Stepping out of legal and into I don't even know what...

Just took an online career assesment test and have realized that I am not legal office material. SOOOOO... I will start all over once again even with a year of legal assistant paid and studied for and try to figure out where my path shall lead me. If you are interested I have copy and pasted the test results. Open for feedback you all. "-)
As a Blue...
you may be among the most loving, nurturing and supportive people in the world. You often seek to express your inner self.
You do not have to work at it; it is simply your nature. All of us have special talents and gifts, but Blues possess extraordinary people skills. Others easily recognize you because of your soft and gentle demeanour.
One of your greatest gifts may be your ability to love unconditionally. Many think of you as the least judgmental of all people. You tend to focus on what is good in people.
You often communicate from your heart. You are generally sensitive and have a need to express how you feel. This can be construed by others as weakness, if they don’t appreciate sensitivity. For male Blues, this can be difficult because sensitivity in men is sometimes not understood in a society where maleness is sometimes equated with a lack of sensitivity. Because of this sensitivity you may tend to cry more easily than others.
You tend to value honesty and authenticity. You usually enjoy close friendships with those you love. Making a difference in the world is somewhat easy for you because you cultivate this potential in yourself and in others.
You have a great deal of latitude in career choices and may succeed in many fields. In work environments, as a Blue, you are usually at ease with colleagues, and others enjoy your presence. Blues are generally highly creative in dealing with people and are outstanding at inspiring group spirit and getting people together. As a Blue, you may begin to dislike your work environment if the people and the tasks become routine.
You may prefer a family-like, friendly, personalized and warm work environment. You may dislike jobs that require painstaking detail and follow-through over a period of time. Blues tend to prefer people-oriented careers and jobs that allow creativity and variety in day-to-day operations.

Class Essays

I turned in an essay recently that I thought had a tongue in cheek component to one of my legal class instructors. When I received it back she wanted to make sure I knew that I wasn't a very good writer and she thought I could benefit from a business English class, the "C" she had given me on it wasn't really deserved. Well I already knew that to shift gears from classes over the last 2 decades in creative writing and the humanities to legal and 21st century workforce issues would be hard I didn't think it would be brutal. Crying all the way home (but before that first giving thought to pushing her down the stairs) I was ready to give up. Then I realized having invested  over $1,000.00 and countless hours at the JC working towards making myself marketable in a world of massive unemployed and few available jobs that want to pay over $10.00 an hour, I would put on my big girl panties and just work harder. No I'm not giving up on my dream of having the story collection published, in fact have made myself promise that before this year is out I will have Fridge Magnet Chronicles typed, edited and polished for all the world to see. In the meantime here's my latest essay assignment, a different instructor so we shall see what her take on my grammar and writing style is...

Time Allocation
My goal for the year is to have my story collection The Fridge Magnet Chronicles published. Everyone said when I got laid off “Oh but just think how much more time you will have to write.”
I am getting better at doing the old writer’s adage of BIC and no I don’t mean make sure you have a pen in your hand at all times should the muse arise, I mean BUTT IN CHAIR! I have found time for more creative writing workshops than I would have been able to attend but then as time went on without a job on the horizon and the fact that unemployment doesn’t last forever, had to forgo classes of that nature and focus on marketable skill learning.
During January and February with extra free time I cleaned out drawers and closets finding a treasure trove of notebooks filled with my ruminations on family, friends and my life past present and future. The goal then became to set the timer and type from these scribbling to make lucid and tidy for the upcoming editing necessary to put my stories into the book.
So there you have what my main focus has been over the last several weeks, wouldn’t say it’s anything to write home about but I am starting to feel a sense of accomplishment. I know that to become better at anything it requires practice, I am putting that knowledge to work and do feel that the challenge of my goal for this year will be accomplished!

What February means to me...

I sit here ruminating about the shortest month of the year looking out through the kitty pawed dirty sliding glass door to the bright winter sunlight reflecting on what February means to me. Ten years ago I was angry at February as my dad hung in comatose from the last fight against his cancer. Valentines Day brought me the news that he was gone and until recently I didn't want flowers or candy, I wanted my dad back. This year on the 10th anniversary of his passing my mom wants my sister and me to write something about a memory with dad so she can scrapbook it. Mine will be a fish tale of 21 year old daughter getting the first bite while the seasoned old fisherman watches as his hook just bobs about in the water. Five years ago I was also angry at February while I watched the decades old relationship with hubby waiver between the end or a new beginning. I now post the miscelaneous ramblings of a suburban kind of guy on his facebook page for him, guess that means we got through the rough patch huh. So the February that used to make me angry has now mellowed over the years, kind of like I have. This February actually is making me very happy with the publication of Healdsburg Alive, poetry and prose of some talented local authors including yours truly (ok and the husband). So I wish you a splendid February. What could only have made it a better February is if today while enjoying the company of friends we could be cheering to the 49ers on Super Bowl Sunday!

New Semester

Well everyone, Sockmonkey and I start back to JC today. I am enrolled in the stupidest classes ever but they are a requirement. Title of classes are "Deciding on Your Career" and "Entering the Work Force". Tried with all my might to try to get out of them but can't go for the credits that are internship until completion which is going to take the whole semester Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Hmm, once I get into the class you think my white hair will be a give-away that I've found and lost careers over 35 + years and that I wouldn't be in the Legal Sec. cert. program if I hadn't decided on what I want to do til I retire! Sockmonkey thinks I should just deal with it and I guess I will. Now if I can only test out of business English, I am a published author after all and I edit books in my spare time for heavens sake. Do you think there is going to be any available parking on campus the first week of school? Well looking at the clock guess I better get going in case I'm driving around for half an hour looking for a space. Will keep you posted.

