kerala: All very true. Which is why I'm leaning toward the Master's in Library Science degree. The job market is still tight, but library positions seem far more plentiful than tenure-track teaching positions at universities. Plus, I'm not big on having 100's of papers to grade either.

My original plans were to get my teaching credential after my MFA and teach high school. Those plans got derailed when my state (CA) suffered a massive budget nightmare and decided to take it out on public education. I don't even know how many 1000's of teachers were laid off in CA last year, and this year isn't looking much better. I actually don't want to stay in CA, but teaching credentials are state-specific, so it's very hard to prepare to teach in one state while living in another. And, I don't know how education jobs are doing in other states. I just know it's terrible here and likely to get worse.

The library degree I'm looking at is entirely online, so I could do it here at home. I would probably have to relocate to get a librarian job as well, but since I HATE where I live right now, that is more than perfectly fine with me.

That sounds great writer1. I apologize if my message came off as too negative.

A huge benefit to the librarian credentials is that you have many more employment opportunities, of course.

I've been reading your thread for a while, and I hope things go well for you.

kerala: Thanks. I didn't think your post sounded negative, just realistic. I'm trying to find an area that interests me and matches my talents and abilities and will still help pay the bills. I guess that's a challenge we all face.

You're never too old till you're cold! That's all I've got.

Amen to that!!!

Again, Amen!
I am now 41 (as of today) and I am pregnant with my 2nd biological child. When my baby is born, I will be Mom to 4 kids!

Life is MUCH better after 40!!! LOL

Writer, if you need someone to......approve your manuscript, I know this music teacher who would LOVE to read it

You're right about a novel. It's like a whole other universe. There is self-publishing....if you have a few thousand dollars lying around (I don't!) But since you are an English person, you probably have the same skepticism about that as I do. But keep writing, keep sending, over and over. It can happen.

Full time school + Full time work + 3 kids, yea that would be tuff.

However, full time School, then full time job + 3 kids is do-able.

Look, here is the thing.
I am probably letting my personnel experience with other people cloud my opinion. I know several people who sound just like you, that�s not to say you and they are the same, it's just what I am reading from you reminds me of the things they say.

Understand, I am not trying to upset or insult you. I just want you to think about a good career/job and reaching for attainable goals. It would be a shame for you to reach 60, and feel the same way about your life.

I hope it's a smash hit. Makes the NY Times #1 best seller for 2 years running and earns you MILLIONS, and leads to more books that make you the most famous author ever!!!


But


What if you cant get it published?
Or it fails to sell?

What then? What is your backup plan?

Bahhh

My article was 2 whole pages with 5 Full Color photographs of one of my own vehicles.


Unimportant!
For deep water you get SCUBA gear and a rope to climb back up to the boat. For shallow water (2 to 3 feet) you just use a snorkel and a mask, when you want out, just stand up.

Gack: Backup plan right now is looking like going for the Master's in Library Science, since backup plan #1, teaching high school, isn't looking so hot at the moment considering the amount of teacher layoffs I've read about and personally known in the past two years. I think I like the idea of working in a library more anyway. I have teaching experience, but it wasn't the most enjoyable thing I've ever done. Now, I realize that I have 5 kids, and I love them all dearly, but I'm not all that big on children in general, and I especially don't enjoy teenagers.

Teaching credential and Library Science degree take about the same amount of time to complete and cost about the same. The good thing about the library degree is that it would not be state specific, like a teaching credential would, so I could get a job just about anywhere.

Lurioosi: The novel isn't quite ready to show anyone yet, but I'll let you know when I get there. So far, only my MFA advisors have seen it. Well, my writing group has seen parts of it, but not the whole thing.

No, I don't think too highly of self-publishing and do not want to go that route. I've heard too many horror stories, and since, at any given time, I only have about $10 to my name, it wouldn't be an option anyway.

I'm doing it the old-fashioned way and searching for an agent. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.

Make sure the editor is good. I got taken for a ride on that one. And mine will probably never be a best-seller. But I know more what to do now, so the sequel......

And I take comfort in this - J. K. Rowling wrote her first HP book on napkins, and Stephen King was rejected about 50 times before he published. And look at them! So if I write a novel about a possesed car that can cast spells I should be set!

Writer, how are things?

