The Next Step

There will be a lot of changes for Philip and I in the new year.  Philip calls it the next step for our family.  I like the sound of that.  It sounds really nice.  In reality, it's actually pretty terrifying to me.  

In the spring of 2012, Philip and I will be quitting our jobs and moving to Indiana.  This is because Philip wants to go back to school to be a pilot.  I support his decision 100%.  The easiest way for us to be able to make this happen is for us to move to Indiana and stay with my parents for a while.  

It's not what I thought I'd be doing at 26 years old, but it's what's best for us.  Hopefully financing will come through and Philip will be able to finish pilot school quickly.  Even after he's finished, it will likely take a few years for him to really get his foot in the door.  So, we will be making far less money than we are now.  Philip's solution?  He's encouraged me to go back to school.  

It's no secret that my college degree has gotten me absolutely nowhere.  I make the same amount of money that I would had I not gotten a degree.  There's not really any potential for me to make any more money unless I get a different degree.  

I understand that.  It's just terrifying to think about going back to school at this point.  I just thought I was done, you know?  Classes and papers and tests seem really scary after spending the past few years in office jobs.  

So what am I considering?  Nursing school.  I know it's supposed to be really hard, but that's not the scary part to me.  I'm good at sciences and have an excellent memory.  I'm even really good with people, so that part doesn't bother me.  Most people who know me would assume that it would be the needles that would keep me from nursing.  However, needles are mostly just bothersome to me, not other people.  I just don't want needles entering my body (which I have been working on in recent years -- I even had to have blood taken and didn't hyperventilate or have a panic attack just a few months ago) -- other people's bodies don't bother me so much!  Ha!  

I honestly think I would like nursing if I got into the right field.  The part that scares me is, what if I don't?  What if I spend thousands more dollars getting another degree that I don't like or won't use?  

Hopefully some of my credits will transfer so I can get a jump on it and not have to be in school for as long.  Ugh.  It's just scary.  

But, you all know me: always up for a challenge.  

The school thing isn't the only scary part about our "next step."  We are packing up and moving across the country again.  It's been less than 2 years since our last cross-country move.  And, I love Colorado.  It's so beautiful.  I love seeing the mountains every day on my drive into work.  And I love the weather.  I will certainly miss the lack of humidity come summertime.  It's just so nice.    

And I'll miss my job.  Philip has it a lot easier in that area.  He hates his job.  It's no big deal for him to put in his 2 weeks notice and say adios.  I actually like my job.  And, I don't want to leave them high and dry.  So, I will have to put in my notice soon so that I can find a replacement and train the person before we move.  And that all sounds depressing.  

This move will be more stressful because neither of us has a job lined up for when we arrive (last time Philip had a job to start when we got to Colorado).  And, now we both have car payments.  So we will both need to find jobs very quickly upon arriving in Indiana!

It's going to be interesting and terrifying all at the same time!  I like thinking about the positives.  We'll be with my family who I miss so much (and Philip does, too).  We'll be making steps towards our goal of starting a family.  Philip will be doing something that he wants to do rather than a job that he hates.  I'll get to learn new things.  We'll eventually be making a great living!  

It's all going to be wonderful in the end.  I'm just nervous about taking this giant leap!  Wish us luck!

Christmas 2011 is done!

And woweee it was a big one.  Philip and I are so spoiled.  We got movies and books and games and clothes and gadgets galore.  And, we had Skype dates with our families.  Unfortunately, Philip had to work Christmas night, but we still had a good dinner beforehand.  Again this year, it was just the 2 of us (and our four pups, of course!).  

Friday night, we opened presents with my family (it was the only time that worked with all of my sister and her bf's Christmas events).  Highlights: I got a Cricut (yayyyyyyyyyyy!) and Philip got some expensive Star Wars Legos that have been discontinued.  We had gotten my parents a laptop for Christmas (which they used to Skype with us) and we went in half with my parents on a tv for my sister and her boyfriend.  Everyone was super happy, I think!  :)

After we finished with my parents, we decided to keep on opening gifts.  Highlights: Philip got an iPad from me (several weeks ago) as well as a baseball autographed by Mariano Rivera and I got a Kindle Fire and new pearl earrings from him.  :)

Saturday we did a little shopping and picked up a case for his baseball.  Then on Sunday we opened gifts with his family.  Highlights: Philip got a new drill (he really needed one; our old one was terrible!) and I got new pots and pans.  :)  

Our movie collection is just insane at this point.  We've got something like 550 movies, over 100 tv shows, and I don't know how many documentaries.  Philip's video game collection grew quite a bit over the weekend, too!  

Yep, we are spoiled.  But, I think I'm okay with that.  ;)

Who Needs Luck?

I'm actually referring to Andrew Luck, the quarterback who will likely be the first round NFL draft pick.  The Colts have been absolutely atrocious this year without Peyton Manning.  It's still up in the air whether or not Manning will be able to play at all next year or ever again.  It's been said that he is healing well, but is he going to be the same quarterback even if he does play again?

I don't know.  What I do know is that I freakin' love Peyton Manning.  He's the best.  Had he not had to have these surgeries, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have shattered all records.  

But, it did happen.  And after all that he's done for the Colts, I think he deserves a chance.  My boss keeps telling me that the Colts just need to drop Manning and suck for Luck.  However, I am happy that we've won our last 2 games.  We're still at the bottom and will get the first round draft pick if we lose next week.  But, I don't care.  I always want my Colts to win.  

I'm going to hold out hope that we can hold on to Peyton Manning and that he will continue to be who he's always been!  Even the Colts owner is with me on this.  He has said that if Manning can play next year, he will definitely be with the Colts.  

