JUST CALL ME QUINTOMOM

Well........not really, but almost.  I have 4 under the age of 3 and 2 of those are infants and 1 is 12 months.  Monday I get another infant, hence the quintomom!  Now I know why God has women have babies WAY before the age of 51.  I'm worn out every afternoon, my hands are so chaped from washing them constantly after changing diapers, I can now hold 2 infants and feed them at the same time!  That's why God gave us chins.......did you know you can hold a bottle with your chin?  It really does work if the baby doesn't turn it's head!  I've gone from one end of the spectrum to the other.....sitting by myself all day with no noise transcribing to constantly moving with a house full of kids!  There has to be a happy medium.  So Julie and I have come up with a solution.  We are going to take CNA classes!  Can't wait until we can get started.  Not only do I get to spend all day everyday for 2 weeks with my best girl friend but get to FINALLY start learning/doing what I've always wanted to do.  I'm thinking after I get my CNA and then work for about a year, maybe we can go back and get out LPNs.  Don't think I'm interested in getting my RN at this age, but I would be extremely happy with an LPN.  I'm just so stinkin' glad that I don't have to take any math classes or writing classes or speech classes.  Fainting in front of a speech class would be so humiliating!!  I don't think they would allow Joe to come to class and give my speech for me like he used to do for PTA and my treasurer's report.  So.....here's to getting my CNA and finding a job in a hospital or nursing home finally!!!

Just some "not-so-interesting" news!

Starting a new adventure in the Bautista house.  I will be the pseudo-mommy for 3 little ones under the age of 4 months (equal to being the mother of triplets!), a 2-1/2 year old little girl, and a 12 month old little boy.  Four of the 5 children's mothers are teachers, so I won't have them when school isn't in.  Sure hope this old body can make it all day every day! 

My BFF bought me a new bike yesterday.  Pretty, pretty, pretty!  It is white with some foam green/maybe light teal, (hard to describe color) flowers!  LOVE IT!  Joe and I have been trying to ride, but the weather is not cooperating.  Hard to ride when it is 95 and above.  Just can't get into it with the heat.  Wish we had the time after it cools off to take a few days/weeks and ride and ride and ride.  I guess that will be in our next life though.  We are planning a ride in September and maybe a ride in October over his fall break.  Sure hope it all works out.  He kicks my butt when we ride, but I really love it.

Moving on to Joseph.........sure do wish we would hear from him.  It has been weeks since we have had any communication, and I absolutely HATE it.  I keep having these horrible dreams about him.  Can't wait until he gets back on American soil.  I'm sure he has lost a TON of weight and is so, so tired and hot.  Hang in there baby, there is a light at the end of your tunnel and a family who is anxious to see you.

Now Christina..........we finally bought her a car, and she gets it today!  It is so pretty, and the best part is she REALLY likes it.  It is a Chevy Cobalt and is a very, very pretty sky blue.  Great car for her, and Joe got us a really great deal on it too!  She leaves Saturday for hiking on the Appalachian trail .  She will be gone for 8 days, home for 4 days and then off to Colorado for 9 days to visit a girl friend and then to visit her Uncle Larry, home on the 20th and then back to school on the 21st.  She is a traveler!!!  So glad she can go and do.

Daniel........registered him for school this past Monday.  Why do public schools cost so stinkin' much?  $256.04!!  That doesn't make sense to me.  At least we have him home for another 2 years.  I'm going to be so sad when there aren't any children left.  He starts 2-a-days in tennis on Monday!  Something inside me says he is not really looking forward to that.

Joe starts school on the 15th and he is dreading it so much.  I wish he could retire and find something that has absolutely NO stress and is fun......like mixing paint at Lowes or greating people at Wal-Mart or bike riding cross country with me!  Like I said.....maybe in our next life. 

