Robyn's Rantings

I Found These Quotes Today and Liked Them

2009-09-11T00:21:00.004-04:00

I found some quotes that I thought were funny. There is some inappropriate language (one word) in one of them, so beware. All of these quotes are from Denis Leary born in 1957.

This would be my luck:
“Most people think life sucks, and then you die. Not me. I beg to differ. I think life sucks, then you get cancer, then your dog dies, your wife leaves you, the cancer goes into remission, you get a new dog, you get remarried, you owe ten million dollars in medical bills but you work hard for thirty-five years and you pay it back and then -- one day -- you have a massive stroke, your whole right side is paralyzed, you have to limp along the streets and speak out of the left side of your mouth and drool but you go into rehabilitation and regain the power to walk and the power to talk and then -- one day -- you step off a curb at Sixty-seventh Street, and BANG you get hit by a city bus and then you die. Maybe.”

“Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list.”

“Why hate someone for the color of their skin when there are much better reasons to hate them.”

“I would never do crack... I would never do a drug named after a part of my own ass, okay?”

“Did you ever notice they never take any fat hostages? You never see a guy coming out of Lebanon going: I was held hostage for seven months and I lost 175 pounds, I feel good and I look good and I learned self-discipline. That's the important thing.”

New Calling

2009-09-10T22:49:00.003-04:00

OK....what would be the BEST calling for someone who is pretty much unemployed? Any guesses??? How about Ward Employment Specialist? Yep, that is my new calling. I'm still teaching in Relief Society. I get to have 2 callings. So, I'm hoping I can find myself a job, as well as others. I'm excited to help others. I'm meeting with the Stake Employment Specialist on Sunday after church, and next weekend I will be attending a 2-day career workshop at the church. I'm excited to learn what I need to do to help others and myself. It's also nice to "get" to worry about someone other than me, if that makes sense. However, I'm sad that I will be turning 31 in 2 months and will probably be kicked out of the University Ward. I really like the callings that I have right now, the people in my Ward, and the Bishop. Oh well, as some say, "Life sucks and then you die."

School Fool

2009-09-10T22:02:00.004-04:00

Yep, I'm in school again. I'm going to Lansing Community College this semester, and taking two classes, Medical Terminology and Health Unit Coordinator. The Health Unit Coordinator course starts on Thursday, September 17th. It's been nice to only have 1 class the last 2 weeks. It's helped me get back into the swing of things with school. So far I have really enjoyed my Medical Terminology class. I don't really care for the teacher (she's kind of a ditz, deaf, and doesn't talk loud enough for the class to hear here), but I do like the book and learning new things. Upon passing these two courses, I will obtain a Health Unit Coordinator Certificate (9 credits). I am also wanting to get Certificates in Medical Insurance Billing and Coding (17 credits), Medical Transcription (19 credits), and Medical Office Administration (33 credits). Lucky for me, there are some classes that are required for multiple certificates, so I don't have to take the full 78 credits. I'll only end up having to take 61 credits to complete all 4 certificates. I'm pretty excited to be completing something that will hopefully get me a job....a real job, that is. I haven't decided what I will be taking next semester, but it will probably be Medical Insurance Billing/Coding I and something else. I'll just have to see what will work with my schedule. Hope all the kiddies are enjoying school. If they start complaining, just let them know that Aunt Robyn (or Robyn if you're not family) is in school too.

My Visit to Utah

2009-09-10T22:01:00.000-04:00

More to come later when I have my camera handy.

Long Time, No Post

2009-09-10T21:54:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm thinking that I'm not very good about this blogging thing. It's almost been 2 months since my last post, and of course, things have happened and changed in my life. I went to Utah to visit, lost a job, started school, and got a new calling. To be continued.....

Approved to Work More Hours

2009-06-14T20:37:00.003-04:00

Hello All -

So, my 3 weeks of training is over, and I was approved to work up to 40 hours a week. To be approved to work more hours than 16 hours per week, we have to be above -0.2 on how well we did compared to the rest of the room. My number was 0.6, so I was above the -0.2. I was really excited about my number and that it was above the -0.2 number, so I could work more hours. Working for the American Cancer Society, via Manpower, 30 hours a week is considered full-time and eligible for benefits. I really need the benefits, so I will be working as much as I can to get 30 hours a week. The shifts at the ACS are a little odd. The call center is open Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 2 PM and 5 PM to 11 PM, Friday 9 AM to 11 PM, and Saturday 9 AM to 8 PM. I have learned that at the end of a 4 hour shift on the phones, I am hating the phones and wanting to leave. This week I will be trying to work as much as I can at the American Cancer Society. I will also be working Wednesday and possibly Thursday mornings at the mission home. I'm not sure if you guys all know, but the MTC got the swine flu. The new missionaries who were supposed to come 2 weeks ago are coming on Tuesday this week instead. Then my other part-time job with Paula, I will be working on Monday and Wednesday nights. I am still applying for other full-time jobs, because I would like to go somewhere that will utilize my skills and where I can learn new things.

