Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
It's been a tough last couple of years, but still I am more than thankful for all I am lucky enough to have in my life. Peace.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A stroll down memory lane
I'm cold! Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold! I hate being cold! It's too early for these kind of temperatures in my opinion. Last year I walked on the beach in NC in bare feet and short sleeves the day after Christmas. I had a rose blooming December 1st. This is just too early for winter! It all helps solidify my desire to move a little further south eventually, or closer to the warming effects of the ocean. I keep thinking I'd rather live in NC, but most of the places I could find work down there are inland and I want to be on the oceanfront. Specifically, OBX. Yes, you all know that it calls my soul.
Speaking of relocating to NC, when I was interviewing for jobs back on the east coast about two years ago (what? that long, really?) I had three interviews before I made a decision. While I had already decided the second I set foot in Illinois that I was working every day to get the hell out of there again, the urgency to move out east and away from all that was happening where I lived at the time was strong. Coupled with the ugly stuff surrounding the end of my marriage, it went from "I'd really rather be back on the east coast" to "I need to get the fuck out of here!" pretty rapidly.
I ended up interviewing in (1) Wilmington, NC, (2) middle of nowhere PA and (3) here in the 'burg (sidebar: I had a call right after I took the job here to interview out in Kentucky too, which I don't think I would have taken even though it was a director's position). PA was out almost immediately even though they would have paid better and I would have been in a director's position. But seriously, a few feet of snow in the winter? Subzero temperatures? Cheap but very rural housing? No thank you very much.
Wilmington presented a bigger challenge to say no to and to the day I made my decision it still weighed heavily on my mind. I interviewed there in January 2007 and the weather was warm, the flowers were blooming, the sandy dunes were beautiful, the ocean was 5 miles from where I was staying, the seafood was fresh and the people were nice. In 5 years or so I was looking at a director's position because they were hiring to eventually fill in that person's spot because she was going to retire. In the end, it was farther from OBX than here in Williamsburg (mapquested it at almost 5 hours! wtf?) and I needed to be closer to family.
Which kind of left me with Williamsburg by default, though I certainly wasn't upset about that. It's a crap research analyst position, so in a way I probably screwed my career advancement by a few years, but it's close to my family and friends, it's pretty warm and definately beautiful, it's close to the beaches and I grew up in Norfolk so there wasn't a lot of finding my way around to be done. I didn't think I was going to be able to take it because the initial salary range was so low, and when I told them the minimum it would take to get me here (which was really a pay cut in a way, thanks to a much higher cost of living and my separation leaving me single income) I thought there was no way it would happen. But this little institution came through and I made the decision that Virginia was the place for me, which I kind of knew from the start.
Fast forward to now. Here I am, a year and a half back here and happier if somewhat poorer. The family beachhouse is complete (aside from the neverending work Dad does to make it look fancy) and we spent many summer weekends there. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be spent walking on the beach, enjoying friends and family and gorging ourselves on delicious food and wine. My sister, who was living in Norfolk the last few years, somehow ended up here in Williamsburg too (weird!) and so she and I are able to see each other more often. I've reconnected with old friends who are important to me and made some great new ones. All in all, it's been the right decision aside from a few rough times and some difficult predicaments I shoulder most of the blame for.
Anyways, I had some snarkiness to share this morning (mostly about how not doing laundry means I am wearing the Most.Uncomfortable.Bra.On.Earth today) but I guess I'm feeling kind of nostalgic, a little more peaceful and maybe a little melancholy. Hence, a slow stroll down memory lane for me, for good, for worse, for sanity.
Speaking of relocating to NC, when I was interviewing for jobs back on the east coast about two years ago (what? that long, really?) I had three interviews before I made a decision. While I had already decided the second I set foot in Illinois that I was working every day to get the hell out of there again, the urgency to move out east and away from all that was happening where I lived at the time was strong. Coupled with the ugly stuff surrounding the end of my marriage, it went from "I'd really rather be back on the east coast" to "I need to get the fuck out of here!" pretty rapidly.
I ended up interviewing in (1) Wilmington, NC, (2) middle of nowhere PA and (3) here in the 'burg (sidebar: I had a call right after I took the job here to interview out in Kentucky too, which I don't think I would have taken even though it was a director's position). PA was out almost immediately even though they would have paid better and I would have been in a director's position. But seriously, a few feet of snow in the winter? Subzero temperatures? Cheap but very rural housing? No thank you very much.
Wilmington presented a bigger challenge to say no to and to the day I made my decision it still weighed heavily on my mind. I interviewed there in January 2007 and the weather was warm, the flowers were blooming, the sandy dunes were beautiful, the ocean was 5 miles from where I was staying, the seafood was fresh and the people were nice. In 5 years or so I was looking at a director's position because they were hiring to eventually fill in that person's spot because she was going to retire. In the end, it was farther from OBX than here in Williamsburg (mapquested it at almost 5 hours! wtf?) and I needed to be closer to family.
Which kind of left me with Williamsburg by default, though I certainly wasn't upset about that. It's a crap research analyst position, so in a way I probably screwed my career advancement by a few years, but it's close to my family and friends, it's pretty warm and definately beautiful, it's close to the beaches and I grew up in Norfolk so there wasn't a lot of finding my way around to be done. I didn't think I was going to be able to take it because the initial salary range was so low, and when I told them the minimum it would take to get me here (which was really a pay cut in a way, thanks to a much higher cost of living and my separation leaving me single income) I thought there was no way it would happen. But this little institution came through and I made the decision that Virginia was the place for me, which I kind of knew from the start.
