Back to School!!!

Its not that its just Back to School time - its back to school time for me!!! I've resigned from my full-time consulting gig and have enrolled as a full-time student at IUPUI in Indianapolis!!! This decision wasn't made in haste, but it has still be a strange transition.

I hope to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant, but in order to do so, I need some clinical healthcare experience and several undergraduate science prerequisites. As a result, this semester, I'm taking Chemistry, Anatomy, and 2 Emergency medicine courses (EMT training). Upon completion of this semester I hope to work as an EMT for a hospital or in an emergency room - while continuing to take the prereqs for entrance into a PA program. OR at least, for the moment, that is the plan. Mind you, I've been known to change my mind. I may veer from my path a bit, but I'm super excited about the journey!!! I"ll try to keep you all updated as I step through this transitional period of my life.

By the way, having classes with 500 other students is weird. Also, when the students are young enough to be your children, that's weird too. But, I'm hanging in there = the old man in the class.

I'm also taking advantage of the free bus pass given to students and reducing my carbon footprint a bit. Prior to last week, I had never taken the public transportation system in my city (Indianapolis). And after having done so a few times now, I have to say, its really nice and convenient. Its not perfect, but it is free for me..and FREE is my favorite price, seriously.

Ok, back to studying I go...Anatomy text to read.....

This is a blog test from my mobile phone!

Touching Base with Blogosphere!

Ok...its been several months since I've posted anything on here. Its not as if I don't have a lot to say. I guess I still haven't really found my "internet voice." That - and the fact that I work in front of a computer screen for 10-14 hours a day on many days makes me not that interested in spending more time on here.

However, today I feel the need to gab a bit!

The AX project I've been working on for almost a year is coming to an end. There have been so many months, days, and hours of blood, sweat, and almost some tears. We go live on Monday June, 1st and although I wish we had a wee bit more time (always the case), we are really going live on Monday! Cross your fingers that it all goes well. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the automotive industry is not exactly BOOMING - so, the first day of go-live shouldn't be too traumatic....and since GM is the company's biggest customer and they may very well file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at any moment - things shouldn't be too hectic (small silver lining to an otherwise dark cloud, economically).

I'm excited for this project to be over as I hope to have a bit more time at home. I miss out on so much by being on the road. I really miss Oscar and I miss my dogs too. Who wouldn't miss these beautiful beagle babies. By the way, that's the sun shining on my backyard! I can't tell you how exicted I am that there is warm sun in the sky these days. Bring on summer.

Some of the things I'm excited to do when I'm home: cook more - I'm working my way through a cookbook...that was one of my new's years resolutions - I picked a cookbook and I'm going to make my way through the entire book, cooking every recipe at least once. The problem is that I've already repeated several recipes already - because I am a creature of habit and when something is so good and really hits the spot, you start craving it. In any case, I'm working my way though "The Splendid Table - How to Eat Supper" - which was written by Lynn Rosetto Kasper and Sally Swift. They host/produce a radio show about food called the Splendid Table on NPR. Check out their website and I highly recommend tuning into the show and/or downloading the podcasts - you wouldn't believe how enterataining a radio/cooking show about food can be!! http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/

I have pondered and played around with the idea of turning this blog into a foodie blog of sorts...and that just may very well happen. Not just yet though. However, I promise to start sharing some original and/or favorite recipes in the near future...and maybe some other food info/finds, etc.

Oooh, also...its looking increasingly more likely that I'll end up in university again very soon. More on that later...still waiting on a few things to fall into place before I make a final decision.

Ok - I'm signing off before this coach turns into a pumpkin. The morning will be here before I want it to be.

A bientot mes amis!

Good weekend!

Finally, the crazy, busy 6 week stint has passed. During the past several weeks, I was teaching a class on Saturdays, taking a class on-line, and working full-time by traveling Monday-Thursday. Now, the class I was teaching is over - it went really well..I enjoyed it so much and the students did too, according to the evaluations. I ended up dropping the class I was taking online as I didn't have enough time to keep up AND Anatomy/Physiology is not a class to take online when one hasn't had a science class in 20 years! In any case, with these two things "out of the way"..I feel like I have my weekends back.

Work = well, I'm still traveling more than I'd like to..and today, I found out that I'm going to be taking a 25% pay cut starting in April...oh fun! So, I'm working on what I will do about said pay cut and work, but that will fall in place. I'm still just happy to have my weekend back.

This past weekend, I got to see Rachel Yamagata live a few blocks away from my house! It was a small venue, not that well-attended, which meant = excellent for us...as we got to be up front and close. Check out the pic:

The show was great...it was like an "intimate evening with Rachel Yamagata" - which was very cool and chill.

