Here are the rules:
1) Go to your photo files…Select the 6th photo folder
2) Select the 6th photo in that folder
3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.
4) Then challenge 5 blog friends to do the same!
***Anyone up for a challenge***
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Taking Jenny's photo challenge...
This is Daniel on our friends' Hughey and Leanne's horse. We went to see the pigs, but as always the kids had to ride the horses.
Here are the rules:
1) Go to your photo files…Select the 6th photo folder
2) Select the 6th photo in that folder
3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.
4) Then challenge 5 blog friends to do the same!
***Anyone up for a challenge***
Here are the rules:
1) Go to your photo files…Select the 6th photo folder
2) Select the 6th photo in that folder
3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.
4) Then challenge 5 blog friends to do the same!
***Anyone up for a challenge***
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Scooby Doo has come to play!
His name isn't really Scooby Doo, his name is Junior. He's a black lab that lives two doors down. Nope, not in Jenny's direction, but Hanna and Daniel's friend Shea's dog. Well, her step-dad's dog. They've gone on vacation and asked us to take care of the big dope. He's every bit as big as Callie, but much more goofy. I equate him to Scooby Doo. I couldn't help but think how lonely he must get down there, by himself all day, so I've started going to get him in the evenings and bringing him down to my house to play with my dogs. They get along well, as long as we don't let him inside. First he's just too crazy to come in my house, and second, Annie gets very aggressive with him in the house. She apparently doesn't like him inside. Callie only expressed her opinion when he jumped up on my arm, when we were outside. She gave him a big bark, which seemed to communicate to him, "Get off my mom!" I never really truly appreciated how well my dogs are trained, until trying to walk a dog as big as Callie that isn't well trained. I do not like a large dog jerking me down the sidewalk. If I had more time, and it wasn't quite so hot, Junior and I would have some one on one time, and I'd educate the big dope on the appropriate way to behave on a leash!
Today, after our usual church outing, John and I and the kids went to our sister church's service in Keystone Heights. Our Pastor and my brother in law Mike are serving there as their Pastor and Staff Minister. They needed someone to look at the lights in their fellowship hall, and somehow John's name came up. Since I played during our church service this morning, and we didn't have time to drop off my viola before going to Keystone, I asked Pastor if he thought they would mind if I also played down there. They were very welcoming to the idea. I'm not sure if the gentleman that John was working with knew his mother from past, or if he's just a friendly guy, but when we walked in, he threw his arms around her and greeted her. "Hey Judy, it's so great to see you!" I thought, okay, he's a Lutheran from the area, she most likely knows him. Then he came in my direction, "Hi, it's so great to have you join us, and play for us!" He also wrapped his arms around me, and gave me a big hug. I introduced myself, since he was so welcoming, and he explained that Pastor had told them I'd intended to play. After the church service, my children were carrying a ziplock bag filled with blueberries. There was an elderly, german lady giving blueberries to everyone. Daniel was soon out on the playground, and was yelling at a little boy on the swingset with him, "Don't eat my blueberries!!!" I explained to him, those were the boy's, ours were with my purse. This boy's grandfather then joined us, and thanked me again for playing, once he and John were done in the fellowship hall discussing what needs to happen with the lights in there. Roger Buz, began telling me how he's been playing violin, and learning to fiddle. It is his lifetime dream to one day be able to repair violins. He then started telling me proudly about his daughter, who "fiddles" and plays in a country band, often touring with none other than Allison Kraus. He told me how his daughter writes all her songs, and his favorite being, "Dancing on Daddy's feet", and a few others, and that she writes the music, and plays the fiddle, and sings the songs. Of course, he then told me to walk with him to his truck, where he pulled out a new copy of her latest cd. She is currently living in Nashville, TN, and hosting a show on RFD TV. We got into conversation about fiddling, and the dances at O'leno, which he was quite familiar with, then he told me about the Fiddlin Association gatherings, and then said, we should get together and fiddle. I explained that I believe fiddling is completely different, but something I'd love to learn to do. To which he suggested, we should set a date, and get together, and the kids could come out to his property and swim in the lake, and we could make a "play date" out of it! I'm looking forward to future visits out to Keystone Heights, and getting to know Roger Buz, and our other Lutheran brothers and sisters not so far away!
