Networking and Such

I have been gainfully unemployed since November, without much luck.  So I decided to branch out and try the networking groups.  One was last Thursday and one was today.  I must say that both were exceedingly depressing.  I am the youngest one in there (by far).  Don't believe me?  One of the guys was 82 years old!!  And the majority have been unemployed for two years.  Yikes!  I think it has turned into more of a social club.

Job hunting these days is odd.  Yes, there are a lot of jobs posted.  So you apply.  Hopefully you get an interview.  And then....nothing.  Or they just collect resumes and interview no one. It is not that they have filled the position...this goes on for months.  They just don't make a decision.  It could be they are waiting on a contract.  Or maybe the decision is to let some poor schmuck (who is already working there) take on the second job responsibilities with no more pay.  It is aggravating to say the least.  And dealing with the various corporate websites is not much fun either.

But I keep plugging away.  Looking forward to spring, when I can at least be productive outside!  I think I'm seriously lacking in vitamin D (and in need of warm sunshine).

On a happy note, Cletus is out of the cast and is transitioning out of the boot and into a shoe.  If he behaves himself, we won't have to see Dr. M anymore!  Yippeee!  I survived the six weeks!!

Go South, Young Man

I just cannot seem to get this quote from Horace Greeley right.  Tdawg and I visited Birmingham Southern College.  It was not a sprint, but a marathon day: from 9a to 3p. Two hours of touring and three hours of academics, admission, financial aid and highlight films.  Unfortunately, it was freezing cold with a brutal north wind.  But we had a good day.  As with the other colleges, Tdawg has already been accepted and received a merit scholarship for partial tuition.  Now he has the unenviable task of deciding where to go.  I know he wishes I would just tell him where to go.  I just can't.  I like Hanover (Indiana) and Gardner-Webb (NCarolina) and Bham Southern.  They each have their positives...and potential negatives.  But more than anything...he needs to decide where he would feel most comfortable...where he could plug in and thrive.

Wine and Grapes

The cure for the blues?  Painting with my besties!

 interesting effect with the wet paint...

 made a private reserve label.  not sure I like my grapes...but it turned out pretty good.  i know just where to hang it.

...besides a bad day of painting beats about anything!!  we stayed out past our bedtimes (10p) and felt like bad girls.  tee hee hee.  my idea, so i guess i'm the one your mother warned you about. :D

On the road again...

Still recovering from Indiana.  I went to the doc and got shots and scripts and a breathing treatment.  Hubby is out of the cast and in a knee high (non walking) boot for another two weeks.  So, he decided that he was well enough to travel with us this time.  He drove the four of us to Memphis to visit Rhodes College.

Before I start...well, I have a bone to pick.  I dislike when people tell me: "you are going to LOVE (blank)".  It seems to set up the expectation and then it is doomed to fail.  If you build up a movie, place, book, whatever...then I'm left wondering: why in the world did they think that I would LOVE this??  Hardly ever do I agree with the hype.

Oh yeah, the hawk (Mohawk) is back...

And this happened with Rhodes.  Tdawg's friend had visited earlier and his mom told me that I would LOVE Rhodes..  The college seemed nice enough. I was left wondering if I would have liked it more, if Heather had not built it up in my head.

With the rainy weather and the architecture, it had a France feel for me.  I love the Gothic architecture.  I could have spent all day just taking photos. But after a visit with the coaching staff and a campus tour, we were cut loose.  Tdawg spent the night with players.  While we chilled at the hotel and ate at Buckleys.  It was awesome.  I had the Shrimp and Grits.  It was awesome!  Only a mojito would have made it better.  But, sadly, they didn't have any mint.  Bummer.  The awesomeness of dinner made up for it.

Then next day we watched film and talked more with the staff.  I feel so stupid in those meetings.  They talk x's and o's in football language.  I felt that I walked in on the last week of a calculus class.  Everyone else is nodding knowingly.  And I'm looking at the diagrams thinking what the what the? Oh well, just not my language.

Go North Young Man

Ok, that isn't exactly what Horace Greeley said.  But in this case, we took I-65 north to Indiana.  I really liked Indiana.  It oddly felt like northern Alabama: small farms, little white Baptist churches and a little bit redneck.  But it was a whole lot colder.  It was 30 degrees with a 30 mph wind (at least). Blowing right off of the (really big) Ohio River. Brr!

The trip would have been better if Tdawg had not been sick.  But between the internet and Gar-gar-binks (our new Garmin), we found a walk-in clinic and got him some meds.  Mr.Mucinex and Mrs. Nyquil just were not doing the job. Of course, after he got to feeling better, I got sick.

I was favorably impressed with Hanover.  They had a cadaver lab and two animatronic patients.  Those are dummy patients that can be programmed with a variety of symptoms: breathe, cough, vomit, sneeze, drool, have a heart attack and die!  The professor can make the patient talk, so it really simulates a real patient experience.  That is really cool for an undergrad program!

Really liked the coaching staff as well.  Although it was a 700 mile (plus) roundtrip, I really liked Hanover.  It is not that far from Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana.  So, there are things to do...even though Hanover is quite small.

Sewanee: University of the South

This college road trip to Sewanee, Tennessee.  Thankfully, this time it was a short drive. It was extremely foggy.  That along with the Oxford inspired architecture, made it really feel like England.  Very surreal.  I'm sure during the spring and summer, it is a beautiful area.  Tdawg, however, did not feel at home here.  Well, that is why you go visit...to determine that comfortability.