Relocation--Stage One
Well, if anyone reads this, this is a long overdue update. So much has happened in the last 3-4 weeks, it's unbelieveable. I have no way to post pictures at the moment.
For several months I have been submitting applications to LeTourneau and Cedarville Universities. The reason for this is to gain employment at a Christian university so the kids would get a tuition reduction. The kids wanted to go to Cedarville, but with Alesha in Texas, LeTourneau would have been o.k., too. I eventually got interviews at Cedarville for 3 jobs, but the only one offered to me was custodial. I didn't really want to do that, but for the tuition benefit we decided I should take the job. So, I turned in my 2-week notice, which was hard to do, because I really loved my job at the physical therapy office.
Those 2 weeks were extremely busy as the kids rushed to finalize application materials for Cedarville, apply for financial aid and loans, do college shopping, and continue working full-time. I was trying to pack up various thing in the house (mainly books) to make the remodeling job easier for Duane and my dad, work full-time, help the kids with all the above mentioned items, and pack all my own belongings. Without my mom there, we would have fallen apart. She did all the laundry and ironing and cooking. I'm so thankful for the help mom and dad are giving.
So, on Aug. 15, we drove 3 vehicles out to Cedarville (which is in southern Ohio)--my car, Jeremiah's car, and Duane's truck (which he would return home in). Jeremiah's girlfriend Heather made the trip with us and returned with Duane. Friday afternoon we unloaded Erika's stuff which was mostly in my car and made good progress on her unpacking. Then we went through most of the registration process with Jeremiah. Then we moved his stuff in and unpacked his room. I don't even remember all the details of the weekend, but Friday night we unloaded my stuff at my cousin's house where I am staying in Xenia, Ohio. On Saturday we helped both kids finish unpacking and settling in, attended some meetings, went to WalMart, and ate lunch in the cafeteria. We went to a buffet type restaurant for supper, then to Young's Dairy for icecream afterwards (it's a favorite local spot). On Sunday we went to service at the chapel on campus, then had lunch in the cafeteria. Then Duane and Heather left, and I went to my cousins and tried to organize my belongings and be ready for work on Monday.
My alarm rings at 4:00 a.m., and I hit the snooze once. At 4:10 I get up and get ready for work. I leave for work at 4:30 and drive from Xenia to Cedarville. From 5:00 to 9:00 I work in the Athletic Center and the University Medical Center. From 5-6 I clean a huge bathroom in the Fitness Center area, and help with the men's bathroom if I am finished before Steve is. Then he mops my bathroom (thankfully) and I go over to the medical center and start cleaning the waiting room. (Windows, ledges, dusting, vacuuming as necessary). By that time Steve is there, and he takes one hall while I go down the other hall. It involves cleaning exam rooms, bathrooms, and offices. That is from 6-8, but usually we're done well before 8:00. Then we go to the Athletic Training area and I take one set of offices while Steve takes another and we meet in the training area and finish up there. If we are done before 9:00 the supervisor usually finds something for us to do.
At 9:00 we go to lunch. At 10:00 I head over to a girl's dorm (Printy) where I work with Becky, who is also the supervisor for that area. We clean umpteen thousand toilets, showers, sinks, mirrors, empty trash, and sweep/mop. We also have to clean the laundry room and lounge/kitchen areas. At 12:00 we go over to a different dorm (Murphy) and repeat the scenario. In that building I work with Joan. At 2:00 we are done and done in. It is exhausting work, and I am also not used to the heat.
When I am done work I go to a computer lab in the student center and check my emails/blogs. Then I either go home and shower and relax, or I go over to my great-aunt's house. She is 94 and is dying of cancer. I usually go there every other day.
Meanwhile, Duane is back in NY, working madly to finish the remodeling job on our house (plus working full-time). The upstairs is nearly completed. My mom and dad came up from Florida to help with the work on the house and to make sure Duane is taken care of and not there by himself.
So, there you have the details.
For several months I have been submitting applications to LeTourneau and Cedarville Universities. The reason for this is to gain employment at a Christian university so the kids would get a tuition reduction. The kids wanted to go to Cedarville, but with Alesha in Texas, LeTourneau would have been o.k., too. I eventually got interviews at Cedarville for 3 jobs, but the only one offered to me was custodial. I didn't really want to do that, but for the tuition benefit we decided I should take the job. So, I turned in my 2-week notice, which was hard to do, because I really loved my job at the physical therapy office.