School starts on August 20th which is a Thursday, so my first classes will be on Monday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 26th. I'm really excited to go to school and obtain something more. I really can't believe I'm actually writing and thinking this way, but I am. We shall see how I feel once school actually starts though.

I started an Institute class for the summer. I'm taking Teachings of the Prophets on Wednesday nights. I haven't taken an Institute class in a long time, so I decided that I should take advantage of the opportunity since I have so much free time. :-)

I'm still a teacher in Relief Society. Today I got to teach about "The Power of Forgiveness". It was a great lesson (the one in the book...not necessarily me giving it), and one that I definitely needed to hear and teach. I love the lessons in the Joseph Smith manual this year, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to learn and teach them. I know that I get a lot more out of them by teaching them than I would from just listening to them. I love the Gospel and the blessings that come to me because of it.

Hope all of you are doing well. I love you all tons.

Updates.....Updates.....Updates

2009-05-30T20:33:00.003-04:00

Well, I am no longer at the job in St. Johns. I got a total of 3 paychecks, and all of them were shorted. I was shorted about 19 hours total. Nice place to work with wonderfully honest people.....or just the opposite. I have never worked anywhere quite like this place, and hope to never work at another place like it. In general, they were just very dishonest and did not take any responsibility for their actions. They liked to blame things on anyone else but themselves.

On to better and brighter news.

I started a new job last Thursday with Manpower working for the American Cancer Society. I am a telemarketer....yes, I know.....doesn't sound all that wonderful, but it really isn't that terrible. We call past donors and ask for donations. Today was my most successful day yet. I got a $100 donation from someone. I was amazed at the generosity. About an hour later, a girl on the floor had a call for a $200 donation (she was supposed to ask for another $200 donation), and the person gave a $1,000 donation. IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!! I really like knowing that I am doing this for a good cause. I'm not badgering people for money for some stupid reason....The American Cancer Society is a great organization and helps alot of families. The job starts out with 3 weeks of training working only 16 hours a week. After my training, I can work full-time which is only 30 hours to get benefits. I got the cleaning job at the Mission Home back and I'm still working for Paula as a personal assistant for her Lia Sophia business.

I also obtained financial aid for the 2009-2010 school year. I was pretty excited about that. I have registered for 2 classes in the Fall, Medical Terminology and Intro to Microsoft Office. I have decided to go back to get some certificates. My hope is to get a certificate in Health Unit Clerk, Medical Billing and Coding, Medical Office Administration, and Medical Transcription, hopefully in that order. I know that seems like alot, but I couldn't decide what I wanted to do (imagine that....not being able to decide? I never have problems with that). So, I've decided to start with all of them and see what I like. The Health Unit Clerk certificate only takes two classes to get. I'm taking one of them in the Fall (Medical Terminology). I wasn't able to take the other one too, because it was all full (bummer). So, I'm doing a class that is required for both the Medical Office Administration and Medical Transcription certificates. I'm hoping it will be very easy for me, because I've worked with Office for many years and took Microsoft Office in Utah at New Horizons. Hopefully I will be able to learn something new too though. I'm kind of glad that it (hopefully) will be easy, because I think I will have to work pretty hard on the Medical Terminology course. I'm very excited though to start school again. I've been out of school for about a year and a half (once the semester starts in the Fall).

I got rear-ended about a week and a half ago (Tuesday). It put a nice large dent in my bumper and shifted it down a bit, but nothing big....at least that's what I thought. I took it in last Wednesday, and got a rental to drive (a 2009 Chevy Aveo with manual everything except transmission). When they told me what the damage was, I was very thankful to have good insurance. Because it was not my fault, I didn't have to pay a deductible (which I would have been able to pay anyway, so that a good thing). The total damage was $1874.32......youzers!!!! That's a lot of money. The frame was bent a bit, but it was able to be bent back into place they said. I got my car back yesterday, and I'm so happy to get it back. They made a mess out it by putting all the stuff from the truck into the backseat. So, last night I cleaned it out and vacuumed it. I love my car.

Well, other than that, life isn't too exciting.....church, work, and school soon to come.

