I thought with the summer that I might forget how to do my job. Nope! I am feeling more and more comfortable with my interpreting each day. I don't feel like the newbie anymore.

Just last week I had a self assuring moment. Love those! Nice to know I am on the right track and progressing.

I can see how one might become stagnant in this profession. I have to remind myself everyday that only I can improve my skills. As selfish as it sounds, I really need to focus on that. Come December I'm up for another Quality Assurance test. I'm really hoping to do well and have my work cut out.

I also need to remember to take care of myself. One of the classes I'm interpreting for is touch. Lots of movies/tv without captioning. (Yes, I've expressed concerns about accessibility issues.) Those rapid fire conversations can wear out weary wrists.

Feeling good about my journey right now!

The school year has started here in Jax. Kids start on Monday. I'm pretty excited. I am now interpreting at a High School instead of Middle school. I'm hoping the kids aren't as crazy but I'm sure they are just as nuts. I was excited to hear that the principal at the school is someone I've already worked for. He's wonderful!

This week has been hectic with meetings and misunderstandings about things. Today it seemed to iron itself out and hopefully we'll all get into our grooves quickly.

I loved having my summer off but really am looking forward to having something to do. With all the free time I tended to worry too much about things that I have no control over. (Family... medical drama...the cost of tea in china...you know..) So interpreting will be a nice change. (not that I can always control what comes off my hands...haha)

Wow...it flew by and dragged at the same time.

It was supposed to be the summer of fun but it didn't turn out that way. Sure, Vegas was fun, although it wasn't really a vacation as Jerry had to work 14 hour days there. We barely left Caesars. I did get to see one of my dearest friends, Lloyd. I wish we had more time together.

Our July trip to Northern Michigan was cancelled as my dad had some medical problems. Instead I spent two weeks in Lansing. Most of the time was spent shuttling back and forth between the Mom and Dad's place and the hospital. I did get to see all my siblings though. That was a HUGE bonus. Just wish we had more time together also.

It seems to be the same theme as last year...hospitals, and medical drama. I'm really kind of tired of all that. It's wearing me down. Jerry too...

So as summer wraps up, I'm looking forward to getting back to work. At least that will keep me from sitting around and thinking about the worst possible scenarios. Yes, I've become a worrier. Hate that....

Gonna try to soak up as much Summer Vacation vibe as I can

Last week my dad was admitted into the hospital with a major bowel obstruction. I know..TMI...anyway...He was admitted and they were trying all different kinds of things. On the 3rd day in the hospital (Saturday) he went into septic shock. The hospital called mom and told her to come right away and to bring someone with her. When she arrived, Dad was unconscious and they explained to her that if he survived the surgery (20% chance of survival) that his organs would be destroyed, He would be on a tracheotomy and would have at least a year of being in a nursing home/rehab center. The doctors even asked if Mom really wanted them to even do the surgery or to "Just let him go". She said "yeah...do it".

Into surgery he went, three hours later he was out and they said he would be in a medicine induced deep sleep (coma lite).

I arrived on Sunday expecting the worst. Much to everyone's surprise Dad was awake. HA! Take that you silly doctors!!

He's had a few little setbacks but over all it's a few steps forward in his recovery and couple steps back. I keep tell him slow and steady wins the race. He is still in ICU and is hoping to get soft foods soon.

He'll probably be in the hospital for a little while longer. I'm hoping they don't release him too soon. He needs a

Jerry had good news for me today too, His mom walked! It's been a long few months waiting for her leg to get fitted and finally today! HUGE sigh of relief.

I got to see my best friend today too! I'm feeling lucky today!

Finding an Assisted Living Facility that will take care of MIL is becoming quite a chore. Most of it is waiting by the phone for case workers to call or looking in the mailbox for applications. What a daunting process. Surely there is an easier way. And how do seniors afford it? Who has four thousand dollars a month to spend on that?

Dad is back in the hospital with a major bowel obstruction. Probably due to adhesions from his bladder removal, although I'm guessing it's his hernia acting up again. Hopefully he will only be in for a day or so.

