What's in the Works

It's been a while since my last post. Mostly, I've been enjoying my non-academic life, having to pinch myself every so often that there are NO more assignments due. It's like I keep remembering it's only Saturday and I still have another day off before I go back to work. That permission to relax and not have the wheels spinning in my head, strategically planning when and how I'll do this or get that done. Four classes and working full-time, I was truly in a mental frenzy. 

Aziza has a book report to do. Well, actually it's a poster representing the book with images and whatnot. When she told me it was due this coming Friday, I said, "I can help you with that if you want." She was like, "Okay, but don't get crazy, it's still my project." I just laughed to myself because I know I can get a little intense sometimes planning and thinking creatively. She does get irritated with me but in all fairness, all I said to start with is that she should sketch it out on regular paper what she wants the poster to look like. Assemble a mock first so when she's ready to paste everything down, it will be exactly where she wants it. Just a little forethought so I won't need to run out and get new poster board and reprint any images already glued down to the failed attempt. Her method is to jump in and just start pasting stuff, fitting it as she goes. I'm a lot more Type A and could never do it like that. 

Needless to say, the difference in our bedrooms say it all. I'm lucky I can find her in her room some days. I can't tell which mound is her or piles of clothes and blankets. I'm definitely a little more Felix than that 😉. I purchased the Odd Couple DVD from Amazon for her as a gag gift for Hanukkah. I thought their issues with one being an OCD neat freak and the other a slob, was undoubtedly us. She watched a few episodes and smirked here and there, almost not wanting me to know it was funny.

Anyway, so yes, January is rolling by and I am spending time thinking about my future and my career path. I've interviewed for a senior position to the one I'm in now with social services Case Integrity Unit. I've applied for another state exam in the Criminal Justice Services Department, and there is a probation officer trainee position in Delaware County. that they are looking to fill provisionally until an exam is scheduled. I've updated my resume and completed the application. That really would be my first choice, and it would be ideal for both Aziza and I, as I'd love the job and she's eager to make a new start somewhere and make new friends. 

We had some bullying issues recently with kids that she was very close to, that I was close to. So needless to say, she is very disappointed in how her friends turned on her and are now anything but her friends. So she's on board for change, which is usually my only battle. I'm okay with change, with challenge, with survival. I moved upstate in 2002 and didn't know a soul. I made it work and even met some dear people along the way. So if she's willing, I'm ready. I hope you'll keep your fingers crossed for me that something in my chosen field comes into my life soon. I'm about 20 years behind already! 😮

2016: It's a Wrap

There is a lot to say on this first day of 2017, and the first is that I am typing better than I was three days ago when I sliced open my left index finger on the lid of a Progresso soup can. Save yourselves and stay away from it. Those lids are faulty and it was not the first time I cut myself on the lid but it was the worst. So basically, I'm recovering from my injury. What made me laugh was when the intern present in the ER with the doctor patching me up said "It looks like a Frankenstein finger." A little ER humor. He wasn't actually an intern, he was still a med student but graduating soon.

So, some other big news for me is I'm finally a college graduate, and when I checked my graduation status the other day, it said that I was graduating summa cum laude, which means with highest honors. Honestly, I worked my butt off to get every A and I just wouldn't settle for less, so when I say how happy I am, multiply that by ten. I think the greatest revelation is that I have no more exams to take, research and papers to write, PowerPoint presentations to put together, or discussion board posts to participate in. My time now is my own, and thank God for that since I have about 50+ books on my Kindle I want to read. I find some of the BEST free or $.99 indie books and just can't help myself. I've been collecting them for some time and reading three right now. If you're ever looking for a good book to read and you enjoy e-Books, I can definitely recommend some. I read a lot of mysteries, crime novels, and literary fiction. Basically, I read the synopsis, read the reviews, take a look at a quick sample of the writing and if all seem good, I download. It's become sort of a hobby now.

There's no doubt that 2016 was a challenging year. Aziza was still sick with Celiac, which we finally have a complete handle on and she is doing great. I was taking classes back-to-back, spring-summer-fall, and all full-time with an internship, so I was overloaded to say the least. We all endured a very trying and ultimately for some, a disappointing presidential election, and without saying too much on that, I will only say that I pray for all of us. The way our new pres-elect is dismissing our own government agencies and their findings is very scary. We very well may have a traitor in the White House. The drama with our new pres-elect grows more and more disturbing as we get closer to him being in the White House. This is becoming that car crash I need to look away from but can't. I want to be oblivious and just focus on my fictional novels, live in a bubble where the real world doesn't have to exist. With how massive input can be from all forms of social media and TV, there's no way to escape it, no way to hide under the covers until it's all over. I can only hope good wins out here. Right now it seems like we are on a fast-track to a dark place, and maybe that's dramatic but with the current political climate, I'm finding it hard to see anything different.

On a much, much lighter note, I'm pleased to be writing poetry again. It's been about 6+ months since I was able to dedicate any time or thoughts to poetry writing. Publishing the last two poetry collections was a real labor of love, and it does take a lot out of you. You go into media mode after the book is together and then it's all marketing. I learned so much about book marketing - online marketing, that is - that if you ever want to self-publish and promote your own book, I can lead you in the right direction. But for me right now, I have a new blog, As Write as Rain, and I'm just enjoying writing and sharing, and will do that throughout the year. A new collection in 2018? I think so.

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy new year! What you didn't do or get done last year, make 2017 your year!