I am so sorry!  As usual I’ve been a slacker on my posts. :(  Here is an update of everything that’s been happening:

My birthday was in November!!  I spent it in Lansing, MI for a Statewide Independent Living Council meeting.  I was appointed to the council in September so this was my first meeting.  My mom traveled with me and we had a blast.  The council paid for our hotel room and provided all of our meals!  The hotel was awesome- we made sure to check out the pool area since we had some down time.  We got there early Thursday evening and I had a meeting until about 8 or 9.  The pool area was gorgeous!  There were pool lifts as well, which is a new regulation that all hotels will need meet.  Check out this photo collage of me going into the hot tub. :)  I can weight bear, but when I’m in a pool I always hang out on the steps because I can’t swim.  The lifts will be a neat alternative since there is a seat belt and I won’t need to block the step area. :)  Another awesome amenity of the hotel was free cookie delivery!!! We got 4 giant cookies and 2 nice cold glasses of milk.  They were so delicious. :)  The next day (my birthday) was really interesting.  I joined a workgroup related to children and family services.  Right now we are working to develop a booklet of resources for families across the state.

The next major thing I’ve been up to is my internship.  I’m managing a Facebook page for a statewide nonprofit’s leadership program.  I’ve been having fun learning about different ways to utilize social media for nonprofits.  It’s unpaid though, so I’ve been keeping an eye on other job postings.

I’ve submitted what seems like a million applications and am finally getting some interviews.  I applied for a research study coordinator position in late December.  One of my old doctors actually knew who was in charge of the study so she helped me connect with her.  I met with them on Jan. 7 and I think it went pretty well.  She was super nice and seemed to really like me.  The main issue is I don’t have any formal clinical research experience.  She is going to interview the other candidates and see what they’re like.  I should know about this specific position by the end of the month.  The other neat thing is she’s keeping an eye out and talking with her colleagues to see if there are any other opportunities for me.  That day was absolutely FREEZING so I had tons of layers on.  It was quite the sight – I wish my mom had snapped a picture.  I had knee-high socks, boots, nice black pants, blue and white leg warmers, a blue tank top, a blue boyfriend style sweater, a huge puffy Northface red coat, a hat, scarf, and two pairs of mittens!!!  Mom helped me take off all my extra layers before I went into the office area for the meeting. :)  I also have an interview this Thursday afternoon for a job closer to home that I’m excited about.  It’s a part-time engagement marketing coordinator for The Henry Ford.  The Henry Ford is a historical attraction that consists of a museum, outdoor village, Imax theatre and more.

Over New Years I unfortunately got sick.  I’m pretty sure I had h1n1, which is going around.  I got my flu shot back in October but I was still miserable.  I was so exhausted and sore from coughing.  I needed to use my ventilator during the day for a day or two because all I wanted to do was sleep. :(  It took about 2 weeks for me to get my energy back.  I’m finally back to being productive during the day.  While sick I watched movies and slept.  :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!