School? The Military?

Tyler's school told him from the beginning that he could get his Certificates he qualifies for as he goes. He hasn't received them. So he called the Certificate place and they said he couldn't have them until he got his Diploma (Bachelor's Degree). But how do CNA's get theirs, and Phlebotomists, and EKG/ECG Techs before they graduate? So Tyler was furious. He called his school and left a message with the Dean there. He didn't hear back, so today we both went in to talk to him. He called the certification place and he didn't tell us exactly what they told him but he told them (we were listening while he called them right in front of us) that other students have received theirs before graduation. Anyway, he said meantime that Tyler can print off proof that he's taken the tests and earned the Certificates and then he and another Professor who's also a doctor can write referral letters to go with this proof to use to get a job. So we printed off a couple of copies. We'll have to get more later and have to get the referral letters later since we ran out of time while we were there.
Okay, now with the Military. An Air Force recruiter told Tyler he's absolutely disqualified from being in the Military for something that happened when he was 15 or 16 yrs old. Not sure how much I can dare write down here so I won't mention what it was here. Anyway, it was soooo disheartening for Tyler, and even for me! Tyler cannot find a good job. We HAVE TO HAVE benefits; my life depends on them quite literally. I cannot find a job at all. Nothing. More and more places are requiring Associates or at least Bachelor's Degrees. It's insane! Even to work at a fast food joint or cleaning. They also like all this experience, like 2 years here, 5 years there, etc. But I'm still applying hoping that someone will like me enough to hire me.
So anyway, back to the Military thing. We're still not 100% sure Tyler can qualify for the military so we went to the Utah National Guard office at the Mall and met with a recruiter there today. He gave Tyler the run-down and an application. Even though Tyler's considered over-weight, because he's so thick in the shoulders and neck he actually just fits inside of their height-to-weight ratio! Hee hee I have a very meaty man and I love it!! :) (just had to say it lol).
But at any rate he's still going to go on a healthy diet and start to work on his sit-ups. He can pump out those push-ups so there's no issue there, it's the running and sit-ups he struggles with a bit. But he bulks up and gets in shape pretty quickly so I know he can do it. I plan on doing it right along with him, too.
He'll go in the Special Forces into the Medical Segeant. That's the equivalant of a Physician's Assistant, which is what his little brother, Joe, is. Pretty narly, eh? And in the SPECIAL FORCES!! :) So he'll get done in 4-6 years serving his time in the military, either abroad or in the good ol' US of A and then finish civilian PA school in a few short months and be done. :) Then he was thinking of doing medical school actually to be a full-blown MD. Awesome, eh?
I really hope it works out for him!!
He'll be gone for 10 weeks of Basic Training then go onto his special training as a PA in North Caroline for 100 weeks. Me and the girls would go with him for that. Our medical would 100% be covered for this entire time, plus some pay, housing and some food. AWESOME!!
Then who knows where he'd go next. But he has to have a Secret clearance. That's a toughy. I really, really hope it works out for him! He's STOKED and I'm excited for him, too! It'll be SOOOOOO hard having him gone for so long but others have done it, I'm sure I'll find some support somewhere and I'm sure plenty of other mothers/wives who'll understand and sympathize with me (hee hee).

Okay, and a clarifying on the my last blog.
I know I sounded mad. I didn't realize how mad I sounded until I re-read it AFTER I posted it! lol. I am mad about where we're at. I know we're where we're at because of US and nobody else. BUT. Just so ya know. We don't spend our money like a couple of idiots. I know I already said that but let me clarify. We bought a couch, TV, table & chairs and washer & dryer WITH CASH YEARS AGO. When we weren't in debt except with the car! (and a bit of medical). WE SOLD ALL OF THAT!!!!!!!
We got almost dollar-for-dollar back selling our stuff. I know people frowned on what we did, but we thoroughly enjoyed it while it lasted and that's done and gone in the past. We didn't go buy things when we didn't have money. That's a fact!! We don't go on vacations or spend our money frivolously.
We also HAVE to have internet for Tyler's school. He's required to log-on to his school site every single day and he has homework on there and everything. It's a half-online school. We don't HAVE to have our cell phones, though. They're nice but definitely a luxury we can live without. We plan on just not paying for them because we cannot cancel them (400 bucks!!!) and we cannot pay them. We'll just have to get a land-line and maybe a pre-paid cell phone for Tyler to take with him to work and such. Pretty basic. We'll see how it works out, though.
We've cut our budget down to the bare necessities, believe it or not. I seriously feel like we're always having to explain ourselves ya know? People assume things all the time and they're wrong. Mostly always totally wrong.
We don't buy clothes, we don't vacation, we don't go out to eat unless we have gift certificates, we don't go to movies without certificates unless it's the dollar theater, we don't buy brand-name anything, we don't buy ANYTHING.
Our credit cards and loans were to cover the following: rent, car payments, insurance, food, medical, gasoline, phone. The BASICS. Nothing else!!! So please don't get the idea that we're big spenders that put ourselves into this debt.
Blame it on my falling apart body.

Just a FYI. The washer and dryer we got on sale and they were front load and they saved us OVER 100 DOLLARS A MONTH ON UTILITIES. Beat that!!! Since we sold them and inherited my grandmother's huge, old clunker machines our utilities are over 100 a month just for electrical alone IN THE SUMMER!!! Dead serious it's the washer and dryer. We don't run things around the clock.
We're really not stupid. We've just had a lot of trials befall us and I believe that we've been required to go through these things to learn lots of lessons for ourselves and probably to help others, too.

Okay, anyway, now we'll see where this military thing goes to!! If it works out he'll be in Basic Training by JANUARY 2010!!!!!!! And enlisted in a week or two!!! Can you believe it??? WOWSERS!!!