Hopes and Dreams

So, as many of you know, Michelle is graduating in December with her Masters. We've been talking a long time about after her graduating, moving up to Bossier City where her parents live. It would be alot closer to both of our families. We'd be living in the same town as her parents and grandparents instead of a 4.5 hour drive. We'd be 2.5 hours from my grandparents instead of 5, and 4.5-5 hours from my mom instead of 6.7-7. Plus, we both like Bossier alot better than Baton Rouge. Anyway, like I said in a previous post, Michelle will probably have a job when we move up there. That's awesome and exciting. I, however, am still worried that without a degree I will have trouble finding a job. Because of that and things at work (I'll talk about that in a bit) I've already started looking. I've already applied at the new Cyber Innovation Center. It's a new company opening up in Bossier City, dealing with cyperspace security and research. It hasn't opened yet though. Michelle's aunt works for a company where the innovation center will be pulling alot of their employee's. Also, a friend of Michelle's family has been working closely with one of the big wig's for the center and he has thrown my name out there too. So, hopefully my name has been out longer than most other applicants. That would be a great job if I got it. Exactly the type of job I want, and so much room for growth. However, when Michelle's aunt was talking to them about me, they did bring up the fact that I don't have a degree. DOH!!! My biggest fears coming to fruition. Michelle said her aunt replied, "Well, I don't have a degree either and I've been working here for seven years." GO AUNT!!! That was really awesome of her. However, it still stings that I might get overlooked because of not having a degree. Damn me and the stupid mistakes I've made in the past. It seems like they'll haunt me forever. I know that the won't, because I'm slowly fixing them, but still. I hate the fact that it seems Michelle has to pay for some of the mistakes I made. Michelle says she knew my mistakes and problems before she married me, and she knew what she was getting into, but it still doesn't make it ok that she has to pay for my stupid, childish mistakes. I really hope I get that job, or some job up there soon. My company here just filed chapter 11 bankruptcy. That means we're not closing our doors, we just have all our debt cleared, but all future business has to be monitored by the judge and business professionals. The way I understand it, they made out a business plan, and we have to follow it. I am pretty sure that this business plan has two installs a week in it. That's not possible. We are installing this new software that only I really have been trained on (1 week of training in June, whoopie), so that pretty much means that I'm going on every install. I was gone last week from Monday morning till thursday night, getting back at midnight Thursday night. This week, we are supposed to do an install tomorrow, which means I'll probably be out of town this week from Tuesday till probably Thursday or Friday. And we have about 8 more installs lined up after this one. I can't do that. I can't be out of town every week for 9 more weeks. But, no one else knows the software, and there is no time to train anyone. I feel like I've learned as much as I ever will at this job. I'm already support manager, so there's no room for promotion, just raises...which won't come anytime soon considering they just filed bankruptcy. I sometimes feel like the company is slowly circling the drain. Definitely slowly, but still going down all the same. This job is not where I want to spend the rest of my years working. I had big hopes when I became manager of changing how things went and making processes and procedures better. However, with the small number of employess, and the work that keeps piling up, there is no time to execute these new procedures. Also, none of the other managers/big wigs seem to be motivated to help. They just want to coast, and do enough to get by, so I have no support in making the changes needed. And when I do suggest something, they all look at me like I'm sucking up to the boss man. I definitely feel like I'm in a stagnant, dead in job again, and want to get out. I feel like my only hope is getting a job up in Bossier as soon as possible and quitting this job. I really don't think Michelle would have a problem with me moving up there sooner than her, seeing as how we can't apply for a house until we know our salaries up there. Anyway, pray for us...that I will get a good job (or that I will get the job at the Cyber Innovation Center) and pray that Michelle is not too stressed out with work or school. Pray for us in general.

If I'm a prince...

I'm only a prince cuz I've married a princess.

The Prince

Let me preface everything I'm about to say by saying I love my husband. I don't know if it was the age that we met. Maybe we were still evolving into the people we would become, but my husband has turned into quite the diva lately. When I met him, he slept on a hand-me-down water bed that didn't have sheets. Instead of sheets, he just used blankets that never really stayed tucked in and left your skin exposed to the cold plastic during the middle of the night. Well, right after we got married I was able to get a really good deal on a set of sheets. They were 1000 thread count Eygptian Cotton, and they were insanely marked down. So, I had to get them with one of our giftcards. I guess my expensive taste wore off on John over time because he started to love the sheets too. Lexi, the demon that she is, chewed a huge hole in our top sheet. When we went back to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, the best sheets that we could get were a 620 thread count. We just weren't about to spend $200 on sheets. Well, last night all I heard about was how rough those sheets were on his delicate little skin. It's just so funny hearing him say those things. My, how five years will change a man.

