A few pictures from the cruise

Mom, Beth, and I took a cruise in January. We left from Fort Lauderdale and went to Holland America's island off the Bahamas, Aruba, Curacao, Panama, and Costa Rica. We went through the Panama Canal, took a boat through the mangroves in the rainforest, and was even offered pot in Curacao.

How long has it been?

I was reading a friend's blog today. She's been dealing with some health problems and I've thought about her a lot. She's gotten good news so far so I'm hoping for more. I remembered that I started a blog after graduation and forgot all about it!

So.......I'm back.

What I'm doing now:

*Working at Lutheran Social Services as a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Counselor. I have an office in Madison and an office in Janesville. I also co-facilitate a group in Sun Prairie. It's beyond a full time job and I'm beyond lucky to have it.

*I've been seeing Rob since October, 2008. I've been single so long I don't really know how to have a significant other. I'm learning. We have some differing goals but we're hoping to make them work together.

*I'm addicted to Diet Coke. Ok, so this isn't a new one but as I drink a McDonald's Special Recipe Diet Coke at 12:30am, it only feels right to name it and claim it!

*One of my cats, Mali, has been sick and I didn't know it. Turns out she couldn't eat the hard food I've been serving up on the golden platter for years. She has 4 teeth in the back and a few teeny ones in the front. I didn't think she could chew? Hmmm, she got her point across when she couldn't walk one morning. Turns out low potassium can cause muscle weakness. She's doing much better and I'm slowly developing a new way to feed her soft food. Malcolm, my big boy kitty really feels that he's just as deserving to get the food of the gods which makes it hard to feed Mali in the morning and at night without him being a bully. A work in progress.

*It's almost daylight savings time. March 8.......March 8........Sunday, March 8........10 days. I'm not counting.

*I'm addicted to my Blackberry. It's pink, so is it a Pinkberry? I can't put it down, so is it a Crackberry? Katie loves hers just as much, as does Mindy, so I guess maybe, just maybe, our drug of choice is just that.

Mom is renting a hotel...er...hospital room.

So she's back. This is getting beyond sickening for us and really disappointing and paralyzing for her. She was on IV antibiotics for a week and despite telling the doc that oral antibiotics don't work, there she was taking them. Fast forward.......ONE DAY.....the infection returns. Idiots. I mean really. Now it's 3x in the hospital for staph and 1x for surgery. We figured that she's been in the hospital 15 out of the last 25 days. What kind of life is that? I really don't believe that docs give two shits that she's in and out so often or they would've done something before now knowing that she was in the hospital 2x for staph after the surgery in Feb!!

Video of Lake Delton

I have no idea how to upload video so I just included the link. It's pretty incredible to see these images. Mom, Beth and I went up there today and it was truly freaky to see the lake with no water. The areas where all the water went is the most devastated and has road blocks. Pretty crazy sights though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2JbrRGqFWc

Deer

I was driving home from school on Wednesday night last week (the 18th) and saw a woman sitting in her van along the road. She was taking pictures with her cell phone of something in the field. I looked that way and saw a white creature which immediately made me think of someone's dog or a goat. I turned around realizing that she wouldn't be taking pictures of a goat! I pulled out my camera and with the zoom I could see that it was a deer, and it was white. I've been calling it an albino deer but was just reading that there are true white deer. I don't know which one it was but in any case they're both not something I've ever seen in person.

Graduation Pictures

Dad, Me, and Auntie Ruth at El Chapala.

Mom and I at El Chapala. It is seriously the best Mexican restaurant ever!

Kristina and I in the processional waiting to......well........process. I was waving to Caroline and Laura.

What does everyone write on their first post?

Wonder what you'll get when you read this blog. What's happened lately? What I'm doing today? Maybe you've read my facebook? Who knows? In any case, it becomes some sort of creative outlet when I feel like it.

I graduated with a Master's Degree in Counseling on May 17, 2008. I've been working at Lutheran Social Services in Janesville as a Treatment Foster Care Coordinator since March and an In-home Therapist since May.

I took a BIG BIG BIG......did I mention BIG......test on April 12, 2008. Passing the National Counseling Exam would give me the ability to practice as a Nationally Certified Counselor and work toward my 3000 hours to get my Licensed Professional Counselor credential. I'm also on the docket to work toward my Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have a class this summer and next summer for that credential. Confused? Yep, me too.

Oh yeah, so I passed the exam and now have the NCC credential. I am now Sara A. Brandt, MS, NCC, CSW.........and I've paid dearly for every one of those letters so I'm usin' 'em all!!!