I was just checking out some of the new discussions and reading blogs. I haven't had a chance to catch up in a while. It has been a long winter. I whine about ice & snow & cold weather, yet we have been lucky in our area to have had no more of Mother Nature's wrath than we have. I can't imagine what the folks in KY and other areas have gone through. I know I am not the only one ready for spring. At least the daylight hours are longer these lately. I noticed crocus poking through the snow on campus the other day. The few days that the temperatures were in the 40s & 50s a week or so ago made me want more of course.

My family and I have passed several different ailments around. There are 4 of us living in a house with one bathroom. It seems that one of us never quite finishes with one "germ passing" mess until another comes down with it. Being around people is necessary going to school & working in the public. Even with trying to be careful, spraying Lysol, using hand sanitizer and generally trying to take care of yourself, the "no see 'ums" will get you.

A friend of ours passed the other day. She had been on life supports since she suffered a massive stroke the day after Christmas. That same day we got news that our neighbor who I babysat with their children in my teens has terminal cancer. I told my daughter that I spend too much time whining & moaning about the negative issues going on in my life and not enough time counting my blessings.

I've been @ my job for over 20 years. They have decided to "reorganize" our institution. It seems like a lot to deal with because I don't know exactly what my job is going to be in the next year but I am thankful that I do have a job that is changing but is also dependable. I have benefits. My husband is in poor health so that is definitely a must. I can't imagine job hunting @ my age. Things are a bit stressful but it will all work out eventually.

We haven't had a lot going on at the department lately. We decided to install security cameras. Pretty much everyone was on board with that. A few people had some negative reactions but the $600.00 we spent on the system, had we invested a couple of years ago when we first talked about it may have saved us several thousands of dollars in equipment that walked away.

I am fighting a cold this week. The other morning when I was chilling & had a temperature we had a call. I tried to listen on the radio but kept losing it since it was 05:00 and I was full of cold medicine. This is the report from the local news site:

http://www.wsaz.com/newsohio/headlines/40083227.html

From what I could tell, the road was a mess, it was icy and they couldn't get the fire truck into the scene. It didn't sound like there was much left of the camper anyway. The man living there had walked out to a neighbor's house to report the fire even though he was burned and seriously injured.

My heart goes out to the friends and family of Justin Dunn and to those in Nicholas County, WV where two of our bravest lost their lives this week. Dieing is the easy part. Surviving the loss of someone you care for and/or respect is often the challenge.

Until a better day

Jen