I found a beautiful home and moved in about a week and a half ago. The rooms are huge and the back yard is huge and I love it but there are some problems. It was a foreclosed home and I guess it's been empty for a long time (it's owned by a bank, which tells me a lot). Every drain leaked and right now I'm waiting for the electrician, I think when they built the home they didn't wire it right because my washing machine shuts everything off and the lights flicker so bad it's a good thing I'm not epileptic!!
Mostly, I can't wait to get a couch!! I am unpacked (for the most part) but I wont hang any pictures until I do get furniture. I'm considering rent to own, unless I can find used that's in good shape. I really don't want to do rent to own, in my opinion it's a waste of money but I just don't have enough money right now. Since it took a bit longer to get into the home I had to pay for a motel room for longer than I had hoped, which also means it cost more to eat than I had planned. It's okay, though, even if that's the way I have to go because I do need to work on building my credit back up (thanks to my ex husband) so I do have to do something. I haven't been here long enough for my bank to get to know me for a loan, all they would have to go on is the past few years and I don't even want to know what that looks like!
I (and my daughter and her boyfriend) have begun looking for work. I have updated my resume and uploaded it everywhere. Monster, Indeed, Jobs to Careers, Career builders, Linked In, the State of Nevada jobs board, everyone. Right away I started getting phone calls from insurance companies to go to school with them. There has to be some kind of scam with that I'm thinking and I just don't trust it at all!! But I check for jobs everyday and give everyone my resume anyway.
But the most important thing I've done was begin the registration process for school yesterday. I also got the ball rolling for Vocational Rehab, for help going to school. The next semester begins on June 4 so I have plenty of time but I like having my ducks all in a row. I've already put in my FAFSA, too. Right now I can't do anything until my application goes through and I get a student ID number, and after that I have to go back and take a placement test and talk to a counselor. I have been checking things out and if I take Health Information Tech (which is along the lines of what I have already started school for in WA) I will end up with and Associates degree, plus 4 certificates, and it would be the least amount of time. I'm not making any decisions until I sit down with the counselor, I'm just checking my options right now. But I'm very excited, I can finally begin my life!!!
One thing I should mention, I can't afford to go to Starbucks right now and I'm piggy backing off of someone else's internet which isn't very reliable so for anyone who doesn't hear from me too often just please be patient! I will be back online soon!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
VEGAS BAYBEE!!!
We got in just last night and so far so good!! Don't have a home yet, but I meet with someone tomorrow (she has classes all day today or we would do this today) and we already have a list of homes to go thru. I only hope I'm approved fast, the truck has to be turned in on Wednesday.
Speaking of truck, we didn't get out of WA on Friday morning because when I was backing the truck into my back yard the gate blew over and caught the passenger side view and shattered the passenger window. So I had to drive to Portland, OR for another truck. The good news is that was the only hiccup in the whole trip.
I was ready to drive through the snow (and I did end up pulling my car on a trailer, a personal first. I guess it really isn't too late to learn new things in life) and for a minute I thought I would. My daughter was my navigator and she took us through the Shasta mountains, which was beautiful but we were truly the only people on that road and at one point it started snowing and even sticking on the road but it never got bad enough to have to put chains on the tires and it only lasted for about a half an hour.
All in all, it was a smooth trip. We had fun, even tho we were a little cramped with 2 dogs and 3 people in the cab of the truck, and bucket seats, but we did alright. So the plan now is to find a home and get moved in. I'm not even looking any farther than that right now, however strong the temptation. I can only do this one step at a time. First step, get here. Second step, move into a home and get situated (change my address for insurance/get renters insurance, register my car & get a NV license, stuff like that). Next step, start looking for a job and get signed up for school. I think I will sit down with a career specialist and talk about my options before I make any real decisions as far as school is concerned.
But I'm not even worrying about that right now. I want to be in a home by the end of the week and that is my only goal in front of me right now.
Speaking of truck, we didn't get out of WA on Friday morning because when I was backing the truck into my back yard the gate blew over and caught the passenger side view and shattered the passenger window. So I had to drive to Portland, OR for another truck. The good news is that was the only hiccup in the whole trip.
I was ready to drive through the snow (and I did end up pulling my car on a trailer, a personal first. I guess it really isn't too late to learn new things in life) and for a minute I thought I would. My daughter was my navigator and she took us through the Shasta mountains, which was beautiful but we were truly the only people on that road and at one point it started snowing and even sticking on the road but it never got bad enough to have to put chains on the tires and it only lasted for about a half an hour.
All in all, it was a smooth trip. We had fun, even tho we were a little cramped with 2 dogs and 3 people in the cab of the truck, and bucket seats, but we did alright. So the plan now is to find a home and get moved in. I'm not even looking any farther than that right now, however strong the temptation. I can only do this one step at a time. First step, get here. Second step, move into a home and get situated (change my address for insurance/get renters insurance, register my car & get a NV license, stuff like that). Next step, start looking for a job and get signed up for school. I think I will sit down with a career specialist and talk about my options before I make any real decisions as far as school is concerned.
But I'm not even worrying about that right now. I want to be in a home by the end of the week and that is my only goal in front of me right now.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Had to fall a bit farther before I could pick myself up
I think I just needed to be a little more humbled before I could actually get started. I am writing this in a Starbucks because I have no more Internet. Or electricity. Or water.
But I saw it coming and I knew that I would be okay. I made whatever plans I needed to make to be able to get through this, saved candles and wood and emptied the big totes I have Christmas decorations stored in and now I have over 200 gallons of water. I tacked up blankets over the doors so any heat can't leave a room (and I have a lot of blankets!)
