Two Years Ago Today...

Well, actually, I don't know when the exact date was. Had I known it would be such a milestone, I might have paid attention. I really had no clue.

But two years ago this month, my life changed for the better. Why? Because this handsome, intelligent, silly man - who listens to NPR and BBC in the middle of the night - sent me an IM on FB and said, "if you ever want to talk on the phone, here's my number." Now, if you ask the comedian, he will make up a totally different story. But that is, in fact, how it went down. LOL

Was that our first IM or interaction? Nope. Shoot, we've actually been in the same circles since junior high. We just never hung out directly. So when I got the FB friend request I said, "I know him!" and happily accepted.

At that time, I had just finished my half marathon. He started asking me about running, and we chatted occasionally. And then there were the horrible dating stories. Like the older dude who wanted to meet for lunch at Chik-Fil-A because he was tired of women taking advantage of him. And Ashy Larry, whom I met in my bowling league in ATL. Actually, it was the Ashy Larry story that set everything into motion.

After I posted it, along with a photo of the bootleg birthday "present" he got me, it was LDR who said that all these southern men were messing up and leaving the door open for him to swoop in. I don't think I took him seriously, though.

Then he sent his phone number. We haven't stopped talking since then!

He's the reason that one of the first apps I downloaded on my iPad was NPR. The impetus for me to go harder when I'm ready to give up. My dad really liked him. Always asked about him when we talked. And LDR took to him like they had always known each other. Even spoke at his funeral. He always checks in in my mom and puts up with her antics (those of you on twitter know the stories, lol).

I'm so glad that I chose to let things progress instead of trying to orchestrate my life to the T. The more we talked, I realized how much we thought alike and how wrong I had been, up to that point, about what I thought I needed.

And now, we just need to get to the same city! Can't wait to see what the next two years will bring.

Feast or Famine

You know how when you're single, it's hard to find someone worthy of dating...and then when you're in a relationship, folks come out of the woodworks? That's how it seems to be with my job situation.

I promise you, the MINUTE I began giving serious thought to going back to NY, here come the job opportunities. LOL! First, I got a call from a manager I had done a phone interview with previously. She called and told me about a position out of her office, but she wasn't sure if it could be worked from a remote location. She said she'd check with her managers at the end of the week and let me know. I hadnt heard anything before yesterday, so I assumed it wasn't available anymore. Yesterday, my current manager asked me if I had applied, and asked me to forward the confirmation email. Still waiting to hear on that.

Then a workers comp adjuster who previously worked for my company, sent an email to someone who still worked for us, asking her to find out if any liability adjusters were looking as they had a position open. I forwarded my resume last Friday. So did another co-worker. We both had interviews today. I kept hearing things about this position that were making me think twice about applying, but what I was told in the interview made me feel much better. It's on a different side of town but the commute wouldn't be bad.

On Tuesday, my old supervisor called me and said that she was asked for recommendations for another internal position, and she wanted to know if I was interested. I told her I'd like to know more about it, and the next morning after yoga class, I spoke with a manager in that department. What she told me piqued my interest, so I applied yesterday morning. Today, the director called me to do a phone interview, but I missed him. I left him a message this afternoon.

Things like thtis always make me say, "really?!?" My friend Stacy says this is the universe telling me I need to stay in Charlotte. She refuses to discuss relocation with me. LOL! LDR says, "do what you gotta do, babe."

So, what I gotta do is wait and see how this all plays out. :)

Changes, Changes, Changes

So if we're friends on FB or Twitter, you know I got the news Monday that I'm going to be laid off in February. The account I handle claims on has decided that they are going to handle their own claims in house.

Now, they will have some positions up there, but frankly from wh at I've heard, I would not want to work for them directly. Reduction in pay, reduction in vacay time, totally different and very rigid culture. Uh, no. Sigh.

This economy makes it so hard because the choices are limited. It's almost like you are just caught between a rock and a hard place. You have to fight like mad to find something halfway decent, or just take what you get and be miserable.

I'm weighing options right now, including a move back to New York, since LDR hasn't been able to get his transfer down here. Honestly, if it wasn't for JUST getting the rental house, my immediate answer would be load up the truck and get on back to NY so I can get on with the rest of my life. I don't know what kind of life I'd have in Syracuse, and I certainly never envisioned returning...but at least I'd be with the one I love.

Then there is always the option of Virginia, because that's where my sisters are. They have room for me and I know they'd help me until I find another position and get my own place. That's a little closer to NY than I am right now, but without all the ridiculous snow.

People keep asking, "what are you going to do?" Um, I just found out on MONDAY - I have not made any decisions as of yet! LOL! I'm just letting the news sink in. It's funny because many people I'm close to are going through changes and it seems like we're all searching for the stability we once had.

Wordless Wednesday