Thursday, February 24, 2011
Another lesson finished
Here is my latest layout from my scrapbooking class. It is considered the Freestyle Style, which is not my particular favorite but I enjoyed learning the different techniques. I decided to use some photos from my trip to the Czech Republic three and half years ago because I've been meaning to redo that album anyway (I discovered I vastly prefer the 12x12 format because pictures can be larger and you can add more journaling and that the photobooks from Costco can't compare in quality to Shutterfly or Blurb--I found the pictures very grainy--so this needs to get done over again).
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Arg!
So, during Christmas vacation I received a job offer from a company called TinyEye Therapy Services. They provide online speech therapy to rural school districts all around the country and world. I was offered a full-time contract with schools in Iowa, to begin at the end of January. Well that time of the month rolled around and I received a call from the president of the company letting me know that the schools in Iowa had lost their funding but that they would like me to take a contract in Alberta, Canada. Thus began the lovely process of attempting to get licensed so I could start work (this process began the first of February). Here's what they required:
1. Resume (normal, understandable)
2. Application (normal. $150 licensing fee a bit high. $650 mandatory dues for the Canadian association of SLPs absolutely outrageous. Thankfully I'm not paying them, the company is).
3. Letter from my district stating I've worked at least 1250 hours in the last 5 years (ok, kind of nit picky since I have sent them a resume with 8 years of experience).
4. Letter of recommendation from a former colleague (easy, it was just a form and I still have some good friends in the district).
5. Proof of $1 million in professional liability insurance from a Canadian company (that took several days to take care of).
6. Police background check (had to drive to Salt Lake to do it and got stuck in horrendous traffic so it took 4 hours total. The state office said they mailed it 2 weeks ago but it still hasn't made it to Canada. Maybe it's going by sled dog team).
7. Official transcript, certified letter of clinical hours and handout outlining my graduate program sent directly from my university (Even though I sent my request and check for $9 for the official transcript--which I think is a ripoff since it's just a piece of paper with an embossed stamp that took all of 1 minute to put together--they only sent an unofficial transcript, pocketing my $9 and requiring me to send them a tersely worded email requesting that they re-send the correct transcript as soon as possible).
8. My limited reserve of patience. Ok, it wasn't required, I just threw that in there for free.
Three weeks later, I'm still waiting to get licensed and start working. With my luck, it'll be granted just before spring break and then I'll get a whole 2 months of work in before they're out for the summer. Sheesh.
1. Resume (normal, understandable)
2. Application (normal. $150 licensing fee a bit high. $650 mandatory dues for the Canadian association of SLPs absolutely outrageous. Thankfully I'm not paying them, the company is).
3. Letter from my district stating I've worked at least 1250 hours in the last 5 years (ok, kind of nit picky since I have sent them a resume with 8 years of experience).
4. Letter of recommendation from a former colleague (easy, it was just a form and I still have some good friends in the district).
5. Proof of $1 million in professional liability insurance from a Canadian company (that took several days to take care of).
6. Police background check (had to drive to Salt Lake to do it and got stuck in horrendous traffic so it took 4 hours total. The state office said they mailed it 2 weeks ago but it still hasn't made it to Canada. Maybe it's going by sled dog team).
7. Official transcript, certified letter of clinical hours and handout outlining my graduate program sent directly from my university (Even though I sent my request and check for $9 for the official transcript--which I think is a ripoff since it's just a piece of paper with an embossed stamp that took all of 1 minute to put together--they only sent an unofficial transcript, pocketing my $9 and requiring me to send them a tersely worded email requesting that they re-send the correct transcript as soon as possible).
8. My limited reserve of patience. Ok, it wasn't required, I just threw that in there for free.
Three weeks later, I'm still waiting to get licensed and start working. With my luck, it'll be granted just before spring break and then I'll get a whole 2 months of work in before they're out for the summer. Sheesh.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
My Obsession
So, if you know me, you know I like digital scrapbooking a little. Ok, maybe I like it a lot. Alright, alright, I love it and I spend lots of time recording our lives in Photoshop.
Well, it doesn't help that Jessicasprague.com has fantastic classes that teach amazing techniques to make me want to do it even more. Or that my mom and mother-in-law actually listened to what I wanted for Christmas and gave me gift cards to her site so I could take her two advanced scrapbooking classes. My problem now is finding enough pictures to do something with (I hate scrapping a page that I'm not actually going to print into a book. It's a waste of time and who wants to do that?).
So, since I'm a lame blogger trying to be better, here are a few my latest layouts, courtesy of Jessica Sprague's Digi: In Deep and In Deeper classes. Check out her basic classes if you want to get started in this magnificent obsession. Some of the styles are not ones I would normally do but I wanted to practice the techniques that I will later carry over into my more graphic style.
Well, it doesn't help that Jessicasprague.com has fantastic classes that teach amazing techniques to make me want to do it even more. Or that my mom and mother-in-law actually listened to what I wanted for Christmas and gave me gift cards to her site so I could take her two advanced scrapbooking classes. My problem now is finding enough pictures to do something with (I hate scrapping a page that I'm not actually going to print into a book. It's a waste of time and who wants to do that?).
