And 2010 is off to a good start!! (Happy New Year...)
I've been a bit neglectful about posting over the holidays...but I've been putting the time to good use. Really.
First, I've finally gotten my groove back. My good news from just before Christmas was good, but it still took a few days to get the meds out of my system, resulting in me not being the most sparkly character over the holiday. I'm now *ahem* (at the risk of offering TMI) "regular" again. Praise to jeebus! I appreciate little things like this.
I've been doing something over December that I've never had to do before over my 22 years if the Guv'mint: USE "use or lose" leave. Over this near-quarter century, I've had many people quibble with me over the relatively low pay I got as a civil servant (it took 20 years for me to go from a starting salary of $15K to breaking six figures)...the trade-offs I got though were a) job security, b) good health insurance (they added dental and vision about 10 years ago), and c) good sick leave and annual leave (the latter being "vacation) time), 240 hours of annual leave can be carried over from one calendar year to the next. Twelve years ago, I was around long enough to start earning 8 hours of annual leave for every 2-week pay period...and I promptly used it. Flexiplace and maxiflex means that I haven't been using leave like I was...and just before Thanksgiving, I discovered that I HAD to use 40 hours of annual leave in December, or I would be over the maximum 240 hour carry-over and I would lose a week's worth of vacation time. I've used it now.
I went into the office Tuesday, and was handed a hand-written note left by my acting ("temporary") branch chief...I was to move from the dank, dark, airless cubicle I've spent the last 15 years calling my office...into a newly-assigned window cubicle. I had Tuesday to move all but my desktop and telecom, which our information management people should have done now. When I go into the office for the first time in 2010, I will be in a spot where I can look out my windows down onto Clark Street and the Chicago Board of Trade, watch the peregrine falcons that live on the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center next door carry on the feather-exploding slaughter of airborne pigeons and tear the squabs into bloody little bits to feed their chicks in their jail nest, and have an incredible view of the city stretching southwest--with incredible sunsets and the awe of weather systems sweeping inexorably northeast toward the Lake. I will have...REAL light--something incredible for the depression-prone--and cell phone reception that is perplexingly absent only 20 feet away. This is a big deal for me. I've earned it.
Wednesday morning brought a guy from the North Shore suburbs (and his Ford Aerostar-driving little brother) who disassembled the old home gym and carted it out of my bedroom within 90 minutes. I have SPACE! I can access my closet again! I can clean up hidden cat-pukes and battle the killer dustbunnies! So I vacuumed...cleaned the carpet...moved my bed so that nosey neighbors can't see me nekkid in bed if I leave my blinds cracked open. I've cleaned out my closet and taken a huge load of clothes I haven't worn in years (like 4 suits and a dozen ties...but I've kept SOME anyhow) to the Howard Brown Elephant re-sale shop...I've tossed old jockstraps with no elasticity, old toys that melted in storage, found things that haven't seen the light of day in 12 years. I re-arranged my bedroom, created a reading nook in one corner by the big window, opened up HUGE floor space, and even de-cluttered my living room in the process. This is BIG progress...and another big change to go along with a new direction in my life.
And I said "NO" to someone earlier in the week...for all the right reasons. A guy from Champaign, who has occasionally chatted with me on the 411 site for 5 or 6 years but never showed up in person, once again said (out of the blue) that he'd like to stop by sometime to check out a specially-constructed hole in a wall of mine (one at crotch level that somehow used to have turgid male anatomy poking through at me from time to time). I thought it odd that he brought this up, since I have had no mention of the facility on that site for quite some time...and it hasn't been put to use in about a year...but he said he would be making the trip here to Chicago more often, since he's DATING someone here now. Then he mentioned that his boyfriend might like to come along...they've had ONE date. I suggested that perhaps a) he might want to read my profile again (it's at http://www.bear411.com/envirobear or http://www.bigmusclebears.com/~envirobear ) and b) he should keep it between his new boyfriend and himself. His response: Oh, my boyfriend might really like to come, too. My reply: "Do you have any SINGLE friends? Tell them to contact me if they like my profile."
Gary and Eric were very proud of me having said that. I have to make 2010 a year of new beginnings and new approaches...yes, I love sex, but what good is it for me if the only men I meet are ONLY into me for sex before they go home to their own partners? I can love a guy as a friend...but that doesn't mean that he's going to get "benefits" unless--UNLESS--he's talking about introducing me to another friend who's also single and dating. If you get to go home and go to bed with your partner after you've played with me...then I *expect* that you think enough of me as a friend that you're going to want ME to have the equal pleasure of being able to turn out the lights at night with someone who values me as much as you value your own partner. If you're single, you have no further obligation...but if you're partnered and want to play with me--have a name and info about a single friend before your peen has pleasure...I expect an introduction somehow BEFORE we play again. *GRIN* Not too much to ask, really.
So that's what I've been doing...and where I'm going. I'm making concrete changes to my surroundings, and focusing on where I want to go THIS YEAR. No more "giving it up" unless there's something in it for ME...streamlining my life, taking care of me first instead of taking care of everyone else and THEN me...getting back into circulation...letting someone work a bit to snare me because I'm *worth* the effort. Next up: clear out more clutter, get the guest room ready to rent, meet more of the LJers and FBers who are local or visiting--like allanh, visiting from the Bay Area--and try to make inexpensive plans to see friends on both coasts over the next year.
