Sparkle. Glitter. Whatever.

So last night I get a message from a girl I’ve been friends with since high school. About 30 years ago I was married to a deadbeat who couldn’t or wouldn’t keep a job. We needed money for food and to keep a roof over our heads. We borrowed a hundred bucks from her. After the divorce a few months later I offered to settle up with her. She said “you don’t owe me a thing”. I got busy with life and totally forgot about the entire thing.

Sitting in freaking jury duty.

I’m graduating from college in December. Finally. Bachelors in Healthcare Administration.

Me to chain pharmacy that shall not be named: Hey this is PJ at Super Rad Independent Pharmacy, we are going to send y'all one but I need to know who your pharmacist is today.

*for context, by law the pharmacist's name has to be in the transfer

Tech at CPTSNBN: it's A moose

Me: uhhh how do you spell that?

TACPTSNBN: I'll let him tell you

Me: WTF??

Moose: Hi my name is Inoussa it means innocent in my language. I-N-O-U-S-S-A

Me: oh that's cool. What country are you from?

Moose guy: I'm from West Africa, Nigeria.

Me: well that's cool, I'm going to send you a transfer.

Him: we should be friends what's your number?

Me: do you hit on every tech that calls your store for a transfer?

Him: I'm not hitting on you I want to be friends

*bro, you probably don't want to be friends with me. I'm old enough to be your mom

Him: take my number ###-###-####

Him: read it back to me

Me: WTF?

Me: *hangs up phone and announces to coworkers: I just got this dude's number.

Most of the year was uneventful. I had Covid in January and got a new car.

In March I visited the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

April- volunteered at the run for autism with my coworkers, many of whom ran the race. I also got half my baby factory ripped out thanks to a rogue ovary that tried to kill me. Also we survived a tornado that left the pharmacy without power for three days and working without computers was rough.

In May we took a little trip to Lufkin for Erica’s graduation from her master’s program at SFA.

July brought a trip to my hometown to see my brothers and attend my great niece’s birthday party.

In September I went to Gulf Shores, Alabama. It was way too short a trip.

October was busy with birthday and Halloween stuff all month.

November was full because Ian and Kenzie got married.

December seemed to fly by. The holiday season was a blur.

For 2023 I want to savor the moments. Enjoy my morning coffee and evening wine and chocolate. I want to cook more. I want to be intentional about moving my body without being dogmatic about working out. I want to prioritize sleep. It’s a good life. I’m here to enjoy it. Even the hard parts. Because they make the good that much better.

I don’t have to work til 1:30 (we all get a half day today) so I’m going to process some things here.

When I moved out here it was finish school. I thought nursing school then I got this job. The owner seemed super amazing (and he is) and he dangled nursing money in front of me to stay. So I did. I dipped out of school. And honestly I don’t really want to be a nurse. But he hasn’t come through on the money part.

Finishing school is important to me for whatever reason. So I applied to the University of Florida because they offered a health education bachelors degree that fits in with what I’m doing already. I got in. The website said tuition was one thing. When I got my bill for spring semester, it’s five times higher than what they said. So there’s no way I can go.

Soooooo back to the drawing board. I was looking up Texas schools to see if anyone offered an online degree completion in the same vein. Texas State has a program that is health information management. So I started researching what the heck is that. Apparently, it’s like coding manager. It’s in the ballpark of what I do now, billing claims and stuff but with the certification and degree, you can make six figures.

So here I am, 48 fucking years old, trying to make a life change AGAIN because I need to be financially secure. I’ve been poor my whole life. I’ve depended on other people because in the family I grew up in, that’s just what you did. We lived with my grandparents until they died. Then it was mom and me. Now I live with the Chases (and don’t get me wrong it’s mutually beneficial, I pay rent and help them with stuff) but the prospect of being able to be on my own for real and not have to worry about money is pretty amazing.

I haven’t told anyone that I’m not going to UF yet. I’m pretty sure I’m getting UF stuff for Christmas. Look, it’s a fairly selective school to get into. I’m proud of the fact that I did. I’m proud that I was almost a Gator so I’m not even mad. I know that’s a dumb reason not to talk about it. Also I’m kinda scared of jinxing the whole thing. I’m taking two classes at TJC in the spring because I need to prerequisites to get in the program at Texas State.

October was a busy month for me. On the 14th my girl gang took me out to eat and to an escape room as an early birthday present.

I got flowers.

On my actual birthday Dan surprised me with a gift he picked out by himself. A baby yoda beanie and a 50 gift card to Torrid along with funniest card ever.

We went to a live showing of Rocky Horror last Friday.

On Saturday our store was asked to participate in a Trunk or Treat at the Veteran’s Home. We did a mad scientist theme.

The Brickstreet girls had a scary movie night out. Jennifer the pharmacist watched the whole thing like this:

Dan and SanDee left Friday for a camping trip. They will be home today.

Life updates:

Got a raise. My cat disappeared Sunday night. We went all over the neighborhood, all over the woods, couldn’t find him. He’s not an outside cat but he was in the garage and Dan opened the garage door and he and Panda got out. Panda always comes back. The next morning he was crying to get in from the garage. The turd probably never left the garage.

I’m going camping on the beach in Gulf Shores in a couple weeks.