Kids, take care of your skin!
I went to the dermatologist today. (The doctor is your friend.) I had some red spots on my face and hands that I wanted to get checked. See, my mother and father both had skin cancer, and so I figure I have a good chance of getting it. I've been through this drill before, so I thought it would be no big deal. Ha! When will I learn? Liquid nitrogen applied to your skin is NOT FUN!
I had had it done to my hands before, so, no big deal. Well, when the spots in the Doc's target zone are on your FACE, it's another matter. (The doctor is your friend.) The one by my eye wasn't too bad, but ... the ones on my upper lip? There are nerve endings there! Lots of 'em!
Yes, I'm whining. Yes, I am glad I can get some little patches zapped this way quickly, rather than let the stuff grow until it requires real surgery. The doctor is my friend. OW! Dang it, I am TRYING to be still! Hey, can I take a few deep breaths before we go on...? Like a hundred?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A new beginning
OK, I am being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. Now I have a blog. I don't know if anyone will ever read it, but I have a blog.
I was laid off last week from a job I didn't really like, but it paid really well. Now I am facing somewhat of an identity crisis. The best job I ever had was as an instructional designer. That is what I will try to pursue now. I really want to keep the moniker "ProfessorJoy" so I need to be teaching something, eh?
One thing that has become painfully obvious is, the software engineering field has left me behind. As I look at job requisitions for software engineers, programmers, or other IT positions, many of the skills and experiences they want, I don't even recognize. I earned my Master's degree ten years ago. It is worthless today. REALLY? Yes, really. Well, okay, so what now? Do I go back to college to learn OOD, SAP, XML, Java, MySQL, and other acronyms, or is it time to face the fact that I don't really enjoy the computer science industry?
I'm not sure going back to school would help anyway. All the requisitions I have seen want 5 or more years of experience with everything. I pity anyone graduating from college this decade. I have seen several "entry level" positions in the past two weeks, and they all wanted 3 or more years of experience! What kind of "entry level" is that?
So, I'm back in the same boat I was in 1980. I'm bright, I learn quickly, but I don't have the credentials or experience that managers want. In spite of the fact that I have a Master's degree, over 25 years experience in the computer industry, and over 20 years experience training, I'm almost unemployable. God help us.
So what am I going to do?
Well, I am going to keep praying for guidance. I am going to continue applying for jobs that I may not be perfectly qualified for. I am going to apply for a substitute teacher position at my son's high school. I am going to consider starting a home-based business (an Etsy store selling my fiber arts). I am going to maintain my belief that God is in charge, and He has a plan for me.
I was laid off last week from a job I didn't really like, but it paid really well. Now I am facing somewhat of an identity crisis. The best job I ever had was as an instructional designer. That is what I will try to pursue now. I really want to keep the moniker "ProfessorJoy" so I need to be teaching something, eh?
One thing that has become painfully obvious is, the software engineering field has left me behind. As I look at job requisitions for software engineers, programmers, or other IT positions, many of the skills and experiences they want, I don't even recognize. I earned my Master's degree ten years ago. It is worthless today. REALLY? Yes, really. Well, okay, so what now? Do I go back to college to learn OOD, SAP, XML, Java, MySQL, and other acronyms, or is it time to face the fact that I don't really enjoy the computer science industry?
I'm not sure going back to school would help anyway. All the requisitions I have seen want 5 or more years of experience with everything. I pity anyone graduating from college this decade. I have seen several "entry level" positions in the past two weeks, and they all wanted 3 or more years of experience! What kind of "entry level" is that?
So, I'm back in the same boat I was in 1980. I'm bright, I learn quickly, but I don't have the credentials or experience that managers want. In spite of the fact that I have a Master's degree, over 25 years experience in the computer industry, and over 20 years experience training, I'm almost unemployable. God help us.
So what am I going to do?
Well, I am going to keep praying for guidance. I am going to continue applying for jobs that I may not be perfectly qualified for. I am going to apply for a substitute teacher position at my son's high school. I am going to consider starting a home-based business (an Etsy store selling my fiber arts). I am going to maintain my belief that God is in charge, and He has a plan for me.
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