Get A Job!

Well, I finally have some steady employment!

After taking some required tests, and filling out a ton of paperwork, Fresno Unified School District put me on the roll as a substitute aid for Special Ed. I left the main office after the final go ahead (TB test was negative and fingerprints cleared) and within 10 minutes I got a call for a job through the end of the school year to sub in a class for autistic children - and the job started the next day! It feels good to have a set routine to my day again. And I'm already falling in love with some of the kids. I'll keep you posted.

Home Sweet Home

I left for Sacramento on Feb. 29 to catch a flight to Miami. My friend Renee and I were going to meet up with 3 more members of the crew at 4:30am on the 30th. She had a son flying in to Sacto on the 29th (just coincidence) and so we decided to make it a full day visiting - the first part of the day with her family and the second half of the day with some of my family (Ryan and Alena very graciously put us up for the night and drove us to the airport at that ungodly hour).
I had the best visit with Ryan and Alena! It had been way too long since I'd seen them! And I'd never seen Brody other than pictures! The boys were so precious and loving - little Ryan is a ham (like father like son). We got to catch up on what everyone is doing and just hang out. I've really missed Ryan from the times we hung out before he moved away from Fresno. It was great to see how he and Alena work as a team with the boys. In fact I had such a good time that I forgot to get my camera out till after the boys were in bed. We all agreed that it won't be so long between visits this time.




The plane took off just before 6am and, after a day of flying with one layover in Houston, landed in Miami about 5:30pm eastern time. That was the last rest we had for the week.
We were at the Miami port at 7am getting paperwork filed for security passes so we could load the equipment from the semi onto the ship. The load in went well until we discovered that the stage had no ramps or elevator access and we had to dismantle everything we could (the massive weight of lightboards, monitors, risers, etc.. is unbelievable) so we could walk things down the stairs through the theater and then hoist them up onto the stage. The rest of the set up went well and we only worked till about midnight, when the show ended. Everyone awoke with sore muscles the next day and that's pretty much how it stayed till we disembarked.


Although nothing about this trip can be considered a vacation, I did get to go ashore for some of the ports of call - even if it was for just a bit (this is when I had my camera the most, so according to my pictures I was always away :) ).
Here is Renee and I with our great boss Luis.

I did meet a few men on the trip.

This guy was pretty much camouflaged but I spotted him anyway.
This pic was taken so we could fool ourselves that we were on a relaxing cruise - haha

Here was a quick stop to watch the Super Bowl that we had on in the production office. My poor Cardinals came this close!
another date of mine :)
My cabin is the far right window in the thinner blue stripe - it was a great room.
Standing on deck at the port of Key West
I took this picture from my stateroom


We had an addition of two other women who came with one of the organizers of these cruises. Paula and Carole. Unlike other add on crew members of the past, they quickly understood that this was all work and not play. They fit in really well and it was great to have a few more women on the team.


Here is a shot of our ship from shore


A picture of me on the "floating gift shop" Royal Caribbean's private island

Obviously, people in Miami go through the tapatio very quickly!

I'm so glad to be home in my own bed...After grocery shopping my first stop is at the massage station!