On holiday...still

Going, quite frankly, as insane as any other unemployed workaholic would. Cleaning a lot, which is good because this place is...well, legendary in it's clutter. Found a bunch of stuff I forgot/didn't know I had and am freecycling most of it, some of the Penguin Books swag I'll post on eBay, and the rest...is like shopping or something. I own a white board. A whole, not small sized white board. Who loses something like this in their house? It's like mowing the lawn and finding a car...
Fighting off the anxious "you should be at work right now" uglies is another thing. I think these particular uglies are responsible for my not having taken a vacation in quite some time, and I'm pretty sure the pot of coffee last night didn't help. Can't remember a full week off in the last ten years, which I'm told is not good, but it's a really hard habit to break so I just keep plugging along here with the re-design of my "office" at home. It's in quotes right now because it looks more like a room where college freshmen go to toke up than a place where work is done, and affects my productivity somewhat. I've received a cabley thing (such a geek huh? Oooo, jargon) from a friend so I can hook up the two home systems I have to one monitor and reduce the space needed to one desk. This desk, the one I'm sitting at right now? Going. It's a pretty good little desk too, so if anyone needs one, make me an offer.
Again I'm blown away by the time and care given by friends. One friend not only dropped off two bottles of port last week (one schmeckie wine, one higher end - frankly like both) but yesterday we had a knock on the door and the cause? Groceries. An organic drop off program he'd meant to give us a sample of as a Yule gift that was late. Timely though. There's something about getting sacked (particularly when one has never been sacked, I think) that makes you feel all out in the cold, uncared for. But I'm not that, and those feelings can't find purchase in me. I am cared for, as much as ever and more than I thought. And I'm grateful for it.

On Holiday

I had no idea how much I was loved until I got sacked. Friends have been forwarding job ops to me, offering to build and host websites, and there have been drive hugs and port donations. I even got a slightly teary phone call from my ex-director of human resources to make sure I'm okay. And now I have this tremendous opportunity.
See, there wasn't much room for growth at my last job. I loved it, I was loved by it, but no where to go. Now, I have time to think up what to do next. And given that I haven't taken a week off in 5 years and haven't been anywhere in 10, I'm going to consider myself on holiday for the next bit. I'm got to finish a couple of projects and tidy the house. I'm going to visit friends I haven't seen in way too long and perhaps my grandmother. I'm going to, quite possibly, go to the zoo. There might be a course involved, possibly fundraising or belly dancing. And when I've done all that I'm going to find another job, one were I can shine.

One more thing for January

v. drunk. day job gone as of today. Position dissolved.
and now A., K. And V. are with me drinking as of now. Perhaps there is an opening in the port industry.

January so far

Good things: healthy cat, starting a Latin class that's engaging and challenging, honoured to perform a wedding ceremony for a couple who's been together 23 years. Welcomed them to the adventure and institution of marriage, thanked them for strengthening the concept of marriage by their presence. Unrelated to my comments, but happily: they are moving to Canada. One thing about our marriage laws, we are getting some of the brightest and best Americans moving up here.

Weird things: given a ring by a starling (no, really) early on - nice ring too, silver with inlaid bits of shell in the shape of two daisy's - and it's been suggested that I may have inadvertently become engaged to a bird. To explain the "bird gave me a ring" craziness: walking along Eglinton I stopped to avoid stepping on said bird who hopped in my way. It looked at me and kept looking at me as it hopped back to the curb. Unable to go around it at first because of the crowds and then charmed that it kept eyeing me, I stood and watched as it hopped beside something shiny, tossed it in the air with some effort, looked at it, looked at me and hopped back away from the object. I walked over and picked up the ring and the starling hopped away to eat a bagel someone had dropped. Later that week I went to feed left over pancakes to pigeons in the neighbourhood and they were chased off by a very small flock of starlings...

Sad things: My mothers sister died, her reputably least favorite one. Still hurt her, and I wonder if it will be the same with me or if I'll have a reconciliation with my sister before it's too late. My friends neighbour died of a heart attack; they'd seen him last and no one recognized the signs. It doesn't look like in the movies, all clutching the chest and keeling over. Sometimes it does, but other times it looks like indigestion. The heart and stroke society thing actually mentioned that in one of their "buy our lotto ticket" commercials, but after this took place. Wish they'd done that years ago, would have helped their mandate and my friends immensely. Annoyed that more charities don't educate at the same time they solicit funds.

Scary thing: This week, my friend who's been in hospital since March comes home for a trial run. I don't know how it will go. I don't know if the move will kill her. I don't know if her care team will entirely survive the exceedingly demanding experience of caring for her without 24 hr nursing. I don't know if I have the fortitude and strength of conviction to see this through. I don't know if I'm the amazing person people seem to think. Very soon, I'll find out and I'm on the edge of frightened about that.

Opprotunity: I've been invited to submit a painting to a silent charity auction. If accepted, it will be seen by oodles of people. I need to paint something right quick as I'm kind of out of paintings just now.

So far, pretty full month.

Because Kelly tagged me...

Four Jobs You Have Had In Your Life
Helga the Cannibal Woman at a haunted hay ride
Personal Support Worker
Barista
Foreign Trade Consultant to Japan

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
The Fisher King
Princess Bride
Brain Candy
Serenity

Four TV Shows You Love to Watch
CSI (only the original though)
Rick Mercer Report
Daily Show with John Stewart followed by the "grippy" Cobert Report
Pengu

Four Places You Have Lived
Orillia, On
Toronto, ON
Vancouver, BC
the sofa's of various good natured friends

Four Places You Have Been On Vacation
If hitchhiking and trips with in laws don't count, I've never been on vacation.
I would like to go to:
Cuba
Queen Charlotte Islands
Nova Scotia
Madagascar

Four Websites You Visit Daily
Google News
Freecycle
FreeReuse
various blogs

Four Of Your Favorite Foods
Wine, red with a preference for Shiraz or port
Sugar, in all it's wonderful forms
Cheesy bread
Apples

Four Places You Would Rather be Right Now
Cuba
Queen Charlotte Islands
Nova Scotia
Madagascar

Four favourite books
Smoke and Mirros by Neil Gaiman
Ballad of Lee Cotton by Christopher Wilson
Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins
The Essential Dalai Lama

Happy New Year

Congratulations everyone on success from 05 - to homes bought, tests passed, CDs manufactured, commercials shot, relationships continued, relationships ended, babies born,, moves made, new jobs started and kindnesses extended.
Congratulations everyone on lessons gained - for the tests that were not passed, to the challenges that reared, to the ill advice followed, and to close calls in health.
Don't forget either one. May gratitude and the cause of it embrace us all in 06.