Looking forward to next weekend...

Carneval....

Tonight is a carneval party in Indy! So excited...think I may be shaking my rump to some samba!

Mouth-full....

And by mouth-full, I mean that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I'm really feeling that way the past couple of weeks....

After a year and several months of soul-searching and wanting to make a career change, it hasn't been easy to do. Applying for "other" jobs hasn't exactly worked out and the "other" jobs I applied for weren't really career changes anyway. They were just that - different jobs, doing much of the same things that I am wanting to get away from.

So, in an attempt to make things happen for myself - rather than sit around and get frustrated that things weren't happening for me, I decided to be proactive about things. I sought out possibilities. One of which was teaching. I've always loved teaching, adults - that's is. In Japan, I loved teaching my adult students that were civil servants. And - my family and a few annoyed friends have always pointed out my desire to "teach" them things, even if I didn't realize I was teaching and they weren't willing students. :-) So, I managed to get an adjunct faculty job teaching a class at a local college. I'm very excited about...its going to be on Saturdays, from 8:3oam-12:30pm...4 hours of a captive audience = heaven.

Another part of my quest for change has involved a desire for a career change that would NOT involve traveling. After having traveled 80-100% for the last 4-5 years, its taken its toll. I want to be home with my partner. I want to join a gym and be able to use it. I want to be able to cook meals at home during the week. I want to be able to take my dogs on walks at night (and take the new puppy to obediance classes, he really needs it!)...and a whole slew of other things that I can't do because for 3-4 nights a week, I live a the Hampton Inn. Mind you, considering the economy and the very generous salary I earn, I do not want to come across ungrateful. I am very thankful for my job, my version of a prosperous life, and all that I have. However, I want things to be different.

As a result, I'm taking some prerequisite classes for Health Care careers. At the moment, I'm leaving towards nursing. Although, I'm not 100% settled on nursing - it seems to be what is going to be able to launch me into a health care career and perhaps help lead me down a different career path than the one I'm on. Being a consultant is just not what I'm cut out to do.

So, while I'm going to start teaching tomorrow (first class) - I also have to take my first Anatomy and Physiology exam to take on Monday. I've just returned home from being on the road for 4 days, after having worked 10-12 hour days....and I'm feeling STRESSED out...wondering if I'm over-extending myself?!? I feel good to be DOING something, instead of just talking about doing something. But, as a result - I have so little free time left to me these days. My weekends are now full of 6-10 hours of studying, 4 hours of teaching, and additional prep. Plus, I have to get all other things done that a normal person would do during the week: laundry, shopping, socializing, etc. Argh.

I'm going to hang in there, put on my multi-tasking hat, and get down to business! Deep sigh. But, I'm thinking a bottle of red wine is in my future - but not until after Saturday..I have to teach. And can't be too much, I have to study on Sunday. Argh. Off to work, study, and prepare for class...

Oooh, some shots from the First Friday exhibits I went to...one from I$h and the other from someone whose name I didn't catch, but its of Willie!!! I'm not that big of a Willie fan myself, but it makes me think of good memories of my step dad, Mark and also of one of my best friends Amy Baker..and also of my friend Marjorie because she owns a set of Willie braids, complete with bandanna! AND because I sort of hum "On the Road Again..." each week as I'm pulling out onto the road, leaving home again....

Full Weekend Ahead!

I couldn't be happier that its Friday!!! I'm sitting in my robe at the dining room table and NOT in an office, at a client site, etc. I'm at HOME! My pooches are running around and playing. The cats are leisurely observing. I'm supposed to be hard at work...and I will be...soon.

Tonight is First Friday in Indy. A night each month where art galleries, studios, alternative spaces, and museums open their doors to the public. You get to see local art, interact with the artists, buy, sell, schooze, eat, drink and be merry (or actually be Mary, if you're in to that sort of cross-dressing thing).

I'm most excited about seeing an exhibit called "Das my I$H!" Ish is a friend of a friend. He's taken graffiti off the streets and into the gallery! I saw an advert for his show last week and then coincidently met him a few days later. Little did I know. So, now I can't wait to see his work. Check out Ish in action below.

The weekend fun doesn't stop on Friday though! On Saturday we have the first training series run for the Indy Mini Marathon! Tomorrow is just a 5K, so it shouldn't be too bad. Although, I'm still trying hard to imagine that I'll be able to run 12.1 miles by the end of May. argh.

On Sunday, we are going to the Indianapolis Home Show at the State Fair Grounds...really excited about the Green Zone. Friend Lola scored free tickets...and free is my favorite price!

Ok, enough blogginess today...must get back to work! Peace, love, and sunshine to all!