Cause Growing Up Is Hard To Do

So here I am again.  I'm looking at my life, and decide I need to grow up.  You can say what you want to about inner reflection and all that, but the truth is I need to grow up.  I have decided to go forth with a few steps to change my life.

First step.  I have enacted an exercise program.  Every day I try to walk two miles,  bike 6 miles, and lift my one 25 pound kettle weight.  I really needed to get my weight down.  I have noticed some results.  It's been slow going, but like my doctor told me, "If you lose one pound a week, by 20 weeks you'll have lost 20 pounds.  You can't do it overnight."

Step two.  I really need to find long term employment.  The problem is what I have my education in doesn't translate well into jobs.  I have a A.A. Lib Arts degree and a History B.A. degree.  I haven't really done much with this.  I have my luthier's certification.  I should work in China, South Korea, or Indonesia if I wanted to build guitars.  Namely, since that's where they are all made now.

I went to Roadmaster for truck driving school.  Then I became a truck driver, and found out why they always claim to need truck drivers.  Mainly, since they are paying them a lower wage now than in the 1980's.  The other problem is that, I live in Florida.  There's not much freight going in and out of Florida. 

If I lived in Atlanta I would probably still be truck driving.  I could pick up loads in the morning, deliver them, and be back home at night.  But by being stuck in Florida I could only get over the road jobs.  That got old really quickly.  Now, with my health and medical conditions I know I couldn't be an over the road driver.

So that leads me to going back to school.  This time Erwin Tech.

I decided I needed a job that would let me stay in the Tampa Bay area, and still make a decent wage.  That job is HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning.) 

It has been a bit of a whirlwind the last few days.  I was supposed to enroll for the January 2017 class.  However, two openings came open for the May 9, 2016 class.  So I had to run like crazy to get my financial aid in place.  I had to file for a Pell Grant, so I could get turned down.  I was then able to have Hillsborough County to help me out.  Next, I was able to take my school voucher to Erwin, and get registered. 

Now comes the realization of what I have to do.  I have to learn like crazy for 15 months.  I have to keep my grades up to keep my grant from the county.  I have to stay on top of my game.  I feel I have to work harder since I am an old dog trying to learn a new trick. 

One thing I have to deal with that I didn't expect was that Erwin has a dress code.  I understand that I have to wear leather work boots, but I don't know why I have to a solid color shirt.  Seriously, part of the dress code is that, I have to wear a solid color shirt.  That means all my flannel shirts can not be worn.  But that's okay, I have plenty of shirts, and have even bought a few more.  I will be the best dressed student there.  I have plenty of long sleeve, button up shirts in black, gray, and red.  I also have a few polo shirts in various colors. 

I will receive my books and tools on the first day of school.  But I also need to buy school supplies.  Namely, pens, paper, and a Trapper Keeper.  That's right.  I just went all 80's on myself.  I used a Trapper Keeper from first grade all the way through college.  It has always worked well for me.

Step three.  So now that I have school, this puts a ding the job I now have.  I will now have to find a new job.  So, I decided that now was a good time for a respectable haircut.  On a side note, I did donate my ponytail to "Locks of Love."

Maybe this will help me be able to land a job.  I'm not sure what I will do as far as part time work, but I will do my best try to get something going. 

So that's been my life changing/ growing up plan.  1.  Exercise program.  2.  Enroll and attend Erwin for HVAC.  3.  Get a haircut to try and find a new job.  It's not easy growing up, but we all need to do it sometime or another.  I'm just a late bloomer. 

A Horse is More Than Just a Horse

It all started years ago.  It started with a picture.  To be specific, it started with this picture.

I knew then that the horse mask was the answer to all my problems in life.  Living out in Lutz, I usually don't get too many door to door salesmen, religious zealots, or kids with candy at the door.  But when I do, I know that whatever their pitch, it will be reduced to nothing while I am wearing my horse mask.

How do I know this?  Well I came across this on the Internet.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003G4IM4S/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/

That's right.  It's my horse mask for sale on Amazon.  This is the universe's way of telling me that I am right, and it's my job to confuse and/or anger people while wearing this mask.

Just think of the possibilities.  I can get quirky girls at the local coffee shop to think I am interesting.  I may not get much further than that, but I can at least get my foot in the door.  I can also annoy family members.  I also plan on scaring small children with it.  If I would have had this horse mask when I was an Assistant Scoutmaster I could have had all sorts of fun.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is so much more that my horse mask will do for me.  Perhaps I will post another blog about what it has done for me.