Monday, March 23, 2009

So.............

Well, it's been almost two weeks "jobless" now, and boy am I having fun. I hadn't realized how much I was missing by drowning in the cesspool of corporate America, but I'm starting to get a little bit caught up.

Our dining room table, however, does not reflect this. It's a modgepodge of folded pattern repros, awaiting their envelopes and labels, original patterns waiting to be filed, a pair of boxer shorts that need a quick repair (I'm not asking questions there, folks, so don't you do it either), fish supplies (more on that later), and a potpourri of other stuff. Yes, that table is my project for tomorrow (which is now today, so technically, I'm already behind).

I have, however, had plenty of time to list fun patterns on the website, including some of the 682 I bought during an overnight trip to Chicago last week. Yes, I drove 3 1/2 hours one way to buy 682 patterns. And yes, they were REALLY good ones. These are the things you can do when you are sans job.

Thomas' bff came and spent part of spring break with us, so I put him to work. Mell is 6'3", and was quite comfy on my couch, so I had him bring in the printer, tossed some pattern boxes at him, and he scanned roughly 400 patterns while watching one of the weirdest mixes of movies I've ever seen -- I wish I could remember what they were, but I've slept since then. I know that one involved vampires, and one was Next Friday, but other than that.......just take my word, it was a weird mix. But hey, he saved me tons of time on the scanning.

Best thing that happened that week was that my buddy Jen, of momspatterns came to visit. We spent enough time working on patterns that I ended up on major asthma meds the next week, but the pattern rescue is richer for it. Not to mention the fine Estevez (seen above) that she found whilst we were trolling around. Sorry folks, it's already sold, but take a gander of it at Dorothea's Closet. It really is a sight to behold. And yeah, there's a whole shopping story behind it. Not to mention Jen's experience with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Oh yeah, we don't do anything small, folks.

So this week is dedicated to organization, now that the fish have been freed and the Modes Royale are listed. More about Jen and hostage fish later.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

All Good Things..........



I'm a firm believer that God places signs in our lives, to help us figure out where the heck we're supposed to be going. I believe, also, that we don't always pay attention to those signs a good portion of the time. That's how it is that fortune cookies helped me figure out a new path.

We order Chinese food at work, not too often, but once in a while. I'm always amused by the fortune cookies, with their sayings like "you are going to put shoes on today" and the like. Of course, on the back, there is always a word in Chinese which, for me, usually ends up being something like "paint" or something like that. And of course there are always the obligatory lucky numbers, which I always swear I'm going to play in the lottery, and never do.

We ordered Chinese a couple of weeks ago, and I had to laugh at my fortune, because it said "opportunities surround you if you know where to look." Well, looking around my cubicle, I saw another fortune, taped to the front of my monitor, which said "a fascinating project is in your future." Hmmm.....what could that be? Maybe it could be the lady who called, saying that her kid had swallowed a Lego pirate's telescope, and after he passed it, could he have it back, after they sterilized it? Uh.........no. How gross is that? Gross, but not fascinating.

Then I got an email from my boss, with ground rules to our leadership meetings, gleaned from some book that she read on how to be a better leader. I laughed when I read that we would now be coming out of meetings with decisions made on the issues, because in six years, I don't think we've EVER decided anything in a leadership meeting. Reading on, I read that we would be going from the presumption that everyone actually wants to be here, in these meetings. That got me thinking.

I don't want to be here. Then I remembered the fortune cookies, and the fascinating project that supposedly awaits me. I've never gotten a fortune like that at home, yet I had two from when we ordered Chinese at work. Could God be talking to me through a carton of takeout? Crazy.

After much thought, I realized that I was getting ready to go on vacation, and why come back? I've been ready to leave for about a year now, but couldn't decide what to do, so it was time to take a leap of faith. I emailed the boss my resignation, and emailed a few friends who 1) would want to hear it from me, not the grapevine and 2) would spread the word. Well, the word spread like a bush fire in Australia, and when I arrived at work the next day, some people were sad, and some could barely refrain from showing their glee. I, however, felt more gleeful than all of them, because now I'm a free bird. I have no idea where my path will take me from here -- probably to my websites for a while -- but it's taking me out of my cubicle and into a life full of possibilities.

We ordered Chinese again that afternoon, and what did my fortune cookie say? "It takes guts to get out of the ruts." No lie. And you say fortune cookies are not real? Bah. And for the interview I have on Friday, I'd wear this fabulous Dior dress, from Damn Good Vintage, but damn, it won't fit me! Click on the image to shop.