I am two days into the new job and I have nothing but good things to say about it. The office is in a new building in Woonsocket. We are basically tenants in another social service program's building, but we have a cute little office where I have my own desk and computer. There are two others with me, Tiffany who is the other tracker and Erin who is our supervisor. They are both super cool and I get along well with them. For the next few weeks I am going to be training, which means I'm going to follow Tiffany around everywhere she goes. The main thing I'm worried about is learning my way around Woonsocket. While its not a big area that I'm covering, learning a new town is never fun. I'm also learning so much, even in the past few days. This week and next week I have a bunch of classes to go to near my house, PTSD, family services and the like. Classes are always good. The more I learn the better job I can get next time around. There is so much to learn and so many people to meet. Right now I'm just so excited to actually be doing something amazing with my life. I think this is going to be a very frustrating but rewarding job.

I know it seems really self centered to not post for a month then BAM come back and do my christmas list. but, alas, it is how it must be done. its all i have time for right now and patrick needs it. so does my mother i guess too. i'd have more time to catch everyone up on the wonderfulness of life but i have to GO TO WORK. seriously, real work. I'm starting today in Woonsocket as a Tracking and Outreach Manager. Its hard to describe what I'll be doing, basically hanging out with kids and making sure they aren't in trouble. I'm super excited. The one thing I'm worried about that they don't tell you in college is what am I supposed to do? This isn't like coming into a new restaurant job, this is the real world. My outfit right now *I hope* is right in the middle of business casual and casual, kinda like the office. Today is definitely a cardigan day. Do I bring my lunch? A coffee mug? paper? pens? AHHH!! I'll figure it out and everyone in the office is super cool.

But onto my list so I can finish getting ready for work!

duvet cover - something like that-
a href="http://www.classicduvets.com/styledetail.asp?cid="246" I like the brown and gold.

bare minerals starter set (fair) - I think its cheapest on qvc.com or at Sephora

A new George Forman (or the Brevelle indoor grill from W/S)

A wallet that I can carry my check book around in

New knives, only a chef's knife and pairing knife

coffee tumbler for work

calender

tickets to spamalot or riverdance up here. there are so many good shows coming!

and always, clothes and jewlery

Ugh, I have more. I'll come back and edit. Right now I need to figure out what shoes I am going to wear.

The nice warm weather is on the express train out of Providence and surrounding areas. And by express train I mean the high tonight is 30 and there might be frost/snow this weekend. We haven't quite yet turned on the heat but we're going to fire up the space heater Nona gave us a few weeks ago. Walking around in this chilly weather is no picnic, especially home from the gym. Being sweaty and in shorts is no fun in the wind, even the 3 block walk I have. Even though, I refuse to let the cold weather stop me from working my butt off at the gym, I'm starting (I think) to see results! The excessive home cooking is helping too. Tomorrow I'm going to make barley soup, yum!

So, I'm employed! Okay, maybe not a full time job yet, but I have a part time job at the mall and I'm doing some per diem work for a human services staffing company. I also have a second interview at a group home that I really really want. And I have another interview tomorrow. All in all I'm feeling a lot better and a LOT less stressed than I have been.

In the past few months I've realized something about myself...dear lord i'm turning into my mother! Not like that's a bad thing, she's a pretty cool chick. And I wouldn't mind looking like her when I'm her age (which is not a day past 30ish : )~ )

see what I mean? But, as I was saying, certain things are becoming frighteningly familiar. Last time I talked to martha we spent most of our time discussing food shopping and cooking, what's cheap, what's good, what's not time consuming. Okay, maybe that's not all my mother but it is a little "wow, I'm a grown up" ish. Also, some of the simple pleasures in life I realize I get from my mom. Tuesday Morning? YAY!!! Kirklands? unfortunately I looked and there's not one around here (thats totally mom). I try to make Patrick eat more vegetables and I have turned into a huge patriots fan. Yup, I'm turning into my mother. Lord help us all!

Around here people don't understand college football at all. Besides the occasional BC fan, nobody has a team and schools don't do football the way we do it down south. Our friend Laura came over to watch some of the game with us and she was amazed by Bryant-Denny on TV. Brown has a few sets of bleachers, so its definitely different. We spend a lot of our time yelling at the tv, because thats what you do when you watch football. There was yelling, screaming, cursing and breaking out into cheers and the fight song. A good 20 minutes after Laura left us (and we had just scored a touchdown) we got a knock on the door. I was closest and didn't even get up because I assumed it was a friend or neighbors. Oh, it wasn't...it was a cop! He looked at us sitting on the couch and asked if everything was okay. We were both highly confused and said yes, we're watching football and our team is winning. The cop proceeded to tell us that he had a call and just wanted to make sure everything was alright. Well, at that moment everything was alright because we were winning by 10 points or so. He left and I went upstairs to see if it was them who called us. I knew it wasn't carmie and john because even if they were home they'd just come upstairs and see what was going on. Our upstairs neighbor Tom answered the door and I asked him if he called the cops, he did. Not because we were too loud, but because he heard yelling. I'm not sure about you, but every domestic dispute I hear about has cheering and singing of fight songs. I mean seriously. But whatever, it was pretty darn funny and my dad was right, at least they are concerned. I laughed so hard I cried a little bit. And if he ever tries to tell us that we're too loud I will start to tally the nights I can't sleep because they're too loud at 2:00AM. Take that dirty hippies.

So, now am I not only mostly unemployed, I am completely, utterly, no income whatsoever unemployed. Last night I got laid off, again. Seriously, no joke. I have no job, no nothing besides bills and an empty fridge. The good news is that Dunkin Donuts is hiring all over the place. That'd be awesome. Pretty much I need something like crazy. Luckily our friend Laura gave me some lady's info so hopefully I can baby sit for something like $15 an hour. I was told when I started at Liquid I would get screwed over and I should have known. Its not necessarily my manager who is doing it, it very well might be the owner. I mean, I am lowest on the totem pole, aesthetically and experience wise. Its slow and the owner says that someone has to go and of course that one is me. Right now it looks like I have to redouble my efforts and then go panhandle on the street for money to pay bills.

I love my life.

I'm alive.

There are pictures coming.

I still have no job.

Patrick is playing with the electric knife.

....life is good : )~ more later I promise