Sparring with Disappointment

While browsing through Facebook, I discovered one friend was tagged in a photo. The tag was for somebunny’s funeral. Blinking my eyes and shaking my head twice, I clicked into the photo set and matched familiar names with unfamiliar faces — faces that have aged within the past 2 decades. These folks were ones that I might have run into had I stayed in Virginia Beach and kept up in the social scene.

Whenever anybunny that I knew from high school dies, the death never fails to make myself ponder my own life, what I have accomplished, and if I am close to being satisfied with myself. We seem to find ourselves always reaching for some kind of goal running the gamut from a particular yarn to own or a pattern to make, then to graduating with a particular degree or a highly titled career. This week has been quite an adventure.

In our country’s political news:
Sarah Palin still opens her mouth (bad because her voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me) spars with President Barack Obama being sworn into office.

At my beloved VA Tech:
That gruesome graduate student’s decapitation spars with the Men’s Basketball team beating number one ranked Wake Forest.

As for myself, I was “pink slipped” on Friday at noontime — I no longer work at Verdasys as a Support Engineer for their Digital Guardian product. The exit interview was a positive one. When I discovered that management had been trying to find another position for me in the company so as to keep me, it offered assurance that I would be welcomed back when the economy turned. This turn of events makes life a little crazier now that Richie and I are both at home. Unlike his last job, our relief is that I was given severance with leftover vacation and I can receive unemployment funds. Since he worked as an IT contractor, he did not get any compensation for all his hourly time at the pharmacy chain’s home office. I am so glad he was able to put away money to cover his time while he was out. Crossing paws, we are hoping he lands one of the positions for which he interviewed, while I take some much-needed mental health time.

In my package, I have until March 31st for Verdasys to cover any medical/dental items. Due to a fear of dentists, I avoid them but have been extremely lucky with my dental health. My teeth are still perfectly straight and cavities are nowhere to be found. I do miss getting my teeth polished and wonder if all that free soda, tea, and coffee has affected them. Since my eyeglasses are showing their years of wear and tear, replacing them and ordering contact lenses seem like a good idea. Guess what appointments I am making on Monday? 😉

This stunning event has awakened opportunities in one of my former fields, 3-phase power engineering. While chatting with a friend from The Corporation, he mentioned that various resellers were seeking folks of my caliber. I then chatted with a reseller friend who worked along The Corporation about my current career status. His response? “If you can relocate, I have a job for you.” Stunned, I asked where — Las Vegas, NV. I tried to imagine Richie in the desert heat, giggled at the visual, and became sad. The only way I could ever leave Rhode Island for better pastures in my career would be if we divorced.

Another positive effect is the obviously increased spare time. For the next few weeks I now can:

• Finish the knitting WIPS and queue that have been on my radar for so long (I laugh like Val Kilmer in Real Genius to my Roanoke buds about the Bias Fair Isle Pullover like Marnie had made — Hahahaha!).
• Finally address the condition of the House. Whenever I became emotionally upset I avoided dealing with it, something that I had always done as long as I can remember. Now that my sister will be up for the Boston Marathon, getting the house ready for her visit is a huge motivation. Plus, I will be back to cooking soon enough. First item to make? Lasagna and garlic rolls!! (FYI: Bread is one of my favorite foods to make. I used to knead up lots of honey wheat bread every winter.)
• Review everything I have learned career-wise from the past 10 years in order to ready myself for any job opportunity that pops up. I had been called a “Boy Scout” at one position because I was always prepared for any mishap or situation; I am kicking it up to a new level to include various skills.
• Continue teaching myself the rudimentary basics of the languages I want to know — French, Danish, Italian, and Japanese. Although since I had found this lace website in Russian a year ago, I might add that to the list.
• Revamp my exercise routine to include my Wii Fit and Dance Revolution. One goal to address is running the Gaspee Days 8K in June. Another goal is to play in the local women’s rugby league. Whoa, I just realized that I can be playing my Wii again! Baseball or Kniittiing anybunny?
• Participate at my various affiliated organizations. I am putting back the hours into Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue that was lost while I was working in Waltham. Ravelry has always been my after hours no-pay job, but I am addressing the more tedious administrative work in my groups and am increasing my time the Ravelry Help! chat room on Lingr. Goody bags and prizes for the Paw Sox “Stitch and Pitch” on May 17th need to be jump-started. Knitting meet ups and LYS visits are being scheduled — I believe no explanation is needed on why. 😉
• Start job hunting, which will involve a job fair in Boston this Tuesday. This also involves updating my website, resume, LinkedIn page, and then networking with my contacts. Where I will be applying is to be determined in three weeks after my mental health break.

Oy, I think I have enough items to keep sparring with the disappointment for awhile… For now I will finish the WIPs that I had started for my friends at Verdasys. =:8