Not enough hours in the day

Did the days shrink or something? I really don't understand it. Back in college there was always time to relax, go out, watch tv, work out, study, or just plain not doing anything. Now there is never enough time. I even wake up earlier than I did in college and go to bed at relatively the same time (except for nights I used to go out). So, what happened to all that time? I used to have classes that took up most of my day and a part time job, and now I only have a job and I still get home later most days than I did back then. How is it possible? I don't even have a break at work anymore now that I'm Support Manager. Before I was manager, there were busy days, and there were slow days to relax some. Now, everyday is a constant 10 hours of work (7:30am-5:30pm, and mostly working through lunch) There's always a million things going through my mind on my mental "to do" list. I never used to have a "to do" list. It was always a "tomorrow" list if you get my meaning. I need another vacation. So, besides working my tail off at work, I've been trying to study to get some more computer certifications. That's not doing too well. There are certain evenings when I know I won't have time to study, but on some mornings I think, "ok, I have nothing planned tonight, I will be able to go home and study a few hours" However, when I finally sit down to study, I realize it's only an hour or so before bedtime. Where'd the rest of the evening go? Also, I've been trying to get back into a work out schedule. Last week I woke up every morning the same time Michelle wakes up and jogged for 30 minutes at our apartment's exercise room. This week, it's only been about every other day I've ran. At least I've stayed fairly constant with lifting weights every other day. Plus, Michelle and I have started looking for houses in Bossier City. I can't wait to move, but it also makes me nervous. With all the contacts Michelle has made, and the people she knows, it's almost a certainty that she will get a good job up there in her field of study. However, since I don't have my degree, I'm not so sure about myself. I've made alot of progress with my current job, even getting promoted to manager after only 2 years. My boss there praises me to everyone, and my co-workers all come to me for help and I can tell they respect me. So, I'm worried that without my degree, even with my experience and certifications and all that, I'm not going to get a good job and will have to go back to basic phone support or bench technician. I would hate that. I would do it because that's life, and I'd have to, but I'd hate it. I'm not saying I'm looking for management right off the bat again, but there are alot of jobs when I've been searching that I say, "I'd be perfect for that" and then I see "4 year degree required". Crushing. Anyway, so, keep both Michelle and me in your prayers. Pray that Michelle will get through this semester, that I won't go insane at my job, and that we both get good jobs, and a good house in Bossier.

Growing up makes me nervous.

Well, the semester has started, and it really seems to be off to a smooth start. Neither one of my classes seems overwhelmingly difficult. Basically, I'm just going to have to take tests, no major projects. Also, my advisor informed me that my final exam for my Masters will be this month. He did say that he thinks they'll be able to use what I did last semester. So, keep your fingers crossed for me.
Moving on, I've been harassing John to write a blog. In fact, I made him promise that he would write blogs as well before I even made the page, but I'm still waiting on that one. Well, it's not like I've told the Fam or friends about it, so since nobody's reading, I guess it's OK that I'm the only one writing.
We spent Labor Day weekend with my family, and it just makes me want to move back more and more. I can't believe that the whole time we were growing up, I couldn't wait to get out of Bossier City. Now here I am seven years later, and I can't wait to go back. Mr. Terry and Toby went to work at the camp for the weekend, so Mrs. Peggy was with us. Mimi, Mom, Mrs. Peggy, and I all went to some open houses on Monday. It made me realize how much I would love to have a new home, so I can have a hand in some of the design, but it also made me realize how un-prepared we are for that. We don't even know what price range to be looking in. So, I'm spending my time on the internet, looking for mortgage information. Sometimes I just look around and wonder, how did we get here? John and I met just over five years ago. At that time we were more interested in drinking games and where we were going out that night. Owning a home wasn't even on the spectrum. Let's face it, getting married wasn't even in the realm of possibilities at that point.
So, I've gotten distracted by Charm City Cakes and the fact that bed time is fastly approaching. I had a point, but I don't really remember what it was at this point, so I'll just end it here. I should probably try to go read Ecology.

Life happens

I won't pretend that I'll be the best creatively when it comes to designing our blog, but I do think that I'll be the one who ends up writing more in it. Now that I've put that in print, I'm sure John's going to do his best to prove me wrong. That being said, on with the blogging.

I'm not usually so nervous about a semester, but this is the big one. I've scheduled six hours, which isn't so bad. I did seven last semester with minor breakdowns (notice I said only minor). I printed out most of the forms that I will need to submit to the Graduate office in order to graduate. I still have to transfer 12 of the 13 hours I took as a non-degree seeking student in order to qualify, but that shouldn't be a problem. I'll fax that form tomorrow. The other ones are a tad bit more intimidating. Most disappointingly, I have to schedule a final exam...again. Last semester was the big one for all the students that started the program. Most of them actually graduated/will graduate this month. So, it was requested of me to do a huge poster/final presentation with them, which I just did in May. I'm REALLY hoping not much will be required of me this semester as far as that goes. I e-mailed my advisor tonight, so hopefully he'll be able to give me some good news tomorrow.

Other than that, hopefully, John and I will have some really excellent news for everybody tomorrow. That's right, we're playing the powerball ladies and gentlemen. A cool $114 million to take home in one easy payment. Sigh, if only, if only.