Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

Early dusk

The heatwave has definitely broken. The rain is starting, thunder rumbling. It's as dark out as an early dusk, at 10am. Count this near the top of my list of what I love about living in Boston. You just don't find this in San Diego, in the summer (anytime).

The early dusk makes me feel like it's early morning, curled up on my couch with my laptop, watching the trees outside blow. Since it's summer, all the windows are open so I can hear the rain falling.

There is a moving van out front--possibly this is the day the upstairs neighbors (and their four children) are moving? ? ?

I can almost believe I'm in Vermont with the green, the dusk, the thunder...when my busy street is temporarily quiet, that is.

In more happy & cozy: yesterday, a year that my love and I have been dating. Only a year, already a year.

This week shall bring more wading into the depths of unemployment insurance, sure to be a fun trip. Also, an in-person interview. The continued forays with resumes. And, river time, CrossFit fun, cat discussions, a whole batch of new books to read, good living. And thunderstorming!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Lookee!

New colors! New pretty! Right? Yes? Let's just say yes so I don't spend the rest of my life wallowing in blog templates, shall we? The gatos really aren't wanting to live under a bridge, although I keep telling them they can catch fish for dinner and wayward rowers for snacks, but they don't seem to be going for it.

On the other hand, if this is garish and terrible, someone needs to tell me. And that someone might mean YOU because there may only be YOU reading this, got that?

Just so we're clear.

I've been meditating on job descriptions and what terribly odd things they are. They kind of started to confound me last week. But hopefully I've shaken that off.

OK, you know what's crazy? It's dark out and 9pm!! I guess I'll have to leave deeper thoughts for the moment and just prove to myself and you there, my one reader, that I didn't break the blog-biscuit utterly....

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Side notes & the life living

I have to start with the side notes. Sometimes, you just have to do that.

First, date of my last blog was my brother Michael's birthday and I planned to acknowledge that, but then didn't. So, happy birthday, Michael; we miss you.

On a completely different side-note note--remember how that font at the side used to be green? Remember? Kinda cool, wasn't it? Maybe a leetle electric, but nice. In trying to make it another color, I made the color vanish & can't make it come back! Can't. (Since we're flashing on family today, let's flash to Grandma Marie, and her folksy saying that she used to impart frequently enough for me to actually remember it: "Can't fell down and broke his neck." She used to share that with me when I was a child. Cheery.) So, in memory of her spirit, I shall keep trying. I blame coding, of course. For the color issue, not for her folksy saying.

So, I had a 3-day weekend in there and my blog brain went right out the window! Right out! But I remembered and came back. Hi!

I keep having to go back to see what I've actually said about my current situation, which isn't a whole vast ton, but just so as not to be repetitive...for you, dear reader (is that what Stephen King calls us? or is it Gentle Reader? hm. shall have to check.).

Let's see, the life living continues to be pretty great. I mean, naturally. How could it not be? Our cool grey drippiness is causing me to momentarily retreat from rowing, but only momentarily. Haven't made it out in a single yet, but am picking up folks to go out in doubles with (almost sounds like I have this crazy swinging rowing life, doesn't it??). CrossFit, wonderful. Even as I realize push-ups may always defeat me. May. Reading things also happening. Just lots of nice gentle life living.

Also doing jobly things, I wouldn't say at a fast pace, but doing some, little each day. I'm prepared to not find out if I'll get unemployment until potentially July. I made some forays into doing some mortgage-ly tinkerings, but going to leave that be, which is fine. Funny how banks aren't high on the flexibility scale, huh? Have perused many job postings, so there are things out there that seem doable and fittable, even if not a ton I get super excited about. I know I've gotten at least a resume out...hm, a resume? That doesn't sound too impressive, does it?

***
The child on the porch is shouting that he loves you again! He is! He does!
***

So, yes, more resume steam to build. I did have a phone interview yesterday from the slew of resumes I submitted while still employed. My but hospitals move slowly on the hiring front! The interview was good practice--I don't know if I've ever done that through of a walk-through of my resume, or at least it's been a long while. Like, I was talking about my college major! And first job after school! As I ponder on it, I might not have done the slickest job in talking about that, but then I really didn't expect to. It doesn't have a whole lot to do with the position I applied for. Interesting. Maybe there was a secret test in there I didn't pass? Anyway. Apparently I was one of 5 finalist who made it to the phone screen, and in a few weeks, they'll figure out who makes it to first round of interviews. So, there we go. Practice! Progress!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Big-lungful living

OK, sometimes resurrections are slow, gradual. You know that. Right? It's just been an odd kind of existence. The happy news is that there is a child on the porch shrieking "I love you!" to the world. No, he's not mine. Things haven't changed THAT much, y'all. And, OK, maybe he was shrieking that to his departing mom, not the world, but still. How can love being shrieked from a porch not be a nice thing?

So, yeah. I'm not-employed again!

OK, I had to go back to see what I said before so I didn't say it all again, but it turns out I didn't say much last week, huh? I said hi to my blog biscuit. That was nice. One should always say hi to one's blog biscuit. And then I had fun with the preview button. And now I'm sitting here writing about what I already wrote about, which you could see for yourself with a simple scrolldown.

Ooh, I just made this box expand in a big way. It was exciting.

So, not-employed. Yes! It is a majority happy thing. Freedom, crazy piles of work now toppled over and not my concern, company really not doing so well (30 layoffs day after my exit), a (very) poor fit with a new manager resolved. Now, the income stuff, that's, you know, the thing. I'm fine for awhile, but darnit if my retirement nest egg somehow isn't quite all the way there.... So, I shall be sorting that out. But doing a little big-lungful living along the way. You know--real breathing as the norm, not when you remember because you've been nearly hyperventilating all day from all the demanding emails you keep getting or your cubemate's annoyingness or endless meetings or whatever the case may be...walks every day, maybe just to the store or around the neighborhood, but outside, fresh air, natural light, no beige cubes...lots of gato time! (the gatos are highly in favor of this--more time to place demands)...rowing! actually rowing again more than a handful of times in a year, what a concept...continuing CrossFit as I'm able (most amazing people EVER at CrossFit Boston making this possible right now)...writing ! ! ! (like this! see me? with the writing?)...some adventuring & exploring of the free kind, always fun...seeing peoples...sorting out next-income...THAT kind of big-lungful living....


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Resurrection!

It's baaaa-aaack!

Yesterday, I suddenly realized with my newfound freedom (freeeeeeee-dom!), especially after sending many emails, texts and calls to update many fine folks on my situation that...wait, I had done this before...I had found a way, a better way for updating....my blog biscuit! Hi blog biscuit!

Of course, it's been so long, the setup is all new & different & confusing. So now I wanna see what this looks like...hang on (testing, testing...yes, I'm that guy now).

***

OK, that was a wild moment, there's this Preview button, which is exciting, but then I thought I might have to live permanently in preview land! But no, not really. I'm back. Again. 


So, I seem to know how to work this, sorta. So, I will say more explainy words quite soon. Will just let all those rust flakes drift to the ground first....