Today, after our usual church outing, John and I and the kids went to our sister church's service in Keystone Heights. Our Pastor and my brother in law Mike are serving there as their Pastor and Staff Minister. They needed someone to look at the lights in their fellowship hall, and somehow John's name came up. Since I played during our church service this morning, and we didn't have time to drop off my viola before going to Keystone, I asked Pastor if he thought they would mind if I also played down there. They were very welcoming to the idea. I'm not sure if the gentleman that John was working with knew his mother from past, or if he's just a friendly guy, but when we walked in, he threw his arms around her and greeted her. "Hey Judy, it's so great to see you!" I thought, okay, he's a Lutheran from the area, she most likely knows him. Then he came in my direction, "Hi, it's so great to have you join us, and play for us!" He also wrapped his arms around me, and gave me a big hug. I introduced myself, since he was so welcoming, and he explained that Pastor had told them I'd intended to play. After the church service, my children were carrying a ziplock bag filled with blueberries. There was an elderly, german lady giving blueberries to everyone. Daniel was soon out on the playground, and was yelling at a little boy on the swingset with him, "Don't eat my blueberries!!!" I explained to him, those were the boy's, ours were with my purse. This boy's grandfather then joined us, and thanked me again for playing, once he and John were done in the fellowship hall discussing what needs to happen with the lights in there. Roger Buz, began telling me how he's been playing violin, and learning to fiddle. It is his lifetime dream to one day be able to repair violins. He then started telling me proudly about his daughter, who "fiddles" and plays in a country band, often touring with none other than Allison Kraus. He told me how his daughter writes all her songs, and his favorite being, "Dancing on Daddy's feet", and a few others, and that she writes the music, and plays the fiddle, and sings the songs. Of course, he then told me to walk with him to his truck, where he pulled out a new copy of her latest cd. She is currently living in Nashville, TN, and hosting a show on RFD TV. We got into conversation about fiddling, and the dances at O'leno, which he was quite familiar with, then he told me about the Fiddlin Association gatherings, and then said, we should get together and fiddle. I explained that I believe fiddling is completely different, but something I'd love to learn to do. To which he suggested, we should set a date, and get together, and the kids could come out to his property and swim in the lake, and we could make a "play date" out of it! I'm looking forward to future visits out to Keystone Heights, and getting to know Roger Buz, and our other Lutheran brothers and sisters not so far away!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Restriction is just that!
My precious, innocent boy is on restriction! He has taken up the bad habit of biting his sister, and the great offense took place again this morning. I think Hanna has cornered him so many times, his only defense is to bite. In any case, it's not acceptable! John told him earlier in the week, the next time he bites, he will spend the rest of the day in his room. Of course, he had to do it early this morning, so it's going to be a LONG day in his room. I was just outside cleaning the pool, and checking it's chemical balance, and Hanna came out to chat with me. During that time, Daniel came out to ask if he could come outside. I replied, "Nope, you're on restriction in your room. Go back to your room." He stood there, and pleaded, "But I don't want to be in my room all day." I explained again, "Daddy said, next time you bite, you spend the whole rest of the day in your room, and that's where you'll be!" It's really not fair, that I had to lay down the law, and John is off visiting with his mother this afternoon, and I have to be the sheriff! Feels like I'm restricted too! No fair!
I'm beginning to think I should just put him in a padded room, or make him wear one of those blow up sumo wrestler costumes. He's still wearing a bandage on his leg from the ice cream dish, but I think that might be about ready to come off this weekend. Yesterday, they were goofing around, and Hanna picked him up and dropped him on his head. When she dropped him, he bit his tongue in two places. The day before, she picked him up, lost her balance, and plowed his head into the only corner on my kitchen cabinets. I told her, the next time you pick up your brother, you're restricted to your room!
Both of them seem to think you can do whatever you want, as long as you plead apologies after the offense. Not so, my children! I hear both of the coming towards me screaming, one in pain, the other, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
I'm sorry, but you're on restriction! Now go! Oh, it's a long, hot summer...
