Odds

And on to other news...

What are the odds that an auto transporter would be in an accident and your car would get squashed on the bottom row??  I bet they're slim.  And with my luck, it's not a total surprise that I'm in that small percentage.  But it's still a major "kick in the balls".  I'm not sure if there is some ulterior meaning I'm supposed to see/find in this.

My newest goal is to work with the insurance to clean up this mess the best I can.  

Adirondacks

I was lucky enough to spend this weekend at a great friend's beautiful house on Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks of northeastern NY state.  We had a very nice, relaxing time in nature... minus the five mosquito bites in two days. We made smores on the outdoor fire, did some kayaking, jet skiing, wine drinking, and general lounging around.  

Schroon Lake

Schroon Lake

Foliage

Sunset from the lake house deck

Feelings. California. Other.

I won't say my emotions are on a roller coaster.  They're absolutely not.  They're very constant.  The things is- they span a quite significant portion of the emotional spectrum, about different and specific things.  That's as far as I'll go for the deep stuff.  

In other news, I spent this weekend in Southern California.  When not jumping from them, I find planes very conducive to sleeping and studying.  Perfect!  I was treated to a great dinner and drinks by my former bosses, and had a very nice time.  I continue to be quite touched by them.  Then I had a fun weekend hanging with my skydiving friends and getting in a few jumps.  I borrowed gear from various people, as some of mine is still in transit, and I also didn't want to lug around and worry about both my rig and the cat on the plane one the way back.  Speaking of which, I was dreading the plane ride back with my Stewie-cat.  But she was a friggin rock star!  She did great.. couldn't have asked for a better cat.  She usually is a horrible bitch in the car, but she was great on the plane.  She even stayed totally quiet on the car ride up to my father's. I don't know what got into her.  She's adjusting very well to dad's house.  She's spent some time here before, but that was over 7 years ago.  

We got the rest of the pictures from my cousin's wedding.  Below is one of my favorites, during my maid of honor speech to the bride.  I'm glad I can crack myself up.

I'd also like to share a quote a friend posted recently.  I agree with it.  It's "the American Way", which I'm afraid seems to be dying out.  Hopefully my current opportunity will be more of a tangible manifestation in a few years.. that's the idea ;-)

Wedding

Had a crazy and amazing time at my cousin Kerry's wedding this Saturday.  It felt so great to be able to give a toast as Maid of Honor at the reception and say how proud I am of her and her husband in front of both of our families.  I had a blast seeing so much family at once and celebrating a great event.  Below are some pictures.  They are beautiful, but the blog GREATLY reduces the quality...

Photos by Jenny Harper: www.jharps.com

Work

I had a crazy weekend: unloaded the moving truck, but still need to unpack.  I did a shitload of driving and had a nice bachelorette party with my cousin in Atlantic City.  I had a nice Labor Day with good friends.  This weekend is my cousin's wedding.  There will be lots of family, which I'm really looking forward to.  And lots of craziness I'm sure.  Then I will be free of maid of honor "duties".  Haha. 

Not working right now is making me feel weird.. kinda shitty actually.  I do have a couple more nice paychecks coming in from my old job, but I know they won't be continuing.  It's an unsettling feeling.  Adjusting to the new financial situation will be tough too, but feel that it's doable, and I know that it's temporary.  Now is a time that I feel good I'm keeping this blog, because it's forcing me to remember why I'm getting myself into this less than ideal situation..  keeping me accountable for my own "greater good".

My goal right now is getting certifiied nurses aid (CNA) training and a part time job.  My thought is that once the training is done and I move down to Long Beach, NY at the end of the year- where I intend to be for the rest of my eduation- I can find part time work as a CNA.  I think I would be able to get flexible hours, will get some great experience, would get me used to working within nursing, and would also be great for my resume.  I have looked into a few options and it seems that it may be a little difficult to find CNA training that fits my school schedule.  I'm still looking into options.  I got a list of places that offer the training from the career center at school, but many of the places said they do not offer the training when I called.  Ugh.  But either way, once that is set up (or not), I should find a part time job for this semester.  I'm hoping to work at a Starbucks.  If I can fit 20 hours into my schedule, then I can also get some health and dental benefits.  It would also get me a lot of good practice with my speech.  It's a little masochistic, but I have to be to live well.  Again, the only way to successfully work with a fear is to face it head on.