Beautiful Day

It’s a BEAUTIFUL day and I’m sick. I have a sore throat and I sound terrible. I called in sick today and the baby is sick too. But then I decided to take the kids to the sitter and to go meet my team for our end of the year team luncheon. We went to some place called the Grand Lux, very similar to the Cheesecake Factory because it’s owned by the same people. I worked from home all morning and the team was taking the rest of the afternoon off so I took advantage and came to work on my book. MY BOOK! It sound weird to say it but I love it too. It’s also hilarious because I have no idea how I’m getting this book of mine written with my schedule.

Work is so much better now! Ever since my manager left it’s like a weight lifted off of me. That’s so sad because I liked her a lot as a person but as a manager she was stressing me out. More than anything I think she took things to the extreme and exaggerated feedback she received from our director. After she left my director said he wants me reporting to him directly, even after he hires a new manager, so that will actually be better for me. I need that. I need the direct contact with him so he can let me know what kind of job I’m doing. I hate hearing things second hand.

I also calmed down a lot when I finally stopped letting him get to me. He still says some things that stress me and it’s the job in general that can be stressful, but for the most part I’ve tried to let go of some of that stress.

One way I did that was to sit and really think about my job. Of course we survive on my income but I asked myself, “What if I lost my job? Would I die?” And the answer surprised me. It’s, “No.” In fact I found that I secretly wish he would fire me so that I can be forced to work on my book full time. I would probably do something crazy like use all my savings to live off of for a couple of months and to give me time to find a new job. In those couple of months I would write like crazy as if I were going to work. I would finish my novel and I would be ready to shop for an agent.

When I say it out loud it sounds totally insane but it’s amazing how much just the idea of getting fired and loving it has taken a huge load of stress of me. I actually enjoy my job more now. I work for the enjoyment of it, which is something I had forgotten to do.

Now on to other things. This month’s O Magazine asked an important question. What do I still want to do before I die? A lot of things! Especially with the children. I want to show them so many things.

List of Things I Want to Do Before I Die:

Write a few books and have them published successfully
Lose weight for a healthier lifestyle
Take adult ballet classes
Learn to play the piano
Take the kids to a different state capital on every family vacation- Visit the entire U.S.
Visit the Mayan pyramids in the Yucatan peninsula with the kids
Take the kids to the pyramids near Mexico City
Snorkel in Belize or any Caribbean island
Take a cruise
Take the kids to Italy, France, and Spain, especially when they are old enough to appreciate Europe
Go to Greece
Go to the UK, especially England and Ireland

A lot of traveling involved!! I love to travel, but before I go off to Europe again, I feel like there are so many places to see here in the U.S. That’s why I would love to do the state capitals with the kids starting when they are both in school, like 5 and 8. That way by the time they make it to U.S. History in high school they will already know a lot of our nation’s history. And if we travel to Europe in between there they will also know World Geography.

Enough of that! I’m spending all my time on this blog and none on my novel. I wonder why I’m never going to get this novel written!!! Hmm….