Ah, Spring Is Finally Here!!!

It is May 4th and it looks as though the snow will NOT return. Whoooo Hooo! I got out on my deck and planted some flowers to brighten things up a bit. I love spring, can you tell?

Well, I took my final exam on Marketing. I was also able to complete my final paper as well. I took the exam online yesterday, it was a two hour exam and it was timed. I was doing really well with the 10 essay questions; my answers were in depth and on target. I went back to correct the spelling of a word in one of the essays and guess what? My computer locked up! OMG! I lost the entire thing. Crap!

I called the professor and he was really compassionate and he re-opened the exam for me and I was able to do it again. Whew! I am so glad that is over.

Other great news is I landed a great job! It is the one I have been trying to land since February. Sweet! I begin Monday the 7th. Things are starting to look up for sure. It is a job that requires organization, being able to deal with Technicians egos and placate ruffled customers. It is a job that I could do backward and forward and one that presents challenges on a daily basis. The company is global and it has been around for a very long time. I really like the corporate culture of this company and the vision it has for its employee family. I have a training orientation Tuesday and Wednesday and have to take the little guy with me. Luckily I have my twin's Element to put the crate in. Andy can stay there while I am in class. After that, I will sneak him into the hotel room : )

Speaking of the little guy, he has been doing very well with his training. When he is out on his training line in the field. He looks like a little show dog when he is working. Smart little guy. He is I am proud to say, doing much better with his manners when he sees another dog across the street. He is not as aggressive. I am pleased. He is such a great source of comfort this little ball of energy. Speaking of the little guy, it is time to take him out. He has been patiently waiting for me to finish this entry. Later I think he and I will go look at some kayaks.

Winter's last gasp?

Here is a picture from out of my side window. As you can see April 15, 2007 provided us with a winter/spring wonderland. Thankfully it left as soon as the rain came. I have to say, we have been quite lucky as far as snow this past winter.

I can remember as a kid, the winters were filled with plenty of snow ......... and SNOW DAYS! The last bad winter I can remember in New England was 1995. We had a lot of snow and it was constantly shoveling and clearing it every weekend. Then of course the freak storm April 1, 1997! Now that is what I call an April Fools joke to be sure!

Right now it is still raining and getting windy too as all Northeasters do. I just got an email from my daughter-in-law Casey, she lives on the coast of Maine and she said it is raining buckets up there. My oldest son is her husband and he is a Merchant Marine. My hope is that his ship is far enough out that he doesn't get caught in this mess. Ever since he was in High School the kid loved the sea. I am pleased that he found a wife that is familiar with that life. Her Dad is also in the same business so she grew up in that type of atmosphere.

Well, the school books are calling me. Still have not gotten word back about my mid-term exam. I did however get a grade back on a paper I wrote, I am pleased with it.

Training of a male in any form is a challenge!

This is my little Andy. He is two years old and a Chihuahua mix. I got him last in March from a rescue home and he is a delight! But..... man, this male does not listen. He is still young and very smart. He has learned to sit and stay (for a few moments) . Problem is, when it comes time to go for a walk to take care of his biz, he DOES NOT LISTEN. Andy is........ a PULLER. He has this thing where he feels he has to pull constantly on the leash. When I take him out, he automatically goes into instinct mode..... to him every walk is a "fact finding mission". "Who has been at my bush???! Let me leave just two drops so I can show this interloper who the boss really is." Like I said this little ten pound bundle of energy thinks he is ten feet tall and bullet proof. If he sees another dog across the street forget it. He thinks he can tear that Rotweiller limb from limb. Funny thing is, when he does meet that other dog nose to nose, he is friendly. Does he perceive that creature in the distance to be a threat to me? Is he just protecting me?

I took my mid-term in Marketing and I am not so sure I did very well. First of all it was a timed exam and smart me forgot to look at the clock before I began. This exam was taken online and the professor knows when you begin. I hurried only to find out that

A. the exam was not due until this coming Sunday
B. I had finished it in 36 minutes.

Oh well, we will find out Tuesday just how good or bad I did.

Wow Marketing is an eyeopener!

As I said before, I am in school as a non-traditional student. Right now I am taking a Marketing course. Now I am more aware of what a painful job telemarketing is. Yikes! Now I feel bad, I hang up on them all of the time. I have even gone so far as to ask them for their home phone number so I can call them back and bother them.

