What Onward Looks like

How that Last Gig Ended:

December.

It was a bullshit job, with potential, but every possible method of advancing yourself had been shaved to an absolute minimum.

It was odd, I had worked many months past normal burnout, and was even making a name for myself with overtime and a few good special events assignments where I didn't behave poorly around my betters. I was being 'considered'. That's a good thing.

I had been thinking for months that this gig would be something I could give up easily, about increasing my certifications to enter a better job category, about police testing, yadda yadda.

So I get home, and my lass is completely spastic. I had been hearing about how they were overworking her in clinical science for about four months now, and since the addition of a new mid level manager for her, things had gotten even more stupid; she was basically being asked to do the work of six people of her same qualifications, and pressure was building on her to do overtime when the job promised in the beginning they wouldn't be asking for that. She was miserable, talking about work at home as though she couldn't let it go, crying about work. Basically they turned her into a therapy candidate.

To add insult to injury, she really wanted to go on vacation and find a new job.

I just coalesced her plans-I said, "Okay, fuck it. Let's quit our jobs, and go on vacay."

She thought it over for a few days, then set up the vacation, took time off her job, then medical time off her job (hospital evaluation for work stress) then she turned in her final notification, and refused to speak to anyone at the job (which, if you want references in the future, complicates things.)

Anyway, I folded the job with a sick out (authentic, super gross, had that ~gut bug~ people have been talking about all year.) then we went on vacation.

Vacation was great, except that my lass got sick with something with a lingering fever for three days, and she considered the whole thing pissing away a lot of money on a hotel bed for her to be fevery in and missed days spent on room service. She had a point. The weather wasn't the best, but any time out of California is interesting IMHO.

Getting back, I wandered into a lame special event at a fairly infamous local convention, while my lass landed at a satisfying temp job. She is now mostly stress free once she got the contracts banged out the way she wanted, and I did a little loss prevention work for them; HOWEVER-I am done with contractors (the previous employer officially burnt me out.) I would prefer to work directly for some garbage little security company than even someone with a fair pay who was constracting out.

In that vein, I got my firearms license. It gave me a very liberating feeling, to be honest. Although, with my background, what is a few more guns thrown on top, right? But I don't feel like that...it's very different to be gun authorized in a free society than as a soldier.

Accords: I got some guys into a larp, it's good to try something different.
Arguments: None really, though I noticed for the first time a friend of mine has panic attacks almost constantly. I just thought he was objectionable natural-like.
Exercise: Minimal, plans on a gym when I get my gun gig.
Sex: Better, the emotion is better since the lass got her new gig, but frequency is up too.
Music: Lots on NiN, freaky, bought two albums.
Travel: San Jose for a science fiction convention.
Old Stuff: I was offered work with the company that gave me the convention special...I assume for the same basic gig. I passed this time. I hate contracted work, unless it's for at least 30/hour with benefits.
New Experiences: I met a nice guy who is in the same field with me. He didn't feel like he had any real options, when I know that is false. He was living with not nearly enough money, and no reason for it. I didn't get it. Slackers...in security? WTF? Also, I got a nice writer to offer to edit a book for me, I'm very gracious, but I realize this offer is pending on him being alive when I finish my book, so I have to belt it out before he has a heart attack or something.
Microenvironment: My house is looking a little better, mostly clean, but needs more organization. I am thinking about a wifi laptop, maybe a Macbook Air. I'd like to write while on the go.
Macroenvironment: Obama just clinched the Democratic nomination. This makes me feel weird about the Green Party Candidate.