Amy the Intern

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything!

So I’ve been interning at a local Community Health organization; I’m documenting one of their IT processes—drawing process maps and writing procedures.  It’s pretty interesting work.  I’ve been working about 3 days per week, 6 hours per day.  Gosh, if only I could keep that schedule forever!  It’s been nice to have plenty of time at home, and still have time to interact with adults. 

They like me.  It feels really nice to feel like I’m contributing something, and to feel like part of a team.

Though interning is a bit weird.  The relationship building is different when you know you are only going to interact with people for a few weeks. 

I’m learning something I’ve always known… the quality / process improvement activities are low priority in a lot of people’s minds.  I’m not sure that I’d like to continue a career in process improvement.  I think I’d like to explore other avenues of leadership and bring my process improvement skills with me, but not as the primary purpose of my position.

Granted, I know every position has its challenges, but I do prefer feeling like people think my position is vital as opposed to a nuisance. 

I’m learning a lot.  Not so much about office politics and how things work (like I’m thinking many of my younger classmates are), but I’m listening (overhearing) IT service desk calls, and hearing how different applications support the operations, getting a feel for how the healthcare specific elements fit into a regular business structure.  I hear terms used in context, etc. 

All in all, things are good!  I’m pretty much living the charmed life… without the disposable income.  LOL

Stone Island

We toured Stone Island today.  Was very nice!  We really enjoyed the tour; it was the perfect thing to do at the end of a longer vacation when the boys are getting “bored” of the pools and  beach.

The boat ride in was nice.  It’s been a while since I’ve been on a boat.  I liked the gentle rocking, and also enjoyed the dolphins and sea lions.

Iguanas.  Every little boy’s dream.  Swing was afraid to hold one when we had the opportunity, but then wished he had.

We got the boys ink’d… I didn’t really like Cosmo’s dragon, but he’s in love with it.  At least Swing went for a lizard in a more “little boy” style!

We rode horses when we got there.  That was fun, too.  The boys have never been on a horse.  Cosmo has been on a donkey, but that’s not really the same thing.  Swing rode with me, and the Woodsman and Cosmo had their own caballo (horse).  Bummer, there’s only one shot of horseback riding…

Lunch there was great.  Some of the best food we’ve eaten here, really.  Then we went on a “buggy” ride.  Looking back, I should have let Cosmo ride the yellow banana boat, but I was nervous that the boat would go fast, on the ocean, with a group of mainly college aged kids.  He had fun, anyway!

Check out the buggy ride… the wooden chair cracks me up, but really, it’s the Mexican Spirit! They don’t need fancy, they just want something that gets the job done!

Finally, a few pictures of the living conditions.  Next time I complain about not having a large enough closet or storage for all the junk I’ve amassed, I’ll have to come back and look at these:

Swing Swims!

I’m so proud of my little boy!  Less than a year ago, he was a terrified, clingy octopus when we came NEAR the water.  Since then, we’ve taken him to swimming lessons (he didn’t “pass” the level one/two for the toddlers), and I took him to the pool at the gym pretty regularly.  Took him a while to swim in the deeper water in a floaty suit, but once he got used to it, he learned to make himself go.

So I brought floaty suits here for him.  And swim trunks.  He was not pleased at the idea of going without his floaters, but he went.  He hung on to the Woodsman and me, and one moment, he kicked off me and just went.

And just like that, he was swimming!

He doggy paddles, and then puts his face in the water, and brings it up for more of the doggy paddle before putting his face in again. 

I’m sure most of it is from watching his brother in the water. 

Swing has swum distances of over 20’, though he’s afraid to swim for a target that far away.  I have to hold my hands out for him to swim to and back up.  But he does it! 

Cosmo - ‘Coon Hunter

Perhaps I should change Cosmo’s name to ‘Coon.  His middle name is Hunter.  It would fit. 

Tonight, as our bedtime strategy, I took Cosmo on a walk while the Woodsman settled Swing with a movie (the Sandlot… baseball, of course).  Separating the boys typically works best when they are overtired.

So Cosmo and I are walking the grounds of the resort.  It’s a very lovely place, and we feel fortunate to be able to stay here.  At any rate, there’s one building with the top set up for events.  It’s a nice place to view the pool and the ocean.  As we approached the rooftop, I spotted an animal on the ledge of the building.  I pointed it out to Cosmo.  It was cool!  So we get to the rooftop and peek over the wall onto the ledge about 3ish feet below, and there’s the animal—a raccoon, and he’s hissing at us.!  We’re pretty sure it’s a raccoon, anyway, because it could have passed for a prettified possum.  *shudder*  So we cross the rooftop and gaze out at the loveliness, and listen to the waves, the pool fountain, and crickets.  Until we realize the raccoon was brave (read: stupid) enough to jump over the wall/railing from the ledge to “greet us.” 

So we walk calmly and quickly off the rooftop onto the bridge to get back to the walkway. The animal followed us!  Kept following us.  So we started to run.  (I hear these things can be mean, and I have no intention of finding out, or letting my son find out firsthand).  Goofy thing wouldn’t leave us alone.  We ducked into the area deli, and watched it walk away a bit. 

So after we browse the deli (a little mini-mart sort of place in the resort), we decide we’re safe to head back to our room.  We see no sign of the blasted critter.  We turn up to get to our building, and there he is!  He was on a retaining wall, giving us dirty looks.  He was just above Cosmo’s head, and I thought for sure he was going to jump on him.  So we took a different path, and the darn thing follows us some more. 

