So one year ago today I was laid off from my full-time job. Since then...
1) I enjoyed a true-blue summer at home with the kids.
2) I did part-time contract work for a local magazine, which included not only writing but editing, layout, photography and production work as well. Fantastic experience.
3) I took the kids to their dance recitals, dress rehearsals, football practices and games, and their grandmother's house... all without the worry of how I'd make up the hours I missed at the office.
4) The family and I traveled with my husband on a couple of his business trips.
5) I had time to actually make/shop for and wrap holiday presents.
6) I took a yoga-pilates class.
7) Oh yeah... I BREATHED.
We've got less money. We buy less stuff. I clip coupons every week and shop around for the best price on toilet paper. We almost never go out to dinner, and when we do it's with coupons and/or gift cards. We'd love to take a vacation - nothing extravagant, just a getaway to a beach or a cool city - but we know it's just not in the cards anytime soon.
And yet, we love life more. We spend more time together, we are more patient with each other. The house is cleaner and runs more smoothly. The kids are happier. And so am I.
Bad events can lead to better things. They happen for a reason, whether we want to believe it or not.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Random Thoughts
Hey, you know that idiot in the parking lot who mashes the "unlock" button on her keyfob several times to unlock her door because it's not working properly, when she's standing right next to the car and could easily just stick the key in the door and turn it? Yep, that's me.
Every time I hear Gregg Allman's "I'm No Angel" all I can think about is a very pregnant Amy Poehler dancing/grinding on Josh Brolin in an SNL skit set in a dive bar. It shouldn't be funny at all, but most anything with Amy Poehler manages to overachieve. I still giggle a little bit in the car when that song comes on the radio and my children think I'm nuts.
I can't decide which are scarier, fast zombies or the slow, lumbering kind. I think it depends on the scenario. If you're in a large field or clearing, the speedier zombies are worse because it's harder to escape (whereas you can dodge or kill the slow zombies pretty easily). But if you're in a small room with no way out, that's got to suck having the lurching zombies slowly close in on you, prolonging the horror and dread.
Remind me to never again let my son get Burger King for dinner before football practice. And no, 45 minutes is not enough time from the end of such a meal to the start of physical activity.
Every time I hear Gregg Allman's "I'm No Angel" all I can think about is a very pregnant Amy Poehler dancing/grinding on Josh Brolin in an SNL skit set in a dive bar. It shouldn't be funny at all, but most anything with Amy Poehler manages to overachieve. I still giggle a little bit in the car when that song comes on the radio and my children think I'm nuts.
I can't decide which are scarier, fast zombies or the slow, lumbering kind. I think it depends on the scenario. If you're in a large field or clearing, the speedier zombies are worse because it's harder to escape (whereas you can dodge or kill the slow zombies pretty easily). But if you're in a small room with no way out, that's got to suck having the lurching zombies slowly close in on you, prolonging the horror and dread.
Remind me to never again let my son get Burger King for dinner before football practice. And no, 45 minutes is not enough time from the end of such a meal to the start of physical activity.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wow, so it's been a year, huh?
So I haven't been the most dedicated of bloggers. Very true. But a lot has changed in the past 12 months.
You see, I lost my full-time technical writing job to mass company layoffs just about a year ago. While shocking at first, it turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me professionally. Losing my job allowed me to pursue freelance writing as my sole occupation, which was liberating beyond anything I could have imagined. It gave me more chances to be creative with my writing, but I also had more time with my family.
Last summer was the first ever that my kids actually spent at home. Not in daycare, not in full-time camp, but a true summer where they could sleep in if they wanted and played with neighborhood friends until dusk every day. Plus I had the time to juggle dance recital duties, trips for my husband's work and, once the school year started, my son's football practices and helping the kids with homework. It has been heaven, I tell you, and something I never thought would happen.
So between my new creative outlets and the joyous time suck that is being with my children, I just haven't been inspired to blog until now. But that will be changing, as life has become more settled after the adjustment from the full-time rat race (it seriously takes a while to come down from it all!). Stay tuned, my friends... it won't be long before you're once again subject to my random missives. :-)
You see, I lost my full-time technical writing job to mass company layoffs just about a year ago. While shocking at first, it turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me professionally. Losing my job allowed me to pursue freelance writing as my sole occupation, which was liberating beyond anything I could have imagined. It gave me more chances to be creative with my writing, but I also had more time with my family.
Last summer was the first ever that my kids actually spent at home. Not in daycare, not in full-time camp, but a true summer where they could sleep in if they wanted and played with neighborhood friends until dusk every day. Plus I had the time to juggle dance recital duties, trips for my husband's work and, once the school year started, my son's football practices and helping the kids with homework. It has been heaven, I tell you, and something I never thought would happen.
So between my new creative outlets and the joyous time suck that is being with my children, I just haven't been inspired to blog until now. But that will be changing, as life has become more settled after the adjustment from the full-time rat race (it seriously takes a while to come down from it all!). Stay tuned, my friends... it won't be long before you're once again subject to my random missives. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)