took the green trail back to the Nature Center.



Here are the girls at the river. It was gorgous.
These are red honeysuckle. I read about them at the nature center. There was regular white honeysuckle everywhere on the trail.

I never knew trees could have wrinkly skin.

I bet when there has been a lot of rain this is an amazing waterfall!

Derby day! Ali's school had Derby Day for the kindergarten and first grade on Thursday. They had to make hats at home, Ali's has Easter grass and flowers made from the bottom of egg crates. They had a huge breakfast to start off the day. Here is Ali getting her food.



There were some fantastic hats. Here is Ali's friend Elijah's. It was like a tall tall top hat with a horse and trophys glued on the top.

Cute hat..

Here is Elijah again. He is one of Ali's best friend, and I let Ali take my camera so there are a bunch of pics of him!

Another cute hat.

Sierra, Ali's bff.

The breakfast line, that is Ali's friend Kally.

Mocaira's hat (I think she had help)

I had to go to work, so I missed the horse races. They had made horse heads then attached them to sticks for the races. What a great school!