2012 - The First Half of The End of the World...Mayan-style!

The last year has been.... well.... living with choices. I haven't gone back to subbing at all. I am working as a Nanny 4 days a week with Brayden, enjoying every single minute. The days, once filled with bottle feedings and diaper changes have evolved to cups, finger foods, and yes, diaper changes, but hey, he is only 16 months old! Thankfully, he has a broad palate for foods of all textures, loves ethnic foods and flavors. He knows at least 100 words(duh...go figure! Look who his Nanny is!), how to work an iPad, loves music and can name the artists that sing his favorites(Gaga, Madonna, and Shaggy are his favs) and now that he is a year old and allowed to watch TV, loves Sesame Street. Every day is an adventure! Much like teaching, each day has its own character, but we have lots of steps forward. The whole job issue has been in the forefront of their home too. Mike and Amy's positions are in flux. Let's hope it doesn't change too much as it is working for us all.

A baby's work is never done! Mowing....the best activity in the world. Let's hope he thinks so when he is 16 too! 

Rus' position has been on tender hooks for months now. Rumors started in the fall about AEP downsizing, reorganizing, shifting. There was some heavy-duty battling the governor culminating with AEP threatening to leave Ohio, leaving the consultants to wonder if their positions would exist with the changes. Then came another rumor that the consultants would be magically changed to employees. In the end, most of the rumors were true. There were massive layoffs in most departments, and many retirement packages were handed down, some early. They did reorganize, shifting people from one department to another, sometimes the jobs changed/shifted with them; other times they did not. So far, Rus has escaped the chopping block. The irony of the situation with the governor is that though the situation is still tense and people have lost their jobs, his division is looking for employees, specifically engineers. Rus is constantly worried about his job. Being a consultant is not a good place to be when you are so close to 60. Jobs are going to those who are younger, less experienced, ultimately, cheaper. It is disheartening to think that all these years of business acumen and experience don't amount to a hill of beans in the business world today. 

The prospects at AEP are looking good for one member of our family, hopefully.... Dennis is applying for positions, but like everything else here, OSU rules #1. Praying that he gets an interview. Dennis subscribed to eHarmony last September after coming to the realization that Match.com was not for him. In his words, the girls fell into 2 categories: hungry/thirsty women looking for a free meal/drinks, or girls looking for their MRS degree with a billionaire. There were some fits and starts initially. Finally, he met a lovely little gal named Pam in October. They have been dating steadily ever since. They spend every weekend together, either here in Galena or in her home town of Rossford. It has been delightful to have them both here and to get to know Pam. We are hoping that he can get a job in his field now that the "economy is easing" ha-ha! I am hoping that his inexperience, youth, and starting salary will make him very appealing to a big corporation. 

Dennis and Pam before the neighborhood Kentucky Derby party

Laura was diagnosed with a wicked case of mononucleosis in early February that laid her out for weeks. She was so very swollen, tired, white as a sheet, and just plain sick. Thankfully, she didn't lose her position at the hospital, but she lost a full semester of school. Because of the sequence in which the classes are given, her graduation from Mt. Carmel has been set back to May, 2013.  She is terribly disappointed...but as I told her, life goes on. She will graduate and, hopefully, get a job in an emergency room in one of the half dozen hospitals here/near Columbus. Her dream is to fly with the MedFlight rescue helicopters. She has already been an observer twice and has had the privilege to experience a few rescues. I try very hard not to think about the helicopter portion of her dream....

MedFlight Nurse Wanna-be

On a happier note.... We went to see Brian's family in Boston in early March. There never seems to be enough time to do all the things we want to do when we get there. The kids have grown so much in the past year. We had a wonderful weekend going to the beach, playing at the park, playing games, making crafts, sharing time and making memories. Jocelyn is finishing first grade in June. She is quite a good reader and loves going to school. Jocelyn has a happy disposition, is quick to pick up things, and has a vivacious personality. She always has lots to say and will tell you exactly what is on her mind. Brady is quite different. He is much more subdued, also quick, likes to observe first, and is quite a thinker. Both kids enjoy playing together and with friends. We enjoyed our visit with them very much. It was so sad to leave.... I don't need to tell you that we were all in tears on our last night together. I wish we all lived closer so we could visit more often.

The Boston Contingent!

In March 2011, my forever friend, Orael,  and her charming husband, James, invited us to spend a week in their future retirement home in Oldsmar, Florida. While there, we were entertained for a few days by a perky young realtor named Shannon, who showed us a few properties. I fell in love with a dump. Ok.... I saw potential in a dump. So we put in the paperwork with an offer. No money exchanged hands. I felt like I was a client on one of those HGTV shows. Then the paperwork went through in July, legal papers were signed, checks were issued. In the end, we bought ourselves a townhouse in East Lake Woodlands! We were landed people - A land Baron and Baroness! We hired a wonderful contractor, Jason, who was going to work weekends on the townhouse to get it ready by October. He was to rip the place apart because though there are pictures.... you aren't getting the full effect because there are no odors transferred to the print. There wasn't one inch of any room that wasn't touched. The popcorn ceiling, looked like stalactites throughout the house, was black with tar and nicotine. There were holes in some walls. The trim was removed by the previous owner in some places. There were only a few overhead lights, no appliances, mold, no outlet and switch covers, filth, leaks, bumps, cracks, and dents. It is after all Florida! Jason spent weeks sanding down the walls and ceilings throughout the house. After 4 coats of primer and paint, it started looking like the work was truly reviving the place. Rus and I spent time refinishing kitchen cabinets and the wooden staircase. Then every month for the next 4 months, I went down to Florida from Friday through Monday, to do some kind of work. In August, Dennis accompanied me and we landscaped the backyard. In September, I met Orael for 4 days of preliminary shopping, setting up carpet installation, inspections of a/c, water heater, looking at furniture places that could deliver in a timely manner. October, I went down to see how things were going only to discover that the work had come to a screeching halt because Jason had started his own business. The appliances were delivered and some plumbing work was done at that time. We were going to get done, he assured me, just not at the speed I had anticipated or he originally promised. In November, I thought we would have Thanksgiving there, but instead we had a delightful meal at Orael's house. December, New Year's Eve was a bust because it still wasn't done. Finally in February, after being ill for 7 weeks, (long story) I put my foot down and told him that we needed it completed by the middle of March. Grandpa Bill(91) and Kathy were coming to Florida to see our new place. I didn't want any more excuses or issues. I went down two days before they arrived and worked with Jason to finish the remaining jobs. It was nerve wracking, but working together, we did it. Bill and Kathy had a nice place to stay, albeit sans a few pieces of furniture and without a television, but it was a lovely weekend.  We did some local sightseeing, went out to dinner, finished some small projects and shared a lovely time together. Rus and I returned Memorial Day weekend to put the finishing touches, meaning worked continuously for 4 days, to put the finishing touches on the place. The result, in my opinion, is fantastic. Our plan is to rent to seasonal renters January through April, and maybe some Germans and/or Swiss who frequent the area in the Fall. We are hoping that we are a big hit with the snowbirds and the Europeans! Keeping our fingers crossed!

Grandpa Bill and Kathy

Hoping to make regular updates here now that things have settled down... hopefully?... knock wood....salt over shoulder... fingers crossed... positive thoughts... lots of prayers and all that.....