Sometimes things just don't work the way you want them to

Do you ever wonder WHEN things are going to go your way.....just once already ok?  I thought when I got this new job, everything would be cool.  What a joke this turned out to be.  I'm working 40 hours a week just on transcribing and making about 1/4 of what I made with my ortho job.  That just plain out sucks man.  I'm having to transcribe while trying to take care of an 8 month old too.  Can you say extra high stress level?  I dread getting up in the mornings, I dread sitting at the computer all day, I just dread the weeks.  People say "be thankful you have a job".  I know I should but.......working as many hours and only making 1/4 of the pay.  HA!  I've said for years, back when Joe was working for Factory Mutual and CHUBB, that 90% of a job is liking/loving what you do.  Guess who absolutely HATES her job?  It's a really hard balancing act trying to do both jobs at the same time, worry about getting dinner on, laundry, dogs, trying to keep some semblence of a half-way clean house (that's a joke in and of itself).  Then on top of everything.....Christina's laptop died a couple of days ago.  How can a college student survive these days without a computer?  I wish I could wiggle my nose and a laptop and a car for that poor little girl would appear.  I feel so sad for her not having a car at the age of 21.  I thought a parent's stress level was supposed to ease with time.  Mine........over the top.  Joseph going to some God-forsaken place with weapons everywhere, Christina no car and no laptop with grad school just around the corner, Daniel now behind the wheel of a car (well... MY vehicle), my hot flashes being completely out of control, my hormone pills making me gain weight, and my crappy, crappy job.  What's up with life sometimes?  Is there ever going to be a point in my life that I feel not maxed out on the stress-o-meter?  I can't see that at any point in the near future.  I want to wake up in the morning and experience NO pressure whatsoever.  I'd love to see how that really feels just for a couple of days.  I think I need to pop some pink footballs......that bit of information is for my mother and my Ninny!! 

So.........in my next life, there will be no sitting in front of the computer for hours upon hours, I will be a size 9 (shoot I'd be happy with a stinkin' size 12 right now), I will go on 30 mile bike rides at least 4 times a week, my kids will NOT have to go to war, my kids will have a car of their own to drive and I'll have mine back, Joe and I will be able to travel to fun places in the car and on the bikes, and I'll have the job of my dreams working with real people and not computer gremlins.  I hate those little suckers.

first day jitters!!

My first day on the job today.  Boy did I have stomach problems up until 1:30 this afternoon.  That was the time to start training.  Thankfully, my trainer started off the training period with "Just so you know.....I haven't had my cup of coffee today."  I knew right then that she was a keeper!  Very sweet and patient lady.  We were on the phone for a little over  2 hours.  I was then cut "loose" to start producing.  My first doctor was an infectious disease practitioner....a specialty that I have never transcribed before.  However, a piece of cake pretty much.  I feel so much better knowing that this day is over.  The bad news is that in 2 weeks I am going to be put on my "permanent" account which is an orthopedic account with a brand new platform that no one has ever worked on.  Training all over again.  That's okay....I have a job now and I think I'm going to be really happy with this one.  It is a small company that has been in business almost 20 years.  They have less than 100 employees.......hence over 100 applications and only hiring 4 for my position!!!  I have high expectations for this company and this MT job.  I'm feeling so much better this evening, and now I think I can go enjoy a little something to eat!!  First-day jitters are flushed......literally!!!!

My BFF is so sweet to me!

Yesterday I left about 8:30 am to pick Daniel up in Tennessee at my niece's house.  It was going to be a long 10 hour day of driving.  I love to listen to country music which I don't get to listen to very much because either I'm working or Joe doesn't put it on a country station in the car because he can't stand it.  I actually was looking forward to the drive just to listen to some country music.  However, when you travel, a station doesn't stay on for too long, so you spend quite a bit of time scanning the stations to pick up a good one.  When I went out to the car, my BFF had taken 4 CDs of my favorite country singers out of the truck and put them in the car for me to listen to!  It was one of the AWWWWWW moments!  Those are the little things that make it all so great.  Thanks Joe for the Polar Pop and the CDs.....I love you!

During a drought, it's really dry......when it rains, it pours!