Sockmonkey's last vacation post

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring... Well that's actually not the case at our house especially because Sockmonkey is busy getting last minute holiday things done and wants to gift all of you with the final chapter of his visit to the eastern seaboard. We woke again to a bright shiny D.C. day and got the circulater bus heading for a day full of tourist sights. We headed to a souviner shop first thing and got a t-shirt for our little house sitter/cat grave digger Brie since I felt like I owed her something more than just a keychain. Visited our two Smithsonian museums that we had chosen before we left California since we knew it was impossible to see them all. Dave picked the air and space museum, it was awesome! He even got to go in a simulater of a plane that would be taking off from an aircraft carrier. Then headed down the street to mine and Sockmonkey's choice, museum of American history. So much fun in there to see the gang from Sesame St. and Julia Childs fridge complete with fridge magnets! Walked a lot and saw the Washington monument which was closed to visiters because of damage during that fluky earthquake, then the reflecting pool which was a nonreflecting dirt pit due to construction, then the Lincoln monument. Walked a lot more and stumbled across the Vietnam Wall, so somber that Sockmonkey thought it would have been disrespectful to take his picture there. In fact wished we would have brought something to leave as a momento. By now we are pretty sure we are late to meet Michelle O. for tea but hurried off to the White House and stood as close by as we could get with all the secret service around. Anyhow such a super day and still beautiful weather so we walked all the way back to hotel on Rhode Island Ave. along with hundreds of others workerbees and tourist enjoying the early evening. That night had to pack up and get a good nights sleep in preperation of Wednesday being all about getting back home. Next morning Sockmonkey and I made sure on the transit map where we would get off subway to catch bus to Dulles, piece of cake except for the excalator from our stop. It was so steep I was afraid to look back and was so paranoid that I was going to fall. Swear it was like going up the Alps!Caught the right bus and didn't even have to pay the $6.00. While getting on asked the driver if that thingy there was where I put my dollars and he said "Thingy ain't working, have a great ride!" Had to wait a couple hours at airport but not too many travellers so very peaceful time to read a magazine and reflect on the last eleven days. Even made a friend on the plane when we had to change in Chicago. So crowded Dave and I couldn't sit together so Sockmonkey sat by a really nice couple who were on the way home to Palo Alto from their little grandson's 2nd birthday. We hit it off and even were on the same anti anxiety pill to get through the flight. Thanks to Brie the house was still standing and we could relax from Sockmonkey's whirlwind adventure on the eastern seaboard. Looks like the inhabitants at Gannimal house will be living back there for awhile so look forward to another visit in a year or so. Thanks for being such a great audience, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sockmonkey visits our Nations capitol

I know what you are saying to yourselves, doesn't this so called creative writer know how to end a story? Well I last posted that we had gotten to our room and were relaxing with our own large bed and shower after a week at Gannimal house. Decided I should check my v.m. and had a sad message from Brie, she had found our old cat (16 years old so do the math in human years) dead in the garage. Poor little girl was a trooper though, after talking to me found a nice spot in the flower bed to bury Gallagher without too much hysteria. Guess I was going to owe her more than a key ring from Sockmonkey's travels. We had a good nights sleep then were up to a bright and beautiful day to start our touring after continental breakfast. Caught the circulator bus for a dollar to take us right over by the capitol. Had been told that October is a good month to visit the Eastern seaboard and being in teeshirts found that to be the truth. Had a great tour of the capitol, Sockmonkey and I were impressed that in the rotunda among the fancy portraits was a painting of Pocahontas (see earlier post regarding getting educated on her at Jamestown). We then took a tour of the Library of Congress, Sockmonkey and I being library junkies were giddy. Dave was pretty excited because he was sure that if we would have had time to visit the reading rooms after we got our readers cards that we would find a copy of the anthology we have been published in, Vintage Voices. The day was wrapping up, caught the circulator bus again to take the reverse trip from this morning so we could get chinese buffett dinner. As we were approaching our stop an interesting thing happened. A blond woman had gotten on and while looking over at her was so amazed that she was the twin of a woman I knew in R.P. As we are about to reach our stop I overhear a comment about the upcoming stops from her. I turn to get a better look and when we both saw each other said "I know you"! It was Desiree! There came my stop with giving me only an instant to say "OMG well take care" and give her a hug then we had to get off without me giving her my phone number or being able to ask what the heck she was doing in D.C. Isn't life funny? To be continued...

Sockmonkey bids adieu to Gannimal house...

Although Sockmoney and I with Dave in tow were leaving Gannimal house, that did not end our awesome east coast trip. We finally watched the sunrise over Chesapeake Bay while on the Amtrak bus heading to Newport News Virginia to catch the 8 a.m. train to D.C.! As I last posted, the household partied in the mancave celebrating the end of having the old folks couch surfing for the past week. Needless to say when the alarm went off at 5 in the morning no one was in any shape to drive us to the bus stop. No worries, cab showed up within 15 minutes of my call and off we were to begin our Sunday of leisure traveling through Pochantas field and forest to see our nations capital. Saw a couple cute little towns from train window during our 4 hour ride. One was Ashland Virginia, the train went right down the middle of the main street with darling old victorian homes on either side. Guess you would get used to trains in your front yard. Got to D.C. right at lunch time, still needed to negotiate the subway but luckily since a few years ago in N.Y. we became old pros at this sort of thing or at least didn't have a lot of anxiety about it made it to the stop we needed to then hoof it to our hotel on Rhode Island Ave. a few (long!) city blocks away. (Boy that's a run on sentence.) The afternoon was wearing on and we were pooped so decided to forgo the touristy stuff till the morning. Subway early dinner and jammy time. Oh and caught up on some of our shows after the week without cable at Gannimal house. To be continued...