The Happy Thread V

[Varnafindë]

So you have several students, Tessar?
I'm sure you're a good music teacher.

[Rían]

Good to hear of some good things

[Midge]

So:

Tried this new job last November and got fired in December, so I've been unemployed for two months now. We've been making it on my husband's part-time phlebotomy wages, but it's been rough. Finally I have a full-time job with great benefits but it doesn't start till March 26th (sigh).

So then today my boss from my old job calls and says they're swamped and would I like work as an independent contractor! The funny thing is the same thing happened when he hired me the first time. I called to talk to his daughter (we're friends) and she was like "Do you need a job?" Uh... yes, why, yes I do.

Anyway, it was perfect timing AGAIN! And now we don't have to worry about picking between food and gas anymore!

[Rían]

Yay!!!!!!!

So good to hear anything positive on the job front for anyone!!!!

(continued prayers for Tessar's dad ...)

[Tessar]

Woohoo! I made a B on my super hard finance test!!!!!

[Rían]

Yay for you!!! *high five*


Well, I'm happy that I still have 3 kids - we went to the desert last weekend to camp and ride quads, and after various rides all morning (three quads and 5 people, so we do various combinations), my middle son and his friend set out on another one and didn't hear (at least that's what they said ... ) us say to make it a quick trip because we were getting lunch ready, and between having to stop and rest (he's the one without legs - it's amazing that he can even ride a quad! You should see him! But his arms get tired, so he has to stop sometimes) and then getting lost, they ended up being gone for ... three and a half hours!!!! Luckily, the weather was good, and it wasn't late, so we didn't panic at first. We tried calling their phones, but the cellphone coverage is dicey, and we can't get them, so it's time to start looking.

My husband got out our other quad and started looking for them. Didn't find them. Came back to camp to see if they had returned. They had not returned. Repeated this process several times. Then we went to the camp host, who told us to call 991. Call 911, you mean? we asked. No, 991, the old geezer insisted. Is that some special sheriff's search number, we wondered. No, it's the emergency number, he grumbled. Ah, he's an old coot! we realized. He means 911.

We leave him and go back to camp, and agree that if it hits 4:30, we'll call 9 ONE one and start an official search. My husband goes back to the trails and starts talking to people coming off the trails. No one has seen them, but the word is getting around. People start showing up to our campsite (where my daughter and I are trying to pass the time without going crazy by playing Yahtzee while we are holding the fort for people to coordinate at) and asking for info - what do they look like, where did they go, how long have they been gone. At least they're easy to identify - one kid has no legs! Kind people join the search for us (as we would have done for them - campers are usually very nice people).

FINALLY, it's 4:30, and they aren't back. Then two guys roar up on dirt bikes and say they saw them - yeah, one kid didn't have any legs - they were about 9 miles out on the long loop! Well, that's great news on one front - as last seen, they were uninjured and on a trail. But it's getting later, and they are FAR out, and it will take about an hour and a half to get to that point. Finally, I've had it - I get out my phone and call the sheriff. I'm just giving them the preliminary info, when my husband says, "Is that them?", and guess who rolls into camp? Huge sigh of relief from everyone, and a general chuckle as people leave our camp with a "I don't think I want to be in HIS shoes!" grin (even though he doesn't have shoes )

Mom is NOT happy with what happened, and they know it (and btw, we had notified my son's friend's parents several hours ago, and luckily they are campers, too, and didn't panic - they were great. Their son is very capable and knows quads). I had my son's friend immediately call his parents, while we talked to our son. Next time we go quadding, he will have a watch on his wrist (kids just don't wear watches anymore because they have cellphones) and a time to be back written in black marker on his hand, for starters! That, plus some to-be-decided grounding at home. He didn't do anything maliciously wrong, but he certainly should have known that they were getting WAAAAAY too far away from camp, and it affected a lot of people.

Anyway, I am SO relieved that he's back safe I sure got a few more gray hairs out of that incident, though!

[Mari]

I can imagine!
Glad everything turned out okay, but man, y'all must have been worried!

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Ye gods, Mama-bear must have been going CRAZY! So glad they got back safe and sound!

[Rían]

Yeah, I was wound up tight! And the really hard thing was that all I could do (and SHOULD do - you really need someone at base camp) was wait at the camp. I wanted to be on a quad, driving around and looking for them. But we only had one other quad, and my husband was by far the better driver, so he went.

After they were back safe and sound, my husband just kept laughing and telling my son, "Yo' Mama was NOT happy!!!!"

[Tessar]

Despite the crazy stress of the last few weeks, the last few days have been pretty great.

I've gotten lots of sleep, got to sing at a wonderful hymn festival, my voice is getting stronger, my kids' voices are getting stronger each lesson, my bedroom looks AMAZING because I cleaned it up to look like a "model home" bedroom for the house showings, and best of all three friends and I are going to the ren fest on St. Patrick's day!!! I can hardly wait!!! Going with my sister was a blast, but these friends are a bit less uptight than my sister about bawdy humor, so it should be just that much more fun.

[Tessar]

Well this has been a great couple of days. Yesterday my dad was given, and accepted, a job offer! So he's officially employed again after nine months.

I got re-hired for certain as one of the paid singers at my current job.

Today we went to look at apartments, and the first place we went to was so amazing, and the unit they had available was in the back, quiet area of the complex so we just signed off for it right there.

Truly excellent couple of days.

[Varnafindë]

That's great, Tessar!
I'm really happy for you and your family

[Rían]

Hooray!!!!!!

[Earniel]

Yeay! Great when things go right for a change.

[Nerdanel]

that sounds great, tessar. congrats!

[Tessar]

To paraphrase Waiting for Guffman, "It's the day of the move, y'all!"



I'm so excited!!! I feel like this is the beginning of a huge adventure for some reason. I've had "moving day" energy all day!!!!! I have trouble doing any one thing for more than a few minutes because my mind is going all crazy.


... that or I'm having a very drawn-out stroke.

.....


WOOHOO MOVING!!! Today we move some boxes by car, and tomorrow the movers come for the big stuff!

[Tessar]

My new bedroom has a beautiful view out into a wooded area. I love it!!

[Rían]

how wonderful!!!! I miss green, growing things so much out here in Arizona ...

Woods are so lovely and mysterious ...

[Mari]

Congrats on moving and the new job for your dad!

[Tessar]

Well, I bucked down and started studying in a major way. Did lots of reading/reviewing/re-reading/research and started doing all of the practice problems in the books, taking notes in the margin of the books, taking notes about my reads through the chapters, etc.... and it totally paid off.

Today was the first time this entire semester that I've sat through my classes and actually known what was going on, and been able to start/finish problems before the professor announces or works on them. I've been super lost and struggling all semester, but hopefully I can turn it around now. I have two exams coming up over the next week and some online quizzes this Sunday, so hopefully I'll see some major grade improvements!