updates and whatnot
Note to self: Stop making promises! I keep doing that, and then because I can't keep them, I end up not posting at all out of -- basically -- shame. Most recently I failed to complete my TW reverse bang, and failed to complete my December questions, and basically gave up on dreamwidth and livejournal altogether as a result. It is now June, you may have noticed. I suck.
But, vaguely in my defense, there's been a lot going on, which I will now share!
I guess the first and most important thing is I got a new job, and quit my old job. Both jobs are in the same company, but in completely different departments. It was a tough decision, reached after a full year of "wait and see." I was waiting to see if the new Chief would let my director open the position I wanted, then waiting to see who my new director would be because the first one was let go, and then waiting to see if the new interim director would become my permanent director. And then after HE left under mysterious circumstances (seriously: vanished one afternoon and never came back, and all we were told later was that he was offered the job and didn't take it) I just sort of gave up. The NEW director, who is not interim, seems perfectly nice and very capable, but I really couldn't see myself waiting around even longer to see if she'd value me enough to promote me.
When an internal job posting I'd thought about before came open again, I jumped on it, and I got it. I've always been in a bizarre position in my company - extremely well regarded and valued by the rest of the company, but not quite so much in my home department. It wasn't always that way, but when leadership in my department changed, I sort of stopped getting opportunities to shine inside the department. As soon as I let a couple of people know I was considering a move away from Marketing, I started being heavily recruited for three different positions. I eventually went with the one I'd originally been interested in; it's a promotion, and with a supervisor I like quite a lot and a solid path for advancement. It is, however, in a totally different area/discipline from what I've been doing for the past ten years, so: EEEEEEK.
So that was all a bit terrifying. Making the decision to move, sorting between possible positions, negotiating the raise and work from home time - it was hugely stressful. Not least of the weirdnesses - the new job is based in our New Hampshire office. It's really not much of a change in my commute time, since it's a reverse commute and there's basically no traffic to fight either way. I'd say maybe 10 minutes longer on an average day, but more like 30 minutes shorter than my worst days commuting in Boston traffic.
And because the new job is in New Hampshire, I needed a car - I've been mooching off Therienne's car by paying for all her gas, but while that's okay for driving a lot into Boston, it's not sustainable for driving daily to NH. So I bought a gently-used 2011 Prius, and it's kind of lovely. The mileage sealed the deal - it's a 48 mile commute, each way. Even MORE stress.
I've also been pretty sick for about a month - weird summer cold stuff, lots of hacking and coughing, a sinus infection, ear congestion, and oh my god, the horrible vertigo. It hit fast and hard, and then let up a bit, but it's always right there, waiting to be triggered by me like, chewing too hard, or turning my head too fast (or just in the wrong direction). Most of the cold symptoms are gone now, though the cough is hanging on a bit. Now the only issue is the vertigo. (Well, vertigo, and my endless capacity for self-diagnosing anything remotely wrong with me as a horrible fatal disease. *sigh*)
So, with all that going on, what have I been doing to relax? Well, mainly I've been watching Inspector Lewis. Watching it like I cannot even tell you. There are like six seasons of anywhere from 4 to 8 episodes each, and I have watched them oh.... three or four times each? I'm trying to mix it up a little now that most of the hard stuff is over, but I've kind of gotten used to just coming home and chilling with it. Plus, I think James Hathaway may be my spirit animal.
I've also been getting manicures. I may be a bit addicted. Before three weeks ago I'd never had a manicure in my life; now I've had THREE. The first was just to make my gnawed-down-almost-to-the-quick nails look halfway decent for my interviews - basic manicure and neutral polish. The second was after I got the new job, and was sort of celebratory, and also was intended to keep me from biting my nails, since I was having a little luck in that area after the first manicure. For this one I went with a bright turquoise gel polish. I loved it the first day, liked it the second day, really wanted it off my hands the third day, and went in to have it removed today - because apparently nail polish you can't remove yourself is a thing now! So today was the third manicure, and now my nails are a very tame (and easily removable by me) neutral-ish pink.
IDK! I just need to keep them covered with something or I'll start biting them again. The habit is not yet broken! I really want to do this color next: CND Vinylux Weekly, Blue Rapture.
Fannishly, I've been gawking at tumblr a lot and reblogging things, all very low-key. I saw CA:TWS and really enjoyed it, and now I'm really enjoying the way fandom is getting behind Steve/Bucky, because that is who God and America intended us to slash Steve with, thank you very much! =D I'm also dying for Teen Wolf to start again on June 23rd (same day I start my new job!!!). I've been doing a bit of writing, mostly trying to finish up the Teen Wolf Sterek!Space AU Reverse Bang. And when that stalls, I work on Lewis fic, because Lewis/Hathaway does not get enough love in fandom, and it's a crime.
