The January Doldrums

I thought I would be happy and excited once the December rush was over and the new year had begun but instead I just feel....blah. However, I don't want to infuse my blog with doom and gloom right now so I'll just update on what has been going on in my life lately.

I did not get to start the college program this semester. With three days before the end of registration my mother graciously got another copy of my high school transcript and hand-delivered it to the college. Apparently the high school says the college misplaces transcripts all the time. The college maintains they never received the fist one I had sent. But they couldn't deny getting the second one. So, I called the college to get a registration appointment. The first number I tried was out of service. I tried another number and someone answered who transferred me to the right number which rang and rang ending in voicemail. I tried the new number a few times but only ever got voicemail. Thus my time ran out for registering......At least until they called me on the first day of classes and assured me I could still register if I wanted. Gee, thanks. I decided I'll wait until next semester if I haven't found a new job by then.

I joined a gym a week ago. It has a therapy pool which I think will help to restrengthen my knee that has been giving me problems. Of course to swim one needs a swimsuit, and a proper swimsuit at that. Somehow I don't think my old glitzy bikini will fit the bill, if it even fits me anymore. So I went swimsuit shopping. Who knew that January isn't swimming weather? Or, rather, who knew that stores getting an early jump on swimsuit season would only carry bikinis?! The closest I could find was a tankini and in my current out-of-shape state that doesn't quite cut it right now. So, the search continues. In the meantime I bought some shirts, sweat pants, etc. so maybe I'll take advantage of some of the stationary bikes.

In other news, life keeps moving faster than I want it to but more on that another time.

Out of the Frying Pan.....

I did not get the chance to take up meditation over the pre-holiday rush, unless you count the times I was so exhausted from work I just sat in the recliner staring at nothing and trying to get my fried brain jumpstarted again.
You would think I would have attempted some form of relaxation on my one day off per week. No dice. Because clearly what this girl needs is one more form of stress in her life. No, instead I applied to go back to school. No, not the graduate school that I spoke of earlier. This is the local technical college (or vo-tech or whatever they call them these days).
In my defense it is something that has been in the back of my mind for a long time. And I have some good reasons for doing it, such as giving me an edge in my job hunt.......okay, now that I think about it that may be the only reason I am doing it.
As for deciding to apply for spring semester, well it wouldn't be my blog without a list, right?

• The course (in bookkeeping) is only two semesters. If I start in the spring then I will graduate before I turn 30
• Work is much more relaxed in the spring and therefore easier to balance with classes
•  If I start sooner I'll be done sooner and can then find a job sooner

So, with those reasons in mind and only two days to get everything done before the cut-off date for transfer students (prior to this I thought I had until January 4th to get it all in) I quickly threw together my application and turned it into the school. Then raced home to order my college transcript before they shut down for winter break and the next day I got up early and went to my old high school to request that my high school transcript be sent. Phew, I thought all was taken care of.

The next week I received my acceptance letter. Only it stated I couldn't register for classes until they received my high school transcript and proof of vaccination (which should be on the HS transcript). So I waited a few days thinking the high school had taken some days to process it and it would arrive at the college soon. I then called the college on the 21st - couldn't get anyone so I left a message and figured my ability to register would change after the holiday.

And dutifully I placed some calls again on the day after Christmas to make sure the transcript had arrived. Only the college has not received it yet. Fully two weeks after I requested that the high school send it. The high school is still on break and the office is closed until January 2nd. If by some chance I could get my hands on another transcript on the 2nd and take it over to the college myself I would only have until January 4th to set up an advising appointment and register for classes before being charged a late registration fee. If the classes I need aren't already full. And of course the 2nd and 3rd are inventory days at work which mean I have to be there earlier than usual leaving me less time to run around town dealing with this.

There is more frustration to this tale that actually begins before I turned in my application but in the interest of not making this a novel-length rant I will just sum up to say that I am about ready to throw in the towel and go back to my original plan of searching once again for a new job come the new year. But what if I don't find one?
If you are still reading what would you do?

Christmas Can't Come Soon Enough

Probably one of the ones nesting in the attic at work

Never was a time more ripe for maximizing relaxation and getting more sleep. I just got my work schedule for December. December happens to be our busiest month and is always the most stressful for me. And my boss has decided this year she's not going to hire seasonal help or make use of our part-time employees. Instead she has scheduled us all to work six days a week from now through December 24th. It was also casually suggested by my boss that I could come in for three hours on what will be my only day off (Wednesday) to cover an employee who has a prior commitment that day. Oh joy.

Why, oh why, did I think I could do one more Christmas season?? I always manage to squeak by on adrenaline only for it to crash when the season is over leading to an illness of one form or another. I've had a cold, hives, shingles (yes, at the ripe old age of 23), and one particularly special Christmas Day where I got my period and the flu. Oh and one year I had what I now know was a burst cyst (though the timing on that was probably a coincidence).

And to make matters worse one of my coworkers, and on-again/off-again best friend (it's complicated), is stressing himself out working two jobs (he really is a workaholic) and he's taking his stress out on me. Picking fights, yelling at me, finding something wrong with everything I do. It's really more stress that I just don't need right now.

 All of this on top of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Perhaps it's time I take up meditation.

Frozen downspout at work

Ice formation in squirrel tree

What you lookin' at?

One Done!

•  Pay off student loan

 I am officially DEBT FREE!!!

Over the past couple years I made occasional large payments towards my student loan debt to get it to a point where I felt comfortable paying the rest off as one big chunk. And at the beginning of November I finally made it to that point. And just yesterday I received confirmation that my loan is considered to be "paid in full".
It still took a large bite out of my already small savings but I don't want to think of that for now. Right now I just want to celebrate being debt free!!

Oh, and I came up with another thing to add to the list:

• Update vaccinations

Alone

 (Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. I know many of you understand how hard it is to lose a pet and your comments were very much appreciated.)


I miss my little princess so much. She really was the sweetest cat in the world. Never once did she bite, scratch, or hiss at me (or anyone). I don't think there will ever be another cat like her.

Last Thursday and Friday were really hard at work. I just wanted to tell everyone to shove it and then go curl up in a ball and cry. I was weepy all day at work, trying really hard not to cry in front of everyone, but my brain would just go there and I couldn't help it.

Home feels very lonely without my sweetheart, despite my parents living here. It's just not the same without her. I keep thinking I hear her meowing outside my bedroom door and I start to get up to let her in when I realize she's not there. I catch glimpses of black out of the corner of my eye and expect it to be her but it's not. I find myself wondering if she'll be in my room wanting her usual rubs when I come home from work, only to remember that she won't be.

I knew one day she would pass on. Her age was getting to her more and more since July and I thought I was prepared for this eventuality but you know, I never actually thought it would happen.