Anyway….Matt was amazing. He was in his late twenties when I was only 18. I saw him as “older” and more “respectable” than myself at that time. He was living on his own and was married to his wife Kelli already. Over the years Matt and I have kept in touch. Not quite close contact but in touch. His wife sends me a Christmas card from both of them every single year. I think Matt has a soft spot for me because he too did not get along with his mother and my mom kicked me out of the house while I worked with and for him.

To this day when I hear a B-52’s song or any song by the band “The Fall” or “Daniel Lanois” I insistently remember my 2 years of working peddling records and I instantly remember Matt and how much fun we had working there. There was a large crew of employees and yet only Matt and I have kept in touch. It’s a nice chapter of my past and I always get a bit sentimental for it when I hear any of those tunes since Matt had those 3 albums (and I do mean RECORDS) on constant rotation. That was the time before CD’s. In fact the last year I worked there, 1991 was the first year we began to sell CD’s. Crazy eh? I knew a world when CD’s were expensive and cost more than cassette tapes because let’s face it cassette tapes were total crap.

Today I wrote out a card for Matt & Kelli and thought about all the years I’ve sent them a card in return. I didn’t act in time to send a Christmas card since I’m a bozo and never got to them….but I sent a New Years card anyway because some people are forever.

I’m ready….now. 

Things are good. I started that new job over a year ago and I’m happily working it and enjoying nearly everything about it.  It’s been a trying year on other fronts and perhaps I will expound.  Perhaps not.

One thing is for certain…I have been active on facebook….where less is more.  I’ve also been reading a lot more books. 

Keith is also now 19.  If there are old readers here..that might blow one’s mind now.  19!  It blows my mind. 

More to come…very very soon.  After all I just paid my server fee’s etc.

I was convinced that “black” ice was like the boogie man. She died and it was because the ice was black.  She had bright red lipstick on in her casket.  She never wore lipstick in our classroom. I never saw lipstick before that night. Her lipstick was so red I thought her lips were bleeding.

I don’t wear lipstick.  I put it on…it scares me.  I wipe it off.

Words Take Flight by Rebekah Joy Plett

Lately I haven’t found the time to blog.  And yet my mind is miserable with feeling trapped.  I must break through and write again. I must I must…….

I was working from 12:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. for several years as a Student Services Coordinator. This position was wrought with assisting new students, old students and basically all students in the art of computer usage, etc. etc. etc.  Low these 2,246 days later it all feels like a big blur.  But I do know this much.  For every fantastic thing that the company culture offered, there was a drawback.  I hate to dis any company because they are all full of both blessings and wonderful things and evil and nasty things combined for the most part.  I both loved and despised my job.  Depending on the day. 

Things that I loved with all of my heart.

The inside corporate culture is amazing. 

There is professional development program that is fantastic where you can spend countless hours doing nothing more than learning how to use excel, or improving one’s emotional intelligence, etc.  I spent a whopping 350 hours of my corporate career there doing just that.  And those hours were fantastically amazing in many ways.  Chock full of videos and lectures and page after page of online information and knowledge.

Of course I spent nearly every one of my 2,246 day’s enrolled in college seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and following that immediately up with the completion of a Master’s of Management degree.  I left the company with a mere 2 weeks left in my last course to complete.  All paid for (minus resource fee’s on my part) by the company.

Things that were difficult to understand.  The company gives you education but does not provide merit pay or any type of pay increase based upon your educational successes.  IE: When I left my boss held no educational degree’s and made more money that I did, I could not advance and my educational successes did not merit any type of pay increase or in other words was not seen as a “value” to the company.

I have many many many opinions about for profit education and will only state my strongest one here.

For profit education means that someone is making money off of helping you gain your education. This means that you will gain a higher level of customer service and assistance regarding every aspect of your education. IE: that college and it’s representatives will hold your hand from enrollment to graduation.  For profit colleges sometimes have a lower level of qualifications upon initial enrollment but you are not buying a degree nor will a piece of paper be placed in your hands if you cannot and do not achieve the workload yourself.  NO ONE will do your coursework for you.  For profit universities give the average person the opportunity to succeed and gain a degree.  Often for profit colleges carry out courses online or in a ground campus where you can attend one night a week. This means you can maintain a full time job while you obtain your degree.