So, that's me sorted! Now I'm going to go read about all of you people. :)
But, vaguely in my defense, there's been a lot going on, which I will now share!
I guess the first and most important thing is I got a new job, and quit my old job. Both jobs are in the same company, but in completely different departments. It was a tough decision, reached after a full year of "wait and see." I was waiting to see if the new Chief would let my director open the position I wanted, then waiting to see who my new director would be because the first one was let go, and then waiting to see if the new interim director would become my permanent director. And then after HE left under mysterious circumstances (seriously: vanished one afternoon and never came back, and all we were told later was that he was offered the job and didn't take it) I just sort of gave up. The NEW director, who is not interim, seems perfectly nice and very capable, but I really couldn't see myself waiting around even longer to see if she'd value me enough to promote me.
When an internal job posting I'd thought about before came open again, I jumped on it, and I got it. I've always been in a bizarre position in my company - extremely well regarded and valued by the rest of the company, but not quite so much in my home department. It wasn't always that way, but when leadership in my department changed, I sort of stopped getting opportunities to shine inside the department. As soon as I let a couple of people know I was considering a move away from Marketing, I started being heavily recruited for three different positions. I eventually went with the one I'd originally been interested in; it's a promotion, and with a supervisor I like quite a lot and a solid path for advancement. It is, however, in a totally different area/discipline from what I've been doing for the past ten years, so: EEEEEEK.
So that was all a bit terrifying. Making the decision to move, sorting between possible positions, negotiating the raise and work from home time - it was hugely stressful. Not least of the weirdnesses - the new job is based in our New Hampshire office. It's really not much of a change in my commute time, since it's a reverse commute and there's basically no traffic to fight either way. I'd say maybe 10 minutes longer on an average day, but more like 30 minutes shorter than my worst days commuting in Boston traffic.
And because the new job is in New Hampshire, I needed a car - I've been mooching off Therienne's car by paying for all her gas, but while that's okay for driving a lot into Boston, it's not sustainable for driving daily to NH. So I bought a gently-used 2011 Prius, and it's kind of lovely. The mileage sealed the deal - it's a 48 mile commute, each way. Even MORE stress.
I've also been pretty sick for about a month - weird summer cold stuff, lots of hacking and coughing, a sinus infection, ear congestion, and oh my god, the horrible vertigo. It hit fast and hard, and then let up a bit, but it's always right there, waiting to be triggered by me like, chewing too hard, or turning my head too fast (or just in the wrong direction). Most of the cold symptoms are gone now, though the cough is hanging on a bit. Now the only issue is the vertigo. (Well, vertigo, and my endless capacity for self-diagnosing anything remotely wrong with me as a horrible fatal disease. *sigh*)
So, with all that going on, what have I been doing to relax? Well, mainly I've been watching Inspector Lewis. Watching it like I cannot even tell you. There are like six seasons of anywhere from 4 to 8 episodes each, and I have watched them oh.... three or four times each? I'm trying to mix it up a little now that most of the hard stuff is over, but I've kind of gotten used to just coming home and chilling with it. Plus, I think James Hathaway may be my spirit animal.
I've also been getting manicures. I may be a bit addicted. Before three weeks ago I'd never had a manicure in my life; now I've had THREE. The first was just to make my gnawed-down-almost-to-the-quick nails look halfway decent for my interviews - basic manicure and neutral polish. The second was after I got the new job, and was sort of celebratory, and also was intended to keep me from biting my nails, since I was having a little luck in that area after the first manicure. For this one I went with a bright turquoise gel polish. I loved it the first day, liked it the second day, really wanted it off my hands the third day, and went in to have it removed today - because apparently nail polish you can't remove yourself is a thing now! So today was the third manicure, and now my nails are a very tame (and easily removable by me) neutral-ish pink.
IDK! I just need to keep them covered with something or I'll start biting them again. The habit is not yet broken! I really want to do this color next: CND Vinylux Weekly, Blue Rapture.
Fannishly, I've been gawking at tumblr a lot and reblogging things, all very low-key. I saw CA:TWS and really enjoyed it, and now I'm really enjoying the way fandom is getting behind Steve/Bucky, because that is who God and America intended us to slash Steve with, thank you very much! =D I'm also dying for Teen Wolf to start again on June 23rd (same day I start my new job!!!). I've been doing a bit of writing, mostly trying to finish up the Teen Wolf Sterek!Space AU Reverse Bang. And when that stalls, I work on Lewis fic, because Lewis/Hathaway does not get enough love in fandom, and it's a crime.
So, that's me sorted! Now I'm going to go read about all of you people. :)