Updates

Ramin has been sick this week. He took the last 3 days off from work and stayed home. This morning he told me that he started noticing blood in his mucus yesterday and its been continuing and he thought he should go to the doctor. I agreed and we headed to InstaCare. It turns out that he must have just really irritated the capillaries in his nose and that was causing all of the blood. The doctor prescribed him some amoxicillin anyway in case he does have an infection. I've been thinking I may end up getting sick myself so I've been trying to rest up as well. I went to bed really early on Thursday and Friday nights. I *really* don't want to get sick :)

Our dog Dingo also went to the Vet last week because he needed his ear checked out. Since we've had him he's been getting progressively worse - he used to just yelp if you rubbed his right ear too hard. And then he would start scratching his own ear and yelping because he would hurt himself. So finally, last weekend he woke Ramin up one night just yelping a lot. So we figured it was time to take him in - we probably waited too long but we had hoped it would get better on its own.

The Vet and Vet-techs swabbed his ear and looked at the results in the micro-scope. He has a big time yeast infection in his ear. So they showed us how to clean it out and how to apply the medication. In all my life of owning pets I've never once had to deal with any ear issues so it was kind of interesting for me to learn about it all. The entire trip cost us about $100 including the visit, ear cleaner and medication. I've been cleaning Dingo's ear out every day and we have a follow-up appointment with the Vet on Monday to check on his progression. I can already tell it's made a world of difference and I'm sure Dingo appreciates it.

Work is going good. I have LOADS to do, which is great job-security right? I am spending this weekend reading some Instructional Design books I purchased on my own - for my own education. I am also taking some time to learn a software program called Camtasia that I am going to use at work to create some online instructional tutorials. This whole thing is also beneficial for school because my final school project is actually a project I need to do for work anyway - I love killing multiple birds with one stone :)

So that's the update. Not much to report. It's been snowing on and off here in Utah. I haven't taken any pictures recently otherwise I'd post them up. I'm hoping as the time turns into Spring I'll have the time to work on my garden and post up progression pictures as usual :)

Updates

This week I officially was granted a new position at work. I am now the Instructional Designer and Communications Lead for the eBay Quality Team. I'm really excited about this because this is what I've been working toward for a really long time. And I'm really happy that I was able to get this job before I even officially have my degree! The best part about it too is that I get to stay with my current team and boss. I love everyone on my team and I'm really happy I get to continue working with them. Getting the job wasn't easy, I had some really tough competition but in the end I learned a lot and it's really made me appreciate the strengths in others more than I ever did before.

Aside from that piece of good news, I'm working EXTREMELY hard at school this semester. It is my last semester and I have to complete my capstone project. I am lucky that I am able to take a project that needs to be done at work and apply it to school - it is the complete fusion of school and work - finally! So, over the next few months I'm going to sort of cut myself off from the world for a bit and really focus all of my efforts on work and school. You're probably thinking, how is that any different than previous? Well....the difference here is that I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm in a really great place right now and I know that once school is finally over for me in May, I'll be able to really accomplish some of my other goals I've been putting off for too long.

These are some of the things I had on my goal list for 2011:

• Get a promotion/get an instructional design job (DONE!)
• Graduate with my Masters Degree (in May)
• Lose 50 lbs (workin on it)
• Save up a good emergency fund (workin on it)
• Figure out the marriage situation (workin on it - most likely after graduation)
• Go to England
• Start up my Etsy store again and really focus on it
• Get pregnant so I can have a baby at 30 (most likely at the end of the year)

A few of those items on my list also require the input of Ramin of course but don't worry, we've discussed everything and he is on board with my planning.  I like to have plans and so far they've worked out for me in my life. Many times I wish that I could have gotten started on my family sooner like most of my friends, but I am glad I have waited until school is done. I've been able to progress so far in school and in my career that I know I'm in a good place. If I needed to take a few years off work to raise a family I could do it and not have to play major catch-up when I go back into the working field.

Anyway - 2011 has been good to me so far. One month down - 11 more to go!