Vocational Rehabilitation

I went for the Voc Rehab orientation this morning. It was basically a PowerPoint presentation and then setting up an appointment to see a counselor. I'll go back to see the counselor on November 26th. I have a packet that I need to fill out. I've already done some of it, but I'll have to get back to it. This afternoon I went and picked up my Skills Certificate at the PPWFC. I have a Silver Certificate (there are Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates). All of this, the disability stuff and only getting a siver cert has me wondering if I really am capable of going back to work. I'm going to give it my best shot. But even David said that I won't continue working if it's too hard for me. I'll give it my best though. We really need the money. Looks like we'll have the BEF in place by the end of January and start on the DS in February (paying off the $700 family loan). We will never borrow any money for anything ever again. Period.

I'm going to go clothes shopping Saturday afternoon. In the morning I have to go pick up the AFM box. Then I have someone coming over to buy some christmas stuff I posted on craigslist. It's just $10, but every dollar helps.

I have to upgrade my MS Money. The trial period is over. I'm checking one out on eBay. It's about $20 online (the MS site). The $20 one is an essentials version. The one on eBay (which is at $1 plus $4 s/h) is a deluxe version. I'm also watching a DR Financial Peace University DVD set on eBay. It's at $75 right now. Theres about 3 days to go on both items. I could definitely work both into the budget.

Tomorrow I'm going to go over to the Open PC lab at PPWFC. I'll be working on a Computer Skills Assessment (Word, Excel, 10 key, etc.). I don't know how long it will take so I'm going to get there at 9am when it opens and try to complete if by noon the latest when the lab closes.

I'm disappointed that I only earned a Silver Certificate on the Reading, Math and Location Skills Assessment. I really feel like I could have done better. But that was when things were different, before the accident. I really had a much harder time with the test than I thought I would. So I'm not sure how I'll do on the Computer Skills Assessment. I'll just do my best. I'll bring that stuff to the Voc Rehab appointment. I know that doing as well as I do doesn't look like I have problems, but I know it's different now. Even filling out the application for the appointment on the 26th was making me anxious. I felt like I couldn't figure out how to fill out the application at some points. It's frustrating. And I'm having a heck of a time with my right thumb (the one that was dislocated and surgically repaired).

I will start work in 5 days. Yikes! I'm going to feel like an idiot if I can't do the job because I talked myself up so much. It has been 7 years since I worked though, so I anticipate an adjustment period, mentally and physically. The first day I have to go to HR for orientation at 8:15am. Not sure what the rest of the week will look like. I have Thanksgiving off, paid. That's cool. But I have to work on Friday and David is off. He has hockey that night though. We'll have the afternoon together. Maybe we can do something special.

I haven't been feeling good for days now. My allergies are really bothering me. My nose is runny and I've been coughing. I use cough drops when the cough gets bad. I feel dehydrated. I need to drink more water. I weighed myself this mornin and I'm under 250. Woohoo! I think working will help with losing weight too. I'll be more active and focused on other things.

Enough for now.