Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Why hello saddle



Confusing title? Maybe, it's actually pretty descriptive of the way I've been feeling lately. More on that momentarily.

We'll start off with some pictures to detail what's been happening lately. You'll remember that Scarecrow has a sister living in New Zealand. She came with her munchkin to our wedding party last September. This time her hubby came along and spent a few weeks here. It was a real trip to ACTUALLY have the ENTIRE Hogan family in the same place at the same time. It was a first and here's to hoping it won't be so long in happening again.















I was given the ridiculously depressing task of helping take them back to the airport. It was terrible, first, because they're leaving and live so far away. Second, I was reminded of just how many people I love who are a long and expensive airplane ride away. When will they hurry up and get on this whole teleportation idea? We can't be that far away from it, right? It's been hard establishing a life over here with so many of the most important people in my life an ocean away.


And that hits home.

It has gotten easier. I don't want you to think that I sit around pining for all of you. Things have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to miss people. But with the NZ crew leaving and having a bit more time to think on my own it's creeping back up on me. Must mean I need to get busy again.

Now with family headed back home and things settling back down again I've decided it's time to get my butt in gear on a few different things. I've been working on a few leads for a job and really hope that one in particular pans out, and soon. I had applied for the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) Air Traffic Controller training program. That was the reason for the random trips up to Dublin, to take various tests. I made it to the 3rd round of testing but wasn't moved on past that. I was disappointed because a) it would have been a really interesting, rewarding career and b) the money would have been AMAZING! There were several aspects of the job the Scarecrow and I were worried about. The hours can be what the IAA themselves refer to as "unsociable". Not to mention the 2 year UNPAID training period with an additional 7 year commitment in order to repay training costs. I'm almost glad in a way that I didn't have to make the decision myself. The long term affects of the job would have been brilliant with a difficult short term. But the rejection hurt, especially after so much of that in recent months. The positive lead I am going to be mildly vague about until it either works out or doesn't. But let me just say it's local and it's in my field. Two VERY rare things to have overlap!

But speaking of my thesis, I'm getting back to it. Today I finally read the comments my committee had for me to work on. I breezed through it quickly, hoping that like a band aid the sting would be brief. And it was. I am working on making sure my computer is in shape to handle the forthcoming whipping it's about to receive as I pound away on it for hours on end. And tomorrow I'll do a little more. Then a little more the next day, and the next.

I am going to be busy, I am going to be happy, I am going to get things done.