Someting to Laugh About

Facebook can be a very dangerous thing but today it gave me a good, long and hard laugh. I found out that a man-child I dated before George who broke up with me because "he wasn't sure if he wanted to get married" has in fact gotten hitched. I saw the wedding pixs from a mutual friend and all I could do was laugh. My female co-worker says I have a good spirit for taking this news so lightly. And why shouldn't I. This peter pan man did me a HUGE favor by breaking things off. In my heart I was already starting to fall for George. My co-worker's boss (a single man George's age) came in on the discussion and concurred that yes a man does say he'll never marry then end up doing so with the next woman he meets.

Buzz Is Ruining My Life

I swear he is and we haven't even met yet. Since he is not one of George's heroes (it's Winston Churchill) I think I can delicately vent here about why this man is ruining my vacation plans for the rest of '09.

If you've been following along with me the last few months, I've been wondering what exactly is next. I've been "trying" to work harder and smarter. About a month ago I was told my performance at work was not up to par and my position was possibly going down to part-time. I kept it together until my lunch and went for a good cry in Central Park. I went on a short trip at the end of that week which was the best thing I could do mentally. Literally walking away was so beneficial to get some perspective.

I'm about 4 weeks into "the hunt" to get a new job when I'm whisked into yet another meeting to get my annual review. A very sudden 180 happens and I'm told that not only is my work on par but in lieu of a raise (they can't afford the $$) I'm getting an extra week of vacation. Yes- this is my work life. One day I'm in hell the next day in paradise.

So I confer with George about it and it's his turn to get the okay from his work for the extra week. This is part of relationships where you have to "work it out". His boss has already ok'd our original week in August but is now on the verge of redacting it in the name of a major shift of workload at the firm. George, being the amazing boyfriend, tells the boss that his traveling companion (without giving its gender) has already booked the time. And this is when it gets cute- the boss asks if it's a lady with a smirk on his face. George affirms it and gets the okay. That night I insist that we get this boss man a drink after work sometime. We'll see.

So how does Buzz come and screw up my life?
Well I wanted to go away in Sept., George can't make it and the week he's free in October Buzz is coming to my work for an event and I'll probably have to be here as backup to the Events Manager. Should I pray about this or just go and buy George's boss a bottle of expensive wine as a bribe? Maybe I'll do both ;-)

Real Girlfriend of New Jersey

I must be the luckiest girlfriend in the world (or at least N. New Jersey). I spent part of the weekend up in George's neck of the woods and got spoiled with the following treats:

1. Date in the James McFaul Environmental Center. There were lots of fun things to see (peacock opening its feathers W-O-W!) We only got a little wet towards the end.

2. Watching cooking shows on Sunday afternoon because I was coming down with his cold. I'm sure I'll be doing my part this fall watching football games on Sunday for his fantasy football thingie.

3. Yummy steak cooked on the grill by George's dad. His dad has the best stories of growing up on Long Island Sound. Last night was telling me about how many boats he built as a pre-teen. And I thought reading Socrates and Plato was a challenge at that age!

Learning the Lesson

It's been a year since I signed the papers to buy my condo and boy what a long, strange, trip it has been. This time last year, I had bruises up and down my arms from moving my stuff in and getting used to where things were and bumping into them again and again. Now, I can walk through my house in the dark and not bump AS hard into my furniture. I've traded some of it to my parents because it was just too big.

I have new windows (paid off finally) and some extra savings two fold that I was blessed with in the past few months. I'm looking forward to continuing to make better $$ choices and kick this burden of debt I chained myself to without even realizing it.

I was given quite a scare a few weeks ago when I was told my full-time position is possibly being reduced for budget reasons. This jump-started my job hunt once again and I met with a recruiter last week to get some help. Unfortunately, I was exhausted last week and couldn't do much on my own in terms of hunting. Hopefully this week will be better and I'll manage to get online after work and find some good leads. Officially I've been looking for a new job since last September when I broke down in front of my boss (my first time and hopefully my last) and told her I couldn't keep going on more than a few more months. It's been a few more months and that wake up call last week reminded me that I need to get out before I'm asked to leave.

One thing I've been excited about is seeing how little changes mean big things. I don't miss NetFlix and the digital cable box and now that some of my debt has been paid off in full (3 debts in 6 months, horray) I can continue to snowball my payments (thanks Dave Ramsey) and work towards really living more within my income instead of just at the tippy top.

Is Gluten Free Living for Me?

I've been reading "Gluten Free Girl" this past week. I notice a LOT of things that are familiar with the author's account of realizing that she's been allergic to gluten her whole life. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that I may be too but on the other hand I was hoping that my allergies would not cross over into the food category.

In my downtime, I will be researching how to "go gluten free" and how to get locally grown food to see if that helps make my symptoms subside. Apparently it is a majorly under-diagnosed condition. I have a good friend who finally received a firm diagnosis over a decade after first showing symptoms.

If I have to, I will de-gluten my house and become a vigorous food label reader. I don't keep that much in my house but here's a short list of what I'll have to give to my mom/sister's pantry:
1. Flour
2. Pancake Mix
3. Beer bread mix

This is what I will have to stock up on:
1. Canola oil
2. Tapioca flour
3. Chocolate (not a bad thing :)
3. Polenta (always wanted to try that)
4. Unsalted butter (usually need that)
5. Champagne vinegar
6. Cooking wine
7. Gluten free sauces as needed
8. Quinoa
10. Almond Flour
11. Sheep's and Goat's cheese
12. Rice noodles and gluten free pasta at large

What I will keep: whole wheat pasta for George!

Citizen Spitzer

I was walking up Fifth Avenue to work this morning and across the sidewalk was no other than Mr. Spitzer. When the scandal revolving around him broke the day I began my current job, 16 months ago, I thought that it was good he was knocked off his high horse. He spent the last year in "hiding" and has gone back to work I guess. But looking across the street at someone who was such a public figure made me think of the Icarus story in Greek mythology.

For those of you who did not take 3 years of Latin, Icarus was the figure who built wax wings so he could fly. His father, Daedalus, warned him not to fly too close to the sun. But he did and plunged to his death into the sea.

I believe both Mr. Spitzer and John Edwards (see my blog post last month) suffered a similar temptation with wax wings of another kind, women. I guess you could also call it rock star syndrome but still I admire Mrs. Spitzer and Mrs. Edwards (despite her using it to launch her memoirs) for forgiving their respective husband.

An old friend reminded me the other day not to throw the first stone when it came to criticizing other people's fidelity but it doesn't mean I can't use it as a lesson in my own life. Fidelity is a cornerstone to my relationship with George because it's bound up with trust.

However, I'd have to be outta my mind to look at any other guy the way I do at him. George says he has never noticed a beautiful woman walking down the street and while I tease him about that, I really believe it's true.

My On Again Off Again Relationship with TV and Reading

I haven't been home much well since well I can't remember. I don't have a cable box and I don't have a DVR so that means I miss a lot of TV. I did not watch a single episode of "Big Bang Theory" (pending season 2 DVD release...arrgh!)

In terms of reading, well I get to read A LOT. I'm a train commuter which means I don't have to keep my eyes on the road. Currently I'm reading a vampire/werewolf book "True Blood" which I have to say is disappointing to "Twilight" but I'm managing to work through my growing disinterest. It doesn't compare to trying to read "Atlas Shrugged" which George is currently working through. I gave up 50 pages in and have been strongly encouraged to give it another try. It's more likely that I will remodel my bathroom before I try that novel again (Sorry George!)