For you, Deion!
My friend Deion habitually complains that I don't have enough "personal" posts anymore, so to please my adoring fans, ie Deion, here goes nothing.
For Fourth of July weekend, my family and I went to Fire Island beach for the usual BBQ and day out in the sun. I think that's my favorite beach in all of Long Island - go farther east, towards the Hamptons, and the crowd becomes snobby; go too close to the city and you get loud-music playing, unruly, "yous looking at me?" types. The forecast predicted a 95 degree heat wave, but you couldn't really feel out there close to the water: it was hot, but there was a pleasant, cooling breeze. Plus there's nothing like dipping in the Atlantic to cool you off. I ventured out to the waters, but not too deep, since the waves are quite powerful - also, I learned a bit too late that my particular two piece was definitely for the swimming pool, and not the ocean waves. Thankfully no mishap occurred, but there were definitely one or two waves that not only left me sputtering for air, but also scrambling to make sure everything was in place.
Outings to the beach also make me realize, I want my driving license!! I've never wanted it before, lazy New Yorker that I am, but now I really, really do. I want the freedom of the road, to just take off for the day. I hate being stuck in the city. My test date is set for Friday, July 23, and I will be practicing every weekend and every opportunity I get. I've gotten more confident, my turns are better, my parking is good (just have to keep practicing so I don't freeze up on the day of the test), and I've even started to beep at other drivers when they're taking too long at the light. See? I'm a NY driver already. I just need that license.
Work's better than I could've ever hoped for. I realized that this past week when I attended a goodbye happy hour for another girl in my department (the one who helped me to get the job, actually), and I was happily shooting the breeze with my boss. My boss! That never in a million years would've happened in my previous job, and not like anyone would've wanted that either. There's a lot to do, especially now that we're a publicist short, but as long as you're working hard and communicating that, that's all my boss could ask for. I can't believe the drama I endured at my other job, where most days ended with my feeling miserable and stressed for a year. Now, I can go to work most days with the mindset, "I have a good job - so let's do a great job."