/ money

Ups & Downs. Ups & Downs. My financial situation is like a see-saw. I’m trying to be as wise as I can, but the bills are coming quickly and furiously, and the income is trickling in. Thanks to the grace of a few friends, I’ve been able to make it this month (we’ll forget about the skipping the phone bill and gas bill part), and I’ve been finagling with my doctors to get medications switched from Third Tier to First Tier/generics so I won’t have to shell out $60 a month. Now, all I have to do is make some phone calls to the insurance company and switch my payment to monthly or something like that, and oh yeah, find a 2nd job to be able to be sure I will be able to make it from month to month and enough for surprise expenses.

This is hard. The money thing is killing me. I have no idea how to go about finding a part-time job that will deal with my having Aidan on the weekends. Ugh, the thought of waitressing makes me ill. But maybe I can be a hostess. I think I can handle that. I hope. I’ll be heading out to the restaurants this week. *sigh* I hope they can deal with me working Tues-Thursday evenings, and Sunday afternoons. I can’t do Fridays and Saturdays, those are my Aidan days are are absolutely out of the questions, as are Mondays. But, I think I can handle hostessing for 4-5 hours a night, for a few nights a week. We’ll see what happens.

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Slowly But Surely…Coming Back

/ writing

I’ve been hiding out from the writing world. Obviously. I’ve needed to distance myself from industry news, from being immersed in a world that I wasn’t sure I was meant to be a part of. I’m still keeping my distance in some cases. My writing inbox has nearly 3000 pieces of mail I have never looked at. I haven’t looked at Miss Snark in months. My issues of The Writer and Writer’s Digest get tossed aside, unread. My feelings were too bitter, too angry, to be healthy. And they have to potential to turn back, so I will keep myself distanced until I feel healthy enough to deal with everyone’s good news, successes, and trials and tribulations.

I’ve been working as a copy editor at Zaner-Bloser. I’ve had the opportunity to read some fantastic books, and also read many different writing styles. Sandra Cisneros. Lois Lowry. Edward Bloor. As I gobbled up novel after novel, I felt that familiar tingle in my gut. The frantic searching for a paper and a pen so I could jot down ideas, techniques, and sketches. Plots, characters. I’ve found myself writing, almost against my will. False starts. Books that get to 5K and lose their fizzle. I fill up pages and pages with notes, but I’m not sure what to do with them, yet. The ideas come, but I’m scared about where they’re going, so I just write them down. For once, I’m not going to force myself to think I NEED to do something with them right away. In the meantime, my paper journals have been filling up. My mind is constantly churning. And that’s okay. One step at a time.

My personal life has been in upheaval like whoa. Probably reasons I NEEDED to step away from writing, reasons I haven’t sold, because I’m really NOT ready to devote to my career like I need to if I want the exposure/success I need. I hope I will by mid-2007, but we’ll see.

There is a such thing as trying too hard. I won’t let it happen to me again.

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I Feel Productive. Kinda. (Pictures)

/ life, pictures, work

Enjoying Myself at the Holiday Party

Guess what I did today?

– went to the Post Office, and mailed out holiday packages;
– went to Target and bought necessities like shower gel, cat food, and laundry detergent;
– finally finished my Christmas cards;
– wrapped a bunch of gifts (there are some for Aidan that are shaped so oddly–how in the fresh hell am I supposed to wrap those?);
– put together the rest of the packages which are to be sent when I get paid next week;
– transferred a prescription;
– cleaned the living room

So, w00t.

Now I just have to tackle the dishes. *hides from them*

Today at work, there was the holiday party. Lots of fun. Two hours of not having to work, wheee. Heehee. There was lots of food (I had chicken, scalloped potatoes, and three cookies, plus lemonade to drink), and prizes raffled off, and live music, which included some foot-stompin’ hand-clappin’ traditional Irish music. Yea!!!

I sat at a table with some fun people. The food was good, and I certainly enjoyed that Irish music.

Just Me
Just Me. Smiling, and full.

Centerpiece
This was the centerpiece on our table. I won one, but not this one. Okay, I didn’t actually “win,” it was totally rigged, but still. 🙂

The best part was the raffle ticket that said “Happy Holiday’s.” Do we NOT work for a publishing company? I am beginning to think documentation NEEDS to go through copyediting, because last week, the program from the kids’ program said Doner instead of Donner in the Rudolph song!!! Eeek!

Today at work, I copy edited a book about Coretta Scott King. I had no idea the woman had been so beautiful. She was breathtaking!! Did you know that Martin talked to her about marriage on their first date? Ha. And that she’d thought he was handsome, but too short? How cute, huh? Together, those two made quite a pair and changed American forever.

I got a couple of cards today. A card in the mail from alwaysonlybe, a Vegas postcard from celinedion, and a card from Sandy at work with a $10 gift card to a bookstore. Oh, and a letter from meimeigui with extra happiness inside!! ♥

Early this morning, about 1am, I was hit with a raging craving for chicken and stars soup. I wasn’t about to eat soup at 1am, so I’m eating it now. Yum.

I should head to bed. I have a long day tomorrow, but the evening should be fun. I’m going out to a co-worker’s place with Aidan, to have warm/fuzzy/snuggly/wuggly Christmas time fun. We’re gonna bake cookies and drink cocoa and watch Christmas DVDs. I wish I could find my pajamas with feet so I could wear them, but I’ll be fine. I’ll bring running pants to change into, maybe.

‘Til next time!

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My Friends

/ friends, positivity

I have THE most amazing friends in the world.

Just thought I’d mention that.

No matter how tight things get here, I’m rich with friendships. That is a heartwarming thing to know.

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Oooh!!

/ happy

Look what I got from cassidyselzer!!!

*feels loved* ♥

Thank you, Cas! 😀 😀 😀

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