This is awesome! Does it really have to end? in New Beginnings

Last week was my first real week of not being employed by IMERYS. Although, technically my last day was the 17th, what would have been my Thanksgiving vacation immediately followed. It wasn’t until last Monday that I realized I didn’t have to go back to a job I hated. It’s glorious! Resplendent even. It’s peculiar how this is the exact opposite of my previous unemployment period eight years ago.

Back then, I had to live with my dad amongst his hoarding, I had no real possible job prospects, and I had limited savings with which to support myself. Now, I own my own home without a mortgage that isn’t filled with garbage, I’m an actively licensed CPA, and I have sufficient funds to see me through however long this period lasts. I don’t have to fight traffic tomorrow morning. I don’t have to contend with fulfilling the never ending auditor requests. I don’t have to straighten out that mess with capital expenditures. I don’t have to study for the CPA exam. It’s not even like a vacation, which I can’t fully enjoy because so many of those aforementioned problems will be waiting for me, and possibly worsening for me, when I return. Nope, I get to wake up, hang out with the cats, clean a little bit, read my book, go to Jiu Jitsu, maybe do some weight training in the gym, play some Titan Fall or Rocket League while watching syndicated reruns of Gilmore Girls, and apply to any appealing job listings. Even waiting on those call backs is no longer the exercise in frustration because I’m not in such a dire, miserable situation like last time. This is what happiness feels like. It’s amazing how you can carry a weight for so long, you forget how freeing it is not to be burdened by it. So, this is what happiness feels like. It’s surprisingly underrated. Even getting out of bed in the morning is easy.

If I may go back to job prospects. I had an interview in Athens last Friday. I applied for another accounting position with the county school system. I think the interview went well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t extend me an offer. I stutter and stammer too much when I answer questions, not to mention I don’t always choose the accurate words. I don’t do so as much as I used to, but I’m sure such a speech impediment doesn’t convey a high degree of competence. I’d probably do well in that position. They pay wouldn’t be great; $15,000 less than what I was expecting. They have a chart that shows where I would start based upon how many years of qualifying experience I have. The bull squeeze is that they take my years of experience and cut them in half before applying the chart to me. All that aside, after I found a home in the local area, my commute could very likely be less than ten minutes. There aren’t a lot of houses on the market at the moment. However, there are a few that suit my tastes and are in my price range. The job would start in January at the earliest, so maybe there would be some more options available at that time. I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m doubtful that I’ll even get an offer. I’ve applied to a few other positions. Some are in Athens, some are local, all I’m suitably qualified for, and none of them look like they’d be a repeat of my ordeal at my previous employer. During the recession, I applied to so many jobs I was qualified for only to get no response. It’s hard not to expect the same results again, but so many things are different this time, so maybe I’ll have more favorable results.

I decided to text Hollie my new phone number. I decided I really didn’t like the possibility of her getting hurt should she reach out to me and discover I didn’t give her my new number. I’m afraid she might have interpreted my gesture to mean I’m still romantically interested in her. My initial text was very breezy: “Hey, it’s Rob. I got a new phone number. Feel free to update your records if you like.” We then exchanged pleasantries. She asked me how I was doing. I gave her a brief update and asked her how she was doing, specifically her new job and her mom. She said that update would require a “face-to-face convo.” I didn’t take the bait, presuming it was bait. After a few more texts, she said I had been on her thoughts recently, to which I didn’t respond. I felt pressured to say I’ve missed her, too, and I have, but I don’t want to start encouraging her feelings for me, though I may already be too late for that. She texted me again Friday night asking me how I was doing. We exchanged niceties once again, and I was able to tell her how I might be moving to Athens. I kind of hope she interpreted that fact as an indicator to loosen her attachment to me. Though, maybe I should have left well enough alone. Oh well, at least everything else in my life is awesome for the moment.