Hi guys! I'm back! Did ya miss me?

Alot has happened since I last blogged. Let's see....where do I start?

* I got a new job! I started at the end of November as a Special Needs Teaching Assistant at St. Dominic's Elementary School. I'm assigned to a grade 6 boy who has a mild form of Tourette's (not the verbal type but the physical type -  ticks and such). He's a pretty sweet kid. So far, I'm enjoying my new job. Can't complain about the perks - two weeks off at Christmas, one week off for spring break, summers off, no evenings and no weekends. You gotta love that.

* We sold our house. It took four freakin' months to sell it but it finally sold this past November. A part of me was a little sad because it was our home for the last 8 years. But at the same time, I was relieved because we were cramped in there (it was a 900 sq. ft., 2 bedroom home) and we knew it was time to go.

* At this very moment, we are renting the MIL's basement suite (which is 300 sq. ft. more than the house we sold).  Yup, you read right. I'm not sure what I got myself into. I told myself this is the smart thing to do. Rent is cheap (you can't live anywhere in the city for $400 a month, including all utilities) and that's about the only good thing about living here. It allows us to save our money so we can put a decent downpayment on our next home. The money we received from the sale of our house came and went. Once the bank and the real estate agents took their share, very little was left after we paid our credit card bills and other miscellaneous bills.

We hope to build a house within a year in the north end (the MIL's house in the south end of the city). These days, it costs about the same (maybe a little cheaper) to build new than if you were to buy a pre-owned home). Plus, after owning a fixer - upper, I know I don't want to move into another fixer - upper. Since we sold our house, I've visited many showhomes and looked at hundreds of different two-storey floorplans. I've narrowed it down to two:

The Sheffield:

and The Concorde (with the optional rear mudroom and optional kitchen layout):

I hope this year goes by fast, that's all I can say.

Happy New Year to all! How's everyone?

I miss you guys!

I'm so sad!  I just found out a few weeks ago that the Lounge is going to close down. I guess I thought the Lounge would always be around forever. I thought of it as my second "home". I think alot of us did. It just isn't going to be the same without the Lounge. Hopefully, we can all still catch up on each others' lives through Xanga and emails. I really miss you guys!
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We're currently renovating our house (still, again, whatever). We would like to have it ready to go on the market by the end of  May. Getting there but it sure is alot of hard work. And I'm really stressed right now. The house looks like it was hit by a tornado! There's crap everywhere! I can't wait for it to be all done! I can't wait to get out of that house!
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Remember the business I wanted to start? Well, my friend and I decided we would take a First Aid Instructor's course and teach First Aid. After all, First Aid is essential. Apparently, there is a need for FA Instructors. The only difference between us and the other companies is that we  will go to the clients and teach them, not have them come to us. Most, if not all, FA classes require that you go to their building. But we will come and teach wherever they chose. The course starts in September. We hope to be teaching soon afterwards.
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I must go. I'm at work and I have to open in 15 minutes. Catch up with you guys soon! Miss you all!

In case anyone's wondering, I'm still alive.  Working my ass off, but alive never the less. I still don't have internet at home. To make a long story short, my hard drive needs to be reformatted. I found that out when the phone guy came to hook up our high speed. We couldn't get to my desktop! He figured my computer has a virus. So that was a waste of time, not only for the phone guy but for me as well. My friend's hubby offered to fix my computer (he's a systems analyst) but it's just a matter of setting a time that's convenient for both families.

Lately, I've been thinking about going back to school and taking some courses. I've toyed with idea of taking a Hospital Pharmacy Technician course, Legal Assistant and Office Administration. But I'm also thinking of taking Business Management and MAYBE starting my own business. What kind of business, I have no idea. It would have to be lucrative (of course! ) and fun. Any ideas? If you guys could start your own business or company, what would it be?

Anyhoo, I thought I would touch base with y'all. I'm at work right now and I have to open the store in five minutes. Hope everyone is doing well. I miss you guys!

Latest update....

....Still don't have internet hooked up. On the waiting list (sucks big time! ) Could be as early as end of November or as late as mid-December. So in the meantime, I will try to sneak some internet time when I'm at work.

....Andy was let go from his job.  New management and all that crap. The new store manager figured he could fire and hire his own people so he did. Andy was one of four that was let go. Totally pissed me off! The guy was a total asshole, too! I mean, how cruel is that?! To let go all these hard-working people who've been there longer than he has and right before Christmas to boot!  All I can say is, people get what they deserve in the end. Karma, baby!

Hope everyone is doing well! Gotta go, break's over!

I'm still resorting to using the computer at the public library. But soon, my friends, very soon! It sucks cuz I can't seem to access the Lounge from these computers.  

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I think I'm more excited than my girls are, lol. I  must remember to bring a camera with me. It's going to be a busy year. Not only did I volunteer to be on the Hot Lunch Committee  but I also volunteered to be on the Fundraising Committee. Should be alot of fun, though. I've known these other moms for 3 years and they're wonderful, good people.

Hope everyone is well!