First off, did I spell drought right?  When you spend all day typing medical terminology, real words don't look quite right.  If I didn't spell it correctly........you know what I mean.  I've gone over 1-1/2 months without work.  Lots of rejection emails and no prospects really of any work.  I FINALLY got a call last week and was offered a job.  However, if you read my previous post, you know that things didn't quite work out the way they should have.  Needless to say, I didn't end up with that position (stupid electronics).  Well......last week, actually the day after I realized that THAT position wasn't going to work out, I got a call from the head honcho from the OTHER company that I had the phone interview with a couple of weeks ago. Yes, this is the one that I lied about my pretty blue book being in the car!  Long story short (really this is the short version Joe), I was offered the position with this company that had over 100 applicants and they only hired 4!!!  That afternoon I got 4 roses delivered, 3 red roses and 1 white rose with a sweet card saying "Congratulations 1 of 4!" from my BFF.  (That one gets its own page in the scrapbook)  This position gives me a much warmer fuzzy feeling than the other one did.  The other one......independent contractor and I had to pay taxes,  this one....EMPLOYEE!!!  The other one.....Sunday through Thursday, this one.....MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY!!! No more weekend working.  The other one......no paid vacation or holidays, this one.....6 paid holidays and 1 to 2-1/2 weeks of paid vacation!  The other one......multiple ESLs, this one..........NO ESLs!!!!  The other one.....no benefits whatsoever, this one.....full benefits (yeah I know we don't need medical and dental) including vision, free $15000 life insurance, 401K, 3 days bereavement leave with pay (don't plan on using ANY of that), and reimbursement for MT certification.  The old one.......no pay for training, this one......pay $12.75 an hour for the 1st week of training, 125% of your pay per line for the 2nd week, 115% of your pay per line for the 3rd week.  Now that's what I'm talking about girlfriend!!  I know I won't be making what I made with my other work that I've done for over 13 years, but I won't be working on the weekend, when 2 pm comes my day will be over, vision insurance, no self-employment taxes to pay.  Now when I say "when it rains, it pours" I mean this......I got another email and call from a voice recognition editing company (she's called twice and emailed me twice) but I told her nope.  Got another email from a company that is wanting overflow work.  I thought maybe this would be just a few hours per week and I could do it just for some extra money.  It's more than part time.  I've emailed her back and told her I was really only looking for just a few hours per week.  She emailed back saying she needed someone at least 25 hours a week.  Really?  I'm not working 65 hours a week AND babysitting.  Wonder Woman has left the building!  Also, I got a call for babysitting.  Things are looking up for the Bautista family........and I REALLY love my BFF Joe!  Happiness is......... Now I just wish the gang bangers that Joe teaches would spontaneously combust and intelligent students would appear in their ashes.  I think he would enjoy teaching a lot more if that were to happen. 

Can ANYTHING go right?