"I think there is a lot of speculation about the draft pick and all those sorts of things, but I think what people have to realize is this: Is the likes of Peyton Manning to be seen again?  It is not coming, if ever, for a very, very long time. You’re not going to go in this draft or the next draft and get another Peyton Manning."

Damn straight.  I know a lot of people think we should go out and lose next week so that we can draft Luck, but I just want to go back to our Manning glory days!  Luck might be a good prospect, but I highly doubt that he will ever be a Peyton Manning.  

I'm still alive, mostly

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in forever.  I am still mostly alive.  I say mostly because I've had a cold for several weeks now.  It's really weird for me because normally I don't even get sick.  And when I do, it usually doesn't last long at all.  

This cold is a pain in the butt.  I start to feel better for a day or two and think I'm on the mend.  Then it comes back even worse!  It just won't be gone!  Now my ear sounds like there is a river running through it.  It's even painful at times.  I'm guessing this is an ear infection but I don't really know since I don't think I've ever had one (that I can remember).  And, my head is killing me!  And on top of that, my teeth hurt!  WTH?  I did a google search of my symptoms and it sounds like I have a sinus infection on top of my cold.  

It'd be better if I didn't still have this stupid cough.  Every time I cough, I feel like my head is going to explode.  I think I'm going to try to get a doctors appointment for later today so I can get some antibiotics and kick this infection in the butt.  I really want to get better before Christmas! 

My thoughts on OWS

I haven't said anything on here regarding OWS.  It's mostly because I wasn't really sure how to say it.  I don't agree with OWS 100%, but I definitely see where they're coming from.  Even if I didn't agree with them, I freakin' love protests.  It's just the most beautiful way of showing that the America I want to be a part of still exists.  Our first amendment rights to free speech still exist!  Sort of...

Anyway, I wanted to touch on what exactly I do like about OWS.  I understand them.  I worked at least 2 jobs and went to school full time for four years (at least 15 credit hours every semester).  I worked hard.  And I still came out of college with over $23,000 in student loan debt.  And then the opportunities to get good jobs was just pitiful.  I'm making the same amount of money as a college grad as I did before I had a degree.

The people of my generation were always told to go to college so that we could get a good job and not be flipping burgers for the rest of our lives.  So, off we went to college.  And then the only jobs available are flipping burgers or something else menial.  And then the older generations complain that my generation doesn't want to do anything to get our hands dirty.  Perhaps that's because we were always told that we shouldn't accept that.  We were told to go to college and everything would be peachy.  We'd have great jobs and great futures.  Well, that was a crock.  

I'd be able to have the job I have now without a degree.  I would still be in the same place that I am now but with far less debt.  And I'm in a better position than most of my fellow graduates.  It's depressing.

I worked hard.  I did it for myself, on my own.  And I am no better off than if I hadn't gone to college.  

I read this story a week or so ago.  It's a letter to the OWS protesters from a supposed Marine.  The marine says:

I am a former Marine.
I work two jobs.
I don’t have health insurance.
I worked 60-70 hours a week for 8 years to pay my way through college.
I haven’t had 4 consecutive days off in over 4 years.
But I don’t blame Wall Street.
Suck it up you whiners.
I am the 53%.
God bless the USA!

The writer applauds the marine's hard work and then says: 

I understand your pride in what you’ve accomplished, but I want to ask you something.

Do you really want the bar set this high?  Do you really want to live in a society where just getting by requires a person to hold down two jobs and work 60 to 70 hours a week?  Is that your idea of the American Dream?

And that, I think, is a big reason I support the OWS movement.  I put in my hard work, but it hasn't gotten me anywhere.  Where is my American Dream?  I don't expect anyone to give me a handout.  I just don't want the richest people to be able to continue to get richer while I spend money and work hard only to get nowhere.  

It's to the point where I pretty much decided (even before the OWS movement) that I won't be voting in 2012.  It doesn't matter if I vote Democrat or Republican.  They're all controlled by the rich lobbyists.  Politicians don't give a rat's @ss what I think once they're in office because I have no money to give them.  I'd like to step back to the previous letter once more because I think the writer makes an excellent point.  

Look kid, I don’t want you to “get by” working two jobs and 60 to 70 hours a week.  If you’re willing to put in that kind of effort, I want you to get rich.  I want you to have a comprehensive healthcare plan.  I want you vacationing in the Bahamas every couple of years, with your beautiful wife and healthy, happy kids.  I want you rewarded for your hard work, and I want your exceptional effort to reap exceptional rewards.  I want you to accumulate wealth and invest it in Wall Street.  And I want you to make more money from those investments.

I understand that a prosperous America needs people with money to invest, and I’ve got no problem with that.  All other things being equal, I want all the rich people to keep being rich.  And clever financiers who find ways to get more money into the hands of promising entrepreneurs should be rewarded for their contributions as well.

I think Wall Street has an important job to do, I just don’t think they’ve been doing it.  And I resent their sense of entitlement – their sense that they are special and deserve to be rewarded extravagantly even when they screw everything up.

I don't think it's fair that the taxpayers have to pay for bailouts while the people who got us in this mess are still raking in the big bucks.  

(Source)

I just want there to be consequences for f*cking up our nation.  I want my vote/voice to matter.  I want my hard work to mean something and get me somewhere.  So, yes, OWS may not be perfect and you may not agree with them wholeheartedly, but you should at least be pissed about the same things they are.  And even if you aren't, you should still support their rights to protest 100%.  Not to do so is just un-American.  Love the first amendment!