2/14 Valentine's Day

I received a valentine card today. Surprised me. Very sweet. Also got an email from a former beau.

Anyway, today and tomorrow I'm going to a conference--MSVOAD (Mississippi Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster). It'll be informative and also enjoyable since all my friends are going. Yay for that. After the conference ends tomorrow Caroline, Genia,and I are going to Florida for the weekend. It will be a cheap trip too, as we're staying at Caroline's aunt's condo--right on the beach. The bad news is that rain is forecast for the whole weekend. That's okay because the weekend is all about relaxing, and that's what the three of us need. I'm really looking forward to it.

Then back home to work on program closure and the all-important job hunting. I'm still hopeful about Numero Uno, but received a no-thank you letter from the hospital back home. It makes sense though, because it was for hospice and I don't have any experience in that area.

One thing about Numero Uno that really excites me is that besides outpatient counseling, I would be on call for crisis work at the emergency department of the hospital for individuals with mental health needs. This is right up my alley because of my experience with behavioral health in St. Louis, and of course my crisis and disaster work. I've decided I can live on the salary negotiated, even though it's about 58% of what I make now. It will be hard, but I can do it. Plus they pay a productivity bonus,and I'd work hard to earn that.

Guess you can tell I'm kind of psyched about moving home. I absolutely hate leaving here, I love the place and have such great friends. But I miss my family terribly. More later on old-lady angst.

2/9 The job picture

Numero Uno guy said that I'm to talk to the HR director soon about job details, salary, benefits, etc. If all sounds good, then I'll be interviewed by phone. I know Uno, so a phone interview is fine. That's great because it'll save me both time and money since I won't have to fly to Quincy for the interview.

Then I got another email from Uno saying his brother, Numero Dos, had a position opened that would fit me. I know Dos as well, and it feels good that there's someone else interested.

Who knows how this is going to turn out. But I absolutely want to move to Quincy if at all possible. The job with Uno really appeals to me, and I'm praying the salary will be enough to support me and my dogs.

I'll keep you updated.