There that paragraph is not my entire opinion but there is a place for ”for-profit” colleges and I  loathe people who disagree.  Just as I can buy a pair of shoes from Walmart and pay a lesser price or go to Zappos.com and invest in a pair of shoes, you should have the right and the ability to choose your own path towards education.  This means that I believe having more than just one so called “traditional” way to gain education is valuable.  Just as valuable as having more than one place to buy shoes is.  Options…I think that’s imperative.

In the 2,246 day’s I was employed at U n i v e r s i t y of P h o e n i x I got many raises, one each year for every time I “met” or “exceeded” expectations on my annual reviews.  Their review, employee coaching and HR policies are more than fair and benefits were generous in all ways. I had many vacation days, in fact I left with 4 weeks vacation in my profile for the following year. 

Why did I leave?  Opportunity.  Pure and simple.  Last week U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x did a massive layoff and 4 people in the local area were laid off.  Of those 4, 2 of the employees were employed there for roughly the same length of time I had been.  They had not been at “meets or exceeds” on their past 2 reviews.  So the company did layoff’s based upon performance, which in my opinion makes them fantastic. They could have cut based upon tenure and that just isn’t fair.  It’s not fair to dump a newer employee who’s doing a fantastic job and keep a tenured employee who is tanking in performance.

These layoff’s made me sad.

They also made me happy that I pushed through my fear and moved on.  I am proud of my education and I challenge anyone who thinks going to a “for profit” school like U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x means that your education is less valued or not as good.  Each course that grants you 3 credits happens over the course of 5 wks in your undergrad and 6 weeks in your graduate program.  It’s accelerated and it’s not easy.  Being a “P h o e n i x” changed my life, both professionally and educationally.

I am working as an associate registrar at another school.  Not so well known, one that insists that their employees have education.  They won’t hire you without at least a Bachelors and they do pay considerably more if you have your Master’s.  They too offer tuition benefits, but it is not 100% like at U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x.  I am considering a PhD program, but at this point only considering it.

When I began working at U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x in August of 2004, I was a vastly different girl.  I will always be a “P h o e n i x” because the company and my education greatly changed me.  While I had many annimosities about things I felt were not fair and while I see them making changes that sadden me in an attempt to renew themselves in the local area, I will always love the company because they swept into the trainwreck that was my life at the perfect time and provided me with structure, support, education and a buttload of years of valuable experience and friendships a’plenty.

I currently am working with my bud Chad from U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x day’s and one of my former bosses also works at my current employer.  In addition my current boss obtained his education via the U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x train as well.  It’s a nice place to be, a step further in my career. 

My new job….much like one of my old positions at U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x only I get paid a lot lot more.  Money is not everything.  But growing as a person.  Moving from someone with very little to rely upon in life, constant fear via living from paycheck to paycheck….to being this girl.  The one that wears business suits and drives pretty smoking hot car….gosh it is sweet.  Sweeter because I worked hard for it.  But despite many years of not always agreeing with what my bosses at U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x did or said or how they treated me and others…..the company and a certain Mr. S p e r l i n g who started that amazing college….life changing for me. 

I am very proud of the 6 years, 1 month and 24 day’s that I spent there.  My current very best friend….met there.  My current boss….also groomed there.  My how I have changed and been blessed by U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x.  It’s  impossible to put into words.  despite the crappy boss that I don’t miss…despite the challenges, the moments of frustration and the lack of opportunity for me to go to the next level and feeling stunted….they were just awesome.  I used to work 12:30 to 10:15 when I started. I held 3 different positions within my time there. I lost two of those positions to restructuring.  I went daylight twice and was bumped back down to the nightshift twice. I was bumped to a different location father from home once. I was then bumped back to my original location.  I spent nearly all of my time with the company working on Sat. mornings.  I sat in nearly every cubicle they had, had 5 different bosses, the worst one twice. God she was awful.  She once yelled at me and told me I was too stupid to find a key, yet I was earning a 3.97 in my graduate program at the time.  She taught me all the things I will never be….when one day I am a boss.