My First Paycheck

2009-04-18T21:22:00.002-04:00

Well, yesterday was my first pay day. I was excited to get a regular paycheck........until I compared the hours on the paycheck to the hours I actually worked on my time sheet. I was shorted 7.5 hours....that's $60!!! So, of course, Darlene, the owner of the business, handed out the checks and left for the Lansing office. I was NOT happy. I am usually not happy when people mess with my money. Once I finally figured out my check was wrong, the Assistant Director, Theresa, came in and asked what was going on. I told her my issue. The other girl who got paid yesterday, Holli, had a shorted check too. RAGE!!!!!

So, last night at about 7:30 PM, I got a phone call from Darlene. Theresa told her that I was not happy with my check, which was fine with me. I explained why I was upset, and she told me that she had taken out time for my "lunches". Well, I didn't take any lunches except for 1 day. She told me that I was to rotate lunches with the other girls in the office. Ok....well, the first week I was there, there was no one to run the office if I went to lunch. So, Darlene said she forgot about that (of course) and that I should add 5 hours to the next time sheet. Unfortunately, I didn't take a lunch on 2 of the other days either. That's 2.5 hours of work that I will not get paid for. Not sure where the .5 hour came from, but oh well. MADDENING and illegal!!!

I have definitely got to find something else. If anyone knows of a job with benefits, honest employers, and pays a decent wage (something $12 or more an hour), please let me know. I'll go anywhere for a decent job. I have the worst luck.

New Job For Robyn

2009-04-16T23:01:00.008-04:00

Well, for those of you who don't know, I am no longer working at the hospital as a Medical Receptionist. My last day was February 23rd. I started sending resumes out to anything I thought I was qualified for and even to things that might be a stretch. I started with a small radius of just around the Lansing area. I quickly broadened my search to include Grand Rapids (big city to the West), Detroit (big city to the East), Traverse City (medium city to the North), and the Indiana border. I was "willing" to travel 3 hours to get to work. Luckily, I received a job offer in St. Johns, MI which is only 20.1 miles from where I live. It takes me about 25 minutes to get there.....longer than my job in Charlotte, but still reasonable. So, I started working at a counseling service on April 2nd. This place does individual counseling such as couples therapy. We also have probationed and paroled clients come in for drug and alcohol tests. I never thought I would have a job watching someone pee in a cup or almost pass out from breathing into a breathalyzer machine. It's definitely a learning experience.

Let's just say the pay stinks, there are no benefits, and I'm looking for something else. I'm thankful to have income; however, this job, unfortunately, will not pay my bills. I am still working for Paula, the Lia Sophia lady, part-time. I had to quit my cleaning job though to take this full-time job in St. Johns. Here's hoping I'll find something that will pay all of my bills.

New Addition To The Family

2009-02-03T22:00:00.011-05:00

My brother and sister-in-law, Jared and Mandy, had a little girl on January 30, 2009 at 1:08 PM. They named her Miriana Jean Holcomb....Mia for short. She was 8 lbs. 4 ozs and 20 1/4 inches long. She is my 3rd niece. I was very excited to learn Jared and Mandy were having a girl this time around.

Here is Jaden holding Mia for the first time.

They are just so cute. Jared and Mandy say Mia looks just like Jaden did when he was a baby. It's just so fun to have new additions to the family. I love you Mia!!! I'm so glad you are part of our family.

ER Stories from the Hospital

2008-10-21T23:03:00.002-04:00

We had a couple of patients come in tonight with some interesting symptoms. The first one was a 42 year old male, Daniel. He complained of not having a bowel movement in 9 days and stomach pains. He continued to tell me that he had drunk a gallon of apple cider, a quart of prune juice, and given himself an enema last night and that the only result that he has had is "the squirts" (thank you for sharing). He said the enema box said that if the enema didn't work that he should see a doctor. Well, this man did not have insurance, so he did not think he was able to see a doctor. I felt really bad for him, and tried really hard not to laugh when he was telling me everything he had done to help relieve his constipation. I know it was not funny, but the man also had a lisp and I wondered if he was gay. The poor guy....I hope I never have that problem.

Then there was a little boy who came in with his parents right before I left. Apparently he had gotten into the super glue drawer. He had super glue on his hands and then proceeded to get it in his eye.....smart. He only looked like he was about 3 or 4, so I really don't blame him.

WORD TO THE WISE AND NOT SO WISE PARENTS: SUPER GLUE IS NOT A CHILD'S TOY. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT PLAY WITH SUPER GLUE.

I Finally Got It!!!!!

2008-10-20T22:55:00.003-04:00

I came home tonight from work to a wonderful surprise. I was very happy to find a large envelope from University of Phoenix. I knew inside would be my diploma for my Assoicates degree.

