Mid-September Happenings

Thought after yesterday's rant it might be a good idea to also post a quick update on life:

1) New term starts on the 23rd. I'll be teaching 14 credits. Two sections of our basic intro health course (2 evenings a week) and two of the stress course (both sections online). There is a new book for one class so that requires edits to lecture slides, planning, and exam questions. This next week I have to finalize the syllabus and edits to that course while the online courses are ready to go. Tuesday is all day inservice. While I'm happy to be "overloading" this term, there's going to be quite a bit of prepping/grading this term compared to others.

2) For the first time this year I broke my no new clothes challenge. I used a gift card to buy black skinny jeans...and I'm in love with them. Nine months and one new purchase still feels okay. Obviously I've purchased some thrifted wear and actually a few needed new items for running, but I think I should make it fine through the rest of the year keeping the no new purchase challenge back in tact.

3) I'm registered for massage school. I'll be in class Tuesday, Thursday, Friday days. It's a one year program. I have my financial aid set-up and with both rooms rented and my student loans deferred I should be able to make my payments and be okay. Again, I'm actually excited to be headed back into the learning environment and am hopeful for how this option will mesh well with the health instruction piece that I already do. Additionally I was told that after I practice for two years, I will be eligible to teach at the massage school also....how cool would that be? My idea would be to continue to instruct "part-time" and also massage part-time--both options together would get me squarely back on my feet as long as my course loads remain fairly secure....

4)  T returned to California and the dogs were sad to see him go. M is back in Taiwan. My other male housemate moves out on Sunday and the new gal taking his place arrives on Monday (and starts school on the 23rd), so the rest of Sunday will be spent flipping the room. The other new gal arrived on the 7th and she starts her internship on Monday. Again, I'm crossing fingers that the three of us females mesh well and are busy yet patient enough to live well together until mid-December. At the very least, it's nice to know that I (hopefully) shouldn't have to worry about searching for another housemate until after M is back. While M was here, we discussed potentially renting the middle room out to short-term renters when he returns, although it also dawned on me that he's a lil noisier than some so we'll see. ;) If all goes according to plan (cough, cough...when does the plan actually work out?! :)), then M should be here as a renter until next summer so we'll see....

5) Ironically I'm also sort-of being considered for a full-time position at my college. Second responses ended Friday. The job sounds fun and like a good fit. I'm not anticipating getting it but how ironic would it be if I suddenly did when I already have the massage school option lined up? I'm seriously, seriously crossing my fingers that any decisions will be made prior to school starting on the 28th, otherwise I'm up a creek without a paddle (ie out a chunk of change if I take the job....). Even if I did get the job and with a full teaching load, I think I'd still try to take one massage class at a time. Now that I'm registered, I truly do feel like I should do the massage option regardless. It'd make for an incredibly busy fall (and massively neglected dogs...) but it's a HUGE IF anyway and it'd pay off big time in the long run.

6) That vet trip took care of lots of birds with one stone. I also had Roxi tested again for heart worms since it'd been four years since her last positive test (she contracted them while at the humane society aka puppy seeming mill where we adopted her....) and we've been "treating" her with the backwoods method offered in Louisiana. (The actual heartworm treatment is incredibly expensive, hard to come by at times, and requires keeping an animal less active for 30 days. If you've met this dog, keeping her less active would not happen...and she's happy go lucky and healthy seeming even with the dreadful worms.) Both dogs had their nails trimmed and a general once over. I also have realized in the last two days that all four animals are dealing with fleas (most months they don't have them) so a Costco trip for flea treatment for all of them is happening.

7) Car is also getting overhauled as it was due for an oil change and I needed new wipers as we head into the rainy season. Seats are getting cleaned as they were N A S T Y from all the outdoor pursuits: dirt, sweat, water stains. (All human related as the dogs are relegated to the back.) Also discovered I needed new brakes so they're taking care of all of that at once. This summer saw more off-road type terrain for the Sorento and I continue to be happy for the AWD capabilities and separate space for the dirty dogs (even if I still miss my Civic gas mileage). Hopefully all this car servicing will get me through until at least mid-winter.

8) Which as horrible of a financial choice as this is, I've basically started just putting stuff on credit again for now. I know that I should be living within my means but with things like the vet trip and needed brakes etc (and the reality that my credit card balance really is going no where right now), it makes the credit card seem like a viable option. It's always still my goal to get myself into a much better financial situation and I have to believe that in a year or two that situation will truly arrive. I just need to keep working ahead to get there...and as weird as it sounds somehow I have to trust that getting myself a lil more in a hole might actually pay out in the end. (I know, I know....)

9) I have this goal to come up with a better composting situation and to convert one of my raised beds to try my hand at winter gardening this year. We'll see if it all happens. I also need to get my hands on some apples for sauce, apple butter, etc. Canned 7 quarts of tomato sauce from my tomatoes and tomatoes from my aunts.

10) And that's about life in a nutshell. Some of the other stuff I'm hoping to post separately...maybe pre-scheduled :)