This class is now in it's third week and from the look of things, this class as a whole did not do well in its first two weeks. I still have not gotten a grade yet for my paper submitted last week and my next paper is due today. I have about two more paragraphs to complete and it will be done. I love to write papers. Sick, eh?

Easter has come and gone. My siblings and I went to our Mom's in CT and we had a good time. Some of the nieces and nephews joined us and it was great to see them. I used to live in Maine and very rarely got to my parent's house for any of the holidays. It was a six and a half hour drive one way and the thought of making that journey with two small children was what kept me from making it. My kids loved to travel but by the time I got to the destination I was ready for a nap! That much time in a car with little ones was too much for one setting. They were so active!

This is where it all begins

Hello there,

My nieces blog. So being an Auntie and wanting to be up with the times I chose to create something new with my "stamp" on it. So this is where I will begin my journey.

I am a 52 year old college student (non traditional) and I love to write. I am currently unemployed so this will be a creative outlet until I find something.

I am proud to tell that I am a baby -boomer! There sure are enough of us around these days so I am sure many will be able to relate to what I will be talking about as I get this little endeavor underway.

I have two grown sons and three grandchildren. They live quite a distance from me so I don't get to see them as often as I would like to. They are country boys and I am proud of what they have accomplished in their lives so far.

I have recently split from someone whom I thought was "the one". Ah yes, November 19th will never be the same again. It was when my perfect world came crashing down around me. You see, Mark and I had been on again off again for 4 years and then we were exclusive for the remaining 2 years. So six years of my life were wasted.
I should not say wasted. We did everything together, camping, biking, hiking, traveling, canoeing and skiing. We even did things around the house too. He was pleased that I knew which end of the screwdriver did the work. We also had great intellectual conversations.

We met while at a dance club. You see, we both were heavy into country line dancing and couples dancing. Yep, that is where we met and that was our first common bond. As time went on with this man, who by the way is now 54, he just could not commit. We split briefly for five months 2 years ago and I had written him off. He contacted me and guess what? Back on again! Only this time he felt he was ready to commit. My instinct told me not to trust him but my heart won out. Oh well. I still teach line dancing and in spite of me still missing him after this much time, I will eventually find someone who is not afraid of commitment.

Enough of relationship stuff. I just had the need to get rid of that feeling. I still miss him from time to time.

So, I am located out in the western part of Massachusetts and it is quite beautiful out here. So much like NH where I just moved from. The area is surrounded by farms and is very rural. The town itself that I am in is a college town and very eclectic. The people here are very nice and definitely diverse. I see plenty of people while I am out walking my dog and they for the most part are friendly.

Let me tell you about my dog. His name is Andy and he is a Chihuahua mix( my twin sister and I believe he is a Chihuahua/Corgi mix). I got him from a rescue service and he has been great therapy for me. I have always had a dog or two, or five in my life with the exception of when I was with Mark. ( this should have been my first clue it would not work) Andy has been a great source of entertainment for me and a great companion with UNCONDITIONAL love.

Andy has a problem. He thinks in his little head that he is 10 feet tall and bullet (or in his case tooth ) proof. If we are out walking and he sees another dog he just totally loses it. I mean he goes instantly into instinct mode and blocks everything else out. In his mind he is being the great big protector of me against the enemy. Little does he realize, that dog across the street could probably mop the street up with him. None the less, Andy continues to be "bossy" with other dogs. God help me if he sees a cat!

Speaking of cats, Andy and I went to visit my Mom. She has a cat that is very old but from what I saw, very able to mop the floor up with the dog. Mickey, my Mom's cat is just a little bigger than Andy. Mickey is (or so I always thought) a very gentle soul. The first time Mickey saw Andy the cat totally did the ten feet tall and bullet proof thing. Needless to say, Andy and Mickey will not be in the same room ever again.

There was only one other time I saw a cat do that and it was back when I was living in Maine. A friend of mine had a Great Dane and this dog went snooping where she should not have and my cat chased that big Great Dane all the way down our road. I never saw such a large dog move so fast. It was great!

Well, I must get doing my school work now. I will come back to this site every day in between my homework, searching for a job and the line dance classes I teach. Til then, tata!