Beginning.

I, officially, have one more week of summer vacation.

No, that doesn't mean I'm enrolling in school again.

Instead, I was offered, and accepted, a position at a local company.
It's a full-time, "grown-up" job, replete with health benefits, 401(k), and PTO.
(And here I was prepared to steal a position from a high schooler at a fast food joint!)

I have four weeks of training starting on August 13th, followed by a two-week period known as "nesting." Then I will be able to bid for the schedule I want.

It is going to be so nice to have income again. And health benefits. (...though I did just renew my non-insurance discount health card.)

I can start to pay my student loans again. (And avoid those damnable collection calls!)
I can start to pay the phone bill. (Huzzah!)
I can start to SAVE SOME MONEY. (That's a biggie. I have goals, after all!)
I can stop worrying about what I would do if something unexpected happened to Bailey.

Speaking of Bailey, she has been in my life for five months today: it was March 4th that I brought her little fuzzy butt home. Nothing has been the same since. (And I wouldn't have it any other way.)
We had to make an unexpected vet visit today. One of her internal sutures from her spay is still sticking out and she's been acting like the site is sore. (She doesn't like me looking at it when I pet her belly.) The vet confirmed that everything is fine, though, and advised to 'just keep an eye on it.'
Little Miss Fuzzy now weighs 39 lbs, but the vet said that at seven months old, she is over halfway done with her growing. She should add on only a few more inches (up to 4) to her height but now comes the time when she puts on muscle. That's a little frightening, considering that she can already pull me pretty successfully when she sets her mind on something while we're out walking.

...now just to get Jacob employed...