It has been more than four months since I posted last! Of course a lot has happened during that time -- and I've been told I have "verbal diarreah" when it comes to writing -- so I'll make it as short as I can (but then again, this is MY blog, so I guess I can write as much as I want and if you don't want to read it -- then don't!)
Mike is still unemployed and still in school. Luckily, the Post-911 veteran's education bill that passed last summer is really helping in that regard. It pays his tuition and gives us a monthly stipend that helps to buy books, make ends meet, etc. He is currently taking the last course he needs for his bachelor's degree and then two other courses that will transfer towards his master's degree (which he plans to start in the summer). At that point, we'll have to reevaluate things, as his unemployment insurance will have run out and the VA bill doesn't pay the entire cost of the more expensive tuition for the master's degree -- but we both feel it is really important he get his MA -- because any job he can get in healthcare administration at this point is an entry level one that pays quite low. He was also contacted by the people who bought up the assets of his old company (the one that went bankrupt). They have started it up again and will start training pilots in a month or two. They want to hire Mike as an independent contractor a few days a month to teach training classes. It will only bring in as much as the unemployement insurance on those weeks -- but if the new company does well, perhaps the work will increase o r they will find a need to hire someone to manage the training program -- and he will be the obvious choice.
I finally got hired full time at my job in November. Things have been going better than I expected with the women in my office. We are all now rotating from station to station, so I've actually been in the main office for the past two months and I think it has helped to reestablish some sort of relationship with the others. Plus, everyone has been on their best behavior for the most part. The pay is a bit better (by about $1.50 per hour) and most importantly, I do get benefits -- such as dental insurance, paid time off, life insurance, a 401K and a flexible spending account. After paying for all of the benefits, I'm pretty much down to what I was making before -- but we are getting by and it is nice to be able to send the kids to the dentist when they need it.
When Cherron's last television job ended, she decided she wanted a break from the film industry. She applied for a job as an assistant decorator at a local bakery -- as she has always loved baking. She was really smart (and ballsy) and took a plate of some cookies she had decorated to leave with her resume. They called her back within hours and hired her as the main cookie decorator within days! The owners were so impressed with her work (and work ethic) that they have now promoted her to the manager of the entire bakery (as well as a satellite coffee shop they are opening in the food court of a nearby university!) This was after only a few months in her first position there! She would love to open her own bakery/cafe one day, so this is a great opportunity and learning experience for her. I hope she still will have time to decorate and develop new ideas, as she loves that creative aspect. Check out her work on her blog So Many Sprinkles. Here is one of her latest projects:
My son, Jonathon, was getting out of the bath/shower in the kid's bathroom a few weeks ago and slipped. His head went right through the tile wall. The drywall (yes -- that is what they used behind the shower tile!) was basically mushy and crumbly after years of moisture getting through the grout. We had planned to remodel that room -- but not quite yet :) This has prompted us to move forward with that. I'll detail more about that in later posts!
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