I’m up late and thinking lots of things, so this might be a long post. Interesting week. Interesting weekend. The biggest event, of course, was today’s visit to the hospital.

It’s almost 4:30 a.m. and I think I’m losing coherency and rambling. Better hit the sack so I can care for the sick and wounded tomorrow. If you’ve made it this far in my super-long post, congratulations. You either love me a lot or have nothing else to do. I’ll choose to believe the latter.

‘Night!

As it is Veteran's Day, and as I work for state government, I had a day at home today.  It was a pretty productive day, too.  My craft room was a disaster!  I spent around 6 hours in there today getting things put back where they belong.  I had been avoiding the room for a few weeks because of how chaotic it was.  Now, it's a lot better.  There are a few things I need to find homes for, but it's livable again.  I even strung a necklace, though I didn't finish it.  Yay me.

While I worked in my craft room, I listened to Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn.  I picked up this audio when Audible.com had a Halloween sale.  I read four Kitty novels back in 2008 and remember I really liked them.  But I haven't picked up the two books in the series that came out this year.  I mean, I bought them, but I avoided reading them.  Though I remember I liked the story, I didn't remember the details.  But listening to it today reminded me why I liked them.  I think I'll listen to the other two that are out and then read the rest.  I managed to finish the whole 7+ hour book today, which was cool!

So far this week I've been stopping by the ARL for an hour after work to play with Corky, the rat they have there.  This is Corky:



He obviously hasn't been handled much, as he has an utter freak-out when you pick him up.  So I've been picking him up and holding him for at least 20 minutes each time, trying to get him used to it.  He has been at the shelter for quite a while and I'm afraid he won't get adopted.  I'm trying to make him more desirable.  I know how hard it was at first to keep Max, and Corky may not get someone so determined.  Corky's not being very cooperative, though.  Today, he tried to disgust me into putting him down; he pooped all over me.  Not normal rat pellets, either.  Messy fear poop.

But, we made it through our 20 minutes (and lots of paper towel) and he got a Honey Nut Cherio as a treat, even though he ignores it until l'm gone.  I probably won't get back out there now until next Monday; maybe he'll get a home by then.

I have also made friends with Rusty, a dog.  He's awesome and very smart.  I took him for a walk yesterday because he was so energetic and looked like he needed out.  When I came in today, he looked right at me and started barking and whining like I was supposed to take him out again.  Other people were around, but he was aiming his attention at me.  Dang smart dog.  After our walk tonight, I stopped on the way back to his cage to grab a bag of treats.  As soon as I had the treats in my hand, he went into a begging pose -- a definite trained behavior.  I don't know who gave up this dog, but he wasn't ignored while in their care.  He really is a great dog and I hope he gets a good home soon.  Here's Rusty, the 6-year old Welsh Corgi:



Tonight, I'm going to finish the book I'm reading -- Julie Kenner's Demon Ex Machina.  Very good.  If I can accomplish that, I'll say it was a pretty good day.

 

Eight years ago this month, back in 2001, I was laid off my job with Keane in Cedar Rapids. In addition to the economic downturn we were facing at the time, the company was having a hard time making sales due to the Y2K programming snafu. I knew the layoff was coming and welcomed it as there was nothing to do at work anyway; no one was interested in spending money on training when they were just looking to survive. At the time I had been there three years, was making nearly $50K (six months later I would have reached the $50K mark) and had three weeks of vacation. It was my first “real” training job out of college and, for the most part, I was happy with it.

Though I understood the layoff, it took a LONG time to recover from that.  I spent several years being unemployed or underemployed. Then I had a string of training jobs that were just horrible. I didn’t stay anywhere longer than a year and a half or so. Crazy people, stupid processes, companies on thin financial ice kept me from really settling in.

Then I started working for the Judicial Branch, and I finally felt I had a job I could settle into. It has its problems, sure – it’s not quite as progressive as I would like but it’s not quite as crazy as some of the other places I’ve worked. Just last month I passed my three-year mark with the Branch and finally reached the salary level I was in 2001 (minus that extra week of vacation). And just when I feel I’ve caught up with where I was eight years ago, we enter another huge economic crisis that puts my job in jeopardy.

<sigh>

I’m not trying to be a whiner; I know I still have it better than a lot of other people. Jon’s had his share of job crap, too, and it’s not like we have dependents that will suffer. I’m just being reflective. There is a good chance I will get laid off this month. I’ve just reached what I consider a significant milestone, and it’s all in jeopardy again.

I wasn’t necessarily looking for stability when I started with the State; stability and the benefits were certainly nice perks, but as always I was looking to do work that was meaningful and positively impactful. That’s criteria number one. So I don’t feel “betrayed” now that my state job isn’t stable as some people do. Nor do I feel “betrayed” by the training industry – many people I know left the training industry in 2001 because it’s one of the first functions to get cut in hard times. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life; training is such a big part of who I am. I just feel sad and somewhat frustrated that, when I finally feel I’ve caught up with myself and am ready to move forward, I get knocked back down again. If it takes me another eight years to recover, I’ll be 45 and in the same place I was when I was 28.

I’ve learned a lot from my experiences and I wouldn’t want to give that up. But, it sure would be nice to feel that my Very Expensive Degree ™ will pay off someday.

I took the afternoon off work on Friday as my brain was just not very functional. I went to the branch of the Animal Rescue League that is near my house to play with Corky, a hooded male rat who is obviously very hand-shy. I’m hoping I can work with him some to get him more used to being handled so he is more attractive to potential adopters. I’m betting most employees and volunteers don’t have the time or inclination to work with the rats much, so I feel it’s something unique I can offer.

