Wooo! Glad the explanation helped!

Red for Ed is a movement going on in several states to get higher salaries for teachers, specifically in the states at the bottom of the list in educational spending, like Arizona. Our teacher salaries are not even competitive with neighboring states. Right now the Governor is saying there is a bill going through for a 20% raise (to make it at least competitive), but teachers are still walking out because nothing has been signed yet. It's all just empty promises. Supposedly it will be signed on Monday, so teachers will be there to make sure it gets signed. The bill will also make sure there is extra funding for support staff like me, IT, office admin, etc. We will see what happens!

There are a lot of guides on the internet for learning about computer parts, so it won't be that bad learning some of the ropes! Especially with sites like pcpartpicker that will tell you what parts will work with what you have, and what won't.

Same here! I do not want to work on Saturday, lol. I can see a lot of absences on those days. And thank you! ❤ Seriously, that really helped reading that. You guys are amazing people and I am so glad to be a part of this group!

Seems like a lot of the yearly events are getting moved around :(

Last year they moved Vesnali to May so it would not be so close to the masquerade. The calendar lists it starting early May so it won't be long now. They also moved Alegarten to sometime in the summer from early october I think to give it more options on items and not have it squished between pirates and morostide.

Teachers here in Oklahoma did a two week walk out also. Not just for a pay raise since they hadn't had one in 10 years, but also for funding for the class rooms, like new text books etc.


read your post. was glad to see those changes. especially alegarten since we usually don't have much in the summer months.

i am so not liking the move... april is april and no may. Alegarten no fun in the summer it's for october.

That's what teachers were wanting here, too! They wanted educational spending to go back to what it was in 2008 before the recession hit, along with the pay raise and a few other things. They had a total of five demands, I think. I'm not sure how plausible the 2008 demand is...that spending was in an economy from 10 years ago, it's not the same anymore.

I was reading about it later that day since I didn't do much but rest. The first article I came across was how the teacher had posted her paycheck, how low it was, especially for an affluent area, and that she wouldn't be able to make it if it wasn't for her husband's income.
It just made me think of the struggle that I've had, making less than she did for years and being divorced w/ 2 kids. Our company has been one of the lowest paying in the IT field for a very, very long time and many people have left b/c of it. Since I didn't have a degree, I felt my options were more limited and once I had my foot in the door, I wasn't going to give up.

Been looking for a second, part time job and every posting I've seen averages to about $2 more than what it was 10yrs ago. It's utterly ridiculous and nearly impossible to survive on one income alone. The IT field has become extremely competitive, too.

At least they don't outsource teachers. There are too many areas/cities/towns where they are extremely underpaid, though. The whole education system is a racket and broken.

Hope it does s/thing for you guys.

I used to completely rely on my older brother for computer stuff. The software, I learned a lot on my own b/c I was just curious about how stuff worked, internally. Many years ago I had also switched over to Linux which gave me an even broader perspective on stuff. (I'm back on windows now) It was b/c my older bro is known to be flakey, especially when he's with s/one, that I needed to start figuring out the tougher stuff on my own. Computers became my life once I got divorced (14yrs ago in May) and it was only 2yrs later that I ended up in the company I'm at now and still had a lot to learn, which I did over the years.
My dad actually picked up a lot b/c of that lack of reliability, also. It comes down to the desire to do it and not having the money for s/one else to do it. ;) (and hell no to Geek Squad) If you ever wanted to, I will be there to help. <3

Took tomorrow off. It's going to be nice and I knew I needed an extra day on top of the weekend due to mother nature (my schedule) not allowing me to be too physical right now. Still, the first mow of the season will probably take about 2hrs (push mow) and it will definitely take a lot out of me, since I haven't been active for months up until lately. :sigh:

Yeah, I think Andrew and I would be ok on our own, but only if we were incredibly frugal. As it is right now, we split the monthly bills with my Mom, so it makes things a lot easier. Does your company offer any kind of incentives for continued education? You had said before online classes might be pretty good for you, and some places do offer some nice discounts, along with whatever FAFSA can find. One of the Universities I was looking at before charges a flat rate per semester and it is up to you to complete as many classes as you want within that time frame. A math teacher had suggested it to me.

I hope you enjoy your day off!!