I'm beginning to think I should just put him in a padded room, or make him wear one of those blow up sumo wrestler costumes. He's still wearing a bandage on his leg from the ice cream dish, but I think that might be about ready to come off this weekend. Yesterday, they were goofing around, and Hanna picked him up and dropped him on his head. When she dropped him, he bit his tongue in two places. The day before, she picked him up, lost her balance, and plowed his head into the only corner on my kitchen cabinets. I told her, the next time you pick up your brother, you're restricted to your room!
Both of them seem to think you can do whatever you want, as long as you plead apologies after the offense. Not so, my children! I hear both of the coming towards me screaming, one in pain, the other, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
I'm sorry, but you're on restriction! Now go! Oh, it's a long, hot summer...
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The big test is over!
I'm happy to say, I took the state's exam yesterday for my insurance license, and passed. So glad that's over with. My personal goal was to receive a score of 85%, and my score was 86.7%. The next step is to view several training modules much like those I used to send to my clients in the broadcast industry, and take quizzes at the end. Oh boy! I just LOVE training modules. Not! I have to go through those, learning all about insurance, then there's an orientation next Friday at the Banker's office at 7:15am. That's a really weird time to set an orientation, but whatever! It will be over by 10:30, so that won't be so bad. The following week, we begin 6 straight days of 10-hour training days. After that, we'll be "field agents", off to survey the needs of the elderly, and offer solutions for life insurance and Medicare supplements, as well as possible solutions to retirement "vehicles", meaning annuities. That's "Plan A".
"Plan B" is still evolving. More on that after "evolution".
"Plan B" is still evolving. More on that after "evolution".
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Study, Study, study...
that's what I've been up to, studying! After the first weekend attending the Life, Health and Annuities course, I truly felt like it was hopeless. I finished the course Sunday, and I can say in good conscience, i feel pretty good about it! I took the final exam in the book today for 'practice', and on the Life Insurance portion I got an 88 percent! I think if I hadn't been getting up and down, answering to whining, tattling children I think I could have possibly gotten a 100 percent! Our neighbor child spent the night last night, after spending the afternoon with my kids, and she's been here all day today, up until about 20 minutes ago! They finally left and went to her house! Yay! Back to the studying, I was originally worried about agreeing to possibly testing on Friday of this week for the state license exam, fearing there would be no way I'd be prepared. After spending the last two days attached to the book, I think I'll be properly prepared. In fact, I'm feeling like I don't really want to have to wait beyond Friday, because I don't want to spend yet another weekend glued to this book! Enough already! I get it! Just please don't ask me too much about the dreaded annuity subject! LOL!
Yesterday morning, I made a panicked call to the dentists office, after breaking off the back of one of my upper molars this weekend. They answer their phones at 8:30. I finally got through at 8:45. She said, if you can be here at 9am, we can see you. Umm, you're on Blanding at Kingsley, and I'm in Green Cove... She said, get here between 9 and 9:15 and we'll see you. Okay! I called Jenny and asked her if she'd be home, but she had to go back to her dentist to get her permanent crown on, so not available. As an aside, her crown didn't fit, and she' returning on July 8th, the same day I go back for my permanent crown. I explained no job, no insurance, and they offered a discount plan, which really did save me quite a bit, but oh my, it's still so horribly expensive to get a crown! John and I had a bet that a crown would cost about a thousand dollars, and I said no way! He won the bet! The other option was having it pulled, and John told me go ahead and get the crown. Having it pulled would just mess up my bite, and he didn't want me to have to live with a 'gappy smile", knowing that it would bother me! I was hesitant to return to this dentist office, because the last crown, which was my first experience didn't go so well. I found the entire procedure that time to be miserable, and haven't been happy with it since. This time, was completely opposite! I didn't feel much. This new dentist in the office is young, probably around my age, female, and on the money! I didn't even feel the injection! That's saying something. I finally half way through the procedure was able to relax, and let the muscle spasm settle down in my back! I'll go back in July to get the permanent crown! On the positive side, assuming I pass my state exam, I'll be self-employed, and I can claim 100% of my medical and dental expenses on my taxes. (I also realized I can't refer to it as "tax return" since it's all about paying in taxes when one is self employed!)
