17 May 2010

The Layoff Chronicles: The End

Looking back on it, getting laid off was pretty great.

If I had had a couple kids and a spouse and a big mortgage, it would have sucked bigtime, but as a Bachelorette on a Budget, it wasn't as hard as I had thought it would be.

I cut way back on my expenses, hunkered down, and quite frankly enjoyed the heck out of not having to get up and go to work 8 (or 9 or 12) hours a day. I woke up late, took the dog on long walks and went to the morning class at the gym. The simple life suits me because, well, I am quite simple.

While I was off, I kept really busy. I worked my butt off doing freelance, started ghostwriting a book and spent more time shepherding my folks around to doctors and hair appointments.

But those days are about to be over. I HAVE A JOB!

More importantly, I have a job that I WANT. I had been rueful about the two jobs I got passed over for - especially the first one, because I spent about a month dangling, thinking I was about to be hired, before they cut me loose. But now I am thankful I didn't get one of those jobs, because I would have missed out on an opportunity that, so far, seems perfect for me.

I get to write more. I get to use my graphic design skills. I get to use the weird obscure technical knowledge that I gained from my last job. I get to work with some old friends. And I get paid over 10% more than at my last job.

Weird how it all worked out.

I start next week. I gotta start honing my getting-up-at-a-reasonable-hour skills again. I'm also going to have to work on my juggling skills, because I still have the ghostwriting to finish.

To celebrate getting hired, my BFF CC and I took off on a girly adventure. We packed up the Bluemobile and headed for Yosemite National Park. I had never been there before, and let me say this about that: those Ansel Adams photos? Don't even begin to touch the beauty of the place.

My eyes got filled up with the majesty. Sometimes I had to concentrate on the fat butts of my fellow tourists as they waddled up the trails, just to give myself a break.

Driving to the park on the first day, I kept going around corners and thinking "It can't get more beautiful than this." And then, going around another curve, it did. Everywhere you turn, there is something that takes your breath away.

If you look up while you are sitting on a bench outside the visitor's center, this is what you see:

That's Upper Yellowstone Falls. Right below that, there is also Lower Yellowstone Falls. Double falls! For the price of ONE falls.

You can go up to the top of the valley and see this:

350 pixels really doesn't do it justice. If you can stand up there and not get a little verklempt, your heart is made of stone.

And if your friend CC talks you into going on a trail ride, you might get to make a friend like Ringo:

Ringo was quite nice, except for trying to crowd the mule in front of him, a move that got him kicked in the chin a time or two. Good thing I am an excellent muleswoman. That's kind of a lie, but I managed not to fall off, at least.

CC's mule was a whiter shade of pale and is named Vegas:

What happened on Vegas will have to stay in Vegas.

But let me warn you - when you ride a mule, you sit on parts of your body that are not used to being sat upon. Yowch. My lady parts may regain feeling sometime before the end of the year, if I'm lucky.

21 comments:

Rebekah said...

CONGRATULATIONS on your new and better and higher paying job - that's got to feel awfully good!

Rachel said...

all quite awesome :)

(well, except for the sore lady bits part)

dede said...

Mazel Tov! It's so true: when a door or three slam shut, a window flies open. We just have to wait for it.
Cheers!
dede

grace said...

I'm so happy for you! Yay!

CharmingDriver said...

Yay job & road-trip!

Ericka said...

congratulations!!!! (both on the job and the girly roadtrip!)

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah said...

Congratulations on the new job!

lagata said...

Congrats! I'm so glad that you waited it out for the job that was right for YOU :) Yeah for the girlie trip - sorry about your girlie bits :(

Blue House Studio World HQ said...

Congratulations on the job and thanks for the beautiful pics.

Isabella Golightly said...

Good thing that you get to use your skills in your new job & not your girlie bits, hey? Well done you!

Kizz said...

Whoop whoop! Yay! Congratulations!!!!!

Skye @ Planet Jinxatron said...

Yay Suebob, congratulations!

Lisa said...

Congratulations on the new job!

swapna said...

Yay !
Congratulations for the job ! And yay for your awesome attitude towards life , I wish I could have just half of that spunk :-) !
It does seem like you had a great time at Yosemite !

flurrious said...

Congratulations! And don't worry about your lady bits; you can buy new ones now.

super des said...

Congratulations on getting a job! And I can't believe you'd never been to Yosemite! It's one of my favorite places in the world. But I'm glad you liked it. :)

PunditMom said...

GREAT NEWS on the job! Congratulations! And envious about Yosemite! I've always wanted to go -- those are lovely pics!

mayberry said...

So happy for you! And I was going to say the girls' trip sounded like the perfect celebration. But then I read about the kabin. omg.

lizriz said...

Congratulations!

meno said...

Congratulations Suebob!

And the time off sounds like it was great and foe about the right amount of time. I'm convinced it's because we crossed our fingers for you.

Suzanne said...

I'm so happy for you!

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