@ dracoren They do! Of course they're often late and people usually pay out of pocket until they get reimbursed (which would absolutely not work for me), but I honestly see no reason to continue my education in this field. The outsourcing is unreal and between that and what they've now put on people after the VRO last year (voluntary retirement), I've seen some incredible people leave due to the amount that's been put on their shoulders since the company doesn't want to replace what they lost.

There are too many kids going into college thinking that IT is the place to go, so that's why I mentioned the competition. It's probably the worst field to go into right now. Networking is a great field, if nothing else. You will rarely if ever deal w/ offshore support for that. (maybe front end, but that's it) But it's not an area I want to go into. While the classes are paid for, the certification tests are not and they are hundreds of dollars.

My long term plan doesn't include paying rent and obnoxious energy bills, so I just need to get through these tough times until I can move forward again towards my goal. (This may sounds simple, stupid or whatever, but I've always asked you questions about your hauling truck and RV b/c that's what I want - to live out of! I want to be done w/ Ohio and find work wherever I go. It's not a dream... it's a goal. )

[edit] Wanted to add that I've never had CS for my oldest daughter and this year, the agency suddenly said that I had been overpaid for my youngest daughter and I haven't received a payment since January 19th. When I requested an audit, the only thing I got was how much it was overpaid and that I wouldn't be getting anymore. What makes me infuriated, is that nothing has changed in over 10yrs, so if there was a time that it was overpaid back then, it should've been caught/corrected waaaay back then. Just added to my financial stress.

another [edit] Ahh i was wondering when you would wear one of the unicorn items

Hi all. The first treatment for dizzyness seemed to help but not get all the problems, because I was very dizzy every day afterwards. Second treatment might have been better because I haven't been dizzy. But hard to tell because it was cyclic. 3 days to a week dizzy, then 2-3 weeks not dizzy. I don't know. I do seem to feel better so maybe it is helping and not wishful thinking.

My cat Harley died today. Been upset all day because I knew he was going to. He has been sick for a long time and hurting. But he has been loved his whole life and that means something. We named him Harley because when he was a kitten he had 2 speeds. Zoom and asleep. lol

Hope everyone has a nice evening.

Been having upheaval. Tried to change up my meds. Nope. Went back to old dosage this afternoon and calling tomorrow. Loki is coming to get petted a lot trying to comfort me.

Done with driving lessons and just have to schedule the skills test. Dmy is still moving and my room has just a trash can.

heard about the strikes. Hope you teachers get the respect and money you deserve.

and pose. Unicorn wig. Had to come up with something that showed it off.

awww I'm so sorry to hear about Harley. I'm sure he lived a wonderful and loved life. I know how sad that is for a furbaby to be lost. :( hugs and many more

I wouldn't try to change up your dosages anytime soon. You're about to go through a major change and you need to see how you handle it on your current meds to see if they're doing the right thing. (deal w/ similar situation on my anxiety med) You're moving and learning to drive... really big changes. Take it easy and just see how your regular meds do and take it slow. Don't try to change your meds while major life changes (for you) are taking place and honestly I don't see why your Dr. would agree to any changes at this time.
Not trying to tell you what to do.... just giving you the experience and best advice that I've learned and read over the years, dealing w/ my own shit.

Love love love how you used the wig in your HA, <3 I knew you wouldn't use them together and that's what I was waiting to see.

Reimbursement plans suck -_- I wouldn't do that, either. That sucks so many are leaving, and how impacted that field is, though :( I can see why so many try to get into it, though, with how much technology is being put into everything. My car alone has several computer systems. If I had to go into computer science, I would probably go automotive xD

I don't think that is a bad goal! My Aunt lives in a trailer and travels all over the place. A lot of RV parks have spaces you can pay for by the month. She has been thinking about getting a different brand of trailer, though. On the pricier end, but it is built far better than the more common Winnebago and the like. I think it was Vanleigh. I've also been looking more into the diesel exhaust fluid on the newer trucks, and it improves mileage and horsepower! It doesn't get used up all that quickly either, so when I am in the market, I'll be getting a new truck instead of trying to find a dinosaur without the DEF, lol.