So a belated Happy New Year to you all...I hope 2010 is a more prosperous and successful year for everyone--including me.
First, I've finally gotten my groove back. My good news from just before Christmas was good, but it still took a few days to get the meds out of my system, resulting in me not being the most sparkly character over the holiday. I'm now *ahem* (at the risk of offering TMI) "regular" again. Praise to jeebus! I appreciate little things like this.
I've been doing something over December that I've never had to do before over my 22 years if the Guv'mint: USE "use or lose" leave. Over this near-quarter century, I've had many people quibble with me over the relatively low pay I got as a civil servant (it took 20 years for me to go from a starting salary of $15K to breaking six figures)...the trade-offs I got though were a) job security, b) good health insurance (they added dental and vision about 10 years ago), and c) good sick leave and annual leave (the latter being "vacation) time), 240 hours of annual leave can be carried over from one calendar year to the next. Twelve years ago, I was around long enough to start earning 8 hours of annual leave for every 2-week pay period...and I promptly used it. Flexiplace and maxiflex means that I haven't been using leave like I was...and just before Thanksgiving, I discovered that I HAD to use 40 hours of annual leave in December, or I would be over the maximum 240 hour carry-over and I would lose a week's worth of vacation time. I've used it now.
I went into the office Tuesday, and was handed a hand-written note left by my acting ("temporary") branch chief...I was to move from the dank, dark, airless cubicle I've spent the last 15 years calling my office...into a newly-assigned window cubicle. I had Tuesday to move all but my desktop and telecom, which our information management people should have done now. When I go into the office for the first time in 2010, I will be in a spot where I can look out my windows down onto Clark Street and the Chicago Board of Trade, watch the peregrine falcons that live on the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center next door carry on the feather-exploding slaughter of airborne pigeons and tear the squabs into bloody little bits to feed their chicks in their jail nest, and have an incredible view of the city stretching southwest--with incredible sunsets and the awe of weather systems sweeping inexorably northeast toward the Lake. I will have...REAL light--something incredible for the depression-prone--and cell phone reception that is perplexingly absent only 20 feet away. This is a big deal for me. I've earned it.
Wednesday morning brought a guy from the North Shore suburbs (and his Ford Aerostar-driving little brother) who disassembled the old home gym and carted it out of my bedroom within 90 minutes. I have SPACE! I can access my closet again! I can clean up hidden cat-pukes and battle the killer dustbunnies! So I vacuumed...cleaned the carpet...moved my bed so that nosey neighbors can't see me nekkid in bed if I leave my blinds cracked open. I've cleaned out my closet and taken a huge load of clothes I haven't worn in years (like 4 suits and a dozen ties...but I've kept SOME anyhow) to the Howard Brown Elephant re-sale shop...I've tossed old jockstraps with no elasticity, old toys that melted in storage, found things that haven't seen the light of day in 12 years. I re-arranged my bedroom, created a reading nook in one corner by the big window, opened up HUGE floor space, and even de-cluttered my living room in the process. This is BIG progress...and another big change to go along with a new direction in my life.
And I said "NO" to someone earlier in the week...for all the right reasons. A guy from Champaign, who has occasionally chatted with me on the 411 site for 5 or 6 years but never showed up in person, once again said (out of the blue) that he'd like to stop by sometime to check out a specially-constructed hole in a wall of mine (one at crotch level that somehow used to have turgid male anatomy poking through at me from time to time). I thought it odd that he brought this up, since I have had no mention of the facility on that site for quite some time...and it hasn't been put to use in about a year...but he said he would be making the trip here to Chicago more often, since he's DATING someone here now. Then he mentioned that his boyfriend might like to come along...they've had ONE date. I suggested that perhaps a) he might want to read my profile again (it's at http://www.bear411.com/envirobear or http://www.bigmusclebears.com/~envirobear ) and b) he should keep it between his new boyfriend and himself. His response: Oh, my boyfriend might really like to come, too. My reply: "Do you have any SINGLE friends? Tell them to contact me if they like my profile."
Gary and Eric were very proud of me having said that. I have to make 2010 a year of new beginnings and new approaches...yes, I love sex, but what good is it for me if the only men I meet are ONLY into me for sex before they go home to their own partners? I can love a guy as a friend...but that doesn't mean that he's going to get "benefits" unless--UNLESS--he's talking about introducing me to another friend who's also single and dating. If you get to go home and go to bed with your partner after you've played with me...then I *expect* that you think enough of me as a friend that you're going to want ME to have the equal pleasure of being able to turn out the lights at night with someone who values me as much as you value your own partner. If you're single, you have no further obligation...but if you're partnered and want to play with me--have a name and info about a single friend before your peen has pleasure...I expect an introduction somehow BEFORE we play again. *GRIN* Not too much to ask, really.
So that's what I've been doing...and where I'm going. I'm making concrete changes to my surroundings, and focusing on where I want to go THIS YEAR. No more "giving it up" unless there's something in it for ME...streamlining my life, taking care of me first instead of taking care of everyone else and THEN me...getting back into circulation...letting someone work a bit to snare me because I'm *worth* the effort. Next up: clear out more clutter, get the guest room ready to rent, meet more of the LJers and FBers who are local or visiting--like allanh, visiting from the Bay Area--and try to make inexpensive plans to see friends on both coasts over the next year.
So a belated Happy New Year to you all...I hope 2010 is a more prosperous and successful year for everyone--including me.