After my dentist appointment yesterday, I went to pick the kids up at my mother in law's house. I called her when Jenny wasn't available, and she said she'd meet me at the dentist office. Thank you, Judy! After the kids ate lunch, she made them a banana split, and served them in glass banana shaped dishes. It came about later that these dishes belonged to her father's aunt. Well, my kids being who they are, kept pushing each other, and tipping chairs. I heard a thud and a grunt, and got up to find Daniel on the floor, chair tipped over. It took a second, then I saw the broken glass, and shouted "Don't move!" I managed to pick up the glass and ice cream, and Judy grabbed Daniel. She started cleaning him up, thinking he had chocolate syrup on him, only to find some of it was blood! When the dish shattered, it cut a piece out of the side of his leg. It was one of those nasty cuts, that you question, should we go to the emergency room? The glass took out a piece of the top flesh, and exposed a good piece. It didn't bleed heavily, it just took a while to stop. We knew stitches weren't possible because there was nothing to pull together on the side of his calf. I just kept changing band-aids yesterday, and told them the pool was off limits yesterday, and for a few days, just for good measure. Of course, I didn't think about sidewalk chalk, and I can tell you he's covered in it this afternoon. He's not looking forward to the peroxide treatment again, but we've explained to him, it's a necessary evil!
This evening, I'll study up again on the Health side of insurance, and legal contracts concerning health and life insurance. Such fun! Tomorrow some time, I should find out when I'll be scheduled to take the pending exam!
Yesterday morning, I made a panicked call to the dentists office, after breaking off the back of one of my upper molars this weekend. They answer their phones at 8:30. I finally got through at 8:45. She said, if you can be here at 9am, we can see you. Umm, you're on Blanding at Kingsley, and I'm in Green Cove... She said, get here between 9 and 9:15 and we'll see you. Okay! I called Jenny and asked her if she'd be home, but she had to go back to her dentist to get her permanent crown on, so not available. As an aside, her crown didn't fit, and she' returning on July 8th, the same day I go back for my permanent crown. I explained no job, no insurance, and they offered a discount plan, which really did save me quite a bit, but oh my, it's still so horribly expensive to get a crown! John and I had a bet that a crown would cost about a thousand dollars, and I said no way! He won the bet! The other option was having it pulled, and John told me go ahead and get the crown. Having it pulled would just mess up my bite, and he didn't want me to have to live with a 'gappy smile", knowing that it would bother me! I was hesitant to return to this dentist office, because the last crown, which was my first experience didn't go so well. I found the entire procedure that time to be miserable, and haven't been happy with it since. This time, was completely opposite! I didn't feel much. This new dentist in the office is young, probably around my age, female, and on the money! I didn't even feel the injection! That's saying something. I finally half way through the procedure was able to relax, and let the muscle spasm settle down in my back! I'll go back in July to get the permanent crown! On the positive side, assuming I pass my state exam, I'll be self-employed, and I can claim 100% of my medical and dental expenses on my taxes. (I also realized I can't refer to it as "tax return" since it's all about paying in taxes when one is self employed!)
After my dentist appointment yesterday, I went to pick the kids up at my mother in law's house. I called her when Jenny wasn't available, and she said she'd meet me at the dentist office. Thank you, Judy! After the kids ate lunch, she made them a banana split, and served them in glass banana shaped dishes. It came about later that these dishes belonged to her father's aunt. Well, my kids being who they are, kept pushing each other, and tipping chairs. I heard a thud and a grunt, and got up to find Daniel on the floor, chair tipped over. It took a second, then I saw the broken glass, and shouted "Don't move!" I managed to pick up the glass and ice cream, and Judy grabbed Daniel. She started cleaning him up, thinking he had chocolate syrup on him, only to find some of it was blood! When the dish shattered, it cut a piece out of the side of his leg. It was one of those nasty cuts, that you question, should we go to the emergency room? The glass took out a piece of the top flesh, and exposed a good piece. It didn't bleed heavily, it just took a while to stop. We knew stitches weren't possible because there was nothing to pull together on the side of his calf. I just kept changing band-aids yesterday, and told them the pool was off limits yesterday, and for a few days, just for good measure. Of course, I didn't think about sidewalk chalk, and I can tell you he's covered in it this afternoon. He's not looking forward to the peroxide treatment again, but we've explained to him, it's a necessary evil!