It's really hard to keep a sense of humor when everything seems to be going WRONG.  When I say everything.....believe me, I mean everything.  I was so stinkin' excited because I was offered a position on Wednesday.  Thank you Lord!  She asked when I wanted to start...."tomorrow of course!"  She called at 11 yesterday morning to load the platform on my computer and train me.  Everything was "supposed" to take about 1-1/2.  Right!  I was on the phone from 11 until 2:45.  There is a glitch in the platform and something on my computer not allowing my foot pedal to work.  Usually, in the world of medical transcribing, it helps to be able to hear exactly what the doctor is dictating.  That really is an important part of meeting your 98% accuracy rating.  The lady training me could not figure out what the *&$&)%(* was wrong.  She gave me a number to call.  Guess who I got to speak with?  Now keep in mind that I'm in tears at this point because I was supposed to have already started producing lines and making money.  I got to speak with Ritesh Patel in some remote middle eastern portion of the world.  I'm crying, he's speaking some language I don't understand and telling me to do different things and all I can say is "I'm sorry, I didn't understand you."  Really???  Come on......can't a girl get a stinkin' break?  This is unbelievable.  I'm speaking to some foreigner, my dog is snoring on her beanbag chair down by my legs (very loudly), Romo has to go pee and Landry is probably somewhere in the house chewing on the house..... I'm over this.  I just want to crawl in my bed and eat!  But nooooooooooo....I have to have a one-sided conversation with Sadam Hussein of the computer world.  I get an email from the lady who was training me saying that if it doesn't get fixed I have two options.  Either go out and buy another computer/foot pedal or not get the position.  Hmmmmm......that's a problem.  Guess I'm not getting that position.  No big deal, the offers are coming in everyday.  Right, and I'm a size 2.  On the positive side of things, I got an email from the lady who interviewed me last week just a few minutes ago.  This is the job that they had over 100 applications and are only hiring 4.  Anyway, the email says the head lady is going to call me this morning for her portion of the interview and "Good Luck!"  I'm now sitting on pins and needles wondering what it is I'm going to have to lie about with this lady.  I did get my Blue book and ready for any questions coming my way on that.  I'm hoping beyond all hope that I am offered a position and am one of the four lucky soles who get an offer.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it started off crappy yesterday before she even called, because I was printing off the account specifics and samples and my black ink ran out.  SUPER!!!  So I start this morning in a really crappy mood.  I think to myself that it's okay we have our tax return coming any day now.  Clever me ruined the day even more.... I checked on line to see when our return would be coming.  It is "delayed....please contact the IRS for further information".  Well crap, that doesn't sound good.  I sit on hold for over 25 minutes to speak with a very pleasant sounding IRS lady who doesn't have a care in the world about my return.  She asks me every question in the world to verify that I'm really who I say I am.  She then puts me on hold for over 10 minutes.  It's all MY FAULT!  When I paid our estimated taxes in January I wrote MY SSN on the check.  They posted it to "my IRS account" and the computer spit out our tax return because it didn't show that the primary  account holder (that would be Joe) doesn't have any estimated taxes posted to his account.  The very-"nice"-IRS-lady-who-doesn't-give-a-crap-about-my-life-or-tax-return-or-anything-else-in-this-world said "it will be another 2 to 3 weeks to have that posted onto the primary's account and then your refund will be processed.  Another fine start to my morning.  So here I sit, no job with MedScribe because of computer issues, waiting for the second interview phone call from Opti-Script, no tax return for another month or so, Romo has to pee (or poop) again, Landry is laying in her bed chewing on her bed probably, the bird is screaming waking up the baby, the baby is wanting a bottle and some LuLu time, and still no black ink in my printer.  Wow, what an end to another unemployed week.  Come on God........NO MORE!  I wonder if the lady calling for my second interview would mind if I was chomping on some chips or candy while we chat.

Just a crappy day

One of those days you have out of the blue that is just a crappy day.  Blue mood, nothing going right, everything getting on your nerves, and just plain sad.  I hate these kind of days.

My dream of a matching washer and dryer down to the drain

Yep, that's right.....my washing machine died last Thursday.  It couldn't have come at a worse time for the Bautista's.  What's up with the timing here, huh?  Why couldn't it have happened six months ago.  Is there a switch on expensive appliances/vehicles that goes off when the family income is cut?  It's like the appliance devil sneaks in your house and zaps your appliances with his wand at the worse possible timing ever.  I've been telling my family for the last year that when one of them died (no not one of THEM but the washer or dryer) I was going to get a matching set.  I've never had a matching washer and dryer in 27 years.  Sad isn't it?  Does it really matter that your washer and dryer match?  Does that mean that your clothes come out nicer and unwrinkled?  Do the matching washer and dryer meet your company at the door?  Do the washer and dryer make a fashion statement for your home?  Nope....they are hidden away in the laundery room with the huge dog crate and 15 year-old cushions off a long-gone couch covered with a worn-out blanket.  However, matching would be a perk-me-up for the dog bedroom/laundry room and maybe a little bit of motivation for doing the laundry.  So Joe and I set off this weekend to see about a new washing machine.  Another question I have......when you don't have a washing machine, why do you have more clothes to wash?  Why does the laundry basket spring a leak when there is no way to plug the leak?  Plugging our leak cost us $686 on Saturday.  Needless to say, I didn't get my matching dryer.  They are delivering our "leak protection" tomorrow. 

I'm too old for this!