That audit was useless :( I'm sorry they are pulling that kind of crap on you!

hugs So sorry to hear about Harley! :( That is such a cute name, though! You gave him a good life ❤

I am glad to hear the treatments for the dizziness seem to be helping!

Loki is such a sweet bunny C: Hopefully, the next change in meds will be for the better! Best of luck with the driving test, too!

lol, storage rooms are fun. Just say all the stuff is your now, that'll get it moved faster xP

Thanks! I'm hoping tomorrow is the last day school will be closed! I really do not want to go to school on Saturday.

It's the companies that kill these kind of fields. I didn't know there was anything else beside the reimbursement plans. It's the first time I looked into it and it seems to work for some (higher paid employees or those w/ a second income don't seem bothered by it). At the same time, it's part of the education system I mentioned was broken or a racket. What kidds are paying nowadays just for their credits is absurd, and how the "company reimbursement" works (fucking racket).

I've seen a lot of campers w/ the amenities I would need and/or want and it's definitely within a budget I can do. Getting there has proven to me more of a challenge than I anticipated, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up. People still do the PCT for their first time in their 50's. That's encouraging. ;)

Yeah, the cost per credit is pretty ridiculous :(

That trail is intense! And it's awesome people can still do it in their 50's! I am jealous of them, lol.

my oldest is a teacher and a lot of stuff she needs comes out of her own pocket. so she actually gets less pay then those that don't have to pay out of pocket. She does that because she cares about the kids and not just self. She teaches science and math

Teachers like your daughter are awesome ^_^ Whatever raises teachers will get will probably go right back into the classroom anyway, so upping regular education spending would allow the good ones like your daughter to do something nice for themselves once in a while ❤

Science and math are awesome subjects!

Good afternoon KSrs

Looks like the forums have been spruced up a bit. I see some codes have been added for stuff like bold, italics etc.

Driving to NJ on Wednesday. Tomorrow will be hectic 'cause I'm a procrastinator and have done nothing when I should have done it all over the weekend. May be online on Wednesday night but possibly not until Thursday.

While I understand their reasoning for the moves, yeah I'm not thrilled about them. I'm sure both events will be fun even so. I hope anyway.

Hope you had a good extra day off today. I would probably make myself learn if my brother wasn't here but since he is and has always done (and generally enjoys) it I just stay with that. Problem lately is for some reason he gets mad that we expect him to do the stuff he's been doing for years. Well duh of course we do because you've always done it and have expected to be the one to do it. Not changing now. He doesn't have the patience to teach me (and he would get angry if I made a mistake or broke something in trying) and I'm not putting myself through that. Plus 80% of all of my computers are his handmedowns because I can't buy brand new either. Sucks about the CS. Doesn't sound like much of an audit. You should have more details than it sounds like you got.

So sorry about Harley huggles

Aww, sweet Loki.

Thank you :)

That I am. Need to move out of hereXD

Yes, we are on the same schedule as you guys. Northern Hemisphere. I always have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that eveything is switched in the Southern Hemisphere. I understand, but at the same time it's like wow weird. :) The only difference really is time. I'm 6 hours ahead of EST. I don't have something huge planned for summer. My best friend has tried to clear her schedule somewhat for the summer so we can do things together. She's already mentioned a Reds game and a concert. I've never heard of the band so I'll have to see if it's something I'd like or not. I would like to go to the baseball game though it's been a very long time since I was there. I'm also hoping to spend some calmer time with my family. Last summer, we were dealing a lot with my brother's issues so it wasn't a very calm time. It ended up being a weird and rough summer. I'm hoping this one will be more calm and just a good chance to reconnect with everyone.

Do you have anything planned? I know summer comes a bit earlier so Bria probably just has a month left of school?

moving stuff we are used to is no good, but they have there reasons. Let's hope vesnali starts soon.

[edit] Wednesday morning:

Guess who was up at 7:15am.. me! Drat! On my day off. Meddy woke me around 6 for breakfast and i went back to bed... Could not sleep anymore and at 7:15 i gave up and got up.

[edit]2 Wednesday evening:

Well i had a busy afternoon, unexspected... Into town with mom to buy some fabric, she is making me a dress, and some new clothes. At home i decided i wanted to see a movie (tomb raider), called a friend and with in 20 minutes we picked out a movie, made reservations and went for dinner. So much fun!