Prom 2009

Joseph and Alex

John, Joseph, and Brett doing their "model" poses.

The whole group in Palm Springs.

More posing.

Pretty girls...Ashley, Alex, and Katie

Crazy kids off to dinner.

Joseph and Alex. This is one of my favorites.

The good news is that I will still have health insurance.

I told you all in my last post that I was going to try to focus on the positive so, here goes. Even if I lose my job we will still have health insurance with Tim's job. I realize how much that is worth in this day and age so I am truly thankful.

On the other hand, I am still trying not to think the worst. I really like my job so this isn't all about money. There are also 37 other people, in my district anyway, in my position and I would like to see them end all of this with a job also. This whole educational cut position the government is taking is really disturbing. Also, I would like to know how cutting jobs, any job, and raising taxes is going to stimulate the economy. I'm not an economist, but that doesn't seem very logical. Every time I turn on the TV or the radio I end up so sad. So many people are affected by the terrible turn our economy has taken and it's hard to hear about. I was listening to KFI the other day and a man that lost his job in December is still waiting for his unemployment check to come. Not everyone without a job wants to screw up their credit and skip out on paying bills. Welcome to my "vacation" brain.

BTW - I am so excited that Nathan Fillion has a new show! This is my happy place today.

The good news is that I'm not pregnant. That's what I keep telling myself after yesterday's union meeting regarding our layoff notices. I walked into the room feeling REALLY sorry for myself to see one pregnant woman filling out paper work and talked to another friend with a baby that just turned one and another one on the way. Oh my. This is the point where I tell myself that things could be way worse.

The fact is the waiting is what is killing me. By Ed code the district has to give us our pink slips or job placements by May 15. I've spent the better part of the week planning for the worst and hoping for the best. Kathie has been such a help, letting me moan and sob without telling me how it could be worse. I just realized how choppy this post is, but that is sort of where my thoughts are today.

I've decided that each day I will come up with one thing to be thankful for instead of being angry that I might lose my job so I'm going with the pregnant thing today. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to chime in on the degree front. I love my friends. After talking it over with my coworker and my husband, and really thinking about what all of you said, I am going to take the plunge. I know you have all been waiting with baited breath for me to come to the conclusion you know I would anyway...did that make any sense? I think I just needed to talk it out and look at all the sides. So, I guess this long weekend will be devoted to filling out the application and the FAFSA stuff.

Ahhhhhh! Long day. I am still mulling over the master's dilemma. Tim says I should do it and that makes me happy. We already have so much debt though, I hate to add more right now, but if I don't do this soon, I wont ever do it.

Do I want the degree. Yes, I think I do. Do I want to go back to school for the next 14 months? NO. I found a college that is online and the credits are accepted in out district. I also have the opportunity to do this particular program with one of the other teachers on my 6th grade team. We work well together and have been talking about this for the last year and a half. Working with her would make the whole deal a little more bearable.

I'm gonna chew on it a little bit more. Thanks for the advice, encouragement, and scary math reasoning.

To master's or not to master's? That is the question. I can start a masters program in March and finish next June. It will cost me a fortune and will take me 5-6 years to make up that money. I know, negative. I also feel like it will open some doors for me in the future. I'm not really sure what to do.

Any advice from my smart friends?