Ok, I had this unbelievable phone interview on Monday.  I've had them before, a few years ago when I was looking to go to work with another transcription company.  Now THAT was the kind of interview I was expecting....didn't happen!  This chick wanted to know REAL stuff.  I even lied, but it was a good lie and totally worked!  She asked me what type of reference material I had.  It's true that you can Google just about anything now and get your information.  Being a transcriptionist, though, you have to be sure the information you are getting is correct.  There are about 3 websites that I use and are very reliable.  I had prepared myself prior to the interview and written down some things that I felt sure she would ask me.  Yep......she asked about the reference material.  I clicked off the websites that I use and felt really cocky (in your face girlfriend!).  She then asked if I had the "AAMT Book of Style".  My jaw dropped and of course I said "Yes, of course I do."  What I really wanted to say is "Duh, who doesn't, to be a great transcriptionist you have to have it.  I use mine daily, don't you?" (even though I don't!) but I didn't think that was very professional.  She then asked "What edition?"  Let me tell you, if you don't have the stinkin' book how are you supposed to know what edition you are "supposed" to have.  I don't know how many editions are out there.  By this point, my ears are hot and my heart rate is well over 100.  I told her I wasn't sure what edition I had because "My book is in the car..."  Huh????  Why would my AAMT Book of Style be in a car?  Maybe I could have said "We just took a road trip and I was doing some reading up to be a better transcriptionist" or "I like to have it with me when I sit and wait while picking up my son from school" or "it was really raining and flooding here last night, so I put the book in the car in case we had to evacuate."   I fully expected her to say "I'll hold on while you run out to the car and get it."  You know how you doodle while you're on the phone........at this point, my doodles became almost devilish looking!!  Panic will do that to a body holding a pen.  She then asked me "What color is your book?"  Well, duh, if you don't even HAVE the book how are you supposed to know what color it is?  I mean really, COME ON lady, enough of the stupid book already.  I just blurted out "BLUE."  I had, by that point, doodled all the way down through about 3 reams of paper!!!  She then told me that I had the 2nd edition (but of course I do!).  Guess what I did.........I ordered one from Amazon yesterday because I have another phone interview later next week when the head honcho gets back from vacation!  I'm afraid she will ask me something that is actually in my BLUE book.  You can bet I made sure the book I ordered was the prettiest blue you've ever seen.  The interview was an hour long.  She kept saying things like "well let me ask you this before we get into the interview portion".  Are you kidding me......if these questions keep getting any harder I'm just going to hang up!  Now the bad news..........they got over 100 applications for this new orthopedic clinic and are only hiring 4 transcriptionists.  All I have to say is that it is a good thing I have a new blue book coming.........wonder what I will have to lie about next week with the "Donald Trump" chick from Opti-Script!!!  I'm too old for this...........

Birthday surprises!!

Friday was Joseph's 25th birthday.  I HATE not having my children home on their birthdays.  I can't make a cake for them, I can't hug them and tell them "Happy birthday", and can't just look at them and wonder where my little one has gone and this adult/almost adult (Daniel) has come from.  I can't just "have" them for the day.  So, being that Joseph is now living in New Mexico, I had to go all through February 18th hating the fact that I couldn't even talk to my baby.  I called him around 5:00 that evening thinking he wouldn't be out of bed before that because he works nights.  He didn't answer.  I left a message telling him happy birthday and that he REALLY should answer his phone on his birthday.  As we were sitting at the table for dinner, the door bell rang.  I knew one of the kids would get it, thinking that it was a kid selling something.  Next thing I know, there's my mother and father from Tennessee coming in for MY birthday (yes I'm 51) on Saturday.  What a sweet surprise that was.  I miss them so much.  My family did a great job of keeping the secret from me.  I had absolutely NO clue!!  I called Joseph again around 8:30 that night and he finally answered and said he was out with friends.  I talked to him a few minutes and then handed the phone off to Joe.  Sadness set in for my baby and his birthday with no birthday cake and no family hugs or present opening. 

