* not with ink

As always, a long silence on the blog compels me to explain myself . Here is my three part defense of my recent absence: 1. I’ve been active! Weekend visits out of town, a new ultimate team (I am feeling very humbled by my lack of skills. I hate being the weakest link, BUT I’m hoping to see actual improvement over the season), wedding preparation for two fantastic friends – wait, four fantastic friends. Two amazing brides and their fun fiancés. And so much more. Good things, all around. 2. I’ve been feeling thoughtful. And private. This past summer, something has shifted internally and I feel much more possessive of my opinions. I don’t know if it will last, but I am enjoying this feeling of establishing parameters and privacy and embracing the reality that it’s okay not to be fully known or understood; it’s an inevitable part of the human experience. 3. I’ve been convicted. A couple weeks ago, my boss found out that I’ve been job hunting. It was an awkward conversation in...

I have been thinking about jobs and careers and money a whole bunch lately. I have a job, but not the career I want. I have money, but not enough. It surprises me to say both those things, but they are true. I am not highly career-oriented, but I have realized that if/since I will spend 40 hours a week contributing to some sort of business endeavour, I want it to be something that I fully buy into, somewhere I would recruit my friends to join me, where the vision is to accomplish something bigger than ourselves. I don't care about being overly-rich, but I have come to value three things that I am not currently able to afford; living debt-free, saving money for the future and being able to travel. The first two seem obvious. The third: I'm not a big spender in most areas of life, and am most likely to "indulge" myself in a trip to visit far-away friends or see a new part of the world. I feel okay about this. As I have been thinking and talking about my ...

I have a job. Specifically, I will be the primary caregiver of 3 year-old C and 7 year-old G. Yup, I'm taking a turn at nannying. Back in the summer of 2008, when all this life-change was just a teeny-tiny seed in a handful of conversational (and proverbial) dirt, I said to a friend, "You know, if I quit my job and decided to...be a nanny for a couple of years, it wouldn't be such a big deal. I don't think it would be a waste." Now it's time to put my money where my mouth was. I'm nervous. And excited. I wasn't sure if I'd really pursue this option when I first started applying for jobs, but there were a few major clinchers along the way that made me choose (yes, I ended up having a choice of jobs, and not just nannying ones) this family. Great kid moment #1. I show up to meet Dad and the boys a week after Mom interviewed me. It's 6:30pm on one of those hot, muggy, August evenings. Dad is kicking a soccer ball for G, and C is standing ...

I am discussing dos-and-don'ts of the cover letter with my friend Jesskah. It's an art, really, and you never know what the person on the other end wants to hear. I dared her to submit the following cover letter to at least one job opening: Dear Sir/Madam, Please love me as I am.  I have an arts degree and have attached a photocopy of the most expensive piece of paper I own.  Sincerely, Jesskah P.S. I have included naked photos of myself.