And back when I bought my computer I also bought a lap top so I am not completely out of touch with the outside world. I can only spend so much time in a Starbucks, tho, so I have been spending my time looking for a home. And I think I might have one. If not that one, then another, I have sent out about 20 emails and am in contact now with several people in Las Vegas and should have a home before I leave here.
Oh!! I didn't mention that, did I? Workman's comp finally closed my case and I just received my award. I should have known that it would all come through AFTER everything got shut off. I haven't received a paycheck in over 3 months and yes, I have been applying everywhere. I have even been applying for jobs in Portland OR even tho a minimum wage job that far away would only pay for my gas. I wasn't kidding when I said there are no jobs here. There is a month long waiting list to get help with utilities and you can't ask until you have a shut off date. That's how bad it is here. There are 3 other families on my street alone without power. It's like an infection, but I am one more step to making everything right.
I have a truck ordered, I pick it up first thing Thursday morning. I will be on the road Friday morning, and should be in Las Vegas by Sunday or Monday at the latest. I have tire chains for both the car and the truck and my daughter and her friend are driving my car behind me so I don't have to pull a trailer. I did the math and it wont cost any more to gas the car than it will to rent a trailer to tow it so I'm not going to be out of any more money.
So all I have to do now is pack whatever needs to be packed, tie up just a few loose ends and I can finally start my life again. I am so excited!!
The funny thing is, all this time all I have been able to do is think about how I'm going to do something but I haven't been able to act. Now that I can actually do something I don't know where to begin. But I am determined to do this smart. I did spend $100 on a room for 2 nights thinking I needed the wi-fi and phone and thankfully I didn't spend more than that. I have learned a valuable lesson, not all wi-fi is created equal and I really spoiled myself on my own wi-fi. So even tho I got to sleep in a warm room and took the hottest shower I could handle I still feel that I wasted that money since I couldn't do all I had hoped to do.
Now I have a Boost mobile cell phone and I bought a Starbucks gift card so I can limit what I spend and I leave my bank card at home! I can always boil water on my BBQ if I need to and my kitchen is like a walk in freezer right now so we are eating sandwiches and nothing is going bad. I feel bad for the critters, they keep walking up to the wall heaters and looking at them with those sad eyes puppies get but then we all bundle up together and we do just fine.
So my adventure finally begins. I have been looking at what jobs are available in Vegas and there are many more than there are here. I might change my mind about school as there are so many openings right now for a pharmacy tech that can work in a compounding pharmacy, mixing drugs and IV's, it seems that's where the medical jobs are right now. But I know that can change so for the minute (and I have a couple of months to make my education plans) I am keeping my options open. Things change so fast these days but I'm pretty flexible!!
So hang tight, this has been a pretty bumpy ride lately and I'm not done yet!!
But I saw it coming and I knew that I would be okay. I made whatever plans I needed to make to be able to get through this, saved candles and wood and emptied the big totes I have Christmas decorations stored in and now I have over 200 gallons of water. I tacked up blankets over the doors so any heat can't leave a room (and I have a lot of blankets!)
And back when I bought my computer I also bought a lap top so I am not completely out of touch with the outside world. I can only spend so much time in a Starbucks, tho, so I have been spending my time looking for a home. And I think I might have one. If not that one, then another, I have sent out about 20 emails and am in contact now with several people in Las Vegas and should have a home before I leave here.
Oh!! I didn't mention that, did I? Workman's comp finally closed my case and I just received my award. I should have known that it would all come through AFTER everything got shut off. I haven't received a paycheck in over 3 months and yes, I have been applying everywhere. I have even been applying for jobs in Portland OR even tho a minimum wage job that far away would only pay for my gas. I wasn't kidding when I said there are no jobs here. There is a month long waiting list to get help with utilities and you can't ask until you have a shut off date. That's how bad it is here. There are 3 other families on my street alone without power. It's like an infection, but I am one more step to making everything right.
I have a truck ordered, I pick it up first thing Thursday morning. I will be on the road Friday morning, and should be in Las Vegas by Sunday or Monday at the latest. I have tire chains for both the car and the truck and my daughter and her friend are driving my car behind me so I don't have to pull a trailer. I did the math and it wont cost any more to gas the car than it will to rent a trailer to tow it so I'm not going to be out of any more money.
So all I have to do now is pack whatever needs to be packed, tie up just a few loose ends and I can finally start my life again. I am so excited!!
The funny thing is, all this time all I have been able to do is think about how I'm going to do something but I haven't been able to act. Now that I can actually do something I don't know where to begin. But I am determined to do this smart. I did spend $100 on a room for 2 nights thinking I needed the wi-fi and phone and thankfully I didn't spend more than that. I have learned a valuable lesson, not all wi-fi is created equal and I really spoiled myself on my own wi-fi. So even tho I got to sleep in a warm room and took the hottest shower I could handle I still feel that I wasted that money since I couldn't do all I had hoped to do.
Now I have a Boost mobile cell phone and I bought a Starbucks gift card so I can limit what I spend and I leave my bank card at home! I can always boil water on my BBQ if I need to and my kitchen is like a walk in freezer right now so we are eating sandwiches and nothing is going bad. I feel bad for the critters, they keep walking up to the wall heaters and looking at them with those sad eyes puppies get but then we all bundle up together and we do just fine.
So my adventure finally begins. I have been looking at what jobs are available in Vegas and there are many more than there are here. I might change my mind about school as there are so many openings right now for a pharmacy tech that can work in a compounding pharmacy, mixing drugs and IV's, it seems that's where the medical jobs are right now. But I know that can change so for the minute (and I have a couple of months to make my education plans) I am keeping my options open. Things change so fast these days but I'm pretty flexible!!
So hang tight, this has been a pretty bumpy ride lately and I'm not done yet!!
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