Saturday Joe, Christina, Daniel, Mother, Daddy and I went up to Shallo's Pub in Indy for a late lunch/early dinner.  Christina got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back there was this "person" with her.  It was my birthday boy who had flown in the night before.  Was I shocked?  Was I happy?  Was I wondering who this Grizzly Adams was?  You bet.  His hair is down to his shoulders (really longer than that, but it curls).  Funny how he wouldn't let me cut a little swatch off for his baby book!!!  He has this full face beard that is in need of a complete makeover, if one can do a makeover to a beard/moustache.  My family did a great job of keeping that secret too!  For the first time in over 2 years, I had all 3 of my babies under our roof.  Is there anything that can make a mother happier?  That ranks right up there.  Yesterday I took him to Indy to get a rental car.  He is going to spend today and tomorrow going to see friends and out to the base in Terre Haute to visit the people he worked with for 6 years before he jumps on a plane back to New Mexico on Wednesday.  So yesterday I had to hug and kiss my little baby goodbye once again.  This time it was a different feeling.  He is leaving for Iraq in April and then Afghanistan.  My heart breaks thinking about that.  How does a mother say goodbye to her baby knowing that he is going into a war zone?  I'm sick when I think about it, but oh so proud too.  Such a bittersweet feeling.  For the next year I will be the mightiest prayer warrior on the face of the earth.  We did manage to squeeze in some family pictures yesterday though, and I'm so glad the 5 of us could get together for that before he gets deployed.  So now this mother has to have faith in God to keep my baby safe while he goes out to the land from hell and protects this wonderful country of ours.  Keep him safe God and bring him home to us. 

It's a Monday morning, the start of a new week, but I'm kind of sad.  I don't know when I'll get to see Joseph again and I know he won't be the same after experiencing everything he will over in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I just hope he comes home with a great appreciation for what we have here in America and the love of friends and family......and finally gets a haircut and shaves!

On a lighter note, I got a really sweet present from my sweet husband.  He gave me a really beautiful scrapbook.  I love scrapbooking.  I put a huge one together for Christina when she graduated from high school and enjoyed every second of doing it.  Well........Joe and I started our "new" life together the first part of November and I have been saving every little thing and momento since then in an ugly manilla envelope.  He gave me the scrapbook to start making them look pretty!!   I'm so looking forward to starting it.  Thanks Joe.  It will be such fun looking through it when we are old and tired....remembering the sweet times we have had together.  I love you....my BFF!!!  Here's to making many wonderful memories with you!

Well.....the countdown is over

That's right, I haven't gotten any faxes for work since last Tuesday....over a week ago.  I think I have filled out 5,000,000 applications and taken 25,000,000 tests.  Still no job offers.  I keep getting the same reply...."sorry we have no positions right now, but we will keep you on our call back list for future positions."  Thanks but that really doesn't help me RIGHT NOW, does it? 

I've been checking into court reporting.  Wow, the cost is unreal.  85 credit hours at $350/credit hour.  Yep, that's $30,000, not counting in the technology fees, application fees, stenograph machine that costs about $1000, and it's only an associates degree.  Looks like the average salary for court reporting is about $50,000 or more.  However, you have to fork out bucks to get through school.  Nope, court reporting won't work.  I've looked into Medical Assistant schooling.  They offer a 2-year program at a local school (well about 30 minutes from here).  Hmmmmmm, the cost is nothing compared to court reporting.  However, how do you pay for school when you have no job?  Nope, medical assistant school won't work. 

Looks like I'm back to applying online for MT jobs and taking tests.  That sucks!

My next countdown has started.  April 17th my "baby" boy gets deployed.  He's heading to Iraq for a few months, back to Fort Bragg for training, and then he's off to Afghanistan for a few months.  Mommas don't let your babies grow up to be Intelligence Analysts. 

4 days and counting........