I didn’t get to spend too much time with Corky on Friday, though.   The branch I was at, ARL West, is just a small space in the back of an independent pet store. The store owners deal mainly in pet supplies and aquatic animals, leaving the snugglers up to the ARL. There is only one staff person on duty, and Friday was getting pretty busy. Being new to the location and to the ARL in general, I felt only about half useful, but I tried to help out with those interested in the animals. 

One woman was making me very uncomfortable. She came in to see and adorable black cocker spaniel. “Charlie” is two and very excitable, and in getting out of his cage, he wanted to explore everything. This lady walked him around the store shelves in circles for a long time, tugging on his collar to make him follow her. She commented that he hadn’t been trained to walk properly. As she just kept walking, I thought, “he’s not going to change just by you walking him in circles.” After doing this for a long time, she took him back to sit down with him, making him sit and lay down, almost as if she was trying to see how fast he could catch on to training, but without treats or a clicker or a good training environment.

I was uncomfortable, but not knowing much about dogs or about the limits ARL sets around potential adopters, I didn’t do much except keep an eye on the dog. The worker, though, was getting frustrated with the woman and, at one point, just took him away from her and put him back in his cage. I can’t blame her, but it sort of left me hanging not knowing what to say. The woman made a snippy comment and walked out. In retrospect, I probably should have done that earlier, trusting my instincts when I wasn’t comfortable. But I wasn’t confident enough to do so.

In addition to this, another volunteer (who also seemed something of a newbie) was bit by a kitten who was overexcited at getting a treat. This required the one worker to call the Main branch, make an incident report, and quarantine the kitten (poor thing). A potential adopter was, at the same time, bringing in a large dog for an introduction to the animal they wanted to adopt. Other people were looking at the animal, asking questions and wanting to get them out. And the worker was attempting to walk the three dogs at least once every hour or so. Plus, I don’t think she’d had lunch yet.

With so many people around and so much happening, I felt more in the way than useful. The worker was flustered and I didn’t think I was helping. So I skedaddled in a cowardly fashion. <sigh>. I am going to keep it up, though. I’m sure I’ll get more confident as time goes on.

One thing I’m noticing about myself; in some situations, I’m uncomfortable jumping in and working without some clear direction. In an environment that isn’t mine, staying “out of the way” always seems the best choice to me. In a busy place like the ARL, the employees don’t always have the time to tell you what to do. I think they’re careful of that anyway because they don’t want their volunteers to feel pressured into doing something they don’t want to, or else they might not come back. I’m guessing this is Grandma’s influence; unless she asked for your help, you stayed out of her way – especially in the kitchen, but anywhere she was working, this applied. She just wanted to be left alone to get done what she needed, and she didn’t ask for help often. So, what may appear to some as a reluctance to help out is really my instinct to get out of your way. I’ll do anything you ask, but until you ask, I assume a clear path is the biggest help.

Interesting what families to do you, isn’t it?

Hey, did I mention my thoughts about the Borg ears? I find it quite ridiculous when people walk around with their Blue Tooth ear pieces in their ears all the time, as if they could get an important call at any minute. However, I reluctantly got one with my new cell phone for when I’m driving because the corded one that comes with my phone is always falling out of my ear.

Well, now that I have one, I understand better WHY people walk around with them in. 1) It’s either on or off, and if it’s on, it’s the only way I can talk on the phone. You can’t talk regularly on the phone if the Blue Tooth is turned on; 2) I’m afraid if I put the damn thing down, I’ll lose it!

I didn’t get to sleep until after 3:00 last night. I’m caffeinated, but tired.

Finished Diana Gabaldon’s An Echo In The Bone yesterday. I love this series of books; the main characters are like friends to me. The way this book ended, however, was so frustrating! There are about 50 unanswered questions and incomplete story lines when the book ends. It’s like a major TV series’ season finale! She takes so long to craft these books that fear her and I will BOTH be dead before I see the next book. Baarrgghh!! I’m going to have to go check out her website and blog tonight and see what she’s saying about it, if anything.

It was interesting going back to a “real” book after reading on the Kindle. Gabaldon’s books are huge and heavy, and I was reading a hardback. I really did whine because the book was too heavy and I had to use two hands to read. Max was upset, too; two hands to read means less cuddling!

I really wanted to go to the fabric store today to pick up some polar fleece and some trim for my Halloween witch shoes.  But I was really tired and so didn't go.  It's 7:30 and I'm trying to decide just how early I can go to bed.  Gotta leave for Iowa City at 6:00 a.m.  And, no, Starbucks isn't open that early, dammit.

I love you and your creations dearly, but you are a bloody sadistic bitch.  I can't BELIEVE you left all those plot line hanging at the end of the book!  What the hell is going to happen to Jem?  Why the hell did William Buccleigh show up in the 1980s?  Is he working with Cameron to get the gold?  He didn't strike me as a very respectable individual in the 1700's.  Does Cameron have aught to do with Stephen Bonnet?  What's going to happen to Jamie, and to Claire and Lord John now that they wed?  Is Arch Bug dead?  Did Jamie even get to bring home his printing press?  What's up with Fergus and the French inheritance?  What the hell does Jack Randall's nephew have to do with anything?  ARRGGGG!!!!

I don't think I can wait three years or more.  I just can't.  <sob>