My phone rang at 7:18am this morning. I know exactly what time it was, because I looked at the clock thinking I might have overslept. I didn’t go to sleep last night until almost 3:00am, because by the time I got home from Karaoke, blogged, and watched some TV, it was really late.
Anyway, it was Eric on the phone. He wanted to let me know that he was going to get laid off. He was pretty upset. I felt so bad for him. It’s funny, because I had this premonition that he would be out of work when I got back and, I gotta tell you the truth, I was kind of happy about it!
The thought of him being there on a daily basis, helping me unpack and get settled, going apartment hunting with me, etc., is really appealing.
Anyway, it turned out that he was put on another job (67th Street and 1st Avenue), but he may only be there for a week and may get laid off next week. I’m surprised at how much this upsets Eric, even though he’s probably gotten laid off a hundred times in his long career as a steamfitter. It’s just the nature of the business. Construction is very different from any other type of work. You are only employed as long as the boss needs you. When he doesn’t need you, he just lets you go. When he needs you again, he may call you back, or you could just move on to another company.
Obviously, I’d feel better, and more secure, if Eric was working. It would definitely take the pressure off of me to find a job right away, but if he can’t find work then I’ll just go back to work sooner. I think he was upset because he knows I'm coming back in 2 weeks and didn't want anything to change my plans, or upset me. I told him it's even more important than ever that I come back, because right now we're paying two rents! At least when I get back we'll both be living in the same place and our expenses will be greatly reduced.
He felt better after talking to me, and I told him I couldn’t believe I was coming back in just two weeks. It feels like I’ll never get everything packed. I didn’t think I had that much to pack, but the more I pack, the more I keep finding that needs to be packed! I’m definitely going to need more boxes, and Rosemary asked me to go out to dinner with her this coming Monday and promised to bring more boxes. She's been a lifesaver!
I also got an invitation from Elsa today to attend a luncheon in my honor in HR at the firm. I thought that was SO nice! So, I’ll be going there next Wednesday, April Fool’s Day! I’m going to try to get more boxes that day, too!
I have a busy week next week. On Thursday, 4/2 I have Conrad’s vet appointment at 9:00am; then my color touch-up at 2:00pm; then my usual 5:15pm appointment, and then I’m meeting my colorist and stylist, John (or Janusz (his real name) which he is now using again) for dinner. He was so sweet to invite me out for dinner before I leave town. He’s a really fun guy, and he’s invited me out several times, but we’ve never been able to get it together. I’m hoping next Thursday will be the day!
Next Friday at noon I have another focus group – this one on allergies. I should be able to contribute a LOT on that subject! It’s an hour and a half and I get $80 cash. I’ll be leaving right after that for Los Angeles, but it will be nice to have some cash in my pocket for gas, etc., for my trip!
I got a call today from Marlene and her son, Buddy, my friends in Costa Mesa who bought so much of my jewelry mosaics and decoupage. They want to see me before I leave, too. Friday afternoon on my way to L.A. is not going to work out for them, so I told them I’d stop by for an early dinner on my way back to San Diego on Sunday, April 5th.
I did a lot of packing tonight. I got a late start, because I fell back to sleep late in the morning, but I made up for it this afternoon and tonight and really felt like I accomplished a lot.
On my way back from my appointment tonight I stopped at SUBWAY again. The girl who helped me last time wasn’t there, but I got another delicious sandwich. I had half for dinner and I’ll have the other half for lunch tomorrow! I watched AMERICAN IDOL and HELL’S KITCHEN while I packed and finally stopped at 11:00pm.
My desk is a TOTAL disaster. I just have papers and stuff EVERYWHERE. I’m trying to get more organized, but it seems the more I pack, the crazier and more disorganized the apartment looks. Help!
There are now about 25 boxes of every size standing on one wall in the living room. I have about a dozen empty boxes left, and I really think when they're filled I will be almost done. I may not have any boxes for the packers to pack my breakables, but they bring their own boxes, so I don’t need to worry about that.
I can’t believe tomorrow is Friday already. The days are just flying by. I am planning to go for my last meal at THE BIG KITCHEN on Saturday morning. I invited Marti, since she’s never been there and she’s a lot of fun to hang out with. I’m bringing a present for Judy, the Beauty, on Duty! I just hope she’s there!