November 13, 2011

Hello everyone,
Friday - Went to drop off my urine sample jug off at the lab at my former hospital site.  It was like cutting the tension with a knife.  I immediately tensed up (I was just in the front lobby) I walked very quickly to the lab waiting room.  I saw a few people that I recognized but that was it.  I gave them my urine sample jug (I filled the thing up to the top - it was spilling out of the jug alittle bit walking into the building), Lisa checked me in (shes a great person) and Louise drew my blood. Louise does such a great job and does not bruise me at all.  It was the usual 2 viles of blood.  They asked me how I was doing I told them that I was "out of work".  They felt bad for me.  I told them "thanks, Im doing ok".  Another lab person was in the office and got to talking.  she told me about 3 RN orients who worked up on one of the units, went through orientation and was termed right afterwards.  They all commented that "no one in clin ed was ever let go".  Gee thanks...that certainly made me feel good.  I left there, saw lori the nurse recruiter (her office was 3 doors away from mine).  I gave her a huge hug, told her how brutal it was out there.  Thanked her for being so kind to me and she told me to hang in there.   I got home around 9:20am, waited about 40 minutes before I left for conseco bankers life insurance to do the final interview with the secretary.  She gave me additional information for the online study course I need to do to become a life insurance agent.  Took me into the computer room to finish signing up for the course.  I ran into one of the girls who came the 1st night with me.  Kathy seemed to think we will be on the same path.  Her name is Rita, the only thing I remember about her is that she is separated and getting a divorace from her husband.  Im sure I will fill you in more about her and others in the office very shortly.  I have to admit that I am very nervous starting something new.  But....this is the time to change career paths, especially with the way the job market is.  How long will it take me to get a good paying admin assistant job - probably 6 months or longer?  This way, I can become an insurance agent, find out if its good for me and go from there.  I have nothing to lose.  I am going to work as hard as I can to make great money.  The longer I do this, the more $$ I will make.  Just the 1st year alone in commissions I can make 19,000.  Thats alot.  My goal for 2012 is to make $38,000 take home.  We'll see what happens.  
Saturday - not much going on there. ran and updated all my virus scans then  I went out to the folks around 12:30.  Stayed the night.  Left Tika home by himself.  He did ok.  Since my mother was leaving to go to florida on tuesday (with my aunts/uncles to spead my grandmothers ashes), I had to  watch my mother wrap my fathers feet and lower legs (he's got lymphadema (bad!).  I think its working great and the swelling has gone down quite a bit.   It was a lot of ace bandages - 4 ace bandages on the better leg and the one that is really bad, its 6 ace bandages.  Whew!  I asked him if it was painful and uncomfortable - he said having the swollen feet,ankles and legs.  Mom did a great job wrapping.  She does this around 9:30pm every night for him.  He said he will be alright when she leaves for florida but I will come out if there is any issues.  I might come out on Thursday-friday.  I'll give him a call on thursday morning to see how he is doing.  He should be home, on his recliner.  The  scout dog will be there all week because my brother is out of town again (I think he was going to nebraska) on business.  That should keep him busy. 
Sunday - woke up and realized that I was at my folks and in my old room (and missing my siamese cat).  I watched TV in bed until 9:30am.  Dad went to see if they needed help with putting up the lights in the village of Angola.  He couldn't do much anyways because he went back to the cancer hospital to have more fluid drained from where he had the skin cancer (chest area).  The docs said that is normal to come back periodically to get that drained - so he was alittle bit sore, no big deal.  My brother was there this morning.   When I walked downstairs, there was mom reading the paper.  I ate a blueberry muffin for breakfast and read the sunday paper for alittle bit.  About 9:50am I left to go home.  I was tired when I got home.  Tika didn't meow.  He didn't look at me or come to me for about an hour (probably mad that I left him alone all night).  He finally came up and we both took a 2 hr nap, woke up at 1pm.  around 2:15pm, I went upstairs here to log into my online insurance course for the 1st time.  Did the introduction, did the 1st test of the section. got a 71% (70 is passing).  Thats not too bad.  I only did that but will retest myself tomorrow morning at 10am.  I will work from 10-1pm everyday on the online course.  I expect it to take about 14 days to complete.  I am the type of person who reads slow and takes time to really learn something - I will not rush or be rushed to get through the materials online.  I even bought the book (that wasn't required).  I figured the book will be a good resource, especially when I learn to do this out in the field.  I expect to take the liscensure exam for NYS around Dec 1.   Then they will send me to Rochester, NY (1 hr from buffalo, NY) for additional training.  for 1 week.
I will be back on mid week (wed/Thur) to give you an update on the course and what it entails, family issues (dad and scout the dog), how Im doing as an unemployed person.