Some Traditions Haven't Gone the Way of the Dodo

There are many traditions of good neighborliness that seem to have passed out of existence. Especially in the city, the mere gesture of greeting someone with a pleasant hello or a geniune smile is rare. However, my neighbors across the hall proved that not all neighborliness is gone.

After returning from class this evening, I was greeted by a knock at my door. Actually Victoria was greeted by the knock, I was in the back of the apartment talking on the phone. I open the door to find two very friendly looking strangers bearing brownies. They introduced themselves and explained that they lived across the hall from me. I invited them in. Of course, I'll pretty much let anybody in who shows up with brownies, but anyway...

We chatted for a few minutes, and they got to meet Victoria. She was even nice enough not to bite them on their first visit. They didn't stay long, just long enough to make me feel welcome in my new neighborhood. I will always have fond memories of my old neighborhood and apartment, being my first real home since the divorce and all. But, I have to admit that this new apartment and surrounding neighborhood feels more like home than I ever expected it to. I wasn't happy about being forced to move, but I have to admit that now I'm glad I did.

No Good Excuse

I have no good excuse for not listing anything here in such a long time, so I'll just have to fill you all in on what's been going on. Following my propensity for making major life changes all at once, I've done it yet again. I'm currently between jobs, which is a polite way of saying that I'm unemployed, and if that weren't enough I packed up bag, baggage, and cat and moved...again. It's amazing how much things can change in such a short period of time.

I've known about the job thing for a while, but when it came down to it, it was a huge shock to my system. Since I was 16, there's never really been a time in my life that I haven't been working. I had trouble finding something when I first moved here, but that was to be expected. My current situation is not something that I planned for. I'm not sure it's one that anybody really plans for.

As for the job searching itself, it's a pain in the ass. Searching for jobs that fit my qualifications and that aren't a 2 and 1/2 hour commute away is difficult, to say the least. Frustrating, I think, would be a better word for it. Tailoring a resume to what you think a prospective employer might want in a prospective employee and then hoping for the best is just not something I'm terribly good at. I prefer to have a bit more control over my situation if I can at all help it. Truth is, I look good on paper, but the interview is usually where I really make my lasting impression. I haven't gotten many of those given all the applications I've sent out.

I'm happy to report though that things are getting a little better on the job front. I've had a first and second interview for a really good job opportunity, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I should be hearing a final decision about it this week. My nerve level, as you might expect, is a little high at the moment. I want the job so badly I can taste it, and there aren't many other opportunities out there. All I can do is hope that it works out though. If it doesn't, then I guess that means there's something else I'm supposed to be doing.

Then, of course, there's the move. Moving isn't fun. Admittedly, being unemployed helped ease the stress of moving a bit, but it was still not a pleasant experience. I had a great moving crew who made everything go amazingly well, despite U-Haul's best attempts to drive me absolutely batty. The one thing a mover does not want to have to worry about it is whether or not you have a truck on your moving day. Thanks to U-Haul, I spent a lot of time that I could have used for packing trying to find a replacement for the truck I reserved 6 weeks in advance. I sing the praises of Enterprise. Thanks to them and their courteous customer service staff, I was able to find a pick-up truck to move with. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. It was either that or I was going to have to drag my sleeper couch 20 blocks to my new place, so I was happy with what I could get.

My new apartment was definitely worth the move. It may not be in Wrigleyville, but it's bigger than what I had and the rent includes heat (which I hope they will turn on any time now). Kitty seems very happy with her new digs. I think it's helped that I've been home with her so much, but she seems very content with all the windows and large window sills. She's even managed to break out a couple of times. No screendoor shall hold her! I think that we will be very happy here. It feels like home. It took months for my old place to feel like that. Of course, I think the fireplace definitely helps with that :-)

Anyhow, that's what's new in my life. I promise to be better about writing stuff here. I should have plenty of time now :-)