Training myself

Tomorrow I finally start my training with my principal broker. It is for one week, 8 hours a day. After that I train weekly for a few hours with the managing broker for several months. I am very excited and chomping at the bit to get out there and start making contacts. Still waiting on my announcements and business cards.

It feels good to be done at the bank. They were good to me there, but there was no place for me to advance. Now I feel like my future is in my hands. That is good for a control freak. Of course the unknown income is not the best feeling for a control freak. So I will concentrate on the good. It is something I have been working on this past year. There is a lot of good out there, if you can take the time to see it.

Rest In Peace Natalie Jo

Today we buried my cousin. She was 38. Her daughter is 14. The same age as my eldest. Her death was a blessing, she had been very ill for a very long time. But my heart goes out to her brothers, father, and especially her daughter.

Hug your kids. You never know if you'll get another chance.

So Far So Good

A year ago today, our lives as we knew them ended. I had never felt like more of a failure as a parent. As a person. I had no hope. What I did have were friends and family. With their help we not only survived the last year, but did so with a great deal of joy. Seriously, I didn't think joy would ever be experienced again. Not by us.

It hasn't been easy. And it still isn't. But this year we are entering the holiday season and thinking and hoping for a bright future. With just a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, it is within our reach.

Thanksgiving is approaching. I want to take a second to thank all those that have helped us survive, even thrive in the last year. Thanks to those that snuck food into my freezer. Thanks to those that mailed care packages and gift cards to us. Thanks to those that sent us cash outright. Thanks to those that bought things from us that they really didn't need. Thanks to those that gave me references for jobs. Thanks to those that gave me leads. Thanks to those that changed my tire in the snow - and the tire company that gave me a free one to replace it. Thanks to those that spent their Christmas break watching my kids so they wouldn't be home alone while I worked. Thanks to those that helped me rebuild a professional wardrobe. Thanks to those that picked my kids up and dropped them off for various appointments. Thanks to those that gave me legal advise. Thanks to those that called to see how we were doing - and to those I called when I had given up. Thanks to those that kept us in their thoughts and their prayers. Without everyone of you, it could have been a very different end to this year. So thank you.

Two more weeks of part-time income and then I'm on a full commission basis. Scary, yes, but also exciting.

Speaking of scary, I have now been on Match.com long enough (5-6 weeks) to pretty much have gone through all of the potential local bachelors on there. Pretty sad that only 3 wanted to go out with me. And apparently none of them wanted to date me more than once. I'm starting to think that they weren't completely honest on their profiles. No, seriously, I think they were lying when they said they wanted to find someone honest and to take things slowly. Can you imagine? I, on the other hand, was completely and entirely honest on my profile. There were of course things I didn't mention, like the ex is serving 10 years in prison due in large part to my testimony, but the stuff that is on there is true.

So even though Halloween is over, the frights are just beginning.