The Year In Review

I can't believe 2011 is already coming to a close.  To say it's been an eventful year is a bit of an understatement, I think.  So here are some things I am grateful for as 2011 winds down:

 - Sam is still with me and doing great.
 - Ginny too is doing well - not acting her age at all.
 - Moira continues to get better and better at agility - a sport we BOTH enjoy.
 - Bogey & Georgia are happy, healthy little dogs that bring a lot of love and laughter to my life.
 - I'm no longer in a job that makes me miserable.  No one should cry on the way to and from work every day.
 - My prospects for finding a new job in 2012 are looking up and, even if that doesn't pan out, I have a fall back plan.
 - I have an understanding house-mate who has been wonderful and supportive this year.  We had so much fun being unemployed together!
 - My family has been very supportive as well.  No recriminations from that corner.
 - I have terrific friends, some of whom I've never met, who read this blog and comment.  Thank you for all your wonderful comments.
 - I have terrific friends who don't read my blog but have still been wonderfully supportive this year.

I know listing these things seems a little clichéd but I have to tell you all that one of the things I learned this year is to acknowledge the things that are important to you.  It's much too easy to dwell on the negative things that are in your life.  If you take a moment to see the positive you will have more energy to put toward creating more positivity.

Happy New Year!

It Never Fails....

A couple weeks ago I posted that I had decided to listen to the Universe, follow my heart and go back to school to become a vet tech.  I'm still working toward that but, in the quirky way that the Universe works, I have received several emails and phone calls recently from companies I applied to - and one I didn't apply to - asking to schedule interviews.  I'm entertaining these calls and requests for interviews because, honestly, the idea of being able to make some significant money is pretty darned attractive right now.  Becoming a vet tech is very noble but it probably wouldn't pay for the dog habit - at least not to the extent that I would like.  We'll just have to see what happens.

Follow Your Heart

"The best thing you can do in life is follow your heart.  Take risks.  Don't just take the safe and easy choices because you're afraid of what might happen.  Don't have any regrets and know that everything happens for a reason." - Unknown

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I often say, "Everything happens for a reason."  The last seven and a half months have been difficult for me and a real wake up call.

When I left my job in April, I thought I would have another job in three months and that my life would continue on the path it had been on before.  The three months came and went and I still wasn't working.  I had phone interviews, lots and lots of phone interviews, but very few call backs.  I networked, I revised my resume, I applied for entry level jobs, I applied for jobs in parts of the country I had no interest in moving to and I kept telling myself that 'everything happens for a reason' and I just hadn't found the right job yet.

During the last seven and a half months I've also spent a lot of time with the dogs.  A lot of time.  I've watched Sammy struggle with aging, I've watched Ginny start to go deaf, I've watched Moira become increasingly confident and reliable in life and agility (although she can still be a bit of a nut job), I've watched Bogey grow into a boy-dog with many of his father's most beguiling traits and I've watched Georgia go through the teenage uglies and start to mature into a really lovely bitch with intelligence and personality to burn.  Part of spending all this time with the dogs has also included treating lots of minor injuries and ailments too - especially for Sam.  And this is where following my heart has come into the picture.

For years, friends who aren't 'dog people' have watched me with the dogs and asked why I don't do "something with them professionally."  I've always responded with, "I'd love to but there's no money in it."  Well, guess what?  After over seven months of not really making any money, I'm ready to do something professionally with dogs - and cats, and guinea pigs and, whatever.

I am in the process of applying to the veterinary technology program at a local community college.  My application is due at the end of January but I won't know until April if I've been accepted (they only take 40 students each year.)  School will start in August.  After two years, I will be able to sit for the state boards and, hopefully, become a licensed vet tech.  From there, I'd like to become certified in canine physical rehabilitation so I can work with dogs recovering from orthopedic surgery, or plagued by arthritis and , of course, the canine athletes I love so much.  I still need to find a job in the meantime but I can focus on finding something local and it doesn't have to be a 'career' position.

UHM (who got and accepted a job offer last week) has been incredibly supportive of this plan - even though I know it scares her a bit.  If I'm being completely honest, it scares me too but I think I have to follow my heart on this one and remember that everything does happen for a reason.