Life after alpacas

Well, as many of you know, I completed my alpaca internship on July 14th. A lot has happened since then, but I never really wrote a conclusion to that adventure. I was trying to keep it all in some sort of chronological order, but that went by the wayside with the extraordinary heat of the summer. I really lost my ability to put two thoughts together by the end of the day. I am going to try and add my ponderings here as I can.

The most important thing, though, is that I will never regret my decision to go learn about and care for alpacas. I very much needed to not be sitting at my computer, feeling the continued rejection of the job hunt. I also very much needed to be outside, doing something physical. I learned a lot about myself, and a lot about daily farm life while caring for alpacas. I did not become an alpaca fanatic, but I am not really fanatical about anything anyhow. I enjoyed working with them, and have a better understanding of how and why they are so popular. Do I need to own some? No, probably not. I have no land, and they need land. I'd forgotten how animals need daily care; especially exotic animals. That's a lot of commitment. I seem to be a nomad of sorts. I keep thinking I want to settle down in one place, but never seem to.  I don't think I'm 'running' from anything; I just haven't found a place to settle yet.

Here's the overview of what's happened since July 14:

August:
Garland (my roommate who took me in for a year), moved back to New Orleans to regroup.
Another friend let me stay with him, in his new place, while his roommate was out of town. The roommate came back a month earlier than planned and I had a panic to find a room to rent. I got a part time job in a kitchen (minimum wage!) making tamales for the gourmet tamale catering place that sells at the Farmer's Market. Even though I had re-registered with all temp agencies when I returned to Bloomington, I never got any calls. That means that this tamale job is the most reliable, steady work I've had in a while. Scary!!

I also finally got on at an online university's library and got started in August. I was supposed to only be 10 hours a week, but within two weeks turned into 30 hours a week. However, the paperwork has not caught up to the right people, so they've been paying me for 10/week. It should all be worked out this week, though. That will be a relief. It doesn't feel real until you see the money...

I found a room to rent in a house RIGHT behind the restaurant where I'm working. Talk about Serendipity! He also let me sign a short term lease, since I don't know how long I will be here. I may move with my friend to Ft. Wayne in January. It's all up in the air.

So my world has now shrunk down to two buildings. It's very odd. I've always been bad about leaving the house without a purpose. Now I really really need to find reasons to leave the house. I'm sure having a regular ('real') paycheck will help with that too.

Since I got sick the week after I moved in, that has made adjusting more difficult. I was working 70 hours a week between both jobs, with a sinus infection, ear infection and ruptured ear drum. Sheesh! But  HEY, at least I combined it all into one big stupid illness, therefore making it only ONE uninsured trip to the PromptCare place!  Only $110 instead of $310!  YEAH!!! Much better now, by the way. Yeah for antibiotics!!  Go SCIENCE!  :)

My new landlord is a 2nd year law student, with a fiancee in Ohio and a 7 month old Golden Retriever puppy named Bailey. Since I am home the most with Bailey right now, I have decided to try training him. We are working on walking on the leash, and going to the 'mat' (a carpet square). He's doing really good for only a few 'lessons'. He IS still a puppy, though, and distracted by things like....LEAVES!!! OMG, what IS IT?? Right now his owner has been gone for 4 days, and he keeps looking at the door and whining. I am no substitute for the Doggy Daddy,  Pack Leader. I do not play with the rope right, and I don't play rough enough. The Landlord will be home today, though, so Bailey should be happy.

Well I guess that takes care of September too. How did it get to be October?? I really feel like I am just in limbo, waiting for my paychecks and whatever is next. I am very glad to be working in my field.

So now I can write about making tamales, in what we call "TamaleLand"! This is also something I never  had in the plans (like AlpacaLand), and yet am enjoying it quite a lot.

Will try to post pictures too.