This evening, I'll study up again on the Health side of insurance, and legal contracts concerning health and life insurance. Such fun! Tomorrow some time, I should find out when I'll be scheduled to take the pending exam!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Starting to feel a little better...
Yesterday I went back for session 2 in the Life, Health and Annuities class. Ugh! Not the most exciting of subjects, that is certain! Sunday's session went over Law and Contracts, the various types of Term Life and wow, the many versions of whole life and universal life, and then went into annuities. I was so lost in annuities. So many people in the class seemed to have lots to say about this subject. I just don't get annuities. But then, I also keep my investments in conservative funds. In fact my last 401K sat in a money market, because no way was I going to gamble with that! It's hard to grasp a concept of something that you just don't "buy into". Didn't really intend the pun there, but it works! I found it hilarious that the Annuities chapter in the book is Chapter 11. The one topic that "scares the old people" according to the instructor resides in Chapter 11. I made a joke about it, but I don't think he got the "oxymoron" reference I made. Chapter 11 bankruptcy versus annuities. Maybe it will always remain my own little joke!
By the end of the day my brain was completely fried, and my morale feeling less than great. In fact, I compared my feelings to being on the "raw edge of the fight or flight mechanism". I was so overwhelmed yesterday by the end of the day I just wanted to throw my hands up in the air and say "I quit!". Sitting on the sofa, John asked if I had a headache. My response was "No, just feeling rather overwhelmed!" I told John today, if I'd ever been exposed to the subject of insurance and annuities before, it wouldn't have felt so hopeless. Instead this is a ton of subject matter in a short period of time, that is completely foreign! Today I spent a lot of time with the book in hand, and reviewed the first few chapters. I also went to the instructor's website and looked at his questions. His website has 800 questions (400 life & annuities, and 400 health questions) that are similar to what is supposed to be on the state's test. It's a good website, and every answer tells you if you answered it wrong, why it is wrong. If you pick the correct answer, it tells in more detail why it's right. The idea is to continue on his website as well as the book until you know with great confidence all questions and the correct answers without hesitation! There's only 150 questions on the state's exams, so you've got a pretty good chance! I did the tests in 4 chapters plus answered some on his website and found out today I know more than I thought I did! This is boosting my confidence and making it easier to approach the subject with more of an open mind, rather than feeling like a kid that's been shut in their room with their school book and forbidden to leave until their homework is done. (It's what I am at the moment, but it doesn't feel quite so hopeless now!) Maybe I should try putting the book under my pillow at night and see how much I can absorb by osmosis. Haha!
This morning, before getting started into the world of insurance, the kids and I rode with our friends Amy, Caroline and AnnaBeth to their church, Hibernia Baptist Church. Caroline invited Hanna to attend the Kindergarten/1st grade VBS this week, and Daniel and I went along to make sure the correct consent forms were signed. The girls saw a few other kids from the neighborhood and their school (including the slow kid, wink wink) and were feeling pretty good about settling in. Amy brought Daniel and I home, and then we loaded up to Wal-Mart to do our grocery shopping I wasn't able to achieve this weekend since I wasn't home. We got the pool vacuumed, filled up a bit, and shocked, ready for the afternoon's entertainment. Hanna was home around 12:30, and after a small PB&J lunch, the kids went out to play in the pool for the afternoon. It made it easy for me to sit out there with my book, and oversee their activities over the edge of my new appendage!
