Life, it is a'changin' -- The Final Chapter

Well, we headed on home with the thought and expectation that our lives were about to change. We just had no clue how much they were about to change.

We arrived home on Sunday and went back to life as usual on Monday morning. Tuesday B was called in to discuss a situation at the hospital with her nurse manager. Thursday we found out that she was being terminated. I hesitate to say anything more in detail about the situation because as of now we are still in process of a grievance filed on our behalf. The Oregon Nurses Association has come alongside us and helped us through this process and I want to extend props to them and the representative that has walked us through this whole thing. The long and short of it is that B made a mistake, which she has readily admitted, that did not endanger her patients or anyone else. She has been cooperative throughout the entire ordeal except in those instances where her good name and reputation have been smeared unnecessarily. What it came down to on the management's side was a political and staffing decision. Instead of correcting the mistakes of a recently graduated nurse who had only been working for 6 months and showed great professional promise, they chose to take the coward's way out and place their own management mistakes on the back of someone who made themselves an easy target, namely my wife.

Yes, yes. There is a little venom still present on my part. The whole situation is hard to swallow and we're still awaiting the outcome of the whole thing.

Suffice it to say that the week taken as a whole, from Saturday to Saturday, was a little surreal. We felt like a pair of dice that had been shaken up quite vigorously and thrown out on the hard, slate and felt-topped table. Thanks to God first and my wonderful wife second that we ended up 7's. Just as a glimpse of what I mean: I came home on Thursday (knowing already that B had been terminated) and found her on the couch re-vamping her resume and talking about job opportunities in Crescent City (CC). That's just the type of woman she is.

So our plans changed in the matter of a week from living in Portland long term to moving to Grants Pass to take care of Gpa to moving to CC and starting a whole new life there.

Things were still slightly up in the air because we (the family) had yet to see what Gpa wanted to do. He went on a road trip with my folks up through Oregon to Portland and then over to Boise, ID where my aunt and uncle live. During this time there were a lot of conversations about what Gpa wanted to do, where he wanted to live, what he saw his life being from this point forward. In the end he wanted to stay in CC, his home. He's comfortable here, his friends are here, and he thinks CC is the best place on earth, Eden, as it were. "The weather's not too hot and not too cold."

So the decision was made final a few weeks later. To the greater extent I guess. There was the obstacle of jobs. For myself, I was already planning on pursuing my financial services career full-time. This allows me to go anywhere and take my business with me. As challenging as it is and will be I believe that somehow this fits into The Plan if there is one and if not, then it is truly a blessing from God that He's given for me to use as a tool to accomplish His purposes and to allow our lives to glorify Him.

The kicker was B's job. She started the process of job applications and interviews along with getting her CA nursing license. All of those things came together in their time and she ended up with a great job as a nurse in the OB department here at Sutter Coast Hospital. Since having continuous health insurance coverage was a concern of ours B moved down (sort of) at the beginning of June and began work in CC. I remained in Portland and continued to work my job at Classic Sash & Door until the last day of June. B would come up during her seven days off between her shifts and we would pack the house and get things wrapped up in Portland and our apartment there.

Slowly over the months of April, May, & June things came together. We found a place to live in CC. B's job came together and was working out wonderfully. Loose ends were being tied up in Portland. Gpa was getting on OK.

Finally the week arrived. I took the first week of July off and finished packing and getting ready to move. Saturday the 7th rolled around and the truck was packed, the apartment cleaned, the Passport loaded onto the car trailer, and I pulled onto the road at 11:30 AM, roughly 4 hours later than I wanted to leave. But it all worked out. I made good time and arrived about 6 1/2 hours later, greeted by quite a few good folks from the local church to help unload. B was unfortunately working that weekend so she was unable to help with the move itself. That's OK though, I'll cut my sugar-momma some slack :-).

So that's it. Here we are in Crescent City, CA living life and trying to figure it out the best we can. The pieces have all changed but they are finally in place. We just have to figure out how they all fit together. Life, it is a'changin. Still.

the MK