I haven’t been totally paralyzed by my current life. I’m still trying to think about my future career-wise. Especially since I’m in my late 40s.

As I’ve mentioned previously I’m currently working as the shop janitor at a large car dealership. While the job is a good one, it takes a toll on my body. I have a large cart that holds 8 trash cans or 12-15 tires and can make 3-5 trips with it a day. And there’s 10 mop buckets that can need changed out every day.

And there’s also the fact that my schooling was meant to make me a research scientist. 2 bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree and this is what I’m doing? It burns sometimes though I try to avoid letting that eat at me. But what to do?

Lately I’ve settled on something in medical technologist work. It wouldn’t take more than a year or 2 of classes and the pay would be good. At first I thought nuclear medicine technologist since I’ve had experience with radioactive materials, but these degrees don’t tend to be online and Phoenix, AZ is the closest place with one, I want to stay in Tucson. So that brings me to radiology technologist. Not as high paying but 65k a year is still nice. A local community college offers that degree in 2 years.

Next is money. I’ve been able to save and I should be able to put enough away to cover the cost of the degree. Here is where it gets a bit more complicated. I doubt my current job will be compatible with the class schedule. I can find another job with more compatible hours, or take out a loan to live off of for 2 years or a combination of the 2. It would be nice to only worry about studying, but it would also be nice to not pay back a loan (I have no student debt otherwise).

I hear there are grants and such to help but have never been good at finding them. Maybe I’ll do better there this time. I also hear that if I work for a medical institution they help with school but I’m not sure what I can do there. Would I look like an equivalent to out of highschool on paper? Or would my education and experience count for something? Maybe they want a radiology technologist so help me with the idea that I come work for them? I think I have some optimism back. I’m paranoid about how my age factors into this though.

Nothing to do but make sure I meet the program requirements and take a couple of classes for now, the program starts twice a year and they only take 8 at a time. Not to mention getting in contact with their advisors and seeing what they think about the education I already have.

Well, that’s what’s new with me.

I had a dream about a cat who is no longer with us named Casper. He was a big grey and white medium haired cat with yellow eyes.

He was in a field behind the house, though we’ve never lived in a house with a field behind it. I called him over.

Suddenly his tail was shorter than it was. I was skritching him while he purred, realized I was dreaming and told him to bring the rest of his tail next time. Then I woke up. Good thing too because I probably wouldn’t have remembered that part if the dream went on longer.

That was nice.