So, since I'm a lame blogger trying to be better, here are a few my latest layouts, courtesy of Jessica Sprague's Digi: In Deep and In Deeper classes. Check out her basic classes if you want to get started in this magnificent obsession. Some of the styles are not ones I would normally do but I wanted to practice the techniques that I will later carry over into my more graphic style.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Maybe some interesting posts coming up
I think I may have hit on a fun subject to blog about for a while--our new church calling as the 11-year old scout leaders.
We had our first meeting last week with five of the eight boys in our patrol. I was a bit nervous because this is not an age-group I have ever particularly liked but all of the boys were actually really great. They cleaned out the rice crispy treats I made in nothing flat and absolutely loved learning how to tie knots (Jeremiah rewarded them by teaching them how to tie a hangman's noose--on the strict provision that they never ever use it on anything living).
We are still trying to figure out exactly how to do this so that they can all have their First Class badges by the time they turn 12 and leave us for Young Men's but I think it's going to be pretty fun. Part of our meeting last week was to determine a patrol name and flag. After much voting, debate and sketching, this is what they came up with:
We are officially the Night Furies (from the movie "How to Train Your Dragon"). My Photoshop skills came in handy for finalizing the flag after they came up with design ideas.
Stay tuned for more adventures with the Night Furies.
We had our first meeting last week with five of the eight boys in our patrol. I was a bit nervous because this is not an age-group I have ever particularly liked but all of the boys were actually really great. They cleaned out the rice crispy treats I made in nothing flat and absolutely loved learning how to tie knots (Jeremiah rewarded them by teaching them how to tie a hangman's noose--on the strict provision that they never ever use it on anything living).
We are still trying to figure out exactly how to do this so that they can all have their First Class badges by the time they turn 12 and leave us for Young Men's but I think it's going to be pretty fun. Part of our meeting last week was to determine a patrol name and flag. After much voting, debate and sketching, this is what they came up with:
Stay tuned for more adventures with the Night Furies.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Love Free Stuff
I just found out about a promotion Shutterfly is doing for people who write a short blog on their site. I just have to talk about one of my favorite online vendors and I get 50 free holiday cards, woo hoo! Not that I didn't just spend 3 hours the other day designing my own...but did I mention these are free? And our friend, the very talented Natalie Cannon Malan has designed some of this year's new cards. I've always been super happy with all of my Shutterfly products, so I'm sure I'll love my free cards (and you will too, if you're one of the lucky 50 to get one :). And I know I'll love the new photo book I'm going to have printed soon. I just love their quality and their prices are great! So, if you're looking for a place to have some prints done or have a memory book printed, check them out!
Monday, November 8, 2010
A Working Woman
As you know, I left my job as a speech therapist for Nebo School District at the end of last school year. I've really enjoyed being a homemaker but we decided it would be nice to have a little more money coming in to the house, so I am now working from home as the scheduler for Pioneer Appliance, Heating and Air here in Utah Valley. Jeremiah has worked with the company for years and they are great at what they do. So, if you live between Saratoga Springs and Santaquin and need any appliance, heating or air repair, give me a call at 801-373-0249.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Good-bye, Mac.
No, not my computer. My beloved Toyota Corolla was demolished by an evil BMW two weeks ago. Here's a plea to all drivers (but especially those on construction-choked I-15 in Utah County) PLEASE look in front of you when you are driving!! I had stopped to avoid an accident that occurred directly in front of me but apparently the driver behind me was paying more attention to the lanes next to him than the one he was in. If I sound a little bitter, I am. Not only was I not ready to get a new car for at least 2-3 more years, but the driver who hit me, while very nice and solicitous at the scene, didn't have the courtesy to keep his insurance current so now our insurance is dealing with everything (and going after him). It could have been worse; I'm currently under chiropractic care to deal with some neck and back issues caused by the accident but other than my car and my spine, I lucked out. Thankfully we were just getting on the freeway and traffic was heavy enough to keep us going relatively slow. If he'd hit me at standard Utah freeway speeds, my car might not have been the only total loss.
You wouldn't think this kind of damage would total a car, but he hit me in the perfect place to bend my frame, break my wheel axle thingy and do all this body damage to a 10-year old vehicle that some (impersonal insurance adjustors) people don't believe is worth fixing, merely because some Blue Book says it's not "worth" as much as the repairs. They don't take in to account the reliability of the vehicle over the last decade, the fact that it did not need to be replaced before being assaulted by some German import and that I was very emotionally attached to my first and only car to date (having paid for it all myself). That adds at least $8K to it's value, in my unbiased opinion. Grr.
You wouldn't think this kind of damage would total a car, but he hit me in the perfect place to bend my frame, break my wheel axle thingy and do all this body damage to a 10-year old vehicle that some (impersonal insurance adjustors) people don't believe is worth fixing, merely because some Blue Book says it's not "worth" as much as the repairs. They don't take in to account the reliability of the vehicle over the last decade, the fact that it did not need to be replaced before being assaulted by some German import and that I was very emotionally attached to my first and only car to date (having paid for it all myself). That adds at least $8K to it's value, in my unbiased opinion. Grr.
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