Acheiving a Goal

The entry-level certification for IT professionals is the CompTIA A+ certification. This certification proves that a technician has the knowledge of computer hardware that is necessary in the field. I set a goal to attain this certification. In order to get the certification, I needed to take two timed exams. One tested me on the actual knowledge of computers, while the other tested me on the practical application of the knowledge. I prepared for these exams by taking practice tests. I would take the practice tests and build study guides for myself so that I could study the material with which I struggled. I studied for both of these tests until I felt I was prepared. I took the first test and passed. I had to wait a minimum of thirty days to take the second test. Once I passed the second test, I was A+ certified. Two weeks later, I was hired for my first job in the IT industry. I had been posting my resume on many different job sites for about eight months prior to getting A+ certified. Once I put that I had the certification, I got many job offers. This was important because my unemployment was about to run out. My A+ certification gets me jobs. 

Personal Ritual

One of my personal rituals happens at the beginning of the day when I leave for work. I hop in my car, start it and make sure 102.9 the hog is on. As Bob and Bryan are talking away and making laugh, I'm peeling a banana. Bananas are a great on the go food. When I finish the banana I light a cigarette. Smoking in itself is its own mini ritual and I go through that twice before I arrive at work. I get to my desk and turn on my computer. While my computer boots up I go and grab a cup of coffee. I sign in to my computer account and I head to my one of my favorite websites, cracked.com. I read an article on that site while drinking my coffee. When I am finished with the article I take a second for a big full body stretch. I start checking my work email and the day throws many different things at me. This ritual prepares me for my day, mostly because it helps me to wake up and deal with the issues that arise throughout the day.

Childhood Memory

My parents were getting my brother and me ready to go to my aunt's house. My aunt's cat just had kittens and we were going to see them, and maybe take one home. We got ready and hopped in the car. The car ride to my aunt's downtown Milwaukee apartment was long. I was so excited to see the little kitties. I was about six or seven years old and I loved animals, and still do. When the car finally stopped, I realized that we were not at my aunt's house. My parents escorted us to a huge building. I now know this building as the Milwaukee Theater. We entered through the doors and I was in heaven. Everything around me had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it. Shirts, hats, and light up ninja weaponry were all around me. We arrived at our seats and we were treated to a live showing of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles singing, dancing, and ninja kicking Shredder and the Foot Clan.

My brother and I loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We had all their toys, video games, and even bed sheets (which I still have). My parents surprised us by taking us to the live show and it was wonderful. We don't even mention that they tricked us by telling us we were going to see my aunt's kittens.

Disagreement

Just yesterday I had a disagreement with a friend. It was about a guy who she has been seeing off and on for about three years. Their relationship does not have a very good effect on my friend. She will tell me about how he is mean to her and that he does not make her feel good. There have also been instances of violence by the guy towards her. I do not believe that violence towards women in any context is ever justified. So naturally I voiced my concerns to my friend, but she did not take my concerns to heart. So yesterday she told me that she forgot expensive earrings at this guy’s house and she needed me to give her a ride to get them. I refused to help her, even though she pleaded with me. I said that I would not be involved in her relationship troubles. She was very mad, but I held my ground. The part she does not understand is that if I did get involved and met her guy friend, I would be very mean. I would not physically start any confrontations, but I would certainly beat him with my words. My stand against that unhealthy relationship is known, and I will never support any situation where a man abuses a woman.

Asthma

My daughter and I went to the circus this weekend with my friends are their 4 year old daughter. It was a lot of fun. We saw a guy get shot out of a cannon! It took us a while to get back to my friends house but we finally made it home safely in the snow. We ordered a pizza and that is when it happened. My daughter started coughing uncontrollably. She threw up from coughing and starting hacking and crying. I gave her asthma medicine and some cough medicine because she has been sick. Nothing helped her, so I took her to the emergency room. They gave her a steroid and a breathing treatment. She was a little better but, I wish I would have stayed for another treatment. She was doing a little bit better and I got some stronger medication for controlling her asthma. I talked to my daughter’s mom about my daughter's asthma. Apparently all the cigarette smoke that my daughter’s mom exposes her to is not a problem. It must be my house that has clean air running through it. I know it is clean because I was in the business of clean air for years. My daughter’s mom can justify it all she wants, but I know that cigarette smoke is what is hurting my daughter. Every week my daughter's asthma gets worse and worse. I think I might just take my daughter away and force her mom to get a lawyer.

Scary Dreams

Last night I had a dream. This wasn’t just any dream. This dream was short and extremely frightening. I dreamt that E.T. the Extra Terrestrial burst into my room while I was sleeping. He showed me a button and pointed to it. He made it very clear that if I pushed the button, he would go home. Now I wanted this creepy little space traveler out of my room so, naturally, I attempted to push the button. Unfortunately, I could not push the button so easily. It took all of my strength to lift my hand out of my covers to push the button. Suddenly I woke up and my hand was where it was in the dream when I pushed the button. Was I dreaming or am I somehow the only way this little monster could get home?  I am still freaked out by that dream and I will always have an extreme fear of aliens, especially the friendly ones.

“E.T.” was one of the first movies that made me cry out of fear. I was only about six when I saw it for the first time. I hated it then and I hate it now. It was, and still is, one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen.

Presidents' Day

I have off of work today. I am taking this rare opportunity to catch up on a few things. 

I have a lot of reading to do for my computer classes. I have class tonight and I need to get my reading and studying completed for a quiz. I also need to read and study for the first test in my Thursday night class.

There is laundry every where. I need to wash, fold and put away my laundry and my daughter's laundry. I also need to clean up the living room because my daughter is a destructive tornado. There are dolls, coloring books, crayons and baskets of ponies everywhere. My daughter makes such lovely drawings of rainbows but they are much less lovely when they are all over the floor.

I also seem to be the maid of this house even though 2 other grown adults live here. The dishes would never get done if I don't do them. The other people that live here know that I don't want my daughter living in filth, so they use that to be lazy and make me do everything. I can't wait to afford to live on my own again. Then, I will only be responsible for my daughter and myself.

Thanks Honest Abe and George Washington for the opportunity to play catch up.