But despite the above things, those 53,904 hours there…..working for A p o l l o G r o u p…..they were nothing less than fucking amazing.  I’m not sorry I left.  I love my new job. I love my new boss. I love my new crew of students and activities and the Dean where I am is amazing…the building and the cleaness of everything. I love it all.  But those day’s working for U n i v e r s i ty of P h o e n i x….getting my education.  They just were amazing.  They were a journey and a fun one at that.  My facebook is chockful of other former and current P h o e n i x’s and I’m happy to know all of them.  I’m glad to be somewhere using everything I learned there in my time. I’m happy to be continuing to move forward in the education world as my career.

I also love my new car Zippy the Honda Civic….and my paychecks no longer look like receipts. Life is good.  Thank you A p o l l o!

Disclaimer: If you come tell me my education is worthless I’ll show you my pre-education paychecks versus my current ones and laugh.  If you think there’s no place for for-profit education might I remind you that now the local Community College is advertising because they are losing enrollment’s by leaps and bounds.  If you tell me a Harvard education or an Ivy League school education is better, I won’t argue because I have no real clue if that is true or not. lol  If you want me to dis for profit education because of some stupid story you’re doing about how it rips off students…don’t bother to ask me.  I won’t.  Consumers have many many choices, and they should choose what is best for them.  I did and I don’t regret it.

Also when I left A p o l l o it wasn’t purely for more money.  In the six years I worked there my pay definitely increased a lot. I wasn’t doing too bad when I left. I also had 4 weeks vacation, great health insurance and countless other perks.  I miss some of them.  It was for opportunity and to get away from that boss I was told to “manage up”.  uh no thanks…..she just wasn’t management material nor educated. If you think anyone can manage…you’re wrong.

I bought a new car in October. A 2008 Honda Civic with just over 12k miles on it.  I love this new car.  LOVE IT!  I’m totally a Honda girl, through and through and this car is the best one I’ve ever owned yet.  I thought it was champagne colored or tan.  Turns out after I read the registration I found that it is gray.  It looks metallic but not any color to me really.  Either way, I love it!

Today is Rick’s birthday.  Things with he and I have been rocky and that might be part of the reason why I haven’t been blogging.  At least for the time prior to 10-11-10, which was my new job start date.  (I won’t forget that one will I?)  Things have been up and down and that’s to be expected in marriage but I haven’t been so keen on writing about it because this go around I have tons more respect for my husband than the first go at it.

I’m alive. I’m doing rather well.  Things aren’t too bad.  Education is totally worth it.  Totally.  I’m proud of myself. Lately I’ve spent far more time facebooking my life piece by piece. I wish facebook kept a running list of your updates so I could just post those here.  That’s a feature I should patent eh?

Also….my son, Bucky…Keith…he’s turning 18 in 20 more days.  Talk about woah!

 

 

There have been some amazing people that have been around my table every day for the past 6 years, and I may run into them in the goat fields.  Somehow this company culls the best of the best and then makes them better and better with each passing day, if you don’t resist. It’s a mystery to me how they do this. I’ve long believed there is an invisible box on the application that says “Outstanding yes or no” and only those that are able to find and check the invisible YES box get in and succeed.  Congratulations you were one of the latter; you have won the lottery, now how will you spend your blessings?  Please pass them forward to the students.

I am now looking forward to the new challenges of herding goats in the” miraculous” fields  of Cypress for the famous three Billy Goat Gruff Company, the company my wealthy Aunt owns, while also moonlighting as a sales consultant for Shamwow on the side and learning how to make cheese. Yes, I intend to stay busy. I’ll also be writing a book and you may be one of the characters within it. Names will be changed to protect the intelligent.  In my spare time I will be exploring my “chef” side again.  Cooking up some goat cheese specialties…and a special “Chef” salad concoction.

