For Matt

I've always had a lot of respect for people who go out and make their own way in the world. Conversely, I've always thought it was lame to never want to leave the area you grew up in.

I mean, just because you were born somewhere, doesn't mean that's the place on earth that you belong. Where's the sense of wonder? Adventure? Independence? I think we all need to find our way in this world and to me, that does not mean say, working at your old high school. My mother was so proud of me when I decided to move from New Jersey to California for college. She said I was doing things other people only dream of. Why dream when you can DO! It's a big world out there and it's full of experiences just waiting to be experienced!

So that said, I had a nice time catching up with an old friend over the weekend. (Hi Matt.) We went to college together here in PA (he's from here, I'm from Jersey) and he is the ONE person that I know from school that got a job teaching art in a traditional public school after graduation! I know of two others finding jobs since then, but not for a year or more (much more). In my department at work almost all of us are certified art teachers that never found a job. To the museum educators I think the museum is like a purgatory for art teachers. Or a waiting room. Same dif. Happily, some, like me, realized we were destined for other things. I found my home working in an art museum and now I would rather jam a #2 pencil in my eye than work in a school. I love working in a museum. I will always work in museum education. It turns out that's what I was meant to do. I love being around the art. I love that we get new special exhibits every few months and I get to learn about so many new things and see so many amazing works of art in person. I still teach (kids on field trips and after school/weekend programs), but it is always something different and it isn't all day, every day. I get plenty of kid-free time at work as well. Holla!

Anyway, back to Matt. After we had our chat he texted me and asked me why I hadn't blogged about it! He is so cocky, which is one thing I've always liked about him. (I usually like cocky pricks. Is that like a double negative? Cocky Pricks? Pricky cocks?) Like in his mind, of course a conversation with him would make me drop everything to write a blog post. Well, here ya go a-hole! I kid, I kid.

He moved to Arizona after college to take a job teaching. When we were in school the way they described Arizona reminded me of the things immigrants must have heard about America before they made the trip. It was the "land of opportunity", etc. Well, Matty made the voyage and it paid off. He seems to have things pretty sweet, well in the paycheck department at least. I hate to say that I'm envious, because like he so quickly pointed out, we both had the same opportunities and education (ok, well I have a little more education...ZING!). But I fell into my job at the art museum and I was in love! I didn't want to teach like that and the extra money wasn't worth it. But, you know, I'm sort of envious of how cushy his life looks. It's hard not to be envious of people whose lives seem like they are going really great, when you know they don't deserve it any more than you do. (Not that he doesn't deserve great things, it's just that I do too!) However, more than envious, I'm really happy for him. He did the one thing I admire most, he made his own way in the world. (Ok, are you happy Matt? I blogged about you.)

Musings

As I was leaving the grocery store the other day, I saw a license plate holder that got me thinking...

It was for the Lion's Club and it had the motto "We Serve" on it. It reminded me of that dancing movie "You Got Served":

It would be funny if after the Lion's Clubber's did some good in the community, they were all like, "You Got Served!".
That is all.

A year in review.

I suppose it's time for the "new year's post". Yes, it's a little late. I am looking forward to having a good year. 2008 was not my year. I can't say it was all bad, many wonderful things happened in the past year, but it definitely had it's downside...

I did not expect Mr. Fight to still be unemployed. He was let go in March and he still hasn't found anything. To be fair, he did not start looking until, I'd say August. His mother passed away in late 2007 and he took it really hard. He went into a bad funk and by March he got fired for calling out. This did not help his funky funk. I told him to take some time to himself and sort of get it together, reevaluate his medication, etc. THEN start looking for a new job. I've been down this road enough to know that trying to shove him right back out the door and off to a new job wouldn't really be productive. He'd likely end up losing the new job and feeling worse than if he had just waited til he was better able to be a good employee. So since August my dear husband has been looking for a job and there is nothing! There is only a few crappy jobs that pay like $8 an hour. My husband has gone to apply for these crappy jobs, since $8 is more than the couch pays him to sit on it per hour. He never got a call! He was applying to work at a thrift store unloading a truck or something. I bet they are just so inundated with applicants since there is nothing better listed in the papers. Gah. The good news is that they keep extending his unemployment. That has to end sometime, though, and when it does, we are F-U-C-K-E-D. But enough about that.

Honestly, if I had no money woes, things would be all gravy. I bet a lot of people could say that, though, huh? I'd like to add here, though, that I don't totally mind being poor. Well, sometimes. It makes me really appreciate everything I have and it has made me learn what a necessity truly is (sort of...) Of course I still consider thing necessities that really aren't (hello nicotine!), but I've learned to do with out so much that I may have been used to. The biggest thing that has sucked about the last year is how bad I jacked up my credit score. I used to have a good score but when Mr. Fight got canned, I STOPPED PAYING ALL MY CREDIT CARD BILLS! Oh my god right? I am such a freaking low life dead beat. So gross. The truth was, I didn't have the money! Who'd have thought!? After we went down to one (meager) income, it was us and the cats being homeless or paying the credit card bills, so I made my choice. I figured that when he got a job again, I'd do that debt consolidation whatever. Until then, I haven't heard much about debtor's prison lately so hopefully, I'm cool.

On the upside: I love my husband. I love my family. I love my cats. I love my home (so I hope I get to keep it).

Here's looking at you 2009!