Kylie

Thanks everyone who commented on my last post. 

I have done some thinking and some research.  I have decided not to pursue the DBA angle for a number of reasons.  As a few people pointed out I don't think I would like it very much as a job.  I've also had a look at some notes from the Oracle course, and given I don't have a nice big server and Oracle database to play around with, I think it would be very hard to teach myself.  I suspect even paying money to do the Oracle course would be a bit of a waste of time if I was aiming for certification, given I don't have an environment to work in to practice.

Given all this I have decided to try and learn Java.  There seem to be some excellent resources available to allow people to learn Java with a view to passing the certification exam.  Unlike Oracle DBA training, I am going to be able to work through a course like that using the resources that I have.

I have decided to put Norah in full-time daycare for two weeks and devote my time to learning Java, with a view to getting to a level where I can take the certification exam.  I suspect two weeks might not be enough, but at the end of it at least I will have an idea of how much more I need to do. 

Thanks for the feedback on my last post - it was much appreciated and was a great help in getting me to this decision.  Thanks also to the people I talked to in person.

Ath - I might take you up on that Java work!  But let me learn the language a bit first :)

Dear Lazyweb,

Looking for some advice here.

I have been looking for full-time work in my area for nearly a year now with no success.  It seems PL/SQL developers are not as in demand as they once were.  Given that I think it is probably time to do some training and acquire some new skills.

Watching the job adverts has given me some hints as to skills that are in demand with PL/SQL.  The obvious ones seem to be Java and DBA skills.  There is an Oracle DBA course running in Perth in a couple of weeks, and  I am considering going.  Trouble is, it's pretty expensive (nearly $5000).  I want to be sure it is a good thing to do before I invest that much money.  Do any IT people out there have opinions on this?  Is doing just a course likely to get me work, or do I need experience too?

I'm not even sure I want to go down the database admin path as a career.  I love development work.  So maybe the Java would be a better option for me.  I have been meaning to train myself up in Java, but I'm useless at that.  I'd rather a structured course where I was taught.  Anyone go any recommendations for Java training?  And opinions on going that way as a career path?

Thanks in advance.

Love,
Me

I want to put a book order in before the end of the month when the current catalog finishes. 

If anyone else would like to order any books I am offering 10% off any books that are still available and are not in the new catalog.  Current catalog is here: http://www.totallearning.ws/catalogue/.  Contact me for a list of books not in the new catalogue that are still available.  Feel free to contact me with any other orders!!

Gina, do you still want to have a party in early September for your playgroup?  I will have the new catalogues by early next week if you wanted to take some along and show them around.

Norah at two and a half:




So cute!  I will write more about her (and about life in general) when I am not so tired.

Today Norah drew her first recognisable thing.  It was a jellyfish with a lovely blobby body and long tentacles and two eyes.  I was most impressed!

She has also been "writing".  Doing zigzag scribbles that look a bit like writing.  She even got them mostly between the lines on ordinary lined paper.  Clever girl :)

To launch my new career as a children's book salesperson I am having two morning teas to display my wares.  They will both be held at my place.

When:  Sunday 28th of June and Saturday 11th of July at 10am
What:   Morning tea and books!

Please come along and say hi, have a cuppa and a snack, and maybe buy some books!

Does anyone have a thin-walled 5.5mm nut driver I could borrow?  I need to open up my keyboard for some cleaning and maintenance.

Yesterday
- I took Norah to playgroup.
- I chased up a job.  I failed to get an agent to return my call.
- I booked a removalist for a quote.
- I chose a design for my square in the wedding quilt and cut it out.

Today
- I took the car to be serviced.
- I appliqued the design I had chosen to the quilt block.  Then I did it again because I stuffed up the first one.
- I chased up the same job and the agent once again failed to return my call.
- I emailed following up another job.
- I collected the car.
- I practiced dancing.
- I crocheted most of another square.  Number 18?

Tonight I had to go out a little before Norah's bedtime, so I let her babysitter read her the bedtime stories and put her to bed.  Norah was a little upset by this, but calmed down pretty quickly.  She was so tired that after the last story she asked to be put to bed.

This was the first time anyone other than me has put her to bed at night.

*wipes away a little tear*

Sunday I crocheted squares 15 and 16.  Not a productive day.  But I caught up with friends and that was nice.

Monday -

- Prepared my application to allow more money to be withdrawn from my mortgage fund on hardship grounds.
- Crocheted square 17 of 30.
- Did a pilates class.
- Had a serious talk with someone who had upset me.

Today I

- Handed in my hardship application.
- Talked about some important stuff in my life with a friend.
- Did a very basic grocery shop.
- Did a private dance class and fixed some bad faults in my dancing.

