RedPonyDriver

Update on Job situation... Interview today was a joke and probably illegal...asked questions like "how does your husband feel about you working late"...I nearly lost my coffee over that one. The pay SUCKS and it's more of an entry-level, CAD jockey job... Anyway...I called the company that I REALLY want to work for (up my alley, serious $$ and benefits)...they told me they'd be making a decision by Thursday at the latest and yes, I was still on their "short list". I told them my dilemma with the training thing starting up again Saturday and the head honcho guy apologized for stringing me along...and that they had interviewed like 15 people for 5 positions. He was glad that I hadn't found another job yet "we need to get faster about getting back to people because so often, they take another offer while we're still talking it over." So...I'm hopeful beyond belief...and so afraid to get my hopes crushed again. On the utter shit side...somehow or another our Medicaid got cancelled...so hubs has about a week's worth of meds and about 3 days worth of test strips (he's a brittle type 1 diabetic without a pancreas) left. Guess I'll be on the phone with the Medicaid idiots tomorrow. We also have to see if he can qualify for VA medical, I think we were under the income threshold for last year. AND...have to call Social Security...his Medicare (he's on SSDI) should have kicked in this month. What an utter pain in the butt... Stay tuned for the life and misadventures of the RPD and hubby!

Hello All! JynnanTonnix - what a beautiful painting! People with artistic talent make me go GREEN with jealousy and envy. I also understand about the Navy wife thing. My hubs never left Norfolk, just bounced from ship to ship. However, when he retired, I was ready to sign him up for a 7 month med cruise inside his first month at home. He ended up with a civilian job...but had to retire from that when he got sick...now I've been stuck with him for the last year that I've been out of work, and I'm tempted to stow away on a ship out of San Diego and take myself on a WestPac. HFC and Cherry...so sorry to read about losing your mamas...Its never easy...even when you have a love/hate relationship with your mom...my mom died in 2013. On the Sin City news front...I finished the 4 week training for the first certification but didn't get to take the test due to lack of $$...it was like 250.00.I had an interview for a design job a couple of weeks ago that went really well. I called them last week and they told me they'd be making a decision this week...I also have an interview tomorrow for another design job (that pays a whole lot less than the first one)...and now I'm a bit conflicted. The next phase of training starts this Saturday and I don't want to go if I'm going to just quit for another job...SO...I think I'm going to call the first company (the job I really want) and ask them if they've made a decision...because I need to know by Friday so I can bow out of the training class. Is that too pushy? What if the other company offers me a job too? They're known for offers on the spot...I'm a bit confuzzled right now and any advice is gladly welcomed.

Oh...real quick...started training for my apprenticeship the 13th. My adopted sister is paying for my certification test since I don't have the $$ for it. I agreed to pay her back when I get reimbursed. Interview is Tuesday but from what I understand it's pretty much a formality at this point. YAY!!!

The only good hospital story I have was when my husband had his surgery...14 hours in the OR, ICU afterwards. He was coming out of the anesthesia and they had him loaded to the gills with painkillers (major surgery). I could hear him from OUTSIDE the ICU doors BELLOWING...I. WANT. MY. WIFE. DO. NOT. TOUCH. ME. I. WANT. MY. WIFE. Needless to say, they went looking for me. I walked into his room, he took one look at me and fell asleep! At this point it was 10pm. He'd gone into surgery at 7:30 that morning and I hadn't eaten all day. I told the nurse I was going to slip down to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. The nurse said "HELL NO" I'll send one of the techs down to get you food...you are not leaving him! He doesn't remember a thing!

I get all my bras from Victoria's Secret. They fit me well. 38D floppy boobs here. They were floppy before kids and worse now. The REALLY shitty part is that no matter how much weight I lose, the boobs don't shrink AT ALL. Imagine Charles Atlas as a girl with boobs. That's me when my weight is down in a more "normal range". XL to XXL tops, size 10-12 bottoms (with no butt) and the tits blasting out my front. All those years of swimming and being big boned (thank you to the German side of the family) haven't done me any favors. At a heavier weight, I look more proportional. Started training today...kicked my @$$.

I want a reduction and lift. I have large D's and the years of weight and nursing have made them droopy...I would like to be a nice C cup and have them perky again.

Update on big announcement... Got a phone call today to find out if I could start training this SATURDAY!!!! Of course i said YES!! Stay tuned...and thank you all for your love and support...it means a lot!

If you read the reviews on Yelp and places like that, the "Christ-centered" businesses get crap reviews...

