Friday, June 14, 2013

Quad Life Roller Coaster

I am actually still here, not that you can tell by my posts though. The past several weeks of the quad life have had several ups and downs, with even a few loops added in. Unfortunately, most of the downs have been worked related.

Just when I think things are looking up, they get shot down again. One of the design companies I work with had me do a quote for a redesign on a site I have done for them for several years. It was a simple rework, but anything is good for work. About a week later they mailed me that the client made one change, to go with a Wordpress platform, and therefore the designer would not be using me. I wasn't even given a chance to remake my bid, I was just told no. Wordpress may not be an area I'm the most experienced in, but how do you get practice and experience if you're not allowed to do work with it? Hopefully a project will come up that I can work on, but that may be quite a while.

For the past several years, I've had a dream of running a computer basics class; teaching fundamental computer use and helping people improve their skills. With work being slow, I decided it was time to finally give a try and see how it worked. With this being a computer 101 course, I thought advertising online would not work well, so I did an ad on radio, newspaper, and put flyers around town. Today was the day that people were to come find out about the class and signup, two people showed up. A total of four had called to enroll, two of them being the ones that came. Now I'm stuck with the dilemma of trying to have it with just four people or cancel it. I'm currently leaning toward the second choice, but not set on it yet.

Since my last post, Iowa weather has remained cold and rainy, with snow in early May. Thankfully, it has warmed up enough that I've been able to get out barefoot again. My body does much better when I can skip footwear, it's something I notice every year. With fewer muscle spasms and calmer muscles, it's much nicer to get out. Hopefully the warmer temps will stay around through the rest of summer and fall, but Iowa weather is best unpredicted.

Next week, I plan to leave for my volunteer week at CHAMP Camp. With missing last year due to the broken leg, I somewhat feel out of the loop. To my current knowledge, I will be bunking with the older boys and going on the activities with them. I have always worked with younger kids, so teenagers will be a different experience. Another former camper turned counselor has said he can't wait for the week to come, that it's his favorite seven days of the year. I can't say that, but I'm not sure which way I am about it.

On the one hand, I'm looking forward to being useful again and being active, but on the other I'm not looking forward to the toll the week takes on my body. The skin wounds that I've been dealing with for six years were finally starting to improve, although one is not again. After sitting so much for the week, I know they will worsen, but I don't know by how much. I noticed that several of the long time counselors are not returning this year, I think this one has to be my last.

That will be all for this post. Next time could be about the loop a couple caregivers have given, but we'll see. I also need to touch on trouble with DPS and looking ahead in life.