Here it is January 27th, 4 days until the first of the month.  CHECKMATE!  And....I'm not the winner in this game of chess.  I have had no job opportunities knock down my door.  I haven't even had a soft, muffled tapping on the window either.  I've filled out a bunch of applications.  In fact, this morning, I spent 3-1/2 hours doing an assessment test for another medical transcription company.  I have to say it was a very difficult job.  The voice files were horrible.  There were SIX of them.  My foot pedal wouldn't work.  I had to use the stinkin' F (no I'm not just abbreviating the F word here....literally the F keys!!!) keys on the keyboard.  Do you know how hard it is to type and control the voice files with your fingers?  Not an easy task.  Cardiology, orthopedics (yep easiest for me), OB/GYN (some chick had a fibroid the size of Manhattan), neurology (poor kid had seizures), general surgery, and ENT.  If I don't hear something from someone in the next 5 or 6 days, I guess this tired, old, fat mommy is heading over to the local Wal-Mart and putting in an application.  YUCK!!!  I have no other options.  AND I'll have to work in the evenings.  Tell me that doesn't suck BIG TIME.  So, pray that a mommy or daddy will call (a few mommies or daddies) for babysitting in the next 5 days or this transcribing company calls me in the next 5 days and offers me a job.  Pray that after I receive the call offering me the job that it pays at least 0.10 a line.  One thing I can honestly say is that I have the best cheerleader here at home.  Joe is such a trooper and is very understanding and kind.  He has confidence that it will all work out and everything will be okay.  What a great comfort to me!  Thanks my BFF!!!  I like having you in my corner!

And Mary, I'd  absolutely LOVE to open that bakery with you.  I'm into decorating cakes now and think that would be such a fun job.  You could be the scones queen and I could be the cupcake/cake queen.  However, you realize, of course, we would have to get a liquor license?  We could NOT possibly stand on our feet all day cooking marvelous bakery items without having a margarita or glass of wine, right???  The guys could be our guinea pigs, I mean critics.  Sorry Joe and Mike.......

So here's to the last 5 days of my 13-year "career" with Southern Indiana Orthopedics. 

Same career....different day.

Don't you ever wonder why things happen the way they do?  I'm over wondering about my job.  Bottom line.....as of February 1, I WON'T HAVE ONE.  That stinks.  Don't corporate people understand that there is tuition, college rent, mortgage, etc?  What's up with them only thinking of the company and not the little "nothings" that actually do the work?  What's up with the lies and the not sharing of important information?  I guess Joe is right, I would be a HORRIBLE manager.  I couldn't do that to anyone.  I'm not a "career woman", never have been and never will be.  I'd be happy to volunteer at the local hospital or nursing home and not make a penny.  I'd be happy to clean my house like I used to and keep the laundry and ironing up.  However, kids grow up and cost a bundle of money.  I am going to have to find a new job in the next couple of weeks, and I know it is going to be doing the thing I hate the most.......transcription.  I wish, since I'm being forced to find a new job, that I could make a career change (even though I'm not career oriented).  I'd love to do something fun and meaningful (well meaningful to me).......make cookies, shopping for others, mowing yards in the beautiful sunshine, work at a gym and be a trainer like Jillian on The Biggest Loser (except I wouldn't use the raunchy language she uses),  make cool things with my sewing machine and open a really cool store, open a daycare with my friends and sing Barney songs all day.  See, I have ambition. 

So, I have 12 days to find a new job, and there is only so much Googling you can do to find a new career field. 

My BFF

Joe.......my BFF!  I miss him during the day when he is at work.  I find myself thinking about him all day long.  Thank goodness we have email.  It's so cool opening up my email and seeing that I have an email from him.  I look forward to spending time with him, whether we go and do something or just sit and do nothing but watch TV.  It will only be 2-1/2 more years and all of the kids will be out of the house.  It is such a warming feeling to know that we like/love each other and will enjoy our "empty nest" time.  He makes me smile, he makes me feel loved, he just plain makes me happy.  Thank you God for blessing us with this new-found love for each other.  I can't remember a time in my life that I've been happier.  I love you Joe....my BFF!

College costs......Really???

