Cloudy and Snowing Today

My word! It’s December already. Here’s my update on stuff so far – I’m going to start with the happier stuff first.

The Holidays: I’m trying to start purchasing presents now – which is a bit early for me. I have to get stuff together for my sister by the middle of next week to send a box over to her in Iraq. Also, the Random Non-profit partners with an elementary school to buy gifts for low-income families. Mr. Random and I are going to buy gifts for two kids, a 3 year old girl and an 11 year old boy, which now looks like a LOT, but I always get overly generous at this time of year. I mean, Even though Mr. Random aren’t doing great financially, we are very lucky in a lot of ways, and this is the least we can do.

Back in the Choir: I’ve started back up in the church choir for the Advent/Christmas season because this is the best time to be in a choir, you know? All of the hymns and carols, all of the lush harmonies – I couldn’t miss it for the world. The church also has a new interim minister who is very, very nice – very warm and engaging.

Layoffs at the Random Non-Profit: A higher up was let go in a shockingly crappy manner on Friday, which we found out in a staff meeting hastily put together early Monday morning. The news was greeted with eerie, angry silence. This person was one of the few people left here who actually had some institutional knowledge and cared about what was going on with the rest of the staff. A very drunken happy hour was held at the end of the day. I think this was a tipping point in a lot of our minds that we really need to get our fannies out of there. Person who was let go will be able to come out of this very well, and we aren’t worried about them, but we hate how it was handled and the screwed up rationale, which also leads to our absolute mistrust of anything that our CEO has to say from this moment forward. The CEO says there won’t be any more layoffs, but they have lied about that in the past and a number of things about our financial situation and organization don’t add up. Very unhappy at the moment . . . lots of people very unhappy at the moment . . .

Final Exams: Next week are both my final exams and I am in the crappiest mood ever to try to study for them, but study I must. I was going to do some studying last night, but I felt so disgruntled and horrible that I went to bed at 9:00 instead. I do that because otherwise I would just make everyone miserable and I can always use the sleep. There is a lot going on in my brain and I just can’t stand it anymore.

Home Front: I’m still highly annoyed about the bookcase collapse. Our condo looked decent for two whole days before everything came crashing down. I’m also not happy about a lot of other things, I really kind of need some sort of break, some peace and quiet, but none is really forthcoming. I'm not real fun to live with right now, and I know that and I'm trying not to be, even if that means going to bed at 8 PM. There is a play I’m going to on Friday night which I was hoping would lift my mood, but even that may not . . .

So I’m ending kind of grumpy and trying to not let it take over, but it is. I need a hug. I need a vacation. I need more sleep . . .