Hallelujah!!! I opened it, and yes, siry bobber....it was my diploma. It has been a long time only because it took me 9 months to pay off the debt before I could actually get the diploma. I am just sooooo stinking excited!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

Third Workout

2008-10-15T12:56:00.003-04:00

Well, I did my third workout today. I was supposed to do that yesterday, but I have the privilege of having a big fat migraine. So, I not only did not go to the gym, but I didn't go to work either. I went to bed and slept from about 2 to 8 PM. It sure was nice to sleep, but the headache stunk. This morning I went to clean the mission home. That only took about 30 minutes...very light today. Then I went straight to the gym and worked out. I walked for 21 minutes like I did on Saturday and then I worked on the weight machines. I did 3 sets of 10 on most of them. I did not do the Roman Tower thing for sit-ups though. I did not have anyone helping me today, and I noticed that I do not work as hard when I do not have someone pushing me.

I'm planning on going tomorrow to the West Lansing gym to workout.

First Two Workouts

2008-10-14T01:00:00.003-04:00

Well, my first workout at the gym was on Thursday, October 9th. My helper-person, Heather, had my walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes with a 5 minute cool-down. Then she took me around to several of the weight machines and had me do 2 sets on each of those. I felt really good after my workout on Thursday.

I went back to the gym on Saturday, October 11th. I met with Heather again. She asked me how I felt from Thursday. I told her that I felt fine. She asked me if I was sore at all, and I said I wasn't. She asked me that a couple of more times. She didn't understand why I wasn't sore from Thursday's workout. So, Saturday she had me walk for 20 minutes with a 1 minute cool-down. Then I did the weight machines again. I did 3 sets on some of the machines, and 2 sets on the rest. I must say I thought I was going to DIE on Saturday night and Sunday night. I was sore everywhere except my hands, feet, and neck up....everything else hurt. I guess I got a good work out.

Tomorrow will be my third workout. I'm looking forward to it.....not the pain, but the feeling of accomplishment.

Here We Go Again

2008-10-10T00:21:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm gonna try again. Today I joined a gym. I'm excited about it. The gym has a pool and has water aerobics classes 3 days a week 4 times a day on 2 of the days. I'm excited. It's a gym that has "Men's Days" and "Women's Days". I really don't care about that aspect of it, but the days that I can go to the West Lansing location on Tues, Thurs, and Sat. and the East Lansing location on Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun. Of course, I'm not going to be going on Sundays, but I'm planning on going on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and maybe Wednesdays since I have Wednesdays off. I am excited about my new commitment and hope to lose have of my body (at least that's my goal...we shall see).

The First One

2008-10-08T20:54:00.005-04:00

So, I found the first one today. Most of you know me pretty darn well. You know that I don't stare at myself for hours in the mirror. In fact, if I didn't have to look at myself in the mirror, I probably wouldn't. So, I stepped out of the shower. All of my hair is soaking wet stuck to my head except for one piece of short grey hair sticking straight up on the top of my head. I was NOT happy about that. I considered pulling it out, but instantly thought of the little saying about plucking one and two growing in it's place. Fortunately, I have a part on the side of my head that covers it up and I can't find it when my hair is semi-dry and combed (because all of you know that I NEVER actually dry my hair).

I was surprised that my response was not more dramatic than it was, honestly. I didn't start crying. I didn't call my best friend, Lynnae, or anyone else. I did call Sarah and told her about my first grey hair, but that was not the purpose of my call. I did, however, go to Maggie Moo's and got my most favorite kind of ice cream, chocolate ice cream with peanut butter sauce and Reese's peanut butter cups......YUM YUM!!!!

Ward Conference and the Next Four Years

2008-09-21T13:32:00.006-04:00

I got to go to church today. I have not been able to go to church for the last 3 weeks, because I have been working the last 3 weekends. I do not like not being able to go to church. My week just is not the same. This Sunday would normally by my week to teach, but it was Ward Conference instead. That was certainly fine with me. I was happy not to teach, but to just sit and enjoy the talks and lessons. This Ward Conference was the last Ward Conference for this current Stake Presidency. They have been serving for 9 years. They have been a blessing to our Stake, especially the Stake President. He now has cancer. I think he is a great man. In Relief Society today he took the time to answer any Gospel questions that we, as Sisters, had. There were some questions submitted prior to the meeting that he answered first. They were interesting questions, most of which I already knew the answers to, but it was wonderful to know that he cared enough to take the time to just answer questions.

I wanted to ask him what his thoughts were about what would happen if Obama were elected, but I knew there were some democrats in the room and there was not enough time to ask. I'm wondering (if Obama is elected) if the Savior will be coming in the next 4 years or so. Only because Obama has stated that he will support the Muslims and not the Jews in Jerusalem (even though the Jews are God's chosen people and are the children of the Birthright son). I wonder what some of the General Authorities and Church Leaders feel about this upcoming election.