 

If you are thinking of getting into the booming goat-herding industry, need a new super absorbent amazing cleaning rag, love cheese or just wish to hear about my future adventures or buy my future bestseller, please keep in touch, my contact details are: poeticalgirl@hotmail.com, 727-###-####.  I will never turn away a fellow Phoenix. Remember be nice to the person beside you, they will appreciate it and they will be nicer to the students in turn and then everyone wins and no food fights break out at the table.  Food is for cooking, not throwing.

 

Be the inspiration our students need!  I pass the baton.

Warmest regards my friends,

 

 

Kristy ****, Future Goat Farmer, Shamow Representative, Cheesemaker Extraordinaire, Chef to the E list stars

Somewhere in Cypress on an Secluded Farm 

 

I am in my last Master’s class as I type this…..  Education pays off.

 

1. I was sent “background check” paperwork to fill out for company I interviewed with (no offer has been extended as of yet)

2. My son had mad issues with his stepmother (can you say she threw milk all over his bedroom and destroyed his belongings, she’s a looney tune!)

3. My husband slept on the couch, he’s mad at me…for any number of reasons. (all of which he has not communicated to me in any manner than I can understand)

4. My best friend and brother Greg…had a stroke this past Monday and has lost his ability to use his left side properly or well at all.
# 4 is killing me the most. Greg’s too young to have had a stroke and I spent 3 hours just crying last night. Perhaps from the mere shock of his news, his slurred speech, my broken heart, the realization that life is too short for me to be dealing with 1 thru 3 with fear and anxiety. I’m tired of feeling responsible for fixing everyone else’s problems and I’m angry today because the problems that Greg currently has are the type that no one can fix. His news puts everything in my world into a different perspective. Greg currently cannot paint. This is like saying “Greg currently cannot inhale oxygen”. He just found out this news yesterday, it hasn’t even been 24 hours. I’ve blogged extensively about g. before here.
It’s likely that I probably shouldn’t be blogging such a personal thing but it’s ripping me apart and no one around me feels what I feel. Greg “is” my brother. Not by blood, DNA or any other trackable method but in my heart and in my soul he is. He is nearly my only family and the only person I’ve relied on for emotional support for many years, outside of my son and husband. I nearly broke down crying 3 times with him over the phone. The mere thought of Greg not walking, not fishing, not hiking the woods, not playing drums, not writing poetry, not reading Stephen King novels (he tells me he can’t hold the book and turn the pages with one hand), not driving his Jeepie (doctors have already told him he will not likely drive a stick shift again), not PAINTING his amazing paintings…it’s all heartbreaking for me. Greg is young. YOUNG people YOUNG. Greg is 42 years old and has had a stroke. He is currently resting and is with family. He is able to speak to me via phone and he is in the brightest spirits for someone who just got this type of news that is forever life altering. I believe he will recover, fully. FULLY!

But that does not mean my heart is not tormented. Why do such horrid things happen to such amazing people? Recently one of you fine shishnit blog readers gave me the advice, “Do it, life is too short” and I had long conversations with another friend of mine about beating down fear, heading face first into fear and overcoming it and living alongside it embracing it and that being a big reason why I’m going to “DO IT” and how LIFE is too short.

And then perusing facebook yesterday I find out that my closest friend for over 12 years, my “brother g.” is facing a long road of overcoming frustrations and rehabilitation. And his response to this stroke…a “will not quit” attitude. He’s already putting his paint brush in hand and trying to paint. He’s already planning his come back. I am so amazingly proud of him, worried about him and feeling helpless that I am so far away and cannot do any of the things that I, who appreciates him in my life immensely, wishes she could do.
Please visit Greg at his website here click on his contact link and send him a happy silly get better message on my behalf. And be sure to tell him I love him because I do love him…just like a sister loves her brother.