Reviews on Items
By Andrea Menzies
My daughter and I painted Halloween pumpkins this week. I was teaching at schools doing pumpkin crafts, and it reminded me it was time to do our own. My pumpkin has the pointy eyes on the right. We like to use paint and markers as it takes longer to spoil.
By Andrea Menzies
I was accepted to a new night school masters in education degree program, and classes start this week. I was at the University of Phoenix, but transferred to a new school this month that costs less money. I took a few refresher courses on medical data entry, and got a job at Kelly Staffing after I passed all drug tests. However the temp work ended earlier this month, and I am back to doing my main focus of an educational master’s degree. I have to verify FAFSA loan papers and registration this week to start classes. It feels good to return to real school work!
By Andrea Menzies
Halloween is great for dancing parties for people of all ages. I am dusting off my dance trophies I won from dance school competitions when I was a teenager in anticipation of fun Halloween dancing.
Dancing helped me escape stress enough to graduate high school on the honors program, and to graduate University. I am happy a dancing part of the year has hit again.
By Andrea Menzies
This cartoon is too true in 2025. Plans for Halloween activities in DC areas now have to balance around troops everywhere.
By Andrea Menzies
Today is my birthday, and my watch became a cake picture! Thanks in advance for the birthday well wishes!
By Andrea Menzies
The temporary work I got with Kelly Staffing was over faster than I thought, and now I am back to teaching again. I forgot one of the reasons I quit pursuing temp work employment is they often promise far more employment time and money than they can deliver to employees. It is almost my birthday, and having free time to plan a good party with balloons turns out to be the most valuable use of my time. I did make some extra money from the job, and now I can go to extra Halloween activities far from the horrible place that is called Virginia. It is my every dream and goal to move far away from the Virginia area.
By Andrea Menzies
I got a new job plus started this week! I already have a medical assisting certification with Excel and typing from years ago, and was taking light refresher courses in that subject online. In addition I have a University degree, and employment services verified both this month and got me a new job. My other job was not giving me enough work or hours, and I was glad for the upgrade. The job economy is really rough right now, but there are still a few opportunities out there particularly in healthcare jobs. I am so happy the change worked out.
By Andrea Menzies
This week I had a fight with teacher HR as it marks the 3rd month I had no pay at all. My daughter has a birthday this week I had to borrow gift money. I have been working for days since August, and they are not going to pay me until October 1st. They did not answer my first 8 emails or calls. They do not do this to permanent teachers, and it is just one of the nightmares they inflict on subs. I officially put in applications for hundreds of jobs after getting off the phone. Some jobs pay you weekly, and this one pays you if and when they feel like it maybe someday. How can you pay rent with that? When they did this stuff around the time of the pandemic they had an excuse, but they are still doing it yet they don’t have an excuse anymore.
By Andrea Menzies
I am still saving my change in the piggy bank for a move far from Virginia. I managed to switch away from the horrible job assignment I worked at Bird High where a kid was bleeding all over his desk, and they refused to report it or move him. I managed not to get hit by ear blood, but it was a near miss. I had just freshly watched the blood-born pathogen video. One of the reasons they make teachers watch it every year is because blood is an issue in classrooms, and even smart co-workers have made mistakes with it. The whole thing makes me want to move very far from Virginia. I never had issues with co-workers refusing to obey regulations in Texas schools when I taught there for years. Every tiny thing is a living nightmare for me since I was dragged to the state I hate called Virginia. I should have never let my family talk me into the move it has been a horrible experience every day.