Since John worked overtime this weekend, the yard went unattended, so tomorrow morning before we start anything else, ie STUDYING, Daniel and I will take care of mowing the yard.Lots more studying to do, and hopefully reading the chapters that will be covered next weekend! After the completion of the test next week, I will be instructed when and where to go to take the state's test. It will be sometime between that following Monday and the end of June. (I think that's pretty much that week... )
By the end of the day my brain was completely fried, and my morale feeling less than great. In fact, I compared my feelings to being on the "raw edge of the fight or flight mechanism". I was so overwhelmed yesterday by the end of the day I just wanted to throw my hands up in the air and say "I quit!". Sitting on the sofa, John asked if I had a headache. My response was "No, just feeling rather overwhelmed!" I told John today, if I'd ever been exposed to the subject of insurance and annuities before, it wouldn't have felt so hopeless. Instead this is a ton of subject matter in a short period of time, that is completely foreign! Today I spent a lot of time with the book in hand, and reviewed the first few chapters. I also went to the instructor's website and looked at his questions. His website has 800 questions (400 life & annuities, and 400 health questions) that are similar to what is supposed to be on the state's test. It's a good website, and every answer tells you if you answered it wrong, why it is wrong. If you pick the correct answer, it tells in more detail why it's right. The idea is to continue on his website as well as the book until you know with great confidence all questions and the correct answers without hesitation! There's only 150 questions on the state's exams, so you've got a pretty good chance! I did the tests in 4 chapters plus answered some on his website and found out today I know more than I thought I did! This is boosting my confidence and making it easier to approach the subject with more of an open mind, rather than feeling like a kid that's been shut in their room with their school book and forbidden to leave until their homework is done. (It's what I am at the moment, but it doesn't feel quite so hopeless now!) Maybe I should try putting the book under my pillow at night and see how much I can absorb by osmosis. Haha!
This morning, before getting started into the world of insurance, the kids and I rode with our friends Amy, Caroline and AnnaBeth to their church, Hibernia Baptist Church. Caroline invited Hanna to attend the Kindergarten/1st grade VBS this week, and Daniel and I went along to make sure the correct consent forms were signed. The girls saw a few other kids from the neighborhood and their school (including the slow kid, wink wink) and were feeling pretty good about settling in. Amy brought Daniel and I home, and then we loaded up to Wal-Mart to do our grocery shopping I wasn't able to achieve this weekend since I wasn't home. We got the pool vacuumed, filled up a bit, and shocked, ready for the afternoon's entertainment. Hanna was home around 12:30, and after a small PB&J lunch, the kids went out to play in the pool for the afternoon. It made it easy for me to sit out there with my book, and oversee their activities over the edge of my new appendage!
Since John worked overtime this weekend, the yard went unattended, so tomorrow morning before we start anything else, ie STUDYING, Daniel and I will take care of mowing the yard.Lots more studying to do, and hopefully reading the chapters that will be covered next weekend! After the completion of the test next week, I will be instructed when and where to go to take the state's test. It will be sometime between that following Monday and the end of June. (I think that's pretty much that week... )
Saturday, June 13, 2009
School is not for the weary!
Last week I went through a 3 step interview process for a insurance company. It was really a grueling process. So I thought. I've found out since, school is even more grueling! The first interview was an introduction to Bankers Life and Casualty, and the recruiting process they've begun looking for new agents. The first session was called a "career opportunity seminar", and lasted about an hour and a half. At the end of that training session there was a questionnaire, in which the participants answered a few questions about their "needs" in a career, and if they thought joining the Bankers team would fulfill those needs. The questionnaire allowed them to decide if you might meet their needs. I must have, because they called me back for a second interview. The second interview was a 3 hour session in which the Sales Manager for the Jacksonville branch explained the process of being a "career agent" with Bankers and what one could expect if asked to join the team. Once again, if this seemed to meet your needs and you didn't feel the urge to run like the wind, you filled out another questionnaire, and if they liked your answers yet again, they would call you back for an one on one interview. They liked my answers and I went back on Thursday morning for the third and final interview with the Jacksonville branch manager. He's a younger man, I suspect younger than I am, but he definitely knows the business, and what he's looking for in a team to grow his branch into the number one branch in US for Bankers. After a one hour interview with him, Keith extended the offer for me to join the Bankers team in Jacksonville. I didn't need time to consider the offer, since John and I had had an extended "what if" conversation the night before and agreed we'd give this a shot.
After many applications that have gone unanswered, John and I both agreed the job market in the "traditional" sense has dried up somewhat and if I want to try to make a career, it may be time to make a change. Being a career agent for Bankers means selling supplemental insurance for Medicare as well as life insurance, and annuities. Not something I thought I'd ever be doing, that's for certain. However, I have been driven for years with a desire to own my own business. To have ownership in my career, and have something I can truly be proud of. John and I feel this is God's hand putting this into motion, and giving us a chance for a new start. We really have very little to lose at this point, since it's not like I'm leaving an existing job, merely taking a chance for something new!
