- I was super unhappy in a toxic environment and needed to get out.
- Because I didn’t have a job, I was able to travel to help my parents when they asked.
- When it turned out my dad’s cancer was back, I was able to spend as much time as needed with them.
- If I had still been in my job, I would have filed for FMLA, meaning they couldn’t have terminated me. I’d be stuck on payroll but with unpaid time off. Two months of non-paid leave vs. 9 months of unemployment, some of it with a pandemic-bonus.
- Because so little was hiring, I was able to take time to really explore where I wanted to go and decide what was really important.
- Bonus time off gave me time to get household projects done, start exercising, take professional development classes, travel to my nephew’s graduation, and so much more.
- It also allowed me to go on a week long mission trip to Haiti, physically being part of an organization I’ve supported for years. (Love For L’Allemand)
- In the end I landed the perfect job that fits every one of the things on my list!
Category Archives: Events
Surprising Things I’ve Accomplished This Year (specifically given that it’s been a corona-year)
- Checked two new states (North Carolina, Mississippi) off my list
- Missions trip to Haiti
- Three “airports” in one day
- Landing & taking off on a dirt runway
- Attending/walking in a Haitian funeral processional
- Ate goat for the first time
- Iguanas in the wild (in Miami… they chased me away from my lunch)
- Finished unpacking all boxes from moving end of 2019
- Started packing up to move again
- Attended nephew’s high school graduation
- Vacation to San Diego
- Lodging at the fabulous beachfront Tower23
- Riding bicycles to Mission Beach
- Completed “Visual Communications” course through Sophia Learning
- Put more than 10,000 miles on my car
- Ran three trivia nights before the world shut down
- Read 29 books
- Successfully began intermittent fasting (lost 8 pounds and dropped my A1C from 6.1 to 5.4!)
- Watched multiple full series on Hulu and Amazon Prime
- Achieved level 40 and then level 41 on Pokemon Go
- Applied for 66 jobs
- Got hired for exciting new position with city of Clinton, Iowa!
Previously On November 10
- 1989 – German citizens begin demolishing Berlin Wall
- 1989 – College student (it’s me) raced to Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines, Iowa to stand in the electronics section at a mall store so that I could watch the fall of the Berlin Wall
- 2012 – Barack Obama elected as 44th President of the United States
- 1483 – Birth of Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation
- 2010 – Disney composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas) receives 2442nd star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame
- 1241 – Pope Celestine IV passes away
- 1969 – Sesame Street premieres
- 1908 – First Gideon Bible placed in hotel room
- 1889 – Birth of Claude Rains, famous for playing Chief of Police in Casablanca
- 1940 – Walt Disney’s first day as FBI informer
- 1801 – Dueling is outlawed by the state of Kentucky
- 1871 – Birth of Winston Churchill, but not the Winston Churchill you’re thinking of
- 1964 – Birth of Kenny Rogers, but not the Kenny Rogers you’re thinking of
- 1969 – Birth of Ellen Pompeo, yes the one you’re thinking of
- 1958 – The Hope Diamond is donated to New York’s Smithsonian Institution
- 1990 – Home Alone movie premieres at the box office
- 1766 – Charter signed for Queen’s College / Rutger’s University
- 1998 – Premiere of Star Trek: Insurrection
- 2014 – London Premiere of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
- 1963 – Actress Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond) marries novelist William Goyen who is 15 years her senior
- 2007 – Author Norman Mailer dies
- 1954 – Unveiling of the Marine Corps War Memorial depicting the raising of the flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima
- 1928 – Emporer Hirohito is publicly confirmed
Things You Do NOT Need to Feel Guilty About Right Now
- Feeling depressed or anxious
- Being tired
- Missing the people you used to hang out with
- Seeing the people you used to hang out with
- Clinging to your family
- Not being able to spend time with your family
- Sending your kids to school
- Not sending your kids to school
- Having a cheap face mask
- Having the most expensive face mask that exists
- Not having a job
- Wishing you didn’t have a job
- Loving your job
- Hating work-from-home
- Loving remote work
- Fearing the uncertainty of the future
- Being sad about the world around us
- Being angry about the world around us
- Being closed off from the world around us
- Eating at home
- Eating out
- Picking up food to eat somewhere else
- Going for walks/runs/jogs
- Cocooning at home
- Not being able to concentrate on reading
- Reading more books than ever because you have nothing else to do
- Being unproductive
- Being so productive people around you complain
- Sleeping late
- Not sleeping well
- Doing whatever it is that you need to do to survive or even thrive
Lessons I Should Have Learned The First Time
- When riding a mower under tree branches which probably contain spider webs, keep your mouth closed.
