Mabel is at the doctor again.
I dropped her off at 7:30, and haven't heard from them yet. I'm hoping it's just that they haven't gotten to her yet, or are fixing her as we speak. I forgot to give Roger a dollar limit above which to call me...hopefully he'll call me before he makes any repairs. These guys are old family friends (mostly of my brother and sister) and at least one in-law (of my sister) and so I know they won't mess with me.
This getting off work at midnight and getting back to school at 8am the next morning is going to make my Tuesdays hell this semester...but I'm looking forward to my vacation in February. Feb. 10-12 backseatgaffer and I are going to Columbus, OH for the USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier--we're calling it Cold War II (La Guerra Fria Dos) because it *will* be outside...it was also outside in Columbus in February of 2001, and I was there, too. All 29F of it.
Then that weekend is A Scottish Ramble, the St. Paul indoor Scottish festival. I took Tuesday-Sunday off from work, using leftover vacation time from last year. I'll miss a half day of school on Tuesday and Thursday, and the full day of Wednesday that week.
I had my first classes at UWEC yesterday, they look to be interesting. This go-round it is X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Next round it will be X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Vacuum Systems Technology (I've heard that class sucks-tee hee). The nice thing is that UWEC has the equipment to work with. Their SEM is older than ours at CVTC, though and requires more manual work.
More good news: I get to keep my medical/dental/vision insurance through work despite falling under the full-time hourly average. Because I've been with the company for more than 24 months, I can still enroll in a regular plan. This is a great thing; considering the state of the economy, they could have cut us off, but thank God they did not leave us hanging. I wish I had more business training, in case nanotech didn't work out; I might have a future with this business, and it's a company I'm really coming to believe in. The difference in the plans it that I cannot add a spouse/domestic partner, but that's OK, because Gaffer has his own insurance, also through the same company. If I had kids/wards, I could still add them. The best part is that it keeps my costs low for my prescriptions, which I have three regular ones. This allows me to spend more on vitamins, which is more critical in winter than summer.
Speaking of winter...this is the hardest part of winter for those of us with SAD, and it has been hard for me, mostly because of Mabel's troubles. Today is hard only because I only got 5 hours of sleep. When I got up this morning, poor Pumbaa the Wonder Pig was still asleep in her corner, on her blankie and fluff. She was all puffed up, in an effort to keep warm. Poor thing. As for me, I have Gaffer's love and support, supportive (if sometimes annoyed) friends, and faith in God, and I try to think positively. But anxiety sometimes grips me tightly, and that's when I have trouble, especially when it involves money, transportation, or trouble with a co-worker.
Back to class...
This getting off work at midnight and getting back to school at 8am the next morning is going to make my Tuesdays hell this semester...but I'm looking forward to my vacation in February. Feb. 10-12 backseatgaffer and I are going to Columbus, OH for the USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier--we're calling it Cold War II (La Guerra Fria Dos) because it *will* be outside...it was also outside in Columbus in February of 2001, and I was there, too. All 29F of it.
Then that weekend is A Scottish Ramble, the St. Paul indoor Scottish festival. I took Tuesday-Sunday off from work, using leftover vacation time from last year. I'll miss a half day of school on Tuesday and Thursday, and the full day of Wednesday that week.
I had my first classes at UWEC yesterday, they look to be interesting. This go-round it is X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Next round it will be X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Vacuum Systems Technology (I've heard that class sucks-tee hee). The nice thing is that UWEC has the equipment to work with. Their SEM is older than ours at CVTC, though and requires more manual work.
More good news: I get to keep my medical/dental/vision insurance through work despite falling under the full-time hourly average. Because I've been with the company for more than 24 months, I can still enroll in a regular plan. This is a great thing; considering the state of the economy, they could have cut us off, but thank God they did not leave us hanging. I wish I had more business training, in case nanotech didn't work out; I might have a future with this business, and it's a company I'm really coming to believe in. The difference in the plans it that I cannot add a spouse/domestic partner, but that's OK, because Gaffer has his own insurance, also through the same company. If I had kids/wards, I could still add them. The best part is that it keeps my costs low for my prescriptions, which I have three regular ones. This allows me to spend more on vitamins, which is more critical in winter than summer.
Speaking of winter...this is the hardest part of winter for those of us with SAD, and it has been hard for me, mostly because of Mabel's troubles. Today is hard only because I only got 5 hours of sleep. When I got up this morning, poor Pumbaa the Wonder Pig was still asleep in her corner, on her blankie and fluff. She was all puffed up, in an effort to keep warm. Poor thing. As for me, I have Gaffer's love and support, supportive (if sometimes annoyed) friends, and faith in God, and I try to think positively. But anxiety sometimes grips me tightly, and that's when I have trouble, especially when it involves money, transportation, or trouble with a co-worker.
Back to class...