New Job, New Home

Last week, I received an offer for a permanent position at PHFA, where I have been working for the last 8 weeks.  I am ecstatic!  Monday was my first permanent day.  I have full-time employment and benefits!!!!  I love my job.  It is in the collections department, but the job is oriented toward finding a way to keeping people in their homes:  through loan modifications or other payment plans.  I talk to people every day with very very sad stories.  And I am amazed and completely humbled by what they say to me:  they are grateful for my help and understanding and patience with them.  One man called me his angel.  Whatever their story, most have one thing in common:  when a major thing happens, like they lose their job, or someone is sick, smaller things start to happen, like the car breaks down, or the hot water heater needs to be replaced, and pretty soon, all the dominoes fall.  That is exactly what happened to me in the last 4 years. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "If it wasn't happening to me, I wouldn't believe it."  These people are saying the same thing, and since I can relate to it, they are very grateful for the empathy.  And their gratitude makes my day, every day.

Today I received approval from my new landlord to move in December 21! I will be sharing a house with a woman who advertised on Craigslist.  She will have a bedroom and the living room, and I will have two bedrooms, and will make one into my own separate living room.  My furniture is so old, and will cost over $500 to move (cost of the truck, gas, and tolls, plus transportation for me to get to Detroit.  So I am picking up my kitchen supplies and my bed, and building my new house piece by piece!  I am excited about this...I can actually take the time to build my house into what I want it to be!

Alexandra and I are together in Lansing at my sister's house.  It is wonderful to be with her.  I miss her so much!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  I have much to be thankful for this year.

Update

Hello, everyone!

It's been a while since I posted.  Thank you all for the birthday wishes yesterday.  I had a nice day, with a gift from a friend from work, and a leather-bound journal from Linda.  Alexandra made something for me, but it hasn't come yet!  I am excited to see it!

The past couple weeks have been a blur of hard work and a little apartment hunting.  Yesterday I was told that my hiring has been approved by the director.  It's now in human resources.  I'm so impatient!

Alexandra found a sublet in Columbus, and will be moving right after the first of the year.  I am very proud of her. She will continue at Columbus State to establish residency, so she can transfer to OSU.  I know, my daughter the Buckeye!  Will her friends in Farmington forgive her?

I am heading back to Michigan for Thanksgiving!  I am very excited, and I get to spend 2 days with Alexandra!  I miss her terribly.  I also get to see two of my sisters (yea, Kathy and Annie), nieces, brothers-in-law, nephews...I can't wait to get there!

I am starting to research for my novel.  I am sometimes really interested, and others, just overwhelmed.  So, I started writing short stories, pieces, even scenes, to practice writing. Writers always say that if you're going to be a writer, you need to write every day.  So I'm writing a little every day.  Most of what I write is unrelated to my book, but is just writing practice.  I love it!  I should have done this long ago.

I will be back posting again more frequently, now that things are settling in.  I am missing my local tours!  

Have a great night, everyone!