Looking up, and also down, but up.
OK, only been about a month since I posted, so for me this is epically busy.
OK, my payrise sucked, may as well have not happened. Not to say it was entirely unsubstantial, but given the real increase in the cost of living over the RPI increase which includes TVs and other crap that I dont have to buy every month, and given that this is the first pay review for two years, I'm technically worse off than I was two years ago. I am however better off than I was a month ago, so, yay.
I haven't said before, because of external factors, but for a few months now I've been seeing someone, Shelly. She was a friend for years and shortly after Kay and I split up she came over for a visit and things developed. We are now more than friends.
Of course with technology these days LDRs are far more viable than ever before, and on top of that we of course make plans to visit each other.
I haven't left the country in 12 years, I haven't flown in 20 years, but all that is about to change...
I have now ordered my passport, booked my flights and booked a hotel in Chicago for one night.
In 75 days I go to visit Shelly in Illinois for 8 days. We have much planned. We'll be staying at hers but can't get a huge amount of alone time there as she has a son and her mother lives with her.
But we intend to go out, to spend time in the city, visit Fermilab (and as they are shutting down the collider, we can even walk inside the ring) go to Second City, eat at Gino's East, and spend the aforementioned night in a rather lovely hotel with views across the parks and lake.
This makes me happy.
Also, got the flights dirt cheap. It's not going to be comfortable, but unless I went business class it never was going to be. And with the saving it should mean I can book my next trip over there early enough to actually snag a bulkhead seat.
My next trip should be in June for her cousin's wedding. Amusingly my cousin gets married three days before on my anniversary, but where he's getting married I could never afford to stay unless I robbed a bank, so sadly I will miss that no matter what.
Summer and Hope started a new school yesterday, and they seem happy enough with it, this also makes me happy. You dont really doubt they'll be OK, but you still worry. At this new school there is no uniform and they call the teachers by their forenames. Despite the odd the school gets good results, so I am assuming until I hear evidence to the contrary that things will work out there.
I saw Megan last weekend and she fares well, only time will really tell how things are going to work out there though, but I have hope.
Work proceeds to get worse. I try to improve things but no-one seems to want to know, making it feel like all my efforts are in vain and a waste of my energy.
I'm writing regularly now, need to make sure I keep it up though.
OK, my payrise sucked, may as well have not happened. Not to say it was entirely unsubstantial, but given the real increase in the cost of living over the RPI increase which includes TVs and other crap that I dont have to buy every month, and given that this is the first pay review for two years, I'm technically worse off than I was two years ago. I am however better off than I was a month ago, so, yay.
I haven't said before, because of external factors, but for a few months now I've been seeing someone, Shelly. She was a friend for years and shortly after Kay and I split up she came over for a visit and things developed. We are now more than friends.
Of course with technology these days LDRs are far more viable than ever before, and on top of that we of course make plans to visit each other.
I haven't left the country in 12 years, I haven't flown in 20 years, but all that is about to change...
I have now ordered my passport, booked my flights and booked a hotel in Chicago for one night.
In 75 days I go to visit Shelly in Illinois for 8 days. We have much planned. We'll be staying at hers but can't get a huge amount of alone time there as she has a son and her mother lives with her.
But we intend to go out, to spend time in the city, visit Fermilab (and as they are shutting down the collider, we can even walk inside the ring) go to Second City, eat at Gino's East, and spend the aforementioned night in a rather lovely hotel with views across the parks and lake.
This makes me happy.
Also, got the flights dirt cheap. It's not going to be comfortable, but unless I went business class it never was going to be. And with the saving it should mean I can book my next trip over there early enough to actually snag a bulkhead seat.
My next trip should be in June for her cousin's wedding. Amusingly my cousin gets married three days before on my anniversary, but where he's getting married I could never afford to stay unless I robbed a bank, so sadly I will miss that no matter what.
Summer and Hope started a new school yesterday, and they seem happy enough with it, this also makes me happy. You dont really doubt they'll be OK, but you still worry. At this new school there is no uniform and they call the teachers by their forenames. Despite the odd the school gets good results, so I am assuming until I hear evidence to the contrary that things will work out there.
I saw Megan last weekend and she fares well, only time will really tell how things are going to work out there though, but I have hope.
Work proceeds to get worse. I try to improve things but no-one seems to want to know, making it feel like all my efforts are in vain and a waste of my energy.
I'm writing regularly now, need to make sure I keep it up though.