But not that much, and I am too lazy to take pictures at the moment. But in addition to the two Red Scarf scarves I have to remember to mail before I leave, I turned the heel and am heading down the home stretch of a very plain ribbed sock for Boy, in lovely springy Cherry Tree Hill, in muted blue and red stripes and flecks of tweedy cream that look like an error in the dye process but work in a sock. This would be great if I bought this yarn for socks, but I bought it for a shawl. Caveat eBay. Love the texture of the yarn. Still not totally sure about this two circs thing, and once again, fearing that this sock will be too wide for Boy's foot. I will finish one (or almost finish it) and bring it with me to get a test fit, I swear I made him a pair with this pattern and needle size before and they fit nicely, so maybe I'm just imagining that they look like they are made for a fatter foot.
I cannot believe it is only Wednesday, this week is so full of crazy every day is two days long. There is no stress like working in an industry that it currently on thin ice. I feel like a fraud among them because I have a diverse resume, and could jump ship, and will when the moment comes. It's a lot scarier if your entire work history is tied to the industry.
So, we're a smaller, "leaner" machine, designed to "ride out this tough time," which means that we are all doing multiple jobs, but it didn't make the not so smart people any brighter, so the ones with brains have to carry even more work and more people on their backs all day. My brain and my back are both aching, and I can't wait to get away, even for a week. And I know I have it easy compared to my boss, who is carrying a load that would cause me to run away screaming.
Meanwhile, back in existing home sales world, the house like mine up the street just had another price cut and is getting down into Why Should I Bother? territory. I may just have to hunker down and ride this market out through the next year. I am not looking to get rich off real estate, I am smart enough to know that is bullshit, but I do have to walk away with a decent start-over check and the race to the bottom isn't over yet. After 11 years and a lot of money spent on this house I really would like to have something to show for it, since the house is the biggest investment I have left after all I've been through. Depressing.
It's really depressing because my area is not affected much by the subprime market, adjustable rate mortgage disaster. I live in an area that is built out, upper middle class, great school district, with lower than average house turnover. Foreclosures are low in my county. Yet houses aren't selling, and prices have dropped like a rock. Listing in November is now turning into Listing in January, maybe. We'll see how things go, with my job, with the market, with everything.
Enough of that. My son called as I was writing this, his job situation is as "fluid" as mine, being with a start-up company and all that jazz, and he's just hanging in to see if the talk of transfer and such comes to pass. Yeah, the economy is just great ! Problems, what problems? Says President Alfred E Newman. What a load of crap. But I digress.
The good news is that he should have several days off during my visit, so we can go hiking. I am superstitious/sensible enough not to go hiking alone, because I really don't want to collapse on the trail and get eaten by bears. Not that I don't love bears, but not enough to be a protein source.
There will be many pictures. I am making a detailed packing list, which includes things like DON'T FORGET THE CAMERA CABLE! in all caps, because I forgot it when I went to MDS&W. I will have the MacBook, two cameras, the small foldable Ott Light (his house doesn't have knitting-quality lighting) the phone charger, the Bluetooth headset charger, and a blow dryer. I'll give him cash to cover the spike in the electric bill. When he isn't dragging Olde Mom up and down mountains I will wander and shop and sit at outdoor bars with a book and a margarita. I shall knit, and get my nails done. I will sleep soundly at night, and not think of work at all. Sounds like heaven, doesn't it?
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3 comments:
coffee at an outdoor cafe with knitting at 2:30 in the afternoon on a blue sky day?
Yup. sounds like heaven to me. I'll be thinking of you next week - when I have a board meeting and a salesman (favorite) call and ... lawsee, there's something else. But not with jealousy - just knowledge that it's your turn.
hugs
b
Yikes! This week is my vacation, so it's flying by for me. I always start the week off with big plans and an ambitious to-do list, and never get through half of it. The organization I have worked at for 27 years is closing in June, and I'm feeling rather mixed about this forced retirement deal. Part of me is thinking living a simpler (read: "cheaper") lifestyle on my greatly reduced pension and a 30-hour-per-week job with less responsibility and stress sounds good, and part of me is angry that this is happening, scared of the unknown, and pissed that after sucking the best years of my life out of me, these asshats have the nerve to throw this 45-year-old baby out with the bath water. I love my house and want to keep it; there is a fence for the dog, room for my loom, a nice garage to putter around in and do messy projects involving paint/glue and a dining room with ajoining deck that is perfect for knit & whine. Chillax on your vacation---I hope your real estate/job situation works out for the best for you---I'm starting to believe that even the best, most determined of us have only so much control over anything.
Love the word "chillax," that's a new one for me! Honey, my life is living proof (or rather, my late husband's life was proof) that the best and most determined have only so much control, and we can do everything right, not cautiously right but take the right chances and leaps of faith when warranted, do things bravely, smartly right, and it's still not always in our control because shit can just blindside you. I've tried to explain this to my mother, who is a big "pre-worrier" - she works herself up over things purely hypothetical. (I realized in the last week that I do the same thing at times and must stop.)
I know preemptive worry is useless and a waste of energy. I know from life experience (multiple life experiences) that the really bad shit hits you behind the knees with a tire iron and knocks you on your face when you weren't looking. So I am rolling with the current changes, and doing what I can do to nudge things along the path, and waiting and seeing, and chillaxing.
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