The world on your shoulders
The Dragon had finally broken away from it all to get a moment's quiet to record an entry. Only he didn't know where to begin.
He missed a chance to write an end-of-year review, what with the wedding preparations, the run-up to the trade shows (he didn't go to), and some new ordinances at work.
His boss has been quite stressed lately, due to some upheavals overseas with the factory, and attempting to work around two people who weren't doing their job as a couple of programs ballooned. Last month he had been reprimanded for doing his own private work during work hours (understandable, and corrected). Yesterday he was reprimanded for making personal phone calls at work.
He knew it was just a tough patch, but he felt like he was standing on shaky ground at work. He knew some of his 2D work recently had been a bit sloppy, but his 3D work was stronger than ever.
He figured it out: there was lots of trouble with a new production manager in the factory. He had been promoted to a position, and his work was sloppy as well. The Dragon's own boss wanted to make sure he had no excuses to make more mistakes, as he had been pretty consistently.
In the meantime, he had to regather himself, and refocus on his 2D craft to make sure it was interesting and accurate.
* * * * *
The situation with his new wife, while happy, turned out to be as much work as his day job.
She wasn't clingy or whiney, praise the gods, but she had no car, and couldn't get a job until her work permit processed (which would be 90 days from last week), so all he could do was wait for progress to be made, and in the meantime do driving for both of them.
Fortunately, his area had places close enough to walk to for basic necessities. It was the social calls that took the most out of him, however. Basic life maintenance was one thing, but going out to clubs and meeting new friends? The Dragon couldn't help but admit it was draining, especially when he was lucky to get 5-6 hours of sleep a night...
* * * * *
To put it plainly...the Dragon's father and mother were growing old.
His father had managed to retire successfully, but he was busier than ever. And his wife was more egregious than ever. Every time the Dragon saw the old Ogre, he looked depressed and beaten down. The Ogre promised he was working towards a separation, but the efficiency in doing his chores was slowing down. The Dragon watched helplessly and worried.
It had been almost two years, and his Mother was still having great difficulty selling any work. When he talked to her, the Dragon's mother seemed less and less happy about the situation every month. A few times she even yelled at him. It was hard to take, when she started, all he could do is move the speaker away from his ear until she finished. She was going to get a new job, and maybe that would help. The Dragon could only hope...
"It's all too much. I can't spread myself any thinner. I've withdrawn myself from everything I enjoy to focus on what needs help in my life, and I can't cover it all. Work needs attention, as does myself and my sleep, but everything else needs attention as well."
He missed a chance to write an end-of-year review, what with the wedding preparations, the run-up to the trade shows (he didn't go to), and some new ordinances at work.
His boss has been quite stressed lately, due to some upheavals overseas with the factory, and attempting to work around two people who weren't doing their job as a couple of programs ballooned. Last month he had been reprimanded for doing his own private work during work hours (understandable, and corrected). Yesterday he was reprimanded for making personal phone calls at work.
He knew it was just a tough patch, but he felt like he was standing on shaky ground at work. He knew some of his 2D work recently had been a bit sloppy, but his 3D work was stronger than ever.
He figured it out: there was lots of trouble with a new production manager in the factory. He had been promoted to a position, and his work was sloppy as well. The Dragon's own boss wanted to make sure he had no excuses to make more mistakes, as he had been pretty consistently.
In the meantime, he had to regather himself, and refocus on his 2D craft to make sure it was interesting and accurate.
* * * * *
The situation with his new wife, while happy, turned out to be as much work as his day job.
She wasn't clingy or whiney, praise the gods, but she had no car, and couldn't get a job until her work permit processed (which would be 90 days from last week), so all he could do was wait for progress to be made, and in the meantime do driving for both of them.
Fortunately, his area had places close enough to walk to for basic necessities. It was the social calls that took the most out of him, however. Basic life maintenance was one thing, but going out to clubs and meeting new friends? The Dragon couldn't help but admit it was draining, especially when he was lucky to get 5-6 hours of sleep a night...
* * * * *
To put it plainly...the Dragon's father and mother were growing old.
His father had managed to retire successfully, but he was busier than ever. And his wife was more egregious than ever. Every time the Dragon saw the old Ogre, he looked depressed and beaten down. The Ogre promised he was working towards a separation, but the efficiency in doing his chores was slowing down. The Dragon watched helplessly and worried.
It had been almost two years, and his Mother was still having great difficulty selling any work. When he talked to her, the Dragon's mother seemed less and less happy about the situation every month. A few times she even yelled at him. It was hard to take, when she started, all he could do is move the speaker away from his ear until she finished. She was going to get a new job, and maybe that would help. The Dragon could only hope...
"It's all too much. I can't spread myself any thinner. I've withdrawn myself from everything I enjoy to focus on what needs help in my life, and I can't cover it all. Work needs attention, as does myself and my sleep, but everything else needs attention as well."