The year is dead. Long live the year.
Hello there, the internet! It’s been a while; I’ve missed you. Things have happened. It has been an eventful December.
Job front: I’m looking for work
I did not, as my last post may have sort of a little bit implied, get laid off on Christmas eve. I got laid off the Thursday before Christmas eve, and accidentally posted about it a week later. (I’m still figuring out the apps and controls on the new iphone.)
The layoff itself was abrupt, but not terrible. The CEO gave me a nice little speech about how it wasn’t performance related, just the financial reality. He said they like me and would hire me back if business picked up again. After he left the room the HR manager said the same thing, and before I left the head of the American office came to give me a hug and say it again; the cumulative effect was genuine and really did soften the blow. Termination was effective immediately, in the sense that my user account was disabled before I got out of the meeting. That was a little bit hard for me; I like being able to wrap up loose ends, pass on contacts and projects, feel sure things will get taken care of. I feel like I probably left Roddy in the lurch a little bit, but, well, they shut off my computer and took my security card. That’s how it goes.
Two weeks of unemployment has felt mostly like getting a Christmas break. I will probably get a letdown in a week or two when next semester doesn’t start, but so far it’s been relaxing and productive. I’ve been cleaning and exercising and paying bills and generally keeping busy-feeling. I’ve filed for unemployment and that should kick in pretty soon, so money is not an immediate worry. I’m looking for work, browsing job websites and following up on the leads people have passed my way. I’ve put out some applications. No bites yet, but it’s not exactly the business world’s most productive couple weeks, either. I’ll buckle down and focus on that more once we’re good and moved. Speaking of which...
Home front: we’re moving back to Baltimore
I gave our leasing office notice with January’s rent; we’ll be out by February 1. Baltimore it is!
I’m psyched about living there again. Yesterday I took the train up and spent the day walking around looking at apartments. Walking around Baltimore felt really good. I’ve missed it. Those streets and neighborhoods feel so much more like home than this complex. Then we went out for dinner with Baltimore friends and had a fabulous time and planned things to do once we live closer.
We have tentatively found an apartment. We saw it, we loved it, the (shockingly unsketchy) guy with the management office says he’s holding it for us. We’ll put in the application fee and credit check paperwork Monday and -fingers crossed, rabbits feet clutched, knocking on wood, etc.- move in mid-January.
I don’t want to get too excited about the place before paperwork is signed. On principle, but especially since I’m unemployed. Doing an application and credit check while I don’t have a job makes me nervous. I don’t think that’s really going to be an issue. We have great credit and Tyler could afford the apartment by himself, so we should be fine. Right? Probably. I have appointments to look at some more places, and we can definitely find an apartment, but I’ll be sad if this one falls through. There’s no reason it should, but wanting things is scary.
Having a month to move is great. Vastly better than doing it in a weekend or as a result of a ceiling cave in. It also means a month of moving, and moving typically fills me with dread and loathing. I’m hoping this time will be better. There’s time, I’m not working, we’re planning it, it shouldn’t be wildly stressful. It still means facing up to the monumental piles of things that we own and, in this case, paring it down significantly. All-out war between minimalist-hippie-ascetic ideals and packrat tendencies. Our apartment is overcrowded and the one we’re looking at is quite a bit smaller. That’s good, we need to get rid of things. I will be happier and less claustrophobic with less stuff. But it’s kind of an excruciating process. Some books will have to go.
Health front: Better every day
My knee keeps healing. It’s not done, but it’s getting better. I am a close facsimile of a person with two working legs. I’ve been running on the elliptical just about every day and doing other training things. I don’t look any better, but I think I’ve staved off holiday weight gain. I feel good. I’m sleeping better and I have that extra energy. I’m looking forward to getting back in shape. Baltimore is bike-friendly, and I’m just about bike-ready.
Yesterday’s apartment search was my first long walk since surgery, a couple miles on pavement plus several sets of stairs. It was okay. I was limping pretty hard by the end of the day, and I’ll be taking it easy today, but I did it. I didn’t have to stop or call a cab or pass on checking out the loft. It’s amazing progress from a month ago.
It feels good that this is the new year. Energizing. Typically this is when people look back on the year that was, but I’m just not feeling it. 2011: that happened. Anyway, let’s do 2012 now. I’m ready for it. I’m not expecting an easy one, but I like the way it’s starting off. Lots of change. Lots of beginning. Lots to look forward to.
