a Jenga moment
You know that moment when you’re playing Jenga, when the tower is getting kind of tilty, and you just placed another brick on the top of the stack, and you think it was a solid play, but now you’re holding your breath to see if the tower will collapse and slowly drawing back your hands like a mentalist trying to bend a spoon through concentrated power of spooky action at a distance? This week has been like that.
Got a new job at a place where I might like to stay for awhile. “Awhile” meaning perhaps more than a year, throwing my previous idea about heading back east this summer into already obvious disarray. It’s a company here in Lynden that makes organic herbs and oils, similar to the company in Eugene that I courted a few months ago. And it is within walking distance of Classic Mike’s house, which is wildly improbable. Nothing is walking distance in Lynden. I’m maybe the only person in this town who walks to work in the morning.
So, I’m doing that. I’m still a temp worker and on a week-to-week contract, but chances are good that I’ll land a permanent gig at this business, which would mean finding a more permanent place to live in Lynden as well. Since doing that is going to signify, if not a 180, at least an abrupt 90 degree turn from where I’d been planning to go just two weeks ago, I’m keeping somewhat quiet on it until the Jenga tower stops swaying on this one.
Other news: The case fan in my Thinkpad is starting to go out. It’s not something I want to tinker with right now, and that means I’m only able to use my own laptop for brief bursts, moving around and off-loading files before its innards begin threatening to overheat. Considering the big extent that I rely on that thing as a communications tool, this coming month might be a quiet one for me.
Still wanting to get back into the routine of sending physical mail, still haven’t yet. This includes birthday & holiday thank-you cards, now 6 or 7 weeks delayed. Maybe less time on the machine will free up more time at the writing desk. Makes sense, but I’m surrounded all the time by such fun distractions that it’s not a sure thing. I just need to make time for it, and I will. Just needing to find my balance here.
Still to be continued
Still finding it rather tough to focus on writing anything right now. Work is tough but doable, so long as I shut out everything else on the days that I’m working and focus entirely on getting through the day. On my days off, I have a hard time being sociable. All I want to do is lay around the house, take naps, play games, watch the snow fall, and read.
I still haven’t mailed out thank-you cards for some very kind gifts my family sent to me in December; I worry that they consider me ingrateful.
I say all this as a preface to an apology. I’m sorry for not taking the time to communicate better. I would still love to hear more about what’s been going on in your lives. If you’re reading this there’s a great chance that I miss spending time with you, having conversations, playing games, and maybe even figuring out new things that we can work together towards.
I still don’t have the time and energy tonight to write everything I’d like to, but let me blurt a few things out before I head off to bed:
#1: I don’t particularly like this job I’m doing now, but it’s temporary. I’m doing it purely for the income. I’m saving money towards at least three different projects already: a food preservation business (which is my primary idea for that future “serious business” I announced last month and plan to found in 2017), a cohousing/goat-herding collective (Laurel’s current brainstorm, more of an uncertainty but something I’d truly love to see happen) and, though I’ve been debating for months now, I still want to buy a van.
#2: I’ll be leaving the West Coast this year (but not, by any means, forever). I’m planning to leave Washington by mid-May, spend another month doing temp-work in Oregon, then take a meandering road-trip in July, leaving from L.A. shortly after Independence Day and ending up in Maryland around August 5th for my friend Emily’s wedding.
#3: If I’m able– in other words, if I can find another temporary job– I’d like to return to Michigan from there and spend the next few months in my old ‘hood [the rural/suburban sprawl of Oakland County, north of Detroit].
#4: In December, I’d like to head down to Florida and visit my family. Not sure for how long exactly– December is the extent of my itinerary so far– but I’d like to spend at least a month there.
All told, my ambition is to visit 20 states this year– with the important caveat that I intend not to go broke doing it. I am in fact hoping to continue adding to my savings accounts each month in 2012, even while travelling, by living lightly and continuing to do temp work. As I keep promising, I have more I’d like to write about this. Soon.
Update coming soon.
The latest, briefly: I accepted a temp position at Nature’s Path, an organic cereal factory up in Blaine WA. They work 12-hour shifts at that company (one of the reasons I decided not to apply towards an open permanent position; I’ll write more on that soon). Consequently, this upcoming weekend is going to be kind of a slog.
I was hoping to have some thoughts well-enough put together to write a full update today, but no dice. Need to get to bed so that I can start my day at 5am tomorrow. I’ll try for Monday instead.
(No worries, by the way. I’m a little grouchy about this specific work schedule, but generally relieved to be working again. This year is off to a decent start.)
