Time for a change at 8500 hits

Chris and I are sitting here watching the Chicago Bears game (we are currently winning by the way) and playing around on the computer. We decided it was time to change the blog a little bit. Hope you like the new look of it. The only thing it lost from the old version was the counter. I'm very proud to say that I had reached 8500 hits. Either people have a lot of time on their hands or they have a lot of time on their hands because someone clicking on my blog that many times is absolutely crazy. Thanks to all who have visited and I hope that I provided a few laughs over the last few years and will provide a few more in the future.

Neighborhood practical jokes

I was looking out the window onto my deck yesterday to check on my tomato plant when I saw that I had acquired a couch. A rather large and unattractive couch I might add. This couch was sitting right in the middle of my desk. After taking a second and third look, I called Chris in Chicago to ask who he had told could put this said couch on said deck. He was just as surprised as I was and so the investigative work began.

Wayne, our designated neighborhood watch, said he was volunteering all day and didn't know anything. Dave, our next door neighbor wasn't answer his door. Eric however... Eric, our neighbor who lives on the other side of Dave, he was outside and had too innocent look on his face. He admitted that Dave had purchased a new couch and that he thought that his old couch would be a good addition to our deck. Gee, thanks Dave. I spent some time on the couch last night making phone calls and was going to hang out there tonight with my friend Vanessa but it was RAINING! so we stayed inside. We stayed inside long enough until we had a plan. Always beware of paybacks.

Dave now has a bathroom vanity with sink (minus the mirror of course) on his sidewalk directly in front of his porch. It should be a good welcome as he walks out his front door tomorrow morning.

Annoyed

Yup. You heard right. I'm annoyed. A first for me I'm sure. Ok, well maybe not but moving along with the story... In the state of Indiana, for a social worker to become clinically licensed, they have to have 3 years of supervised social work experience post grad school. Then they have to obtain oodles of paperwork turned in at the Indiana licensing agency and pray it isn't lost (which happened to one of my friends.) Once the board reviews the application, we have wait for a letter to confirm our approval before we can register for the exam. Once we register, we have to wait for another letter so we can choose a date and time for the exam. And then we study, and study, and study, and study, because the pass rate in Indiana isn't so hot. So either Indiana has really dumb social workers or the test is stinkin hard. I think it is a combo of the two. Anyway...

I turned in my application. They never sent me an approval letter and after a month had passed I called and was informed I was one month short of supervision hours and needed to submit another form. Gee, thanks for letting me know. I re-submitted the paperwork and finally received my approval letter. Then I got on-line and registered for the exam, of course paying for the exam and study materials. I received an e-mail two days later stating my registration was denied. Apparently the licensing agency forgot to send the registration people my name. Oops. Oh, and thanks for the apology.

I was going to call the registration people back knowing they now had my name when it dawned on me that they had my payment already which the bank said was pending. When I called I was informed that of course I wouldn't be billed twice, that they did need a credit card number again for me to re-register for the exam, and (not quite in these words) that I was stupid. Apparently she isn't a social worker since we are all so nice and cheerful all the time. She said that since my registration was denied that the payment wouldn't go through and "hadn't I checked my bank today?" No I hadn't because I checked it yesterday and was at that moment sitting in a car waiting for a veteran to get out of the grocery store.

So as it stands, my payment (two days later) is still pending, I'm still not registered for this stupid exam that will suck to take, and the clock is ticking. I have one year from my date of eligibility (early June) to pass the exam before I am canned at my job. So yeah, I'm a little annoyed.

Thanks for letting me vent.