So, we adopted a 2 month old pup, a red heeler, from the humane society. He's sleeping right now, but at 6:00 am he was up and wanted to play. We have some old ski poles downstairs that he likes to herd, and he loves to fetch his toy rope. After about 30 minutes of playing he conks out, but when he wakes up again his battery is recharged and it's wildness all over again.

He's had his first Parvovirus/ distemper vaccine, and he gets a booster next week. After that we can take him out walking on sidewalks; Parvo is deadly, and spread through feces, so we're going to hold off on the parks for a while. It's hard to exercise an active puppy when he has to stay inside, so I'm looking forward to being able to go out with him.

In other news, still looking for work, but I have some promising leads. Here's hoping . . .

Right now, I'm sitting in the UNC computer lab, and there are people complaining about their professor copying a 40 page reading sideways. There are also grumblings about him giving a quiz on a 22 page reading, and a girl's finger that gets tired as it flips through a long powerpoint.

This makes me think of two things: 1) How much we take things (like a chance at education) for granted, and 2) How do our educational standards compare to those of other countries?

As for the second point, I've read different accounts that say the US is falling behind in education, like this one: http://kapio.kcc.hawaii.edu/upload/fullnews.php?id=52 . An excerpt:

In both studies, Finland, Australia, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands and the United Kingdom beat the United States, while the Asian nations of South Korea, Japan and Singapore ranked first through third, respectively.

Why is that? Is it because we're becoming too lax, or lazy? Is it because solid education just isn't as important as it used to be? I couldn't tell you, but I have to wonder if students in South Korea would be acting the way I just observed.

Sorry for the bitterness of the last post. Sometimes I feel like I have so much to offer, and I'm being forced to keep it all bottled up and stored away. I worry that it will get dusty or spoiled by age. On a good note, I have some interviews coming up, so I'm more hopeful.

We are looking at getting a dog; it's sooner than we expected but we both agree this is a good time. The humane society has the sweetest 2 month old red heeler, and he might soon be ours . . .

Sometimes I think my major was a joke. I've been turned down for job after job after job. After I graduated from CSU in May 2007 I applied for all the social work jobs I could find, and I interviewed for all that contacted me. Not one came through, and I ended up working at a bakery and coffee shop, serving wine and cheese to rich people.

One time an older guy came into the bakery and asked me if I was going to school, etc. I said I graduated with a social work degree. "Then what are you doing here?" People don't understand.

What makes the people who do get hired so much better than me?

At my last doctor's appointment, I was told that I'd be able to go back to work. I'm feeling really good, and almost at four weeks post-op, so I've been in job search mode. I've applied for some para jobs at District 6, and had an interview on Wednesday. I can't tell you how happy I would be if it came through for me.

I want to start running again. I tried to do a "trial" run around my garage, and I think I should wait another week or so. Exercise gives me a feeling I can't get anywhere else.

Andres and I have made a deal with each other: if we have a steady source of income, we can get a dog. I want one so bad, and although I hate waiting I know it's the responsible thing to do for now.

I'm getting the travel bug again, but I know that traveling requires 1) Money and 2) Well, mostly money. We don't have a lot of that to spend right now, but this is my list of places I want to go in the next four to five years:

India
China
Japan
Korea
Africa
South America
Egypt

It might sound ambitious, but it's my dream. We have some airline vouchers we got as a wedding present, and we might spend them on a trip to Texas in March.

I met with an adviser at UNC, and she told me exactly what I need to register for. Next year at this time, I'll be applying to grad school for speech language pathology. I don't feel so bad about having to put school off; I would have finished with the leveling program in May 2010 even if I had started this semester. Nevertheless, I'm going to take some summer classes to get a few out of the way.

Finally, I just have to say how wonderful it feels to be able to do things. So much of my spirit was taken away when I was ill and had to stay inside. I was surly towards Andres and depressed, but now I feel alive again. I hope I never take health for granted again.

I would really like to know what the executives of these companies receiving multimillion dollar bailouts are thinking when they buy $1,000 trash cans or $13,000 rugs for their private jets.

"I've worked hard, I deserve it."

"#$%* them all!"

"Suckers! HAHAHAHA!"

"What they don't know can't hurt them . . . "

"The kids get carsick in the Maserati. Best take the 747."

I'd really love to know.

The following is from an article by NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd.

Companies that have gotten bailouts continue to make a mockery of taxpayers.

Until it came to light Tuesday, Wells Fargo, which received $25 billion in federal funds, was blithely planning a series of “employee recognition outings” to Las Vegas luxury hotels this month.

As ABC reported, Bank of America took its $45 billion in bailout funds and sponsored a five-day carnival outside the Super Bowl stadium, and Morgan Stanley took its $10 billion in bailout money and held a three-day conference at the Breakers in Palm Beach. (Morgan Stanley had also still planned to send top employees to Monte Carlo and the Bahamas, events just canceled.)

The New York Post revealed that Sandy Weill, former chief executive of Citigroup, took a company jet to fly his family for a Christmas holiday to a $12,000-a-night luxury resort in San José del Cabo, Mexico. No matter that the company just got a $50 billion federal bailout and laid off 53,000 worldwide.

The interior of the 18-seat jet, as described by The Post, is posh, with a full bar, fine-wine selection, $13,000 carpets, Baccarat crystal glasses, Cristofle sterling silver flatware and — my personal favorite — pillows made from Hermès scarves.

Aux barricades!