Also, have you ever thought about training for a job at a tech school? "Medical assistant" seems to be a hot one right now.

They're going. Not great, but they're going.

I was actually looking at a medical sonography program at my local community college, training to be an ultrasound tech. Problem is, the program is still going through the accreditation process, and I'm very reluctant to start a program that's not currently accredited, especially in a field that requires graduation from an accredited program in order to qualify for a license.

My area is pretty rural, and there aren't a lot of schools to choose from unless you want to drive great distances.

How about a mostly online program from an accredited university in a larger city?

It's difficult to find something in the medical field that's entirely online, due to the skills needed for the job. Medical assisting (front office only) might be a possibility because there are no real technical skills needed for that.

The Master's in Library Science program that I'm considering is entirely online.

Hi Writer,
It appears that thread got locked or something right after you posted to me asking how I was in recovery. The short answer: "I'm not in recovery." Hence the reason for no threads from me in recovery forum. I'm sure impressed with all of you who have made it, though!

Sorry about the confusion. How long has it been since your D-day? Has your WH gone NC with the OW?

I don't think my R really started until we finally went NC with the OM in early Sept. It was a difficult situation with an OC involved, but things have been steadily improving in my M since we went completely NC.

Hi writer- we are in what Harley calls a stalled recovery. Not making any forward progress. I don't remember the exact NC day anymore but it's been more than 3 years. The girl (and she is a girl in my eyes) lives in another state. She had moved to my city while (puking noise) on summer vacation from college--to rekindle after a false recovery. It's all pretty gross. If you look back on my posts from 2005 2006, you'll see a long, protracted story, with a whole lot of pain inflicted by my FWH. No, he's not having an A now, who knows if he ever will again. He definitely prefers the mindset and bodies of the 20-something set. Even listens to their crappy music and wears Jon Gosselin shirts. He's hopeless IMO.
But I won't divorce him because I don't want one of those skanks raising my kids. And he would get at least half, maybe primary custody, if he fought me.
So yeah, stalled recovery is about where I am. Hence, no real active threads for my sitch.

IMA: I'm terribly sorry. It sounds like a very difficult situation to deal with.

I know all about long term problems, since my H spent 10 years of our M in a (mostly) EA with his ex-girlfriend. I came to the point where I just accepted the fact that this woman would always be a part of our lives and our M and there was nothing I could do about it. I could divorce my H or I could accept her presence. Most of that time, my H spent trying to convince me they were "just friends" and that all of us could be friends. We went over to her house all the time. Our kids played together. And all this time, there continued to be "incidents" where my H messed up and crossed the line over and over again. They would spend hours on the phone talking about the "problems" in their respective M's. Yeah, I was angry all the time, which made my H unhappy, so he turned to her and complained about it. He never seemed to get that this OW WAS the problem in our M.

Even after an incident about 5 years ago where their EA came close to becoming a full-blown PA and my H "ended" contact with her, she's resurfaced several times. She's called him and emailed him a few times. We ran into her in the mall and she later came over to our house. She gave me a half-hearted apology about how sorry she was if "she'd ever done anything to upset me." Like being in love with my H for the first 10 years of my M and doing countless inappropriate things with him over the years wasn't supposed to be upsetting.

When we found the MB site, my H finally wrote her an official NC letter. This was in Sept. when I also wrote the OM a NC letter. We haven't heard from her since, but everyday, I wonder when she'll show back up in our lives again. She only lives 20 minutes away. It's bound to happen. I still have a hard time thinking she'll ever really go away for good.

My sitch is very different from yours, of course. I guess all A's have long-term consequences. Maybe it never really goes away entirely. I just take it one day at a time.

Yeah, we all come with our baggage. The good thing is that the MB forumteers really helped me through some incredibly difficult times.(H called family services on the advice of his lawyer to try to get me labeled as an unfit mom, he took my kids to Disney with the OW, who was pretending to be my BIL's GF, vomit). Melody, Pep, the Wonderings, Believer, Mulan, Our House, and so many others have been so helpful.
Funny thing: My H has read three Harley books and counseled with Steve on at least two occasions. But the privacy/secrecy thing is a deal-breaker for him. Too bad it's a deal-breaker for me, too.
Do you remember the Dr. Suess story about the Zax? That's us.

In fact, maybe I'll change my status to say "read Dr. Suess's The Zax"