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2007 in review
Jan. 3rd, 2008 12:22 amNot posting is a habit. A much easier habit to fall into than posting, it seems. It was a habit fed by two things: my full "real" life and the fact that LJ is very close to "writing" and I don't see able to do that lately. That, however, is for another post. This one seems best as a "year in review".
Life in 2007 is best viewed as transitional. I think 2008 might best be viewed as more of the same.
I haven't had a full-time, permanent job since June of 2005. In May I got a job with the county, and while it was only guaranteed through the end of the year, one of the other assistants in the office retired and I was offered the permanent position. Yay, me! While I'm thrilled with the job -- not only is it a good job, but it's a job I like -- I've come to realize that a two year stint of unemployment takes a lot longer to overcome than just six months of paychecks. I quite honestly got the job and had visions of, you know, getting to relax rather than thinking "we're just one step away from living out of the car provided, of course we can make the car payment".
While things are better, it's taking longer than I'd thought to get back on our feet. I find it makes it hard to deal with other people in my age/social circumstances -- things naturally circle around to items that deal with finances and I'm not in any position to be comparing notes or discussing feasibility of dreams. I've got to keep in mind that there will be a tipping point; a point when something gets caught up and that money can then be tipped to something else. It will tip enough, eventually and God willing, so that we're no longer catching up and we're actually getting ahead.
Enough self-pity.
Everyone in my family is doing well.
Myr started high school this year. She's doing well and is enjoying the classes. She's pulling a 4.0 right now. I was never smart enough to pull a 4.0. I'm not pushing Myr to get a 4.0. I keep telling her that anything C and above is good -- although she'd panic if she got a C. She enjoys learning and discovering new things. I hope that lasts. It's a good start.
My folks are doing good. I wrote that dad had a stroke in May, shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with some annoying brand of leukemia. I know that sounds bad, and it could be. Only it's not bad, not right now. And we'll take that. Mostly my dad is showing me just how strong a person he is. I've been spending a great deal of my time with them, helping them out or just hanging out. If I have only half the strength of character my parents have, I will count myself fortunate.
Wil is having a bit of a rough patch. I try to be as supportive as I can, but I fail miserably when it comes to knowing how to deal with some of these things. It's so very apparent that I can do very little to help and do so very much to make things harder. I hate that. And I'm caught between what I know and what others would like me to tell them. I have no answers and I know that there are those who would like answers. And it's not bad, it's just difficult at times. But things don't ever get better by ignoring them, so we''ll fight through. I know it's a lot harder on him than it is on me.
As for 2008, it looks pretty good. I get a week of vacation after May and we're planning on taking a trip to Mt. Rushmore. We're stable enough that Myr can go on a Band trip to DC. She's looking forward to that. With the holidays over, Wil's schedule is settling out and that will give him a more stable routine. And us, too, really.
Other than that, I have no plans. Long term planning -- even just "one-year-long" term planning -- is not something I'm capable of anymore. Hell, I'm lucky if I can plan a week at a time. But I'm trying and the plans actually seem possible.
Last year this time, I made plans. I didn't count on any of them being possible. In fact, I made plans that I knew I would never be able to implement. As I see it, it's got to be better to make a few plans that I actually believe possible than bunches that I know will never happen. Right?
So here's to 2008 -- a year when something might actually be possible.
Life in 2007 is best viewed as transitional. I think 2008 might best be viewed as more of the same.
I haven't had a full-time, permanent job since June of 2005. In May I got a job with the county, and while it was only guaranteed through the end of the year, one of the other assistants in the office retired and I was offered the permanent position. Yay, me! While I'm thrilled with the job -- not only is it a good job, but it's a job I like -- I've come to realize that a two year stint of unemployment takes a lot longer to overcome than just six months of paychecks. I quite honestly got the job and had visions of, you know, getting to relax rather than thinking "we're just one step away from living out of the car provided, of course we can make the car payment".
While things are better, it's taking longer than I'd thought to get back on our feet. I find it makes it hard to deal with other people in my age/social circumstances -- things naturally circle around to items that deal with finances and I'm not in any position to be comparing notes or discussing feasibility of dreams. I've got to keep in mind that there will be a tipping point; a point when something gets caught up and that money can then be tipped to something else. It will tip enough, eventually and God willing, so that we're no longer catching up and we're actually getting ahead.
Enough self-pity.
Everyone in my family is doing well.
Myr started high school this year. She's doing well and is enjoying the classes. She's pulling a 4.0 right now. I was never smart enough to pull a 4.0. I'm not pushing Myr to get a 4.0. I keep telling her that anything C and above is good -- although she'd panic if she got a C. She enjoys learning and discovering new things. I hope that lasts. It's a good start.
My folks are doing good. I wrote that dad had a stroke in May, shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with some annoying brand of leukemia. I know that sounds bad, and it could be. Only it's not bad, not right now. And we'll take that. Mostly my dad is showing me just how strong a person he is. I've been spending a great deal of my time with them, helping them out or just hanging out. If I have only half the strength of character my parents have, I will count myself fortunate.
Wil is having a bit of a rough patch. I try to be as supportive as I can, but I fail miserably when it comes to knowing how to deal with some of these things. It's so very apparent that I can do very little to help and do so very much to make things harder. I hate that. And I'm caught between what I know and what others would like me to tell them. I have no answers and I know that there are those who would like answers. And it's not bad, it's just difficult at times. But things don't ever get better by ignoring them, so we''ll fight through. I know it's a lot harder on him than it is on me.
As for 2008, it looks pretty good. I get a week of vacation after May and we're planning on taking a trip to Mt. Rushmore. We're stable enough that Myr can go on a Band trip to DC. She's looking forward to that. With the holidays over, Wil's schedule is settling out and that will give him a more stable routine. And us, too, really.
Other than that, I have no plans. Long term planning -- even just "one-year-long" term planning -- is not something I'm capable of anymore. Hell, I'm lucky if I can plan a week at a time. But I'm trying and the plans actually seem possible.
Last year this time, I made plans. I didn't count on any of them being possible. In fact, I made plans that I knew I would never be able to implement. As I see it, it's got to be better to make a few plans that I actually believe possible than bunches that I know will never happen. Right?
So here's to 2008 -- a year when something might actually be possible.