Those 2 weeks were extremely busy as the kids rushed to finalize application materials for Cedarville, apply for financial aid and loans, do college shopping, and continue working full-time. I was trying to pack up various thing in the house (mainly books) to make the remodeling job easier for Duane and my dad, work full-time, help the kids with all the above mentioned items, and pack all my own belongings. Without my mom there, we would have fallen apart. She did all the laundry and ironing and cooking. I'm so thankful for the help mom and dad are giving.
So, on Aug. 15, we drove 3 vehicles out to Cedarville (which is in southern Ohio)--my car, Jeremiah's car, and Duane's truck (which he would return home in). Jeremiah's girlfriend Heather made the trip with us and returned with Duane. Friday afternoon we unloaded Erika's stuff which was mostly in my car and made good progress on her unpacking. Then we went through most of the registration process with Jeremiah. Then we moved his stuff in and unpacked his room. I don't even remember all the details of the weekend, but Friday night we unloaded my stuff at my cousin's house where I am staying in Xenia, Ohio. On Saturday we helped both kids finish unpacking and settling in, attended some meetings, went to WalMart, and ate lunch in the cafeteria. We went to a buffet type restaurant for supper, then to Young's Dairy for icecream afterwards (it's a favorite local spot). On Sunday we went to service at the chapel on campus, then had lunch in the cafeteria. Then Duane and Heather left, and I went to my cousins and tried to organize my belongings and be ready for work on Monday.
My alarm rings at 4:00 a.m., and I hit the snooze once. At 4:10 I get up and get ready for work. I leave for work at 4:30 and drive from Xenia to Cedarville. From 5:00 to 9:00 I work in the Athletic Center and the University Medical Center. From 5-6 I clean a huge bathroom in the Fitness Center area, and help with the men's bathroom if I am finished before Steve is. Then he mops my bathroom (thankfully) and I go over to the medical center and start cleaning the waiting room. (Windows, ledges, dusting, vacuuming as necessary). By that time Steve is there, and he takes one hall while I go down the other hall. It involves cleaning exam rooms, bathrooms, and offices. That is from 6-8, but usually we're done well before 8:00. Then we go to the Athletic Training area and I take one set of offices while Steve takes another and we meet in the training area and finish up there. If we are done before 9:00 the supervisor usually finds something for us to do.
At 9:00 we go to lunch. At 10:00 I head over to a girl's dorm (Printy) where I work with Becky, who is also the supervisor for that area. We clean umpteen thousand toilets, showers, sinks, mirrors, empty trash, and sweep/mop. We also have to clean the laundry room and lounge/kitchen areas. At 12:00 we go over to a different dorm (Murphy) and repeat the scenario. In that building I work with Joan. At 2:00 we are done and done in. It is exhausting work, and I am also not used to the heat.
When I am done work I go to a computer lab in the student center and check my emails/blogs. Then I either go home and shower and relax, or I go over to my great-aunt's house. She is 94 and is dying of cancer. I usually go there every other day.
Meanwhile, Duane is back in NY, working madly to finish the remodeling job on our house (plus working full-time). The upstairs is nearly completed. My mom and dad came up from Florida to help with the work on the house and to make sure Duane is taken care of and not there by himself.
So, there you have the details.
posted by Dusty Penguin | 3:03 PM
4 Comments:
Wow! That is a lot going on and big changes. I will share your news with the rest of the team here. We needed to know how to pray for you. Thanks for sharing.
Good to hear from you. I also read the updates on your blog and Joannes.
Wow. I thought 5 a.m. was an early morning. I have to be at work by 7:30. I'm usually in bed by 9. You must have to go to bed while the sun is still up!
Thanks for all the info. I'm sure the students have no idea what kind of work goes into keeping the campus looking good. And I can say "I'm sure" because I personally did not realize the workload that your job required.
I really respect what you are doing for your family. We have talked about doing something similar, if necessary, splitting the familly or having Jeannette work in a facilities position, to help our kids with college expenses and just keep bread on the table. A friend of ours, an accountant, took a job cleaning residence halls in order to get the tuition benefit. After a year or two, though, she was able to move into a financial aid position.
Thanks for the lead on the pharm job at CU. I did some checking on it and may still do the paperwork.
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