Job front: I’m looking for work
I did not, as my last post may have sort of a little bit implied, get laid off on Christmas eve. I got laid off the Thursday before Christmas eve, and accidentally posted about it a week later. (I’m still figuring out the apps and controls on the new iphone.)
The layoff itself was abrupt, but not terrible. The CEO gave me a nice little speech about how it wasn’t performance related, just the financial reality. He said they like me and would hire me back if business picked up again. After he left the room the HR manager said the same thing, and before I left the head of the American office came to give me a hug and say it again; the cumulative effect was genuine and really did soften the blow. Termination was effective immediately, in the sense that my user account was disabled before I got out of the meeting. That was a little bit hard for me; I like being able to wrap up loose ends, pass on contacts and projects, feel sure things will get taken care of. I feel like I probably left Roddy in the lurch a little bit, but, well, they shut off my computer and took my security card. That’s how it goes.
Two weeks of unemployment has felt mostly like getting a Christmas break. I will probably get a letdown in a week or two when next semester doesn’t start, but so far it’s been relaxing and productive. I’ve been cleaning and exercising and paying bills and generally keeping busy-feeling. I’ve filed for unemployment and that should kick in pretty soon, so money is not an immediate worry. I’m looking for work, browsing job websites and following up on the leads people have passed my way. I’ve put out some applications. No bites yet, but it’s not exactly the business world’s most productive couple weeks, either. I’ll buckle down and focus on that more once we’re good and moved. Speaking of which...
Home front: we’re moving back to Baltimore
I gave our leasing office notice with January’s rent; we’ll be out by February 1. Baltimore it is!
I’m psyched about living there again. Yesterday I took the train up and spent the day walking around looking at apartments. Walking around Baltimore felt really good. I’ve missed it. Those streets and neighborhoods feel so much more like home than this complex. Then we went out for dinner with Baltimore friends and had a fabulous time and planned things to do once we live closer.
We have tentatively found an apartment. We saw it, we loved it, the (shockingly unsketchy) guy with the management office says he’s holding it for us. We’ll put in the application fee and credit check paperwork Monday and -fingers crossed, rabbits feet clutched, knocking on wood, etc.- move in mid-January.
I don’t want to get too excited about the place before paperwork is signed. On principle, but especially since I’m unemployed. Doing an application and credit check while I don’t have a job makes me nervous. I don’t think that’s really going to be an issue. We have great credit and Tyler could afford the apartment by himself, so we should be fine. Right? Probably. I have appointments to look at some more places, and we can definitely find an apartment, but I’ll be sad if this one falls through. There’s no reason it should, but wanting things is scary.
Having a month to move is great. Vastly better than doing it in a weekend or as a result of a ceiling cave in. It also means a month of moving, and moving typically fills me with dread and loathing. I’m hoping this time will be better. There’s time, I’m not working, we’re planning it, it shouldn’t be wildly stressful. It still means facing up to the monumental piles of things that we own and, in this case, paring it down significantly. All-out war between minimalist-hippie-ascetic ideals and packrat tendencies. Our apartment is overcrowded and the one we’re looking at is quite a bit smaller. That’s good, we need to get rid of things. I will be happier and less claustrophobic with less stuff. But it’s kind of an excruciating process. Some books will have to go.
Health front: Better every day
My knee keeps healing. It’s not done, but it’s getting better. I am a close facsimile of a person with two working legs. I’ve been running on the elliptical just about every day and doing other training things. I don’t look any better, but I think I’ve staved off holiday weight gain. I feel good. I’m sleeping better and I have that extra energy. I’m looking forward to getting back in shape. Baltimore is bike-friendly, and I’m just about bike-ready.
Yesterday’s apartment search was my first long walk since surgery, a couple miles on pavement plus several sets of stairs. It was okay. I was limping pretty hard by the end of the day, and I’ll be taking it easy today, but I did it. I didn’t have to stop or call a cab or pass on checking out the loft. It’s amazing progress from a month ago.
It feels good that this is the new year. Energizing. Typically this is when people look back on the year that was, but I’m just not feeling it. 2011: that happened. Anyway, let’s do 2012 now. I’m ready for it. I’m not expecting an easy one, but I like the way it’s starting off. Lots of change. Lots of beginning. Lots to look forward to.