Yesterday I
- Took Norah to her swimming lesson.
- Swam laps for 30 minutes.
- Crocheted square 14 of 30.
- Did a load of washing.

Today I
- Took Norah to the park to play, which failed to tire her out enough to nap during the day.
- Poisoned the ants.
- Put away the washing from yesterday.
- Did a load of washing.
- Did a load of handwashing.
- Cleaned the rug.
- Did some serious thinking about where life is going and some choices I should make before they are made for me.

In a bid to stop sitting at home watching my savings dwindle I have signed up with a party plan business.  As of today I am a Total Learning consultant, and will be holding parties selling children's books.

I have been to these parties before, and there is a really good range of books.  If you host a party you get between 10% and 20% of the total sales to spend on books.  I will be holding my launch party on Sunday the 21st of June in the morning.  Invitations will go out soon.  Keep it free!

I will of course be looking for people to host parties for me!  Here is a link to their catalogue - http://www.totallearning.ws/catalogue.php.  Have a browse and if you think you'd like some of these books for free and have friends who might buy them, drop me an email and we can talk dates and times!

I am a bit nervous about this.  It's very different from anything I've ever done before, but as most people out there will know I am pretty passionate about children's books, so it suits me much better than, say Tupperware :-)  And it feels good to be doing something about earning money.  My financial planner assures me that the fund will release some more of my money, but the fact that they haven't so far does not make me happy.

Today I

- Cleaned the entired house.
- Brushed the cobwebs off the ceiling.
- Changed the blown light globes.
- Fixed the fallen off hook in the laundry.
- Changed the sheets.
- Filed papers.
- Booked the car in for a service.
- Did banking.
- Chased up what's happening with my frozen funds.
- Donated to GUFF.
- Left feedback on eBay.
- Replied to a heap of email.
- Arrange to host a lingerie party.
- Chased up some potential work.
- Cleared out my facebook requests.
- Signed up to be a party plan consultant.
- Crocheted square 13 of 30.

Failed to sew :(  Maybe over the weekend.

Is there anyone out there who is an RAC member who does not want to own a heat pump hot water system?  The RAC is running a competition for a member to win one, and I am hoping there might be people out there who wouldn't mind entering and donating the prize to me if they win!  I would arrange posting entries etc. 

If you are an RAC member and do want a heat pump hot water system - move along, nothing to see here :-)

This is things I achieved.  It does contain a bit of the minutae of everyday life, but it's more that "I got up.  I had breakfast."  The purpose is to spur me to achieve things and let me to have the satisfaction of recording that I have done so.  If people hate that enough I can always make these private posts.

Today I -

- Took Norah to playgroup and got their agreement to hold a lingerie party there for callistra .
- Installed the new door handle.
- Tidied Norah's room.
- Swept all the crap off the floor.  Twice.
- Did a load of washing.
- Lindy Hop class.
- Made enquires about a home business.
- Crocheted square 12 of 30.

Today I -

Did a grocery shop.
Did my physio stretches.
Brought a load of washing in and put it away.
Put down all the blinds around the verandah.
Picked up the replacement door handle I'd ordered.
Crocheted a square (11 of 30).
Practiced rockabilly dancing.

It's interesting to look back on the last time I recorded my daily achievements.  I stopped about this time last year.  At this time last year I had been doing a lot of weeding.  I haven't needed to this year.  Goes to show how dry it's been.

I have not been posting much recently.  I have decided to go back to posting things I have achieved daily.  Because sometimes I don't seem to be achieving much, either!

Today I
- Took Norah for a walk to the shops and the park.
- Finished crocheting a square.
- Swept 3/4 of the yard.
- Disposed of the dead rat near the washing line.

Today Norah swam unassisted by me for the first time.  With the aid of a flotation device!  But I wasn't hanging on to it or her.  It was one of the excercises at her swimming class where they have their arms over a pool noodle and kick along to get toys.  I was very nervous, but so proud of her!

She can also pretty much count to ten by herself.  The numbers still get mixed up occasionally, and she likes to count with me.

The talking is brilliant.  It's hard to stop her!  Takes after her father, that one :)  She's still expanding her vocab, but she's understandable to people other than me, talks in complete sentences, and is picking up new words and phrases all the time.  Better start watching what I say :)

Yesterday I was sitting on a couch talking to callistra  and Norah came up to me and said "I love you."

I think she might have been trying to get my attention.  It worked!

It made me a very happy mummy of course.  Then she said it again today and gave me a big hug too!

Happy mothers' day to all the mums out there.  Hope your little ones give you as much joy as mine gives me.