If you've been wondering if I would ever post again, here I am. I'm sorry it has been so long between postings this year, but I've been pretty busy working on accomplishing all the stuff I said I want to accomplish, back in this post in January.
To start with, I finally accomplished something I've been working on for the past 18 months: I have finally found a full time job! I'm doing data entry/customer service in a billing department, Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm. No more working weekends, no more weird hours, no more working holidays, no more minimum wage, no more tired achy feet! I've been at the job for five weeks, so I'm finally starting to get out of the New Job Stupid Stage (I HATE feeling stupid at a job!). I just received my first paycheck this past Friday. Unfortunately, since I had to wait so long for it, I had to use it to catch up on bills, but now that I'm finally getting regular, full time checks, the finances will improve dramatically. Which means I won't have to get a roommate to pay the summer bills. Yay!
The only downside is that the job is temporary, for 12-15 months. I'm hoping that they will either extend the contract, or will hire me permanently, as this is a very large, international company, with a great reputation as an employer. But, we'll see what happens. I'm continuing to job hunt, but with a 17% unemployment rate in this area, I'm certainly grateful to have this job for the time being.
Tallulah is doing well with her training, but it is an ongoing process. Sweet T. is so sweet and loving, but she definitely has a mind of her own. I know she knows the commands; she just doesn't WANT to do them, and thinks that if she just looks cute enough, that she won't have to obey. Okay, I'll admit that on occasion, that ploy works, but most of the time, I expect her to toe the line. So, training continues. Her trainer has suggested getting her certified as a therapy dog, so we can make visits to nursing homes, physical rehab centers, etc. That training will start in early fall.
My Sweetheart!
The garden is doing pretty well, at least those plants that have not burned in the heat. One thing that I really do hate about the Central Valley is that summer weather starts in April and doesn't let up until October. Gardening is hell in the summer heat, even at 7:00 a.m. So, I'm enjoying my garden in those brief moments when I venture outside from the sweet air conditioning.
These were the wild roses in April:
The wild roses now:
They've gotten pretty scraggly, so I've got to prune soon.
A couple of gladiolus have bloomed:
More roses:
Since I've accomplished (or am in the process of doing so) three of the things on January's list, I can start working on the other two: Growing and improving this blog (and my photography skills), and plainting the inside of my house.
I bought a new camera a couple of months ago (Tallulah chewed up my old one!) and I'm still in the process of figuring out how to use all the bells and whistles it has. Also, because there is a lot of down time on this job, but I'm not allowed to read at my desk, I can handwrite blog posts during slow days. So, I practice with the camera on nights and weekends, and write blog posts between phone calls/duties during the day.
So, I'm hoping you'll see a lot more posts from me, and maybe something a little more interesting than me whining about life, since I'll now have the money to actually have a real life, with, gasp, mini vacations, more thrift store expeditions, a little bit of antiquing, and some excursions into exploring some neighboring cities.
As for painting the walls, that may wait. I'm toying with the idea of looking for a job/house closer to OC when this job is over, depending, of course, on whether they do decide to hire me permanently, and whether the real estate market has better recovered here. After 18 months, I've come to realize that this area isn't ultimately where I want to spend the rest of my life. I miss my sister, who is my best friend, more than I ever imagined. I miss my friends, and really struggle to make new ones here. This doesn't feel any more like home than it did when I moved 18 months ago. I wish it had worked out as this is one of the few places in CA where I can afford a 1/4 acre, 1800 square foot single family home, but still be within a few hours of family in Orange and LA Counties. But, so far, it just doesn't seem to be working, for a variety of reasons, far too many to list. Sometimes, you've got to try stuff to figure out whether or not it's going to work. And speaking as someone who has spent much of her life afraid to try new things, I'm proud of myself that I did step out into the unknown to try.
So, the goal to paint is put on hold until I get a better idea as to when I may sell. But I've got a new goal now of downsizing my collections and stuff in anticipation of living in a smaller home (condo, perhaps). Hello china sale!!! Believe me, that is a monster of a goal, as the family members who helped me move can attest.
Soooo, I'm back to blogging more regularly. I've already written a couple more posts, so you should see something from me in a day or two. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Leave a comment if you get a chance. I love reading them.
