so - what's up?

Hey - what's up with everyone? around here... it's all ok, for the most part. After quitting the job with the law firm, I started working at a non profit doing data entry. The people are great, I'm just still in shock when I see my pay cheque - a whole lot less.... and of course I wonder sometimes, what the HELL did you do? you were a Senior Paralegal at a good firm - you were making some decent bucks! then I remember the tension, the frustration, the exhaustion, the "I cannot stand one more day" feeling.. yeah, that's why, you wanted to try to have a life without all that, without the migraines. Now, to be fair, the migraines aren't totally gone, I cannot control the weather, which is a big trigger for me, and the occipital neuralgia is still lurking. BUT, I think I'm more relaxed.

Now, the new business - I'm sending out resumes to lawfirms all over the area. So far, no nibbles. I'm also setting up my new website - learning WordPress the hard way - trial and error. It's different, and sometimes so frustrating. I know what I want it to look like, but I haven't figured out how to yet! well.. I'll learn! I've signed up for various agencies - there's ELance and ODesk etc, and uploading, resumes and tweaking this, that, and t'other thing. I'm ambivalent about getting certified - are they just a money maker for the group/person who set up the certifications? - anyone out there want to give me their take on that? A friend who set up National Military Spouse Network has been a great source for me, she also told me that I should put Beta tester on my resume, I found a link that wasn't working properly and was able to help the designer figure out which link was broken. what do you think?

We also have a new critter at the house. We are fostering a cat from the shelter, she's been in the cages since January, and getting depressed. She's in quarantine, as we recommend, for at least a week, she's in the guest bathroom and starting to want to get out. Ms. M (her shelter name is Monique - which is so so not her) and JJcat have hissed at each other through the door, I am hoping they can co-exist in the house. Ms. M also needs to lose some weight, so as soon as we can let her out of the bathroom, she will need some intensive exercising - and less food. If the two cats can get along, she might stay - if not she will at least get a break from the cages, lose some weight and get back to being a happier cat.

Writing - I'm afraid I spent my time on Left Face last week, need to get with doing some writing that I might be able to get to get paid for. but we DID get linked to by Tom Ricks at Foreign Policy, which set off a new series we call "entitled?" my take is below, my co authors have been weighing in as well - go over and take a look.

One thing I have to say - when I go to work, I walk from the train station down to Pennsylvania Ave, through various gardens and across the Mall - what a walk! glorious, from the grandeur of the Capitol on one side and the Washington Monument on the other, to the Butterfly garden and the sculpture gardens. There's another benefit to working in DC - even though right now it's populated with thousands of tourists wandering about in the various stages of exhaustion and in the case of the littlest ones, crankiness! But when I walk to work in the morning, they are still sleeping in their hotels, and I only have to dodge the runners, and it's a lot more peaceful, I have time to enjoy the flowers and say hello to the gardeners.

Enjoy your weekend, Happy Birthday Army - I'll report after the Army Ball tonight. Trace Adkins - yeah... it'll be fun!

LAW