Creative Juices Flowing Again

Well, I'm finally happy and busy again which means that blood is finally getting over to that creative half of my brain that's been dormant and asleep for too long. A little depression or sadness is good for creating, but too much and I'm just happy to be able to make it out of my pajamas (I'm referring to the last 6 months or so when I was laid off). Now that I'm at work and spend hours dedicated to one major thing at a time, my brain always likes to float around and think up creative things to do for when I take a break. Drawing is something that's been coming to mind again.

It's been a while since I've picked up a pencil and sketchbook, I have to admit. I started dabbling into photography when I moved in '04 to my current place by the sea, so it would take some still lifes to get my skill level back up again. I'll have to see...

I've been getting some ideas to do little characters and maybe using one frame or two to take a look into their little experiences. Kind of like Calvin and Hobbes would do occasionally, but instead of delving into a story, I'd just keep it to one or two panels.

I'm thinking some good thinks and will try to get to some drawing again, so we shall see.

Managing Work Stress

(and trying not to take it out on the people that you love). *sigh*

Having that 6 month spell of not having a boss to answer to has made me forget about one of my past Laws of Having a Stressful Job, never bring home your work!

By "work" I mean the collective meaning of work, the stresses involved with project turn over and more importantly the stresses involved with working under 2 very rigid minded bosses. They all mean well, but I have to learn to leave those feelings of submissiveness at my desk and not bring it home to take it out on the people that I love. Nipping at your boyfriend about the right time to go to Stop & Shop and over how things should be organized are not effective or healthy ways of dealing with work stress and feelings of lack of control at work. Controlling the minutiae of details at home is not a way to deal with your bosses controlling every aspect of what you do at work.

These are things I need to repeat to myself because I love my family and I know it's not any of them purposely doing things to tick me off, sadly it's how I'm perceiving them.

Old Injuries, Old Memories

My ankle has been acting up for the past few months or so. This is of my own doing and it's frankly what I deserve for not following up with my stretching exercises (and thinking that they're stupid).

After not being able to wear girly shoes or go without and ACE bandage for more than a few days, what I have surmised is that THOSE STRETCHING EXERCISES ARE NOT STUPID, I AM.

Back in college, probably sophomore or junior year, I was taking the stairs down in the Math and Sciences Building (MSB for you UCONN savvy) and my right foot turned in and down as I took a step. I then fell down a fllight of stairs (well skidded really, thankfully) and ended up as a heap at the bottom. I thought I broke my leg and didn't know what to do. A teacher comes out and instead of helping me, kicked me out of the stairs, limping since, "YOU ARE IN THE WAY, MOVE." Thanks, I hope life has dealt you back all of your karma, but anyway...

My friends I was going to meet, call me up and they find me and then take me to the infirmary. They slap a bandage on me and call it a day. Over the course of the next week I get a tearing sensation whenever I lean or put weight on the ball of my foot, so I go back to the infirmary. Thankfully, UCONN has a whole sports medicine program ("and there was much rejoicing...yay!") so I began a month and a half expedition into rebuilding my ankle tendons and resetting my bones, literally.

What had happened is that one of the bones in my shin has popped out of it's base in the top of my foot (the ankle) because the tendons got maxed out, but they had not torn. So the physical therapy consisted of a) resetting my poor bones and b) strengthening my ankle. Hence, we get to that big b). I have certain exercises I should have been doing at least once a day that will help promote the healthy location of my bones and further strengthen the ankles. Have I been doing those, meh.

What do I get for "meh," a month of ACE bandages and pain.

*sigh*

I have to realize this is a life long condition. Thankfully, it's not something as severe as other life long conditions, but it's enough that if I don't remember to take care of, it effects my life. :-(

Ongoing Ground Zero Construction

Here's a link so that you can watch the construction going on at Ground Zero:

http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/groundzero/

Labor Day

*waves to everyone*

Happy Labor Day everyone! I've been spending it catching up on a whole lot of nothing that I've been missing out on. With me starting my new job a few weeks ago I've had to catch up on all my TV programs and web links that kept me company during my 6 month layoff, Spongebob how I have missed you so...

Went into the city on Saturday and shopped at Loehmann's to catch some of their weekend sales. I hate you Loehmann's, you and your mountains of beautiful discount clothing. I should own stock if I could so that I could at least make some money for the future while it pours out of my wallet in the present. *shakes a fist*

Getting the Piss Taken Out of Me

Well, it's official, I got the piss taken out of me at work today. Bright and early and before my morning cup of coffee, so I was completely taken off guard.

But before you go, "OMG, are you OK, were you fired" I must explain why this is good and why I was secretly looking forward to it.

My bosses do this to EVERYONE. The structural boss does it to assert dominance and to see how far he can push you before you start to defend yourself, very smart actually since I started to push back at a good time and brought up a very valid point at the same time.

The President of the firm, the boss' boss, took the piss out of me about paperwork. God help me, paperwork will be the death of me, I know this, they know this, but it was his first and very heavy handed attempt to try and drill home to me the fact that a) we can get our ass sued and b) people can get hurt. The last bit pertains to an example of say I find a mistake on someone's drawing and correct it, and I don't sent it out the official way and with the official paperwork, what happens then? Those changes may not be made and something could happen.

The President is also a squirrely little guy, someone who has to constantly reassert himself as head honcho and I kind of turn my nose down at that, but he knows I still do respect him and that I have his back. I may give him a cock-eyed look from time to time, but still.

Afterwards I bumped into one of the other ladies that I work with and we talked about it. Turns out that's initiation and it used to be much worse apparently. "Oh yeah, it happens to everyone, regularly, but it turns out they like you, so it'll be fine."

*rolls eyes* I guess this is why we drink it up on Friday's at 4:30 then. It all makes sense now.

But to be honest, my structural boss is a cool guy. He's really really experienced and is about to hid 80 soon, this is very very rare and I am cherishing having a head PE of this age. He's someone that used slide rulers...that's right SLIDE RULERS!! And apparently he digs my style, so *knocking on wood* I think this may work out. *crosses fingers, toes, legs and anything else I can*.

Happy and Kind of Dreamy

It was a great month spent with Clive. We got each other's kinks and personal space down, we've developed our roles in the relationship and even had our first fight, in GCT no less ;-). I think that's a good month indeed. Now he's away to visit with his daughter back home and then take in as much California NIN as his budget and time will allow, plus pay a visit to all his old west coast buddies before he'll fly out to see me again for another month.

It's all very weird and happy and kind of dreamy, I'm still kind of learning how to deal with everything, plus the new job. I've pretty much had a reset button pushed on my life and it's nice to be able to share that with someone special. :-)

Now the fun stuff starts where we start to integrate the material into our lives; where his things will go, eventually finding a new, larger place to live so that we can have more space and he'll be able to work more comfortably at home in, and maybe teaching him how to drive with myself finding a proper bicycle.

As we approach autumn, my favorite season, I'm approaching a very contemplative portion of my life. I definitely need to get a nice brisk walk in before it turns into 80 degrees again. A good cold autumn walk always set my mind to rest and especially done in New Haven I'll be able to take a mental breather or two and sit down to write down something important or enjoy the scenery. All these new things to think about and plan for are entering my life and I'll need some time alone to let them sink in.