Self Reinvention

I’ve been doing practically the same job for over twenty years… administrative.  This used to be called “secretarial” work, but now it’s much more importantly recognized as “administrative” work.  Whatever… I still just do whatever needs to be done for whoever needs to have it done to ensure that the company can keep operating.  It’s like being a mom at work to a bunch of babies that never grow up and I’m not allowed to punish.  I’m done with that.

I’ve never attended college.  I wasn’t ready right out of high school, then got pregnant with Boog not long after.  I planned to go at some point, but life had other plans for me… being a single mom doesn’t always allow time to focus on oneself.  Then when I had more time, I felt that I was too old to go to college.  I thought it was too late for me.  My lot in life had been decided and I should just grin and bear it. 

Well, now that I’m more clearly immersed in middle-age, I find that I’m NOT too old.  I’m hoping to start my college life in the Fall.  Cross your fingers.  This may be something that seems like a good idea on paper, then turns out to be the opposite.   But maybe when it’s all over, I’ll have a brand new career!

Or maybe, I’ll just be a highly educated secretary for another twenty years.  Ugh!  No, thank you.  If that’s not motivation to make this happen, I don’t know what is. 

Stink or Swim

Some of you may have remembered my first real blog post about Sienna getting sprayed by a skunk.  Well, I was afraid of a repeat performance recently. 

We went camping this past weekend to Garner State Park in the hill country near San Antonio. It’s a beautiful park with plenty of hiking trails and a freezing river, aptly called the Frio River.  The girls waded in the river up to their thighs.  I felt like such a bad parent because that water felt like what you find in an ice chest when all the drinks are gone… numbing.  They were shaking and nearly blue when we finally made them get out. 

Back at camp that evening, we noticed a skunk or two walking around just behind our trailer. They wandered nearby for those two nights. And let me say, skunks are actually quite scary in real life. I could probably equate it to seeing a lion on the prowl. It’s not really about what it does when you see it, more precisely it’s about what it COULD do!  We kept shining the flashlights in their general direction. 

Skunks look relatively the same from the front or the back… basically just a fluffy black and white kitty cat with beady eyes.  Although, you can’t see those beady eyes at night in the dark.  And it’s a great feeling when your flashlight reflects in their eyes.  At least then you know you have the more preferred end pointed at you.

We made it out of there alive and with our own aroma intact.  And thank you, Sienna, for learning your lesson and leaving them alone!  I didn’t have any tomato juice with me again!

Once again… with feeling

Again, I haven’t written for a while. The funniest part is that I still find myself clicking on my blog shortcut. And yet, I’m surprised to find nothing new. So, here I am starting to get started again. Bear with me.

There are so many things I can think of to talk about: my husband is still out of work, my kids continue to grow, I finally bought an I-phone, life has been great and life has sucked. Where to begin…

I suppose I can begin the same way I began in the beginning… with skunks.