So what happened?

Heck, I don't know how many readers I really have or even if anyone is wondering what happned... but here goes.

Yes, the new franchisee has taken over and closed 2 of the 3 centers on "this side" of the water (if you are local, you know what I mean). Of the 3 centers, the one I am currently in was the most centrally located. Quite a few of the kids from the closed centers have made the switch with us as well as most of the teachers. We how have 1 huge center with lots of kids receiving instruction. Still dealing with some parents who wanted their money back rather than make the extra drive and fit it all in with family schedules, etc. I am the Center Director and I have 2 Assistant Directors because we are so big.

So that is it in a nutshell... I am employed, was out of work for about 2 weeks. Those 2 weeks did a number on me financially though and we have all taken a significant pay cut which isn't good. We are awaiting word on our benefits and I have a scary feeling it won't be good working in such a small business. It's still very scary... it could happen again. I am still praying for the Lord's direction...

My Site has been Nominated!!!

I have no idea who nominated me but I was nominated for a "Love This Site" award!!! How cool is that??? Anyway, the box to take you to the voting site is in the sidebar, vote for me!!!

Quick Update

Well... a new franchisee has taken over and we have reopened for business. It's not exactly a celebration because so much is still uncertain. We have angry parents to contend with, confused kids, and confused teachers. We have merged three centers into one so I am not sure what my role will be as of yet. And I am also making considerably less than I made before until everything is all settled. There is a chance I will get the same position again but I am really unsettled by it all still. I am still looking as I think it would be a good idea to get into something a little more stable (but I wonder what exactly is stable anymore) and with more regular hours - working until 8:00 p.m. is dreadful.

Thanks for all your prayers and kind words!!

Update... kind of

First, thank you for the kind comments on my last post. It really means a lot to me that people in the blogging world are praying for me.

The only "update" I have is dealing with my employment situation. And that is there is no update. We are awaiting word on whether or not we are going to reopen. The attorneys for the franchisee I worked for and the attorneys for the corporate offices are haggling it out with the negotiations and that is preventing us from reopening. A representative from the corporate offices is in town but because of the stall with the negotiations, she cannot legally enter any of the centers nor can she legally speak to any of us. It's like being in limbo but it's scary at the same time. There are some rumors that they may condense the cneters which means they will not need all of the employees. If asked to go back, I will go in order to help the kids but with this being such an uncertain business now, I am actively looking for a new position. I would dearly love to return to the classroom on a full time basis and sometimes positions like that do open up in the middle of the school year.

Right now I am just praying for God's will in all of this... trying to figure out what He wants me to do. It's not easy.

Just when you think things might be looking up...

Why oh why do I even think things are going to go well finally?? My father is battling lung cancer, had surgery this summer and they removed one of his lungs. He stopped his chemo recently because it was just too much for him. He has had health problems for a long time now. Then about a week after I got back from NJ, my Mom informed everyone that she had lost her job after 18 1/2 years with the same company. Then she got the results of a recent CAT scan and they thought she had a tumor in her lung. She had another CAT scan done and it turns out it was an inflammation so they want her to have another one done in February just to check on the progress. And they have asked her to stop smoking but we shall see about that.

This past week the owner of my learning center has been acting very strange, saying he was sick and unavailable and then showing up asking for all kinds of last minute reports on Wednesday. On Thursday he calls to say that we are changing payroll companies and he wants us to fax him payroll through that day so he can send it to the company he is letting go and have them process one final paycheck run before the new company takes over.

I got up this morning and went into work to get the biggest bombshell of all. He dissolved the company yesterday and we are all out of a job. We will be paid through Thursday and that is it. And I just went to training in September!!!! The corporate offices are going to be coming into town this week to take a look at everything and see what can be done. The possibilities at this point are that they will take over or another franchisee will buy our centers. But it is all up in the air at this point in time. So come Monday morning I am back to being a substitute teacher........

I just want this nightmare to end, I can't take it!!!!!!! This is the second time in 2 years I have been faced with the possibility of no income. I am too old for this.

Pray please........

Too funny!!!

And this is the real Gov. Palin on SNL!! I wish I had watched the show, but I hardly ever do anymore.

Today

So today is my birthday. And I'm not looking for birthday greetings from anyone... :).

I am just reflecting on the fact that I am officially another year older, another year past the 40 mark, and have no idea at this point if I will ever be a Mom. I am happy for my cousin who had her second little girl in August, I am happy for another cousin (sister of the first one) who is expecting her 3rd boy in January, but I wish something like that was happening for me.