Honestly, I have no clue how I'm not a quivering mass of geletin right now. This has been a LONG year.

Wow...Time flies when you are going on trips every two weeks. (Tee hee hee) Two down, one to go.

I'm excited about going to Michigan. I think we will enjoy the break from the heat and humidity here. Plus I get to see my folks. It's been too long since I've seen them.

No big plans for the 4th. Maybe someone will invite us out or something fun..who knows. *shrug*

In other news, Jerry's mom is ready to move to a place that she can "live" a little. Hopefully we can find a place soon so she can get settled. This is going to be a pain in the neck but hopefully it will be worth it. Keep your fingers crossed!

It's that time of year where I travel to Orlando to attend Silent Weekend. It's a great opportunity for me to hone my skills and see my buddies. From around 9pm on Thursday until 5pm on Saturday there is no voices allowed. You can sign, gesture, notes..whatever it takes to communicate with fellow attendees and the staff at the hotel.

I love it! It wonderful practice and I learn bunches. I'm taking a break (for breakfast, that I dropped so I had to have yogurt...gah) because I just got back from a juggling class. Yes, I said Juggling. It is supposed to help with visual processing and hey....that's just what I do

I'm off to learn more!

Wii Fit - I love this thing. I still suck at the Hula Hoop but at least I try to improve. The little voice that talks to you can be annoying especially when you step on and it says "Eww". heh... It's helping though, and that's what counts.

Work - Last quarter, Yay!! Spring has sprung in the middle school and the drama is high. I'm just thankful I can go home and be kid free. The district is still trying to find ways to cut the budget. Maybe if we didn't cut the property taxes we could actually pay for things the state needs. Gah!

Family - Everyone on my side is doing fairly well. My little niece had a Cystic Fibrosis related issued the past couple weeks. She is due to head home. Her family is going through a transition, they moved from Michigan to Texas and are still trying to find their groove.

My oldest brother just retired from GM. Apparently he is loving it, according to Mom. It was crazy, they could keep him and move him back to the "line" for less money, or retire with more money. Yeah...I'd retire too.

My sister - well...she's on Facebook so I'm keeping in touch with her more. I like it!!

Jerry's Family - MIL is struggling with something. She is more confused everyday and it's hard to deal with. Had a good meeting with the Director of the Nursing home and hopefully somethings will work out.

My little family - I still feel lucky that I have Jerry in my life. I can't imagine going through any of this without him by my side. We are a corny couple and that's what keeps me going. Tabitha, my cat, is good. She'll be 13 this year. I can tell she is getting up there. She moves a little slower after waking up from her many naps. Happens to all of us.

So yeah, that's my life right this second. Not glamourous at all. Full of ruts and routines. We're hoping for a bit of glamour in June when Jerry's company has their conference in Las Vegas. We'll see if we get to go....

Today is the start of my Spring Break Jerry and I are taking a little trip to the beach for a few days. This will be our first vacation since June of last year. I can't tell you how excited I am to get out of town. Sure, we're only going to St. Augustine, but for a few days I can pretend to be a tourist. I found us a place right on the beach so we can stare at the ocean for hours. The weather this weekend is supposed to be icky but by Sunday, when we leave, it's expected to be sunny and warm. I just hope I can get my kite up at least one time while we're at the beach. I don't know what it is about flying a kite that makes me so happy, but it does

This is the time of year where I tend to take stock of my life. Check to see if I need a kick in the pants, or if I can float along the lazy river, or maybe a little bit of both.

Life if pretty good and 42 doesn't scare me. It's the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe, and Everything...right?

How will I spend this event? Working...and it's going to be a stressful day tomorrow. More FCAT testing. Science. After work, Jerry and I will head up to the home to visit his mom and then come home and collapse. It's okay though, because most of my life is fun and carefree. I'm feeling pretty lucky

March 4th

I've been bed ridden the past few days. I went to work on Monday but I probably should have stayed home. It started on Friday night. I went to the doctor hoping to get something but alas it's a cold and I just have to wait it out. I don't like colds. This one is unusually bothersome. Constant sinus headache, burning nose and a hacking cough. Yay me...

