MIA post #1

I figured that I would go back to when I started training and do week by week MIA posts to catch everyone up. I'm really going to try and be better at posting and reading.

So the week of May 12 was the first week of training. OMG! I was soooooo bored. Our trainer read from the training manual word for word. Thought I was going to die. And we had zero computer access for the entire week. The other thing that sucked about the training was that it included a lot of information that has long been drilled into me like Stages of Change theory. It's really sad when you don't get to do the pre-reading and you can answer all the questions plus teach the model. *Sigh* But I made it through the first week. We started off with 15 people and lost 1 on the first day.

2nd week of training - All I wanted to do when I got home during the first week of training was go to bed. Because training was from 8AM to 5PM, I was up at 5:30 to catch the bus by 6:30, at work by 7:30, running up the hill to catch the bus home as soon as I could walk out the door at 5, not getting home until 6-ish, eating dinner, shower and sleep. 2nd week wasn't much different although the information during training started to get a little bit more interesting and a lot more interactive AND we had computer access that was limited to intranet, work email & training files. Woo hoo! We lost person #2.

3rd week was lots of "integrative practice" & classroom training. We got to work 1 on 1 with people who currently work as quit coaches and do LOTS of role playing. I hate role playing. But I suffered through it and learned a lot more about chewing tobacco from one of the guys we worked with. Didn't lose anyone that week.

OK, I have to go check on laundry, so I'll be back in a bit to work on wks 4 - 6.

A poll

Because curefreak thought I should make this a bit more challenging.

When I interviewed, I asked how many people make it through training. As I was told, most people realize during training that they are cut out for the job or not. We started with 15 people in our training class. We lost 2 in the first 2 days. One - who left for lunch and came back to get his stuff and the second who had a family emergency. So . . .

[Poll #1228480]

MIA post 2

Memorial Day weekend, the last week of 8 - 5. :)
Most importantly though was the fact that Ronette and I went to George, Washington for the Sasquatch Festival!!!!!!!!!!

It was fantastic. I specifically wanted to go because R.E.M. was playing and *drum roll* The Cure!!!! I have a ton of stuff I need to post from that weekend. I have great pictures and great video as well. We got to see a lot of other great bands and some not so great bands. Saw some comedy acts - Tim Meadows was there, which was not so great because the only thing he did was Ladies Man. And do you remember the guy from Police Academy who did all the funny sounds? Mike Winslow I think? We saw him and he SUCKED!!!!!!! He recreated the death scene of the man in Texas who was attacked and dragged down the road tied to the back of a truck - with sound effects. :( It was not cool. Then he bitched at the people in the audience who were laughing. It was not funny at all. And curefreak should check out. This guy named Vince Mira. So the little synopsis of him basically said "he sounds like Johnny Cash" and does Cash covers and some original music reminiscent of old country. Well, he sort of sounds like Johnny Cash, but he doesn't at the same time. And his Cash covers are awesome. We tried to buy his cd while we were there and his album sold out 2 hours after he played.

R.E.M was disappointing for me and I love R.E.M. First they basically got rained out. So I have Mike Stipe on video saying "I'm taking off my shoes because if I slip and fall on my ass, all of ya'll can say "I told you so" And they did well to alternate between new & old songs, but then it was getting cold because of the rain and Ronette and I were miserable so we left halfway through their set. *pouts*

The Cure was awesome. fabulous. fantastic. amazing.and lots of other words that just don't describe how great they were. I love music fests because you get to see lots of people, but they aren't as intimate as going to a show dedicated to one band in particular. The Cure made sitting in the field feel like I was at a concert just for them. They played eveything I love. A lot of people left so we got to skooch closer to stage. So I need to post the video I have of them because it was too amazing for words.

Then on the way back to Seattle, we stopped at a produce mart halfway between hear and there which had antiques in the top 3 floors. Found Carol's dining room chairs, but no Carol with us. So Carol and I drove back to mile marker 101 to buy her chairs. And made a quick stop at the Snoqualmie Falls on the way back because hey! they're basically in the backyard.

Michelle also managed to get to visit us lots!!!! before her commitment to Covenant Players ended in June. Shane has been to see us a couple of times as well. Not too much excited on that front.

OK, back to another round of cleaning, but I've made it through a month+ of updating :)