If you couldn't tell, I'm having issues figuring out what I want to name this blog.  Nothing is springing to mind, so it's been a little... umm... not consistent.  Sorry!  Any suggestions?

Life seems to be not very interesting for me.  I am amazed at reading the blogs of my friends and discovering all the wonderful things that they are doing.  And then I try to think of things that I'm up to, and I draw a blank. 

My life consists of a lot of repetition.  Wake up, go to work, come home, veg, go to bed.  And repeat.  Occasionally I do branch out.  For instance, once a week Sarah and I watch our niece and nephew.  They are crazy, wonderful, adorable little kids.  I love them so much.  And it's so much fun spending time with them.  That was one of the reasons that I moved home: to spend more time with my family.

One recent development at work is that I got hired as the French QA.  In call-center lingo, that means that I get to listen to my fellow French agents' calls and make sure they're following all the rules and doing what the client wants them to.  It's a part time position, so I'll be spending ten hours of the week doing that, and the other thirty on the phones.  It's a good thing, too, because this job is really starting to drive me crazy.

Which leads me to the next thing I've been doing.  I finally looked more deeply into the Foreign Service and found that it's definitely something I want to pursue.  It is pretty scary - I could be living anywhere in the world, including dangerous areas like the Middle East or Africa - but also potentially very rewarding.  It would be a job where I'd be helping people in an important, and possibly life-altering, way.  Not just listening to people whine about their gaming console not working and trying to scream their way out of paying to get it fixed.  As a consular officer in the Foreign Service I would be processing visas for Americans and foreigners, helping American citizens in whatever country I was put in, aiding people who want to emigrate to the US, and assisting in emergencies. 

The process is a long one, though.  First you have to take a written test at a scheduled time in a certified testing center (thankfully they have one at ISU), then if you pass that you have to write a few personal essays, then there is the oral exam - which is really a day full of being scrutinized to see if you're acceptable - which takes place in DC, Chicago, or San Fran, and if you pass all of these things you still have to have a background check for security clearance approval and a medical exam.  All told, it could take 6 to 9 months to complete.

But I want to do it!  And I'm going to!  I'm starting by studying up for the written exam and also brushing up on my French grammar (I forgot to mention the language proficiency exam for foreign languages).  From there I'll assess how long I need to study, register for the written exam, and brace myself for the ride.  Even if they don't hire me, I know it's something that I need to at least try for.  If I did get hired, I'd be working all over the world for the government of the United States of America.  I could do that!

Well, friends, it is late and I have to wake up early for work tomorrow.  Hopefully my brain will keep quiet and let me get some sleep. :)