Vultures

I love them. They're social. And they're funny despite looking a little gross, according to many people. I think they're beautiful. And I love that they are the perfect candidates for funny names, like Igor or Gargamel. I swung a U-turn and parked on the side of the highway this morning because I saw this crew and happened to have my camera with me. I'm calling them the Highway 160 Cleaning Crew.

Job Description

My dream job description:


Responsibility: help animals directly, in some way. For example: caring for them, finding homes for them, rehabilitating them, training them, teaching them, babysitting them or something else positive and good.
Salary: $70,000 (remember, I'm dreaming. will accept $30,000)
Hours: up to a 70 hour week
Dress code: casual, with occasional instances where I would need to get dressed up real purdy with heels and everything
Get dirty on a daily basis. Meaning, work with the animals directly, and get one of the following: muddy paw prints on pants, dirt on shirt from..somewhere, blood, wet dog food or other yucky stuff from preparing food for said animals, smelling stinky like fish from preparing food, crap on shoes from the ground or crap on self from being in an area where animals crap.
Coworkers: other people who love and respect animals (and people too!)
Duties: anything from administrative stuff and paperwork to cleaning up pee on the floor and taking out stinky garbage. Also, marketing, writing, researching ways to gain funding or other sources of income, talking to the public, educating the public and teaching children, feeding and caring for the animals, training volunteers, managing projects, brainstorming, proofreading, creating and maintaining a web site and sticking to a budget.

CRC

A cold, damp day spent outside at CRC is better than any day stuck inside a cubicle with no windows in sight. Even when, at the end of that cold, damp day, your hands smell like fish guts because you prepared a bunch of food for the eagles. No amount of lemon nor soap has helped.

Long time no see

I haven't posted in about six weeks, mostly because I don't have anything exciting to write about. Not that anything exciting hasn't happened, it's just that I haven't felt like writing.

Since my last post December 27th, the following has happened:

Went to a fun New Year's Eve party at my friend Sarah's

Tried in vain to register for a BIO or CHEM class at school. Classes were booked up in a matter of minutes despite logging in at 2am to try to get a seat. Have I mentioned I'm not a night person? Central Piedmont has ticked me off. You have to be a Sophomore to get into a good class, but you can't be a Sophomore until you have 24 credits towards your degree. If you can't get into classes towards your degree, how do you get 24 credits???? It's infuriating.

Settled for a Computer class that was cancelled, a Construction class that is bogus and an Office Technology class that's being taught by someone a decade younger than me, with about ten years less experience than me, who is a total hardass about coming to the hour long class every day. And then she doesn't even teach in the class: she posts an assignment online, such as: make a Powerpoint presentation. Then if you have questions you raise your hand. Stupid. Waste. Of. Time.

Got laid off. Then was asked to resign. Had to see an attorney. He gave good advice.

Turned 35. Had to cancel my party because roads were too icy for people to drive safely to get to our house.

Thought about attending the Wildlife Rehabilitators National Symposium in Seattle but I can't afford it.

Starting volunteering at The Raptor Center again, on Fridays. I love that place. Last Friday it was pouring rain and had been raining for about 48 hours. People were joking about building arcs. I prepared the food for about 30 birds, then donned a yellow rain poncho and walked the 1.5 mile trail to feed the birds in my running shoes. My feet were soaking wet and freezing for about four hours but it was still better than working in a windowless office at Merrill Lynch. Rubber boots are on my wish list.

Filled out my FAFSA for 2010-2011. I'm praying for aid. And unemployment.

Did my taxes, and Jason's. Not getting back as much as I had estimated.

Looked at engagement rings, on a few occasions, with Jason. I love all of them.

A bunch of people from work gave me going away cards. I was a little surprised by this. I would think that people who usually treat you like crap wouldn't care enough to send a Hallmark. Maybe I'm wrong?

Moved into a new townhome. We both love it. It's smaller, just the right size, easier to clean, close to the interstate and we can afford it. Our old house was nice but too big and too expensive; we were going into debt each month just to keep up with the payments.

Found a dog on a busy road and found a good home for him. This was by far the highlight of the last six months of my life. By a lot. Jason found him, took him to a vet, I picked him up, got him groomed and Rabies vaccinated, then networked like crazy to find a home for him. He's living the good life in an extremely nice house in Dilworth. It's the best! AND the people gave me money to cover his expenses without me even having to ask. Wow, wow, wow.

Gained about 5 pounds. Haven't been working out. Just been eating and not caring. And sleeping a lot, but I went to the gym today to walk. The weather has been so cold it's impossible to walk outside. I'm ready for Spring.

I'm looking forward to camping. Researching a trip to Washington DC to see some of the Smithsonian museums, The National Zoo and some monuments. Thinking about going during Spring Break, the first or second week of March.




Applied to Gaston College for the Vet Tech program, which starts in the Fall. Only 40 students are accepted.