Enough about that...I don't think I've talked about Dad lately. He's doing great, according to Mom. His last appointment went well and was told to come back in 3 months. I'm thankful he bounced back so well. It amazes me actually, compared to what we've been dealing with here in Florida with Jerry's Mom.

Mom-in-law is healing, and they have a shrink wrap sock on her leg to help the swelling and make it easier to fit the prosthetic. Hopefully the will start soon. I think I've said that before...*sigh* Jerry said that when he talked to her today she was a little ...umm...groggy I guess? I can see in his eyes that he is getting worried about her confusion. I haven't seen her since Saturday because of my cold. We'll head out tomorrow to see how she is. Hopefully the story about them kicking everyone out of the nursing home will make more sense. (yeah...I dunno either)

Work is going well, I think...I'm really not great at judging that for myself. There are days where I fumble and have no clue how to sign something. I'm getting good at remembering to make a mental note during those blank moments and look it up later. That's something. Next week will be intense with the FCATs. (That's another reason I wanted to get better sooner)

So here I am...Marching forth!

Until spring break! Still trying to figure out what we are doing. I know we'll be doing something even if I have to drag Jerry out by his ears

Who knows where we'll go or what we'll do. Cruise...Savannah...Disney...it's all up in the air.

I'm a lucky girl. Cupid is always flying over our house. Valentine's Day is just another day here. I get thoughtful gifts through out the year so ones with big "BE MINE" aren't necessary.

We spent yesterday with Jerry's mom. We rented a wheelchair van again and picked her up to go to lunch and shopping. Over all it was a good day. She ate a plate full of bite size shrimp and a huge baked potato and later bought herself some snacks and cute tops. I guess the only downer was that she is no longer as strong as she was. She can't even get into the wheelchair by herself.

I have tomorrow off due to President's day. I'll be spending it with the laundry. Wheeee!

Life is full of them! The poor students at school have been tested a lot. Today they took their write test. I wasn't fortunate to be in the testing room but I heard that they all did pretty well. I hope so, they have been writing for weeks now. Plan, focus, write...over and over and over. Now they have a month before they take the math, reading and science test. Wheee!?

I forget that I have tests in my life as well. Tonights Weight Watchers meeting was one. I wasn't looking forward to weigh in as I hadn't really made the best food choices this week. Sure, I was in my points but I should have had more fruits and veggies. Also I needed to drink a lot more fluids that I have. I sometimes forget to drink things..weird I know. Turns out that I still had a loss which makes my fretting seem silly. Wasn't much but I'll take it!

Another test I'm (we're) facing is patience. Jerry's mom is still in the nursing home and lately it seems like she isn't doing so well. It seems to me that she isn't as independent as she was a month ago and that she just seems sickly. I hope it's just cabin fever. Jerry and I are taking her out this upcoming Saturday for some shopping and lunch. She's been craving shrimp so we are taking her to our favorite seafood spot. I hope that cheers her up.

I've always been a good tester. I hardly ever panic during the tests. I'm the kind of person that panics after waiting for the results. Waiting is not one of my strong points. Maybe that's just another test...

So it's 39° here in Jax. Brrr! I know...it's much colder in other parts of the country...sure sure...I have definitely developed a thin skin as far as surviving the cold.

I now wear slippers...slippers...Sure I wore them in Michigan but in FL? I actually wore my leather coat today with gloves. My hands are my life so I have to protect them.

In other news, Dad is doing great! Mom said he gets tired but that's to be expected. Jerry's mom apparently fell, although the nursing home didn't contact us but she is fine. (So she says.)

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) test are coming up at school. The kids are antsy and so are the teachers. Next week we start the fun, have a month of more intense teaching before the next set. OOF! I don't remember having so many standardized tests.

WW is going well. My taste buds are changing I think *shrug* I've forgotten how good a cook I am

Rules: Write 25 things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I collect flamingos.