I had Cosmo stop talking, and instructed him to walk fast and quiet so the animal couldn’t follow us.  That seems to have done the trick.  We got to our building, and the elevator door opened up just as we approached, no animal in sight!

Of course, when we get back into our room and report our safari adventure to The Woodsman, he does not believe us.  Clearly, there are no raccoons in this area.  And clearly, we are unable to identify an animal with rings around it’s eyes, three rings around its tail, and a cat-like body. He knows his animals.   He’ll see.  Though if I’m smart, I’ll put high stakes on the outcome.  :D

Mexico At Last!

We made it!  Oh, it’s heavenly.  The travel day was long, of course, as our closest airport is smaller.  We had to get up at 2am to catch a 5am flight.  We had three legs total.  The boys were angels.  I almost wondered who took my boys and replaced them with the pod children.  Swing did start to get antsy at the end of the third leg, but that was 10 hours in.  It was a relief, really; I knew 12 hours traveling was a LOT to ask of a 4 and 8 year old!

At any rate, we got here, and my parents were here to meet us!  We are so excited that they pushed out their leave date here (they were going to leave the day before we came in) so they could see us for a few days.  They were kind enough to go to the front desk of the hotel and pick our room for us (early), so we have a nice one.  The “better” ones go fast!  So we have a lovely balcony and are close to the pools and the “super deli.” 

It’s been hot.  I won’t complain, though.  It’s so nice to feel hot and get into a lovely pool.  It’s so relaxing to have fun with the boys and keep them so busy that they don’t have time to argue or whine.  The food is so tasty!  It’s such a hospitable country; the people are so friendly and helpful.  It’s really easy to be grateful and in a good mood when things are so easy (There are no chores)!

There’s lots of walking, too.  The first day I was wondering if I’d be crabby about it until I realized that I needed to be walking, anyway.  :D  The resort is spread out quite a bit, so even though we are close to the things we’d do at the resort, when we want to leave, we have to walk quite a ways to do so.  My legs are a bit sore just on the second day.  That’s good… I’m working hard enough to get sore, but it doesn’t feel like work when I’m doing it!

Anyway, it’s time to go to bed now.  I’m feeling really spoiled and really grateful right now to be at such a lovely place. 

Semester End Approaches! Things Are Good.

I am nearly done with my first semester of school.  I’m so excited!  I’ve learned quite a bit… more than I even realize.  Last night in class, the instructor gave us a “quiz” where he’d throw us chocolate if we answered a question right.  I knew most of the answers!  I didn’t realize how much information I’d retained!  This gives me some hope for the final!

So tonight I have a group presentation, and next week is one final exam.  Then we’re off to Mexico!  I cannot believe it!  One down, four to go!

This time last year, I was working 8-5 and had no idea that my world would be turned upside down and I’d be finishing a semester in school a  year later.  It’s a good path.  It’s a miracle, really.  I feel like I have more recognition here in school than I did in my previous position.  I have so much more opportunity.  I’m seen; a year ago I was invisible. 

I have  a lot of work ahead of me.  My family will have to work for this, too.  But I have a fantastic family.   I’m willing to work and so are they! 

It’s feeling so good to look back and see the change in direction here.  I started this blog to work out the negative emotions surrounding my layoff, and now I have nothing but positive attitude about it.  (though I’ll admit, I sometimes wonder if my tasks are being done “as well” by someone else). 

In order to be here, in school, in this TAA program (funding), I had to be laid off 8 years ago: my job had to be sent overseas to qualify for this education program.  I had to get my bachelors at my last job, and I had to be laid off again to qualify for unemployment and TAA.  All those “bad” things had to happen to me.  Here I am today, looking at a career I’m excited about, taking classes I enjoy, about to start my first internship in a new industry…

Things are good.

Magnet School for Cosmo?

So, it would seem as if the clouds are clearing and the skies are turning blue.  A school in our area is becoming a magnet school for science and math!  It’s about a mile further away than Cosmo’s current school.  So the Woodsman and I are talking about applying for a slot there.

Cosmo’s not so sure.  He has “lots” of friends where he’s at.  I think he’s afraid of starting over when he (now) has a couple of kids that are nice to him sometimes.  But I’m thinking he’s … he’s a different kid.  He talks differently, thinks differently, and of course, the behavior problems that have vastly improved (but still need some work).  He talks and thinks differently because he’s exceptionally bright (I say this at risk of sounding like one of THOSE moms… but it’s true).  I’m hoping/thinking a school designed to attract kids more “like him.” 

We’d be responsible for his transportation, though.  The mornings would be no problem.  The afternoons are a different story, since my classes all start at 4pm about an hour away.  The aftercare program runs until 6pm, so that would be iffy if the Woodsman had a late shift at his store.

At any rate, I was feeling badly about sending him to “that” school again next year.  (I love the teachers, loathe the administration).  The main questions now are whether or not to push it when Cosmo says “no” and how to handle the evening logistics. 

My Birthday

I’ve taken another trip around the sun!  I’m 29!  *wink*

I took some pictures of my darlings in the morning.  Boy, was it windy!  In the evening, we went out for dinner.  Though we didn’t factor that it was PROM.  So our two first choices were out: Olive Garden and the new Texas Roadhouse.  Chilis it was. BONUS!  No wait!  HA!  It was an hour (add 20% to that for the prom factor) wait at the Olive Garden.  So I had ribs and one of their fantastic margaritas.  We took dessert home.  Perfect.  No cake that I kinda like but feel obligated to have, no cooking, cleaning, and the boys were good.  :)

Anyway, I’ll terminate the banter.  I know you all just want to look at my handsomes, and I want to hear all about how adorable you think (know) they are!

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