Best laid plans

Things sometimes have a very odd way of turning out. In my case, things almost always turn out quite differently, and more crappily (is that even a word? It is now!), than I thought they would. Or at least they did until the end of 2007.

I can’t say everything that’s going on in my life right now, but my plan to step back from “real” life for the rest of 2007 certainly has paid off, and in spades. One of my regulars at the bar turned out to be the director of human resources for a very large union, and kept pestering me to get my resume to her. So finally, I did, and went in for their silly “office skills” testing on January 2. Hey, I said I was going back to the real world in the new year, so I figured why wait, right? The testing was really just a formality; I interviewed with my boss the following Monday (the 7th), was offered the job on the spot, and started on the Wednesday (the 9th). Yep, you read that right: one week exactly to the day from my first step through the doors.

Now get this: not only is this a “real” job, but it’s pretty much perfect. My boss is only in the office about 1-2 days out of the month, so there’s no micromanaging. I start with 3 weeks’ vacation and 3 weeks’ sick leave, along with 13 paid holidays. I have to travel a minimum of 4 times a year for hearings, and it could be as much as 10-14 days a month as my boss decides how to expand the role. And we don’t travel cheap. Benefits start on Day One, pension is fully funded by the employer, and we have a great, cheap cafeteria. Even better, my daily commute is 30 minutes from door to door! I’m actually kicking myself for lucking into this job. It’s not taxing by any stretch of the imagination (which is, in fact, my only worry long-term), but I reckon I can put up with anything at this point.

Still, for once in my life, my plan worked out. Amazing, huh?

In other news, yes, there is a man on the horizon, but I need to disengage myself from my current situation before anything can really happen there. Yes, I am a trollop, you needn’t tell me that, but at least the new one’s not married! ;p I dearly love my current man, but I see how different we are, how different our backgrounds are, and I just don’t see us together long-term. Whereas the other (we’ll call him NC Man for now) has a very similar upbringing to mine and we really speak a common language, a kind of southern shorthand, if you will. We enjoy more of the same things, have more of the same expectations, and I can more see the two of us together long-term than the current man. Gah, what a predicament I’ve gotten myself into. I never intended it, but then again I did let it happen. Ah, well, I’m sure things will work out one way or the other, I just need to give it another month or so until I’m truly back on my feet and have my own living space again. And then, of course, I’ll be looking for a new furry friend to share my life. You didn’t really think I’d go without a pet, did you?

So that’s about it for today. I’ll try (once again) to be a bit more regular in my posting now that I have the time.