It's time to check into the blogging world again. especially after that rather grim last entry. i have been coming and going and remain amongst the unemployed. I visited my two sons and girlfriends in northern california, of course all my old friends in astoria and then after a night in portland with steve went to visit my family in new york state for two weeks. whew. two weeks. all in all it was good to get a good idea of all that is happening there. (when its a few days folks can be on their best behavior!) so while things are changing there for my folks and i worry about them, my dad remains active in his antique car-world and happily, i did get my mom out driving again. to know that she isn't holed up in the house dependent on my dad gives me some solace. my son mica joined me there the last week or so and that shifted how i saw things a lot and oh, was that a welcome feeling. mica spurred me to try jogging a bit, especially since we could go down to the road to the banks of the Hudson River. so i began a little interval thing 5 minutes jogging, 5 walking until i got to the end of the road. even got to see a bald eagle nest with the help of my brother's friend Danny and his scope. now i am up to 10 minutes running, and 5 walking and it feels good.
so i am back home now and moving into steve's house! he painted my room for me while i was gone, white with lavender trim. it's so very nice. we wake up and say, "why, look who's living here with me?!" it really is wonderful. so, this weekend i hope to get a good chunk of the moving done.
Some exciting news is that on may 9th we're having a house concert! more will come on that as the date approaches. it'll be Michael Hurley and Alexa Wiley along with Forrest, a fiddle player from the Dalles and my friend Brigido from Astoria on the congas. they all played together up in astoria while i was there and miraculously due to connections we are lucky enough to have them play right here in eugene in our living room!
there is other good news on the non-profit front! i went to the attorney the day before yesterday to straighten out some misfiled papers that had been my attempt at getting our non-profit off the ground. i saw a wonderful man, David Atkin, a non-profit attorney, who took care of everything for us! for a small fee he is going to file the papers correctly and all it will require is a name change of our non-profit and for me to open a bank account in the name of the non-profit. we are trying "las Vidas Mejoradas" instead of "Vidas Mejoradas, Inc". Then we have 27 months to establish things like our board, bylaws, etc. and to file those documents with the IRS. He has offered to reduce his fee and help us with that! and my wonderful son has offered to loan me the money to do that. as to the misfiled papers they can (legally) die on the vine so to speak without repercussions! so, once i get moved, get a job, file my own taxes, and generally get caught up i will return to David's office and complete the process! the fact that went so smoothly is quite telling i have to say, especially when some things have been a rocky road for me as of late.
Which brings me to applying for jobs. it's been a bit harsh. I have put in for quite a few, all different nursing jobs...ie., office, home health, VA. my original position has been eliminated at my former place of employment and because i had taken a "personal" leave of absence, they have reminded me they have no obligation to provide me a job. it is possible once they have reorganized into only 12 hour shifts, and allow current employees to bid for them that at that point positions may surface, which if i qualify they would have to give me. but no one can give me any timeframe.
then what seemed a perfect position in all ways opened up at another location! i had all reason to believe i had the job until i sent my last two evaluations as requested. the comments made in my last evaluation under a heading "areas for growth" put up a big red flag in regards to my difficulty in accepting change and now obtaining what seemed the perfect job looks to be in question. and it involves a friend which to say the least is awkward, let alone i simply hate causing my friends any difficulty, especially when i know their intention was to help me and now to see she is placed in the middle. so i am trying to mitigate it but who knows what will happen. i can say how unfair it all is to be in essence blacklisted for what is my particular "area for growth" related to my standard of good patient care in a rapidly changing environment. all nurses have "areas for growth' as part of their annual evaluations and i would bet many involve when we are put in a position of compromising care. but as i was told change and adapting to it is the name of the game in this time of recession and financial constraint... in large ways i know i adapt. i have a resume illustrating nothing but adaptation. in my own defense i know my limits and when a patients' or persons' care or wellbeing can be affected i bristle. and to make it worse i have yet to been asked to even explain myself; everything at this point has been based on what can read about me. And one comment such as that has apparently overshadowed 23 years of positions requiring change at nearly every turn. ugh.
For ellen about this dang cough of mine: yes, i still have it. now i am on a short round of steroids to rule out if it's a bronchospasm. i tried probiotics once and they made me nauseous but i can try them again as nothing done so far seems to completely eliminate this cough. i am seeing an acupuncturist and that is simply nice for all my woes! i am jogging (yeah!!) and while it triggers the cough its no worse than one triggered by laughing.
it's the weekend and i so need to put this all away for awhile. my sons are visiting next week and the week after we are getting married!! so, i'm going to get dressed and get going and make a load to move over. and later we are going to a party.
love to all who are still keeping up with us.
