Let There Be Rain

We've needed rain so desperately. We've been told that we're in for a long, hot summer. When we get long, hot summers, we need lots o' water. And we weren't getting it.

But we have been having awesome storms this week! Our grass is growing like weeds--oops, wait, that green stuff is weeds! My dog's spent many hours hiding under the bed. I have been awakened at unbelievable hours of night by spectacular lightning shows and loud rumbling thunder. And it has rained. I hope the rain continues.

On other subjects, I have finally decided what I'm doing career-wise. I'm staying at my office job. I've been having so many nightmares about CPS, and I've been truly concerned that teaching would take over my life as much as CPS did. Plus, it is working out at my office job for me to basically work those two hours a day and then spend the rest of the day writing. They are trying to get me as much money as possible; the problem is that the salary range for the job classification is pretty pathetic. However, the VP in our office is going to approach the corporate office about reclassifying my job so they can pay me more money. Believe me, I'm worth it. And they are able to recognize that.

I have started working on my Chaucer book, and it is going so well!!! Have I mentioned it here before? Well, as you could guess by my screenname, I am a Chaucer freak. I have long dreamed of writing a book relating to some of Chaucer's works. I'm not going to say anything else about it here and now, just that it's underway and is going to be an incredible book.

I had already decided that after we get out of debt, I'm starting grad school. Another benefit of getting paid to sit in an office for 8 hours a day with only 2 hours of work is that I will also have time to study and read and write papers. Joe called me last night (he was working late) to tell me that he really thinks I need to get my Ph.D. I was happy to tell him that once again we are on the same page, as I had already come to that same decision. I'm having an insane fantasy of finding a way to afford to go to SMU for my master's degree--they have a master's program in Medieval Studies. Hey--if my Chaucer book is as successful as I confidently tell myself it will be, that may not even be an issue. SMU could come knocking at my door. I like feeling this way. I like being confident and stopping just short of arrogant. I like working on projects that bring me joy. I like it when Joe and I are in harmony.

Changing tacks now: Since my sister was killed back in January, I have not watched the news. I tried to once, and there were two or three stories about homicides and police chases that ended up in shootouts. So I gave up. The other secretary in my office (yes, not only do they pay me to sit there 8 hours a day for 2 hours of work; corporate has decreed that they need 2 clerks in the office, so they keep getting temps in until they can find one who's willing to stay. I like this one. I want her to stay. She's intelligent and hard-working. Not, of course, that we have much work. But I digress.) told me yesterday about a 19-year-old man who had been sexually abused by his stepfather from ages 7 until 11. He ended up getting HIV, and in anger sodomized his younger half-brother (the son of his stepfather and his mother). That little boy now is HIV positive, and the man is in prison. His stepfather is also in prison. I started crying when she told me that. WTF are people thinking when they mistreat their children?

From that point on yesterday, I found that I was just very tender-hearted. She started asking me about the beliefs of my religion. I had hard work to keep from tearing up as I told her. Our office had won the first quarter's competition, and as the collectors were being recognized for their accomplishments and people were winning prizes, yeah, I found myself tearing up. I watched the movie "Bewitched" last night, and outright sobbed. Not because the movie was bad--I actually liked it a lot--but I just wasn't able to regain my self-composure after hearing about that news.