Crawling from under the rock...

I began typing this blog offline, and it has been awaiting further updates for a month. I decided to put the finishing touches on this blog before the weekend, and add that I did not spend the day as billions of the world's population did today.

I made a futile attempt to check my old Myspace account with no luck. I now know why Myspace has died on the vine. As I was creating a Facebook account, I realized that all the information they were culling from me was going to serve one purpose, and I didn't want to play their game. Some tell me I have an undue sense of online paranoia; others tell me I'm being smart. Whom shall I believe? For now, all I want to do is stay as low profile as I possibly can.

I had promised a friend that I would post a blog update before my birthday. I intended to live up to that promise, as I began this post on the 26th, but I ended up posting the prior blog post shortly before the bell struck 23. Your move, Jeff.

It felt good to me, sitting at the computer on a day off, or at least the afternoon off. The family treated me like King Shit for my birthday. I don't care much to be the center of attention, and having "Happy birthday" sung to me makes me blush. It was a nice day, and I was glad to share it with those closest to me.

In catching up on what is new...or not so new, let me first start out by saying that everything and everyone is fine. My absence from the net has not been due to any illness or bad news. Imagine it! No bad news, especially during this time of earthquake, tsunami, tornado, war and economic ruin. I'm working very hard to amass the credits to fulfill the requirements of my master's degree. I had hoped to cram everything into a one-year battle royal, but I've decided that both my brain and body would not be fit enough to show up at work after that. However, I'm loving the challenge.

I'm working at the rehab center three to five days a week. My hours are erratic, since I'm working around my school schedule, itself also erratic. I'm trying very hard to leave the problems of the Center back there, but I have found that I bring them home. I understand this to be a real problem, and it's one that I'm being trained to deal with. I'm enjoying the teaching aspect, as I work one-on-one, or group classes. I have developed an excellent rapport with the residents at the Center. They confide in me, and they ask me a lot of questions based on my experiences. It's great to share. There are days when I come home feeling like I accomplished something and made a difference in someone's life. Still, there are other days when I feel as though I fell into a hole and couldn't climb out. I'm learning to take each day as it comes.

My niece Amanda Christine was born on January 15, 2011. Ethan does not leave her side. He's so protective of her. She cries more than Ethan did. A few times when I picked her up she looked at me with a "WTF" expression. I find it very amusing. I get the same look from David...and my mother!

David is fine. He wants to plan a birthday getaway for me, but it will have to wait until after Mothers Day. We did escape for an impromptu evening and night at the condo last week. I looked like I had been through hell, so he took me away, where I could take a nice long shower, get comfortable, and allow him to pamper me. He loves doing that, and I never complain.

Today was a fine end of the week. I received compliments on my patience and diplomacy. I don't recall studying either in school, but I'll take the kudos graciously. I'm taking Mom out to dinner, and I hope to be able to sleep in tomorrow.

It's now time for a shower and a change of clothes. Tonight I get served; tomorrow I'm the server.

I lived up to my promise...with 4 minutes to spare.

There.

I have been typing a blog offline. I promised to post it before my birthday. My birthday will be at 7:45. It's 7:42.

I will post tomorrow. I'm enjoying a relaxed day.

Where's the cake?

Contrary to popular belief...

I am alive and well. My tendency or desires or whatever word you might insert there...to write in my blog have been shadowed by all of the many wonderful life-altering tasks at hand. I have begun a blog post that talks about life issues, such as my new niece, my brother's antique car, my nephew's growing up process, visits with my father, my sister's engagement...and the many challenges facing me as I continue my education and job training. I am still going to be focusing on "education", while at the same time working with rehabilitation. I've been told I'm a perfect match for such a job in the very rehab center that turned my life around, what seems to be a lifetime ago. I am off tonight. David is working. I am busy, believe it or not, doing my tax return. Help! I don't like to make promises I can't keep, but I will make a vow to complete that post and put it here. I might put something more here later today. I'm here...I'm alive...and life is great. Thanks for reading and thanks for your being the faithful reader(s) you have been.