2. I enjoy "Historical" vacations. Show me a Fort or some Indian mounds and I'm happy.

3. Favorite color is green and then purple and then pink.

4. I always wanted to be in a band and name it "Tofu Iguana".

5. I often say names of places wrong. For example: Flagstaff becomes Stagflap *shrug*

6. In school I used my nick name Jeannie and in college decided I needed to grow up and use my given Jeanne (FR) but can't being called "Jean". In a drunken stupor Lloyd Ziel wrote my name Gknee and it stuck. Now most of my friends just spell it that way.

7. I met my husband on IRC in 1995.

8. I once had a $2400 phone bill.

9. I once managed a condo-hotel in Charlevoix, Michigan.

10. I've had a gun pointed at me by a federal treasury agent and was told to step away from a cash register.

11. The number 11 is my favorite number.

12. My next favorite number is 0.

13. Isn't afraid of Friday the 13th. In fact I seem to have better luck on those days.

14. I wanted to marry James T. Kirk when I was 6.

15. I married a trekkie instead.

16. Loves random trivial facts. The more obscure the better.

17. Loves the old TV show Wings.

18. Lived in Boyne country for 10 years and misses it sometimes.

19. In 5th was part of a team of kids that named a local wild arboretum's newsletter. We thought we were the shizzle!

20. One of my favorite jobs in the past was being Brother Bear of the Bernstein Bears at Cedar Point.

21. I'm a pretty decent cook. I can't throw things together and it comes out pretty darn good.

22. Has a vivid imagination and could easily be comfortable in the day room at an insane asylum.

23. Always wanted to be a mother but it never happened.

24. Is sometime an elitist. (Ok...most of the time)

25. Makes a squeaky sound and says that they are baby elephants that live in her ear.

A few years ago it was established that Mom and Dad would call here on Sunday morning at around 11am. They call from their cell phone and use the speaker phone so they can both hear and talk. The past few weeks it's just been me and mom talking on the phone, as Dad was in the hospital. Today, Dad's voice was the first I heard. It was great!! I am always surprised at how the little things are the things that move me the most. His appetite is back and although he gets winded right now he is out and about.

The night Dad got home from the hospital my mom fell and bruised her tail bone and twisted her knee. If it's not one thing it's another. She said that she was doing better too. Ugh...I need to bubble wrap my parents!

While, planning for a phone call every Sunday can sometimes put a crimp on planning the day, today I anxiously waited for the phone to ring. Did I mention it was great?

I've forgotten just how much food you actually have to eat on Weight Watchers. Wait..let me say that differently...

I can't believe how much healthy food you can eat for the same amount of points of fast food. I actually have to have a little snack before bed to make sure my machine of a body gets enough fuel. Wheeee...snacks before bed makes this pudge happy

I *am* in shape! Round is a shape! - Garfield the cat.

That's me....round. Tomorrow, I start yet another journey in life. I'm rejoining Weight Watchers for the umpteen time. Tuesdays nights will be my meeting nights which mean weigh in (WI) nights. Oof...I hate this, but I hate being obese more. I don't think I've ever blogged about this before so this is new too. I decided to go public for accountability. I need that...

I've already signed up online and paid my first month. I have set up the mobile Weight Watcher site on my phone. Tomorrow after meeting, Jerry and I are going to go grocery shopping. I'll have all the information fresh in my brain so that should be good.

Never eat more than you can lift. - Miss Piggy

Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most. Today Jerry took the day of to be with me We went to Target and got a new toilet seat. Wheeee! Then we stopped by one of our favorite eateries, Tijuana Flats. Being throughly stuffed we headed home to play Animal Crossing and nap (I didn't nap...)

We headed to the nursing home to visit Jerry's mom. She was pretty upbeat which put my helped ease my worrying. We were both in the mood for some seafood after that so we headed over to Crystal River. They have good grilled shrimp. Jerry knows that sometimes I like to be waited on instead of getting something to bring home so we ate at the restaurant. It's true...I want people pampering me for a change!

So nothing drastic today...but a bunch of little things that made me realize just how lucky I am!