Lately, I have felt very strongly about my duties as a citizen of the United States. Perhaps it is because Mom is always watching something about the election on TV. I feel like I have certain duties to my country. I feel a duty to support the economy by buying American, particularly by driving an American-made car (yes, I feel it is my duty to buy an American-made car....some people think I'm nuts....I just think they don't get it), to support and honor the troop who fight for my nation, and especially to study the issues and pray about who should be the next leaders of the United States. For instance, (ok this is really kind of silly) last night I was at a YSA activity. There were several kinds of potato salads: Mustard, Jack's, American, and some other kind. Well, I was encouraging people to eat the American potato salad, because we were "American". This was a bit over board, I think, but I was really quite adamant about this. Sometimes I think people just don't care anymore.....especially young single adults. People don't realize that this President thing is going to effect the life of every American for the next 4 YEARS. Four years...that's a long time. Anyway, that's just how I feel.

The Count Down

2008-09-16T23:14:00.002-04:00

Yes, that is correct, I am starting the count down until I get to go to Utah. From today, September 16, 2008, it is 7 weeks and 1 day until I leave. I am so ready for a break from working. Lately, I have worked alot. I have gotten to work the last 3 weekends in a row, so that I can have the weekend off in November to go to Utah. This month I've just be working my normal shifts which is really nice. October is going to be another crazy month though. We have Kristin getting married and going on her honeymoon, Hayley having a baby, Sue's daughter getting married, Lori got fired, and Kurene has been down-graded from full-time to resource (which means she fills in pretty much any time we need help). We are severely under-staffed at the hospital. It will be nice money, but the hours that I have picked up for October are insane.

No interesting stories that I can think of from work. Sometimes I think I work in a Looney Bin. People are nuts. They come to the ER for the dumbest reasons. It's like the people that go to Urgent Care should be going to ER, and the people that come to ER should be going to Urgent Care or the Dentist. We had a girl come in the other night with a splinter......a splinter? What? Do you want to pay $700 to get a splinter out of your hand? Haven't you ever heard of tweezers and some hydrogen peroxide? What a waste of time and money!!! People are nuts.

Seven weeks and one day!!! WOO HOO!!!

Labor Day at the Hospital

2008-09-06T10:58:00.005-04:00

While most normal people got to go to picnics, eat hot dogs and hamburgers off the grill, see fireworks, and enjoy the company of family and friends, I got to work the evening shift on Labor Day. I don't usually work until 11, so it was a late night for me. The most memorable ER visit that night was a guy, Jay, came in all beat up and bloody. He is one of our "frequent flyers" (as we call them) at the hospital. He shared his story about being attacked by an ex-con across the street from the hospital. I encouraged him to try to clean up some in the bathroom and gave him some gauze for his bloody face. The interesting thing, though, about this night was that about an hour or so later another guy came in with a thumb laceration and a hand injury. He told his story about a man trying to stab him with a knife. I thought, hmmm......could these two be related??? I was correct in my assumption. Three police cars came speeding up and stormed in to try to find Henry, the ex-con who beat up Jay. They were both in the ER at the same time. I thought that was interesting, and was just waiting for another brawl. I must say that I was scared.....and I thought Lansing was supposed to be dangerous...not the little towns around Lansing!!! In the end the police didn't drag anyone out of the hospital....at least not while I was there. It was certainly an eventful evening for me, and that was just two of the ER visits that night. :-)

I Love Grapes & Liz

2008-08-26T21:54:00.004-04:00

I love grapes.....not all grapes.....just some grapes. I do not usually like green grapes, because they are usually sour. I like the sweet grapes which are usually the purple or red grapes. I also do not like grapes that have seeds. Those just get in the way, and are annoying. Tonight after work, I almost finished up the whole bag of grapes. YYYYUUUMMMYYY!!!! (I used Mom's camera for this picture.)

For those of you that don't know yet, Liz got engaged this past weekend. I just found out today. Congratulations, Liz. I'm so very excited for you!!! Love you tons!!!

Last one on the boat, but I made it.

2008-08-26T01:21:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm the last one to jump on the bandwagon, but I finally did it. I've created a blog about my not so exciting life. I currently do not have a camera, so I am not able to post any pictures. I lost that in the move from Utah to Michigan last year. I do plan on buying a new one though before my trip to Utah in November (which I'm very excited about). I'm going out to see Monica and the rest of the Romney fam and Lynnae, the new baby and the Dunn fam. I'm so very excited about my trip.