And...scene!

I have resigned almost all of my position at my church (I had a combination of 3 jobs which added together gave me 35 hours and benefits) because they cut me from 25 hours a week to nine. Nine. Not worth getting dressed for, thanks. I'll freelance and worry about my healthcare at home where I don't have to deal with your sturm und drang and hand-wringing about how it was so hard but cuts needed to be made. Okay. Fine. No one will update your website. No one will have time to put on hugely successful events because they are busy pushing paper that I used to take care of but am not any more. No one will get the newsletter in their email, so you will have to go back to doing a 500 piece mailing again, which costs money, too, you know, in postage and paper and toner and man hours. Okay. Fine. I get it. You have to save the feelings of the people who give the money. I get that their feelings are more important than mine. But you are making poor business decisions which will come back and bite you. Probably not until there is a new regime and certainly long after I have moved on. So I guess that serves your purpose. I won't miss you a bit.

Have fun!

Peace.

Here we go again.

My employer needs to make large cuts in their personnel budget. Again. That's what led to my 2 month furlough last summer, which is set to be repeated (but at least I'm ready this year).

Now it turns out they pretty much have to cut a whole part-time position. Well, there are two of us. Wonder which one it will be.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Peace.

I feel like Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

And not necessarily in a good way.

I seldom feel like the Yarn Harlot, being neither terribly witty nor terribly famous (at least in knitting circles) but I channeled her quite successfully yesterday when I...

made a knitting schedule for Christmas.

Totally doable, without frenzy, I just have to keep at it. And I'm on schedule for item #1! Hey, this is easy!

Of course, it always falls apart for her in the end when she gifts boxes of half-knit projects or manages not to see the giftee until January or something, but hope springs eternal for both of us!

This week, I focus on teacher gifts, which must be delivered by December 16th. First up: 6th Grade Science, one glove finished, second glove half way through the cuff ribbing. I'll add a photo after I take the kids to school.

Peace.

Oh, dear, that was a long time!

You can probably guess at the level of busy going on here in lovely cold-hot-cold SoCal these days. I was just telling my mom it feels like we have increased our activities by a factor of 5. It may not be true, but it's definitely truthy.

DD's school play rehearsals have increased from once a week to twice. The Cub Scout Den is trying to get their Webelos Badge before Christmas (I need to get DS to plan a week of meals and such). Two activities have fallen away (skateboarding and drawing) but other things involve homework and such.

And so, dear reader, we are not going out East for Christmas this year. Which makes me wistful. But we really need a break from EVERYTHING and will take one. I have quite a store of overtime saved up and won't have to use any vacation days (saving them for Spring Break). Time to hang out, to play games, to stay in our PJ's, to bake together, put a log in the fireplace, all sounds really good. I will miss the people, but not the frenzy. Next year, peeps! And see you for a good long summer vacation!

Speaking of summer, it looks like I'll be furloughed again and my freelance job has sold the business to someone in Long Beach so who knows what that will mean. I'm certainly not driving to Long Beach to pick up DVD's! I will make a big effort to ingratiate myself with the new owner, though.

On the potentially more money front, however, I am involved with a group which is going to offer some Website Development workshops in the area, some possibly even to organizations which are seeking someone to provide and post their content for them, which would be something I would LOVE to do on a freelance basis, so any good thoughts that way would be very greatly appreciated!

Today was DS's 4th Grade play, "Geology Rocks!" He did a great job!

Great thanks to all the teachers and parents who worked so hard! My contribution this year was very minimal, but at least visible to the human eye. DD's year, I had my friend J to help me make 14 black vests for the costumes, which was very intimidating but with help totally doable.

I am knitting along on a semi-secret project and another totally secret project so no pictures so far of that but I did spin some pretty yarn:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Both of the above photos were taking with my well-beloved Stepfather's Nikon D50 DSLR, for which I am extremely grateful!!

Peace.