Part of the conditions for going to work for Bankers is that I have to have my insurance agent's license before I can begin their training in the office in Jacksonville. He offered the class this weekend and next, 4-days for 10 hours each that goes over the state exam in detail. The class is offered online, but Keith, the branch manager prefers a one on one teaching environment. I had to answer fast to take advantage of today's class in order to begin training in July. If not, I would have to take the class and exam in July, and wouldn't be able to begin training with the Jacksonville office staff until August. Today I went to the 10 hour class, session 1. My brain feels like mush and my rear-end is sore from sitting all day long with very little activity. On top of the in depth knowledge I gained today about the lines of insurance as well as the insurance code of ethics I learned the importance of bringing a sweater! It was very chilly in the classroom today! We were able to be casual, so I had on capri pants and sandals. Tomorrow I will take a sweater and wear jeans and a t-shirt in hopes to be warmer. I'll also take a few snacks to eat during the breaks, since it made for a very long day, and lunch just wasn't quite enough!
Of course, the session had lots of warnings about the importance of studying and how some fail to see the importance of learning the book from cover to cover. It isn't uncommon for some to not pass the test the first time. I suspect these people have the belief that if you attend the class and lightly review the book you can pass. The reiteration was strong today to memorize the book! The instructor offers a website for test review and lots of sample questions to help his students familiarize themselves with the ideas of the real test. I'm not looking forward to it, and I've always been lacking in the area of studying and commitment! However, at this point in life, I strongly believe failure is not an option, as it affects not only me but my entire family's future! I have said so many prayers for God's guidance and strength and wisdom to do what I need to make my family proud of me!
School's hard! Sheesh! :)
After many applications that have gone unanswered, John and I both agreed the job market in the "traditional" sense has dried up somewhat and if I want to try to make a career, it may be time to make a change. Being a career agent for Bankers means selling supplemental insurance for Medicare as well as life insurance, and annuities. Not something I thought I'd ever be doing, that's for certain. However, I have been driven for years with a desire to own my own business. To have ownership in my career, and have something I can truly be proud of. John and I feel this is God's hand putting this into motion, and giving us a chance for a new start. We really have very little to lose at this point, since it's not like I'm leaving an existing job, merely taking a chance for something new!
Part of the conditions for going to work for Bankers is that I have to have my insurance agent's license before I can begin their training in the office in Jacksonville. He offered the class this weekend and next, 4-days for 10 hours each that goes over the state exam in detail. The class is offered online, but Keith, the branch manager prefers a one on one teaching environment. I had to answer fast to take advantage of today's class in order to begin training in July. If not, I would have to take the class and exam in July, and wouldn't be able to begin training with the Jacksonville office staff until August. Today I went to the 10 hour class, session 1. My brain feels like mush and my rear-end is sore from sitting all day long with very little activity. On top of the in depth knowledge I gained today about the lines of insurance as well as the insurance code of ethics I learned the importance of bringing a sweater! It was very chilly in the classroom today! We were able to be casual, so I had on capri pants and sandals. Tomorrow I will take a sweater and wear jeans and a t-shirt in hopes to be warmer. I'll also take a few snacks to eat during the breaks, since it made for a very long day, and lunch just wasn't quite enough!
Of course, the session had lots of warnings about the importance of studying and how some fail to see the importance of learning the book from cover to cover. It isn't uncommon for some to not pass the test the first time. I suspect these people have the belief that if you attend the class and lightly review the book you can pass. The reiteration was strong today to memorize the book! The instructor offers a website for test review and lots of sample questions to help his students familiarize themselves with the ideas of the real test. I'm not looking forward to it, and I've always been lacking in the area of studying and commitment! However, at this point in life, I strongly believe failure is not an option, as it affects not only me but my entire family's future! I have said so many prayers for God's guidance and strength and wisdom to do what I need to make my family proud of me!
School's hard! Sheesh! :)
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