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Took the test for construction/building inspector in the Operating Engineers apprenticeship. Passed it and have an oral interview on 3/22.

Regarding Erin and Chad and their comment about distancing themselves from IBLP/ATI/Gothard...I'm just going to copy what I wrote on another board. Yeah, there was a cake for Gothard at Chad & Erin's wedding...HOWEVER...that was what? 3 years ago? That has nothing to do with what is currently going on with them. Maybe it's something they now regret. I'd avoid rushing to judgment either way... I am well aware that the Bates Sr. are still in the IBLP fold...and that's them. Their adult children will eventually find their own way in life. I can tell you that I am nothing like the way I was raised...at all. My parents would be turning in their graves if they knew my current religious and political beliefs. I was raised Roman Catholic, a staunch Republican, including listening to Rush Limbaugh and G. Gordon Liddy on the radio, taking part in pro-life marches. Hell, I did that until I was in my mid-30s. Now? Liberal Democrat, pro-choice, not Catholic anymore...it took years for my beliefs to evolve...give these kids some time. Regarding homeschooling: I used a combination of Abeka and Christian Liberty for my kids. It worked well. Regarding grammar/writing: I am a high school graduate (Catholic high school), a college graduate x 2 and have written professionally...HOWEVER, when it comes to day to day, message boards, text messages, I am hideously lazy and don't bother to check grammar when I write/post.

Hi all! I'm back! We finally got internet hooked up today, so I'll be going nuts trying to catch up for awhile

My sister-in-law died unexpectedly in 2006. She was crazy about butterflies. I mean CRAZY about them. Since then, it seems like every time I think of her I see a butterfly. Even out here in the desert...I'll see butterflies. I want to get a butterfly tattoo...but I'm chicken. Oh...my grandmother would come visit too. She was a crazy old lady, in a good way, very much her own person. I would straighten out the pictures of the kids I had hanging in the hallway before I'd go to bed (with the kids, everything was crazy by bedtime). In the morning, they'd ALL be crooked. My grandmother would do that to my mother just to piss her off. It was funny!

Well...today is a good news/bad news sort of day... Good news: We got the keys to our new place today and will start moving in tomorrow Bad news: It's a WHOLE lot smaller than we thought Good news: I get to throw out a whole bunch of stuff again Bad news: If we ever move into a bigger place I'll have to buy stuff again Good news: The apartment complex is VERY quiet and gated Bad news: no internet access. Good news: no more killing time playing on the internet Bad news: I will miss all of you Good news (I guess)...if anybody wants to keep in touch, PM me for my email address...I can get email on my phone.

I detest being a houseguest...thanks to anxiety and other issues, I don't sleep well anywhere except my own bed. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in 6 weeks and it'll be awhile until I get used to the new surroundings to be able to sleep again... That said...I remember my high school graduation...we had most of the family there and they stayed with us in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom rancher. My cousins bunked in with me, my one aunt and uncle (the ones with money) got a hotel, there were 2 sofabeds and I think my parents gave up their room...I don't really remember. I was gone most of that week...boyfriend's place

Hoarding and getting rid of stuff: When we cleaned out my mom's house...I kept EVERYTHING! She was living with us...and I felt funny tossing stuff. Fortunately, just a few months after she died we moved across the country so we HAD to get rid of stuff. We got rid of more stuff when we moved from PHX to LV. Now, in our current situation...the stuff that we had to squeeze in a 10 X 30 storage room has been reduced to what fits in a 10 X 15 storage room with room to spare. It was hard enough to have to rehome my dogs, get rid of stuff we paid through the nose for (washer, dryer, very nice fridge, some furniture) just to have some jerk at social services telling us I needed to sell my car too. Fortunately, Mr. RPD put his foot down...told said jerk "she's lost her home, her career, her dogs...what MORE do you want her to give up? We will NOT be selling the car." I've slowly detached myself from stuff...it's hard...especially when there's a major life upheaval. Hanging on to stuff = security, ya know? I need to screw up the courage to unload more stuff soon...I don't think it will fit in our new place...but I'm not ready to do it just yet. Magpye...I hope I've made sense...take your time to get your head screwed on straight again. When my X tossed us out, it came out of left field. It took awhile to rebuild my life, with 3 little kids...but almost 20 years later now...after so many other upheavals...life is GOOD! You'll get there. Just take care of YOU. Be selfish for awhile. It won't be all OK in a week, a month or even a year...but eventually it will be. Many hugs to you.