Isn't it funny.......just when you think you might be a tad bit ahead of the game, something else comes up.....like college text books.  $563!!!  What's up with that?  I can go to Barnes and Noble and buy a big book for $40 or so.  Why are school books so stinkin' expensive.  Does it cost more to make these books?  Are these books written by Puliziter Prize winners?  Are the buy-back rates better than 25% of our cost?  And while we're on the subject of college, is it REALLY necessary for a girl who is majoring in speech pathology to take an aerobics class or a geography class or a computer science class.  Huh?  I can only imagine how much her graduate school will cost.  Wish we would have won the $355,000,000 lottery last night.  Joe had to take a class this past summer in order to renew his teaching license.  We had to pay $1300 for him to learn to relax.  But, by golly, his teaching certificate was renewed and now he can go back into the classroom and stress out.  I don't think we got our $1300 worth!!  They don't teach you how to deal with gang members or losers who have a GPA of 0.08.  While I'm complaining about the education system, Christina has to take a class that is only offered at night.  She will be out after dark from 6 until 9:15.  Just a couple of months ago, one of her roommates was assaulted at knifepoint in their apartment stairwell.  She ended up being admitted to the hospital.  Her being out after dark by herself does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling.  Now I have something else to worry about.  It was so much easier when they were all in preschool/elementary school. 

Meet the Bautista Family

We are the Bautista's.....Joe, Luanne, Joseph, Christina, and Daniel.  There are also four-legged Bautista's...Romo and Landry (Great Danes), Nalla and Reese (Schnoodles) and Sisco (cockatiel).  There have been many, many animals that have lived in our house, thanks to our Christina.  You name it, we have probably had it at some time during her 20, almost 21, years.  Joe is a high school math teacher.  I have always been a stay-at-home mother, but I have been doing medical transcription out of the home for approximately 13 years (not my favorite thing in my life).  Joseph will be 25 in about 6 weeks.  He lives in New Mexico and is an intelligent analyst for the military. He is not in the military but works for the military.  We are SO proud of him.  However, it looks like he may be deploying to Iraq in March/April for 4 months, then back to New Mexico for 4 months, and then off to Afghanistan.  Makes a mother sad but proud at the same time.  Scares the crap out of me though.  However, he is very happy with his job, so that makes us happy too.  We miss him terribly.  We haven't seen him in almost a year.  He left last February, and we haven't seen him since.  Thank goodness for today's technology though.  Christina is 20 and a Junior at Ball State University studying speech pathology.  She has found her niche and is an outstanding student.  Her GPA this last semester was 4.0!  We are so proud of her too!  She has 3-1/2 years left until she gets her Master's, but we know that this time will fly by so fast.  Daniel is 16 (getting his driver's license in March......HATE IT!).  He is a sophomore in high school.  He is a happy kid.  He's been smiling since he was born.  He is a compassionate kid and always finds the good in everything.  He doesn't know what he wants to do with his life yet, but I'm sure he will figure it out soon. 

I'm starting this blog not only to do some journaling but also to keep the Mom and Dad accountable to a couple of things.  Joe and I are embarking on a training mission today.  We are going to attempt a Duathlon in May.  Yep........that's right........a duathlon.  We don't have any desire to swim, so no triathlon for us.  However, the duathlon makes up for that.  It is really a "mini" duathlon.....5k run, 20k bike ride, and another 5k run after that.  I'm a fat mommy, so this is a double whammy for me.  I'm training for the duathlon but am also doing it to lose a good deal of weight.  I would love to post some pictures, but haven't figured out that portion of the blog yet.  Maybe the daddy-man can do that for us.  Joe is also beginning training today for a RAIN bike ride.  RAIN....."Ride Across Indiana".  It is a 160 mile bike ride in 1 day.  Yes.......that is ONE day.  I know he can do it.  We have great road bikes and he LOVES to ride.  Me......love to ride, but not 160 miles!!  I'm going to be his support crew (crew meaning just me!).  I will provide water bottles, bananas, etc at designated stops throughout the route for him.  I'm looking so forward to it.  I love having something planned to do with him. 

Joe and I have been married for almost 27 years.  We have had ups and downs over the past years, but we have found the "up" and are best friends!  I love him so much, and I can't even describe the happiness that I feel with him.  He is a such a gentleman.  He has opened my car door for me for the last almost 27 years.  Can anyone of you women out there say that about your husband???  We had a fabulous Christmas this year (well last year..2010!) and am looking so forward to the next 50! 

So.......here's to a brand new year, happy and healthy children, a fantastic marriage, and great success with training for the Bautista family (and success with weight loss for the mother!).