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July 27, 2003

I think Eli helped me make up my mind the other day.

I haven't been sure what I will do when I leave here, retire or take one more duty station. I have twenty years in this November first but I have to stay put for the whole tour (three years), which will make it almost 22 years before I am able to retire. No problem, life is not exactly rough living in Europe (now that things have calmed a bit). But taking one more duty station will allow me to get reestablished in the States, specifically Illinois. I was considering teaching Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes. It would be fitting to return to the place where I started, to teach a new crop of Corpsmen who might in turn become me (well a facsimilie anyway). The boys and I talk frequently about what we will do when we leave here. In the car the other day, Eli said "I want you to retire so I don't have to worry about you going to war anymore". Ulp. Ummmm yep me too.

So I started looking around the internet and even emailed a realtor! Of course, buying anything is still a long way off but there is <a href="http://www.southernillinoisproperties.com/content/searchresult.html?search_by=countylist&proptype=*&minprice=100000&maxprice=175000&bed=&full=&citylist=IL+ANNA%2CIL+CARBONDALE%2CIL+COBDEN%2CIL+HERRIN%2CIL+MAKANDA&county=&state=">quite a bit to be had</a>, and at the right price too, I might add. Click on the link to see a few of the properties that caught my interest. They won't be there in a year of course, but it gives me a rough idea of what is reality. The earliest I would buy property would be next summer. That would give me a year or less to get my act together. I am excited. I will be a first time home owner and I am really nervous. Everyone else seems to do okay is what I keep telling myself but whoooaaa boy is that a butt load of money.

Okay, so property is one thing but what about work? The picture is very, very bleak when it comes to anything approaching midwifery services or alternative birthing. Ugh. That is okay, I have been plannning to get out of nursing altogether and was only going to use my RN for a stopgap job until I found something more suitable for me. I am looking into massage therapy. The catch is that I only want to work a day or two a week. Working as an RN would easily make that possible even with a hefty mortgage payment. I am looking into <a href="http://www.memorialhospitalofcarbondale.org/home.nsf/content/CareerOpportunities?OpenDocument&type=mhc">a hospital in Carbondale</a>. They have a labor and delivery floor there. All of the other hospitals apparently don't. Looks like geriatrics is very big around Southern Illinois. Hmmm. Might consider.

Anyway, just thinking aloud. Two years and three months to go!

We went to a really cool place yesterday, <a href="http://www.bestofsicily.com/taormina.htm">Taormina</a>. It is a major European tourist spot here in Sicily. I went specifically to see the Greek ampitheater and I was truly not disappointed. I cannot wait for the pictures to come back but in the meantime, here are a couple of <a href="http://www.taormina.it/">websites</a>. The ampitheater is actually used as a public venue for concerts and plays. As a matter of fact, Macbeth played there yesterday. Can you imagine watching Shakespeare in a 2300 year old ampitheater?!!!! (I know you aren't supposed to use more than one exclamation point but trust me, this warrants it!!!!). Brittany Spears flashed her ass there last month, Elton John and Simply Red were there this month. Very bizarre.

Posted by DebC at July 27, 2003 11:19 PM

Comments

Posted by: MOM at July 27, 2003 11:42 PM