Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Mantras

 It's a miracle

Osama bin Laden has been killed. I know there are a lot of political feelings about this, but I feel that this event is an important turning point in history.

AMBER HAS BEEN FOUND ALIVE in IL. Battling amnesia & in the hospital. Her parents are on their way from GA (where they live) to there. I can't even say how I feel about this; maybe I don't understand the scope myself. Absolute relief that she has been protected traveling so far, weather, & people who would harm her.

I was approved to have my student loans deferred for 2 days because of my un-employment. Well, that doesn't help me at all. So I called the company today & not only was connected to a PERSON, but a NICE & KNOWLEDGEABLE one! So my account is fine & fixed.

* * * * * *

I have XM radio in my car. I highly recommend it if you can. If you spend any remote bit of time in a car for commuting or anything. Worth every penny (in my opinion).

When work was getting hard at the end, when I would hear these lyrics in these songs, I felt peace & positivity (corny but true, especially when you see these songs. Not the normal artists I would pick).

 I'm beautiful in my way
'Cuz God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way.
Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself & you're set
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way.
...

I'm on the right track baby
I was born to survive.


-Lady Gaga "Born This Way"



See I never thought that I could walk through fire
I never thought that I could take the burn
I never had the strength to take it higher
Until I reached the point of no return

And there's just no turning back

When your heart's under attack
Gonna give everything I have
It's my destiny


-Justin Bieber "Never Say Never"





See the sunlight, we ain't stopping
Keep on dancing till the world ends
If you feel it let it happen
Keep on dancing till the world ends

-Britney Spears "'Til the World Ends"








Do you have any positive mantras that have helped you lately? I don't have ones always or certain favorite ones. Just some come thru now & then.

Monday, May 2, 2011

April, 2011

Now that some dust has settled, I can finally talk about some of this stuff. Events that needed to remain private as we worked them out. Events that God brought us & have been months in the making.


For sure it's been one of the most challenging times in my life. 2nd only to that 6-ish week time period in 2008.

* * * * *

I never thought it would happen to me. Even that it could happen to me. This is what 20/20 & Dateline & 60 Minutes are made of; not my life. But it came & made me heartsick.

I saw a Facebook status update from M, telling A to call her. Didn't think too much of it. I have been involved in several similar rounds of phone tag. Can't call someone? Just Facebook them.

Then, scrolling more down into my Facebook newsfeed, I saw a status update from A's dad.

A is considered to be a missing person by the MI police. She didn't come to work for 2 days, & they contacted her emergency contact (old roomate). A's car was found abandoned in GA at a Family Dollar store, where she bought some shampoo & other sundry things.


That's all we know since 4/9. A & M both used to babysit Emily & I all the time when we were kids. I don't have an older sister; I have A & M. & she is just gone.

I take "some" comfort that it seems she went to GA on her own, possibly to see her sister & parents that live there. But it is unusual that she just left. But now that it has been so long & they have had bad weather, it is more worrying everyday.

* * * * * * *

The day before that, my 97 year old great-grandmother passed away. I hope that I am her when I am 97. Relatively healthy & super happy & loved.

I hesitated to take time off of work because my co-workers disliked when I took 1 day off for being sick the week before & I knew things were going to happen at work that week, but my boss was really understanding & I was out of work for 3 days to go to TN. I'm really glad that I did because it was nice to see all my cousins there & celebrate the good times everyone had with Grandma.

* * * * * * *

I got a text message from a co-worker while we were on the way home from TN. 3 people in my department were laid off.

When I got back to work that Monday, I was #4.

I knew things were slow & bad for months. I know that I left on good terms. So I was ready.

When my dad was laid off in 2009, my aunt told him about a school program for Medical Coding & how it is a growing business. He never followed through with it though because he got another job pretty quickly.

So I talked to my aunt to learn more, & I really think I could like it. There is always opportunity in that field to advance as you can complete more & more certifications. Plus a lot of reading & analysis.

I'm in 1 pre-req summer class through JCC, then I'll be in a certification program at U of M October, 2011-May, 2012. Then I'm ready to work at a hospital or doctors office anywhere, plus add credentials to myself by self-studying and testing in different billing specialties.

* * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Tim couldn't come with us to TN because he is beginning a graphic design job in Traverse City! Tim is moving in ~1 month, & I'll be up there full-time in July when our Adrian lease is over.

God really took care of us by providing a job for Tim as I lost mine, & allowing me to find a growing career (vs. my dead journalism degree & dying mortgage industry/experience). I also am collecting unemployment, which helps fill the gaps in the meantime.