Marrooned in Las Vegas

Marrooned in Las Vegas by a snow storm so what must one do but head to the strip?? Well ok so we are just going to see the Ansel Adams photo exhibit but still it seems like an adventure since we are here when we should be home...

Happy Holidays

My heart is overflowing with thankfulness as I look back on many recent events. Not the least of which is the fact that I get to spend time with family, both new and old. We were able to spend 3 days with my maternal gramma and step grampa and now are spending another three days with my paternal grampa and step gramma. I am afraid I will be waddeling back home with all the food we are being fed! By the time we leave we will have had three thanksgiving dinners! I have learned a few new games and last night as some of us woman sat around the table playing a new game I as struck with the beauty of being surrounded by new family, a gramma, an aunt and a cousin all of which I have been blessed with since my grampa remarried. This was the first time we have actually gotten to spend much time with them and I love them already. We had a wonderful meal complete with collard greens, sweet potato pie and all the regular trimmings. We are a multicultural group and while I miss my original gramma I know she would be happy at how things have turned out if she couldn't be with us and that makes me smile. I have a few pics to share when we return home but until then, all the best to you and yours. Oh and the Christmas season has officially started for me now that Thanksgiving is over, Hurray! I am so excited to attend ligh shows, holiday plays and list to christmas music till I am sick of it! If any of you share my love of holiday events let me know and let's plan on seeing what to be seen in the community!
Grammpa is heading off for a walk to the store and for sure I need the excersise so ta ta my dears. More later upon my return home.

Challenges - Awaiting and Tried

So I did it! I really did it and it was actually fun. I went roller bladding at the Lynden Skateway! Now I realize for most of my readers this is probably not a very big acomplishment nor one that really elicits much enthusiasm but you must understand one small fact to understand my elation. Simply the last and only time I tried doing anything on wheels was about 10-12 years ago. It involved some rental skates in vancouver, bruised shins, a lot of time spent holding onto a garbage can, a hill, some amused spectators and a walk down vancouvers sidewalks in my socks. Needless to say this time was much more sucessful. I think learning how to ice skate in the interviening years helped the situation immensly. I only fell a couple of times and by the end was not the slowest person on the rink! I still don't know how to really stop effectively and I didn't try and cross overs but I did do swizzles and I went forward and didn't run anyone over so I think it was a magnificent effort for my first time! I would like to go again, that is if I can walk tomorrow, so if anyone is game to go with me and spend a little time in the slow lane let's plan it.

In other news, the results of my interview are in and as seems to be the story of my social work life, "You interviewed incredibly well. We were so impressed but we have offered the job to someone with 20years of experience." This has been the same story I have heard at least 5 times when I have interviwed for social work type positions. Talk about frusterating...those people had to get their experience somewhere and or they wouldn't have all those years but if no one will hire you where are you supposed to get it??? Still wondering that. But having said that I know it was in the Lord's hands and if He felt I was better needed as a Unit Secretary I guess that is where I will stay. All things work together for good for them that love the Lord and I truely believe that. I talked to the supervisor this morning and she is more than happy to keep me on after I have been working for them in that dept. for the last couple of weeks. I was a little dissapointed yesterday when I got the call because I really didn't want to be a unit secretary, I really wanted the social worker position but I am over it now and it's on to new challenges.
And what a challenge I think it will be. In the few weeks I have been a temporary U.S. so much has happened. After a week of training, which for this job really isn't much, they abruptly fired one of the other secretaries, and I suddenly found out that the woman I thought I was replacing was in fact coming back. And whats more but I was supposed to help train her! The communication is really bad and the drama is incredibly high. I haven't ever worked anywhere with quite so much drama and so many people on power trips. The other lady they hired has brought with her lots of drama and all the supervisors that swirl around me tend to cause uproar of one kind or another where ever the go. The lady that I work directly under isn't the greatest of communicators and she seems very scattered but at least she doesn't seem to be on a power trip so for that I am very grateful. Organizationally things are not settled and people don't seem to have adiquate training or organization which leaves everyone is very stressed. They tend to make things harder than they have to because they don't always know what the end goal really is. They don't seem very good about communication in a variety of levels and decisions are made here and there that effect people without ever consulting the people involved which of course causes angst and annoyance. In all reality I guess I could find myself out of this job just as fast as I came into except for the fact that right now they desperately need me and they know I can do it, am a quick learner and so far they like my work.
I know that all sounds pretty depressing and I admit that even after only a few weeks I find it wearing somedays but there is a bright side to all this! I am getting to work days, its not quite full time which I can handle, they will put me through a medical terminology course, and I am getting the opportunity to work with a whole new area of care than I have worked in the past. I will be working with Drs. offices, medical records, transcribing Drs. orders, and learning lots of medical terminology and codes as I code things for billing. All of which will be very valuable if I think I want to go into medicine. And even more of an opportunity for my character growth, I have the chance to keep a good attitude, show them a better way and be a blessing in a more challeneging work environment than I have ever encountered.
I realized that the negativity of everyone was rubbing off on me after only a couple of weeks so this week on Weds. I covenanted to try and not say anything negative or enter into any negative discusions for the day and oh my what a challenge that was! It was really hard, much harder than I expected. Except for one small comment of fact about a conversation I had with someone, I was successful but I recognize that one day isn't enough, I have to make it a commitment for the long run. I am trying to bring in more order to the area that I have charge of in small ways and by my attitude and willingness to be communicative I hope to be able to change things for the better where I can a little at a time. Please pray for me because I fear this will not be easy. But since most things that are worthwhile require much effort I am willing to give it a try. I don't totally dislike the work and I do have a pretty large level of autonomy and responsibilty so all in all the next few months at least should prove to be very intersting as I learn the rest of the job and things get settled down a bit more.

Also on a brighter note my chemistry class is going pretty well. I am not getting straight A's by anymeans and it is proving to be really challenging course for me but especially the last couple of classes have been really good. Math is not my thing and there is a fair amount of math in chem so that has given me some problems. On the other hand my teacher gives partial credit which has allowed me to pass the past tests. We are finaly getting into some things like electron configurations and Lewis Dot Structures which are very visual and I am really enjoying those. Things are finally starting to come together in little ways and actually make sense which is nice since the class is 3/4 of the way over! 2 more lecture nights, 2 more tests and 2 more labs and we are finished for the quarter. I am hoping to finish out with a B for which I will be very greatful. That is if I do well on the next 2 tests!

Enough, probably more than enough, for now.