Day 19

Good evening everyone. Today I tried to work on my english paper. The problem is with college online libraries. With the school I'm getting back into beginning in June, AND with the community college I'm currently in, both of their online library databases were extremely complicated. Are all online libraries for looking up articles and such, extremely hard to understand? From what I hear, they are. I made a comment about how difficult it was for me to navigate through their online library, and Erin nodded. I'm thinking her school online library is just as complicated.

So, after a while of trying to figure it out, I decided it would be alright to take what I have done so far in to class tomorrow and ask the instructor for help. How can we research if the site we are supposed to use is so hard to navigate? Maybe I'm just making it too hard. Who knows. So tonight, on World of Warcraft, I decided at the level I was at that I needed to change continents so that I could start leveling up against characters that are equal to me. Where I was at, the highest level creature I could find was still about 3 levels lower than me. Well when I flew over to this Alliance territory called Stormwind. I was in the city, and oh my Gosh it is huge. I spent a few hours there and am still trying to figure out where the main gate is. I want to be able to go out into Elwynn Forest so that I can resume leveling my character up. However, I keep feeling like I am running in circles.

So anyway, from the way it looked outside, it seemed to me like the grass might still be too damp. I have the next day and a half off before returning for the next work week. So I figure I will do the weekly lawn mow probably tomorrow afternoon. Something interesting has come up recently though.

I think I may have mentioned that Erin heard from a recruiter for the Iowa National Guard stationed here in Clinton while she was at work. Well, I finally emailed him yesterday afternoon after I woke up. When he emailed me back, he asked if it would be ok with me for him to call after 6. He said that he had some warrior training he needed to take care of, and that he really wanted to sit down and see what can be done. I told him that I would be home all day and just mainly trying to relax. By 10PM last night, I hadn't heard anything from him. I thought about emailing again but figured I would just wait it out. I figured that he probably got busy and would eventually call. This morning I had an email from the guard recruiter again appologizing for not calling last night and asking when I was free for him to call on Monday. I told him that I am off all day, minus the hour that I will be in class.

I didn't get a response from him, but figured we will see what happens tomorrow. I'm not sure right now if I will be joining the guard or not. The thing that would definitely make it seem to be a very nice option would be if he said that they do want me to join, and offer me a nice chunk of a sign on bonus. Extra money is always a plus, and receiving however many thousands of dollars in a bonus would help with paying stuff off. At this point though, I'm not counting on anything. I figure, if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, then it doesn't. I had long since decided that I didn't need to try to join the guard as of a few months ago. Speaking of extra money, this afternoon my employer called and asked if I was free to work an extra shift tonight at the hospital. They were going to be having extra guards on duty, each one sitting with a patient that needed extra observation.

Well, I was working on my English paper, and this is my long week coming up, so I really did not feel up to taking on another shift. When I mentioned it to Erin, what she said was "Hey, it's more money hon." I was like "Yeah, I just don't feel like it." When I first started with my employer, in the first month I worked so many hours because they called me every week about multiple extra shifts. I pretty much took every single one of them. Although my pay checks that first month were really good, I was really tired too. Then I was able to at least change my work schedule from 30 hour work weeks, to rotating. I work 30 hours one week, and 40 the next. I'm happy with that. Especially with also going to school. I figure as long as I never miss work, I am happy about my schedule. Would the extra shifts help? Of course! I can't explain really well the reason why I have not felt up to offering to take extra shifts too often lately. Mostly probably because of everything eles going on in life. What can I say? Busy Busy Busy.

So in closing I will say this. Yes I love making extra money whenever possible, but some times it doesn't seem worth giving up a night with the family, or letting my school slip any more than I already have. Sometimes, if I have been home not needing to do anything at all during the day, then yes I am willing to take extra shifts. But there were quire a few times when they called me, and I was either out doing something with the family, or we were getting ready to head out somewhere, and I had to stay home so that I could go into work. Those nights suck! I love my job, but when you are there working because the other guard called in or whatever, especially on fairly short notice, its definitely a sacrifice in order to be willing to work extra for the boss. So, I'm willing to do it. I just wish they would let me know ahead of time. In a few weeks there are extra days that both myself and the other guard will be working. The boss called me two weeks ago and told me the dates and asked that I include them in the schedule when I write it up. That is perfectly ok. I know in advance when we will be working extra and when it happens it will feel perfectly normal.

So, I guess the lesson for today is go with your gut. When I say that, I mean as far as being employed. If you have absolutely nothing going on and would like to, take the shift, help them out. If you have big plans, spending time with your family, or anything else that you feel would just suck to not be there because you worked extra, then go with your gut. If you really need and want the extra money, then do it. If you are happy with your regular hours, and it isn't the most important thing, then go with your gut and spend time with your loved ones. I will write more for you tomorrow.

Thanks for being here.

CB