1/08/2017

Continued Preparations as the Storm Rages

Feeling a bit blah today... After I write this post, I'm going to go watch the final available episode of  Pold@rk. Have any of you seen this series on PBS? Really engaging and fun to watch, at least for me.

It's storming out, as the weather forecasters promised. Lots of high winds and torrential rains. Supposedly, there has been a foot or more of rain in some areas. I am fortunate not to live near any large bodies of water, but I'm worried about the drive to work in Marin County tomorrow. We will see how it goes and what the reports say tomorrow morning. Even as I'm typing this, it's calmed down a little outside. In Oregon there has been snow, and my sister-in-law posted a video of my brother skate-sliding down their icy street, so I'm glad to not be up there right now.

In readiness for Tuesday's social worker visit, I ordered and received dozens of Family Book pages from a non-profit (in Oregon actually!) that supplies these. There are different themes and scrapbook-type decorations, as well as extra stickers, and you just arrange and add the pictures. I picked up around 40 prints from the drugstore a couple days ago, including pictures I took on this latest holiday trip, as well as many from family trips to Lake Tahoe, and pictures of me doing activities I enjoy. Several pictures of Zoey or me and Zoey together hiking or playing, etc. My three-ring memory book binder is due to arrive Tuesday, so I may not have it before the social worker comes. Maybe I'll try to assemble some pages anyway, prior to having a book to put them in.

I also ordered a lock box for medications from Best Buy, which should arrive by Monday, and my housemate put a lock on the laundry room door and bought some large storage shelving. I saw that she had an ulterior motive in then asking to put her (large) shoe rack and another storage item in there, but it's well worth it. :) We can lock any "toxic" items like cleaning products, etc., as required. I think I still need to child proof all the cupboards/drawers in the kitchen with dishes and silverware - definitely the drawers with knives! Some of them are still childproofed from my previous housemate for her grandson, but some have been removed.

I can't buy some of the children's room decor I would like yet, like a large rug, fabric to make the ceiling like a circus tent, and some really cool vintage circus posters I found. But my ex, S, has arranged for the large, uncomfortable bed to be picked up Monday morning and my smaller bed to be returned. He asked me to sell the frame, and I think I found a buyer to pick that up Tuesday evening. I will just have it disassembled and stacked against the entry way wall when the social worker comes. This will open up more space in the bedroom for a crib, changing table, dresser, etc.

There is still hope I will get counseling hours at Santa Rosa this semester. The department head said she will know more later this month. Fingers crossed!!! I would love to work one day a week up there, or I think I could coordinate hours to work on one or two of my non-profit job days, as well. That would mean a lot of driving on those days, but I would prefer that if I could keep one or two days for my business (and potentially spending time with a child). In the meanwhile, I heard back that I did not get the full-time Napa job that had the 9-person interview panel, and I still have two or three additional applications for which I'm waiting to hear back.

On the business-building front, I attended a local referral networking meeting that I hope to join in a couple of months. I can visit two more times before then, at which point I will have to pay several hundred dollars to join for a year. This is well worth it, as referrals are the best way to gain new clients. One new client would cover the fee, or I can make this payment when I receive the court case disbursement, which they say will finally go out in March (initially they said January). The people in this group were very nice, and it's held weekly at a Unity Church not too far away. I also have a Meetup scheduled for the 19th and sent out a recent message offering free consultations.

I met a guy online who seems interesting, but I'll know more if we ever meet up. lol  So far, we have had a couple of good phone conversation and are scheduled to talk this evening. More on that later...

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