Fast forward to now. Here I am, a year and a half back here and happier if somewhat poorer. The family beachhouse is complete (aside from the neverending work Dad does to make it look fancy) and we spent many summer weekends there. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be spent walking on the beach, enjoying friends and family and gorging ourselves on delicious food and wine. My sister, who was living in Norfolk the last few years, somehow ended up here in Williamsburg too (weird!) and so she and I are able to see each other more often. I've reconnected with old friends who are important to me and made some great new ones. All in all, it's been the right decision aside from a few rough times and some difficult predicaments I shoulder most of the blame for.
Anyways, I had some snarkiness to share this morning (mostly about how not doing laundry means I am wearing the Most.Uncomfortable.Bra.On.Earth today) but I guess I'm feeling kind of nostalgic, a little more peaceful and maybe a little melancholy. Hence, a slow stroll down memory lane for me, for good, for worse, for sanity.
Friday, November 14, 2008
It's finally Friday!
If you're going to be an arse and pull a right turn at warp speed right in front of me just because you can't wait the two seconds for me to pass by the intersection, at least have the common effin' decency to go AT LEAST the speed limit, but preferably faster than I want to drive.
I'd really like to see the government tell all these banks, businesses, cities, airlines, train industries, etc. to fuck off and fix their own shit. They got themselves into this mess, it's a system designed to weed out the weak and if you aren't able to sustain, you go under. That's the nature of the system. How about instead of bailing out these assholes with CEOs still making multimillions, they go ahead and funnel that money directly to the people who can't put food on the table for their kids, or gas in their cars to get to work, or heat in their houses for the winter? How about they contribute to the system for welfare since so many more people need it now, and maybe bump up the rediculously low levels of criteria? How about we do this whole "by the people, FOR the people" thing for real? We've all been paying into this bullshit system our whole lives, so I think it's about time for it to give back.
Yay for the last couple minutes of The Office last night! I want a Jim of my own.
I'm tired of all the rain. It seems like we've had so much lately. And when it comes, it lasts for days. Too wet. Makes my dog unhappy. Tracks mud into my house. Creates uncontrollable hair. Survey says: sucky.
I'd really like to see the government tell all these banks, businesses, cities, airlines, train industries, etc. to fuck off and fix their own shit. They got themselves into this mess, it's a system designed to weed out the weak and if you aren't able to sustain, you go under. That's the nature of the system. How about instead of bailing out these assholes with CEOs still making multimillions, they go ahead and funnel that money directly to the people who can't put food on the table for their kids, or gas in their cars to get to work, or heat in their houses for the winter? How about they contribute to the system for welfare since so many more people need it now, and maybe bump up the rediculously low levels of criteria? How about we do this whole "by the people, FOR the people" thing for real? We've all been paying into this bullshit system our whole lives, so I think it's about time for it to give back.
Yay for the last couple minutes of The Office last night! I want a Jim of my own.
I'm tired of all the rain. It seems like we've had so much lately. And when it comes, it lasts for days. Too wet. Makes my dog unhappy. Tracks mud into my house. Creates uncontrollable hair. Survey says: sucky.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
TMI FYI
Funny that Mrs. Chicken blogged about this particular topic today, since I have very recently taken efforts to make that same choice. Yes folks, next week on the 19th I go in for my consultation to have my tubes tied. I'm dunzo on the whole birthin' babies thing, thank you very much. Completely and totally sold on the fact that with a teenager and one horribly failed, waste of 8 years of my life marriage, there is no way I want to start over with an infant again. I have the world's perfect kid already (ok, I'm biased, but she is!) and there is no way I'm tempting fate again. I had her by myself. I'm raising her by myself. And I'm not having another one. Period.
When I was married I gave about two seconds consideration to having another kid with the ex. Enough that I went off depo (not a bad decision in and of itself) and onto the pill since that was easier to quit and get pregnant on should I decide to do so. I quickly then realized the above and have been on the pill ever since. I've now managed to achieve most of the stupid wonky side effects from it, so at this point I'm ready to be done with both the hormones and the babies. Done, done, done. Did I mention done?
So hopefully they will quickly schedule me for the surgery next week when I'm in. It would be grand to be done worrying about it by Christmas. It's not for everyone, and I don't fault people for wanting more kids by any means, but I know my limits and I'm happy with the one great kid I've got. I'm so very lucky that she is as good and cool as she is turning out to be, and I'm a happy and proud mom quite content with just one.
When I was married I gave about two seconds consideration to having another kid with the ex. Enough that I went off depo (not a bad decision in and of itself) and onto the pill since that was easier to quit and get pregnant on should I decide to do so. I quickly then realized the above and have been on the pill ever since. I've now managed to achieve most of the stupid wonky side effects from it, so at this point I'm ready to be done with both the hormones and the babies. Done, done, done. Did I mention done?
So hopefully they will quickly schedule me for the surgery next week when I'm in. It would be grand to be done worrying about it by Christmas. It's not for everyone, and I don't fault people for wanting more kids by any means, but I know my limits and I'm happy with the one great kid I've got. I'm so very lucky that she is as good and cool as she is turning out to be, and I'm a happy and proud mom quite content with just one.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Wow. Just, wow.
"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place". -Nelson Mandela
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