Shiny Happy Wendy Update
First off, I'm sorry...I know that this is loooooonnnnnggggg overdue. But sometimes I get reflective, and my life stagnates, and there are just these big gaps. Anyway, where did I leave off?? Oh yeah! I graduated with my MSW in May, which made me outrageously happy. I also got to see Kayla who I missed SO MUCH and am starting to miss again and lots of other friends. It was great to see how well Ellie is doing, and Julie looks great! I also got to see my friend Lindsay again...I'm so glad that she graduated, and I'm real proud of her. Going back to graduation always reminds me that I actually had FRIENDS at Hanover, which seems really implausable looking back on who and where I was. :)
I got to see some alums again too. Sharon looks great, and she's as fun and upbeat and awesome as ever. I got to see Jen and Ernest too, who I hadn't seen in a while, and I was glad to see that they also looked great and were enjoying married life. I honestly hold no grudges there.....the HASAH at Hanover situation was a powder keg, and I wish that there was someway to salvage it, Jen's a really good person and there are lots of memories. But at least we were able to be friendly without any open bitterness, and I have learned at times to cut my losses. I've forgiven and remember the good times with warmth, but sometimes it's too much to ask when so many feelings are hurt to bury a hatchet. Oh bother, I blather on a lot....anyway, I'm glad she's happy and it was nice to see everyone again. Elllie had a great graduation party, and her family is the kewlest....so close knit and fairly laidback and avid readers. It was great to stay at Kayla's new apartment too...it's gorgeous and just as nice as mine at about 1/3 of the cost, but it's my fault for living in DC. :)
Oh right! My good news: I finally got HIRED!!! That's right...I got the call on Thursday, and I start Monday. I'm going to be a placement specialist for the foster program at the National Center for Children and Families. Here's the agency link if you are curious: http://www.nccf-cares.org/. They are a non-profit organization that contracts with the DC government to place foster children with mental illness. The thing is the job requires almost no driving, but needs a really organized person, who can coordinate a database and handle complex transactions and persuade people over the phone. Perfect job for me! When a child needs placement in any of our three foster programs, I update the database of foster families, persuade a foster family to take the child, and fill out all the paperwork. I also do temporary placements when a foster parent will be in the hospital or traveling for a few days, which is called respite placement. The drawback is that I'm on-call weekends and at night in case of emergencies, but I tend to be used to friends calling me at odd hours anyway. Oh I'm nervous but excited to finally be able to try my hand at some real live social work. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes. Cross your fingers for me!
And finally more awesome news: after months of fights and cajoling Daniel and I are FINALLY moving in together near the end of August! Hopefully by then I will have saved some money, since monthly rent comes out to about half my paycheck, and after deductions, that doesn't leave much room for screwups!! The place is beautiful though, and I'm real excited. It's a bit out of the way of the DC metro area, which should make it more affordable, but it's real pretty and has a nice spacious living room/dining room and master bedroom. The bathroom has a nice large tub too, which I love. Best of all, I could afford an in apartment washer/dryer and a small den for Daniel so I won't smother him to bits. We also get a nice large patio. We haven't signed the papers yet, but I'm in love with it, and Daniel seems pretty positive, so it's probably the one we'll move into. The good news is that I make $40,000 a year...the bad news is that rent will be about $1,450 per month...I TOLD you all cost of living was high here! Oh if you want to share my joy and see the complex go here: http://www.rent.com/rentals/washington-dc/washington-dc-and-vicinity/fairfax/433453/.
Anyways, I'll try to post more often, and I hope that all of you are doing well and I'll try to call more! :)
I got to see some alums again too. Sharon looks great, and she's as fun and upbeat and awesome as ever. I got to see Jen and Ernest too, who I hadn't seen in a while, and I was glad to see that they also looked great and were enjoying married life. I honestly hold no grudges there.....the HASAH at Hanover situation was a powder keg, and I wish that there was someway to salvage it, Jen's a really good person and there are lots of memories. But at least we were able to be friendly without any open bitterness, and I have learned at times to cut my losses. I've forgiven and remember the good times with warmth, but sometimes it's too much to ask when so many feelings are hurt to bury a hatchet. Oh bother, I blather on a lot....anyway, I'm glad she's happy and it was nice to see everyone again. Elllie had a great graduation party, and her family is the kewlest....so close knit and fairly laidback and avid readers. It was great to stay at Kayla's new apartment too...it's gorgeous and just as nice as mine at about 1/3 of the cost, but it's my fault for living in DC. :)
Oh right! My good news: I finally got HIRED!!! That's right...I got the call on Thursday, and I start Monday. I'm going to be a placement specialist for the foster program at the National Center for Children and Families. Here's the agency link if you are curious: http://www.nccf-cares.org/. They are a non-profit organization that contracts with the DC government to place foster children with mental illness. The thing is the job requires almost no driving, but needs a really organized person, who can coordinate a database and handle complex transactions and persuade people over the phone. Perfect job for me! When a child needs placement in any of our three foster programs, I update the database of foster families, persuade a foster family to take the child, and fill out all the paperwork. I also do temporary placements when a foster parent will be in the hospital or traveling for a few days, which is called respite placement. The drawback is that I'm on-call weekends and at night in case of emergencies, but I tend to be used to friends calling me at odd hours anyway. Oh I'm nervous but excited to finally be able to try my hand at some real live social work. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes. Cross your fingers for me!
And finally more awesome news: after months of fights and cajoling Daniel and I are FINALLY moving in together near the end of August! Hopefully by then I will have saved some money, since monthly rent comes out to about half my paycheck, and after deductions, that doesn't leave much room for screwups!! The place is beautiful though, and I'm real excited. It's a bit out of the way of the DC metro area, which should make it more affordable, but it's real pretty and has a nice spacious living room/dining room and master bedroom. The bathroom has a nice large tub too, which I love. Best of all, I could afford an in apartment washer/dryer and a small den for Daniel so I won't smother him to bits. We also get a nice large patio. We haven't signed the papers yet, but I'm in love with it, and Daniel seems pretty positive, so it's probably the one we'll move into. The good news is that I make $40,000 a year...the bad news is that rent will be about $1,450 per month...I TOLD you all cost of living was high here! Oh if you want to share my joy and see the complex go here: http://www.rent.com/rentals/washington-dc/washington-dc-and-vicinity/fairfax/433453/.
Anyways, I'll try to post more often, and I hope that all of you are doing well and I'll try to call more! :)