Catch-up

Okay, it's been over a month since I've posted a blog, and that it simply unacceptable! So here's what has been going on...

January started out well, until I learned about a new contracting policy implemented by the fortune 50 company I currently contract for. In the past, contractors had to take a mandatory 4-month break from contracting for the company after the 2-year contract limit has been reached. Well, that has changed. Now, contractors are not allowed to come back, period. This is a huge, major setback for contractors. I have worked for several years to get this fortune 50 company listed on my resume, and they were known for bringing contractors back over and over again. And now all that is for nothing. And since they are a major employer in this town, it means a lot of available work is no longer available to me.

Naturally, we stepped up the job search. I'm tired of being an "almost" employee. I want the benefits. I want the commitment from a company. I want decent health insurance. What we found was that there are not a lot of permanent jobs in Richmond for the kind of work I do. But there are in Texas. And the cost of houses is half of what it is here. Now, we don't want to move. We want to settle down and put down roots, and we've just begun to do that here. Hopefully we can stay here, and if not, well we've found a place we think we'll really enjoy.

And now a word about Anna Nicole. I'm not going to bore you with details of her life, since we all know them at this point. What strikes me is the sobering reminder that you don't know what will become of the choices you make, and she paid a high, high price for a choice she made in her early twenties - a time most of us look back on and go, "wow, I made some dumb choices!" and we shake our heads, happy to be older and wiser. What gets me is that this could have happened to just about anyone. I've always secretly rooted for Anna Nicole; she had so much going for her. She just needed a little guidance, perhaps. Or perhaps not. But what she went through is way more than what most people ever face, and she fought to stay on top of it all, and I admire that. Still, I cannot blame her if she got tired, if she realized her life had created a life of its own, and it got the best of her. I can't say I would have done any better if I were in her shoes.

Hmmm, what else...Stefan is taking Chantix. It's a prescription medication that helps quit the smoking habit. It works by blocking the nicotine receptors in the brain while giving the person a dopamine boost. All other meds work by rationing nicotine in other forms than smoking - nicotine is the addictive substance. If a person has control over the habit but has a nicotine addiction, then patches and gum don't work. And that's where we are at now.

I think that is it! We are looking forward to a nice, romantic evening at home tomorrow evening, complete with a home-cooked meal and chocolate mousse and a sappy movie. I love being in love!

Happy Valentine's Day, my Precious Husband!