Oh, and I am excited for Shannon, who just received her referral very unexpectedly in the middle of the month, congratulations again!!

I hope that the news is much better by this time next year!!

Trip to NJ & NYC

My last post mentioned that I was traveling. I've been back home since Sept. 27th, very very very late that night. I was sooo exhausted!! 2 weeks in a hotel is just 2 weeks too much... unless of course you are relaxing in the Carribean somewhere! This was a business trip so all expenses were paid for, aside from my side trip to Manhattan. I got pretty tired of eating out, to say the least! I was so happy when my sister invited me over for dinner the first full day I was home. She made rotisserie chicken (she owns a rotisserie), macaroni & cheese casserole, and steamed broccoli. It was the best meal I'd had in weeks!!

Anyway, here are some photos from the trip.

Ciao Bella Gelato Cafe was the cutest little cafe right around the corner from my hotel. I stayed in Tenafly, NJ, a very picturesque little village in NJ. I ate at this place a number of times - delicious paninis and crepes!! And their gelato milkshake was very good as well.

This was my first view of the NYC skyline. This picture was taken from the window of the # 166 bus!! The bus picked us up right in front of the hotel and dropped us off at the Port Authority Terminal on 42nd St.

NYPD welcomes you to Times Square!!

We had dinner here. It was very crowded and very loud!!

This ad was actually on the outside of Toys be Us in Times Square. And I do heart Ugly Betty!! This Toys be Us was quite amazing... there was a 4 story ferris wheel inside the store and the cars each represent a child's favorite toy.

Radio City Music Hall!! I didn't go inside. My AD's aunt was actually a Rockette for 14 years!!

It really is the world's largest store, at least in my opinion!! 9 floors and a cellar. They had their Christmas floor in the works... on the 9th floor. The 7th floor is the children's clothing and there is a full service McDonald's on that floor!! We ate at a very neat place in the cellar, and I had the best NY cheesecake for dessert.

Me inside Macy's... the home furnishings floor.

Rockefeller Center. And I got really dizzy leaning way back and looking up to take this shot!!

Pretty self explanatory... this is where the famous tree is placed every year!!

NBC News studio... where they film the Today Show every morning. See the marquee? We saw those all over Times Square!

The weekend in NYC was great, but very very tiring!! I don't think I have ever walked so much in my entire life. I have great respect for the people who live there and have to walk everywhere just because of the sheer volume of traffic and the cost to keep a car in the city.

Traveling

So I'm leaving today... in fact my flight leaves in a little over 2 and a half hours. And I'm still at home!! I'm getting ready to head to my sister's house where I'm leaving my car while I'm gone. When I fly back home in 2 weeks, my flight doesn't land until after 10:30 at night so I'm going to have them leave my car at the arrivals parking lot and call me on my cell to tell me where I can find it.

So it's off to 2 weeks of training for work... better be interesting!!!! Next weekend will be time in New York City with my best friend, her husband, and daughter.

See you when I get back!!

Best Cities for Singles?

I saw a link on Yahoo that sounded interesting so I clicked on it. Forbes Magazine has done one of their polls ending with a ranked listing of the top 40 cities for singles. Here are the results:

1. Atlanta
2. San Francisco
3. Dallas
4. Minneapolis
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Seattle
7. Boston
8. New York City
9. Orlando
10. Phoenix
11. Chicago
12. Denver - Aurora
13. Miami
14. Austin
15. San Antonio
16. Los Angeles
17. Houston
18. Charlotte
19. San Diego
20. St. Louis
21. Columbus
22. Philadelphia
23. Tampa - St. Petersburg
24. Las Vegas
25. Baltimore
26. Virginia Beach - Norfolk?
27. Detroit
28. Pittsburgh
29. Portland
30. Buffalo
31. Milwaukee
32. Sacramento
33. Cincinnati
34. Memphis
35. Providence
36. Kansas City
37. Indianapolis
38. Cleveland
39. Salt Lake City
40. Jacksonville

This was very interesting to me, indeed. I think this is one of the first times I have seen my area listed on a poll like this but I just have one question. If it is ranked 26th on the list of the best cities for singles, then why don't I realize that?

This was actually more of a good laugh to me than anything else. I haven't posted in a while so I figured better this than nothing!!