- Speak up. Silence is usually implied consent.
- If you think “It’s okay if I leave it a mess because nobody is going to come in,” you are probably wrong.
- In times of stress, simply surviving to the next day is enough to accomplish.
- Clear your phone before you hand it to a family member.
- When someone hands you their phone to see something, only look at that one thing.
- Delayed gratification is part of adulthood.
- Skip fried foods.
- Don’t believe everything you think in the middle of the night.
- On road trips, use a bathroom every time you stop.
- The nearer the equator, the more sunscreen you need.
- Don’t back down when you know you are right.
- When someone slimy takes advantage of a situation, remember that it is a reflection of them and not you.
- Trust your instincts. If you feel like your boss is out to get you, he probably is.
- A stack of books to read is a happy reminder that you have things to look forward to.
- There are many types of “love”. Love freely, but recognize the differences.
- If he only compliments you when he’s drinking, he doesn’t really feel that way.
- Always pack an extra outfit in your carry-on.
- If you’re flying through Atlanta, give yourself a minimum of an hour layover. And that is probably still pushing it.
- If the movie is boring, walk out. It’s not going to get better and your time is worth more than the ticket.
Things I’ve Done So Far During Quarantine
- Dishes — a lot of dishes
- Put away all the laundry that was sitting in piles of “This is clean; I’ll put it away someday.”
- Cleaned out two boxes of stuff from my job
- Practiced piano
- Started a 1000 piece puzzle
- Caught up on current season of Schitt’s Creek (so sad it’s over!)
- Caught up on current season of Spring Baking Championship
- Caught up on current season of Sister Wives
- Watched last season of Flip or Flop
- Watched season three of Lie to Me
- Cleaned all main floor floors
- Cleaned kitchen more times than I should have to
- Actually cooked real food
- Walked outside daily
- Signed up for GeekNerdDating.com
- Forgot to cancel before my trial period was up
- Interviewed for a job
- Updated my resume
- Read
- Stacked up a bunch more books to read
- Debated rearranging all furniture in living and dining rooms but decided that was a terrible idea with nobody to help me
- Video chatted with Grandbaby/Son/Daughterinlaw
- Video chatted with my Tribe
- Talked to parents daily
- Spent too much on Amazon
- Cleaned off all my ceiling fans with the new extendable pole duster I got on Amazon
- Had groceries delivered twice
- Had pizza delivered once and then was reminded that pizza messes with my stomach something fierce
- Listened to birds singing
- Took lots of nature pictures
- Set up a private Facebook group for the condo association where I live
- Wrote social media posts for pages I admin (some scheduled out through August)
- Organized my Sharpies
- Set up a main floor work space
- Tried to wear something every day that makes me happy
Things I Still Need to do Before Moving Next Week
- Finish packing
- Clean out the fridge
- Throw away a boat-load of stuff
- Pack a bunch more stuff
- Decide where furniture will go in the new place
- Put in a change of address with the post office
- Bribe friends to help me unpack
- If I ever finish packing
- Take the DVR back to Mediacom
- Hire somebody for a move-out deep clean
- Cashier’s check for closing costs
- Plan my first pool party in the new place
- Purge & pack
Reasons NOT to use a realtor when you are buying a house
- You ARE a realtor
- You are a real estate lawyer
- You are married to a realtor or real estate lawyer
- You can get into locked houses legally
- You know how to line up your own home inspector/sewer inspector/electrician/ plumber/appraiser /mortgage pre-approval/underwriting/closing attorney
Leaving On a Jet Plane… and a Cruise Ship… and tenders…
- Chicago
- Fort Lauderdale
- Blake Shelton concert
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Nassau Native Quest
- Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
- Turks & Caicos
- Dominican Republic
- La Casa En Playa
- Florida
- Illinois
Things I Would Rather Be Doing (Assuming the Weather Was Nice Enough for Weather Dependent Activities)
- Reading a good book
- Visiting family
- Watching Survivor
- Sitting around a campfire
- Making s’mores
- Eating s’mores
- Walking in the sunshine along the river
- Wilderness camping
- Writing & editing a novel
- Binge-watching home shows like Flip or Flop, Love It or List It, Desert Flippers
- Getting a pedicure
- Getting a massage
- Decorating a Christmas tree
- Planning parties
- Eating stuffed crust pizza