Year-end reflection

[stormkeeper_lovesall]

 
It's about that time.....so here's an attempt at a year-end reflection

Well, the year started with a bang. My company announced in January that lay-offs were coming. I actually got another job, and it likely would've been a cool one but with more than a 50% pay cut. On top of that and while all this was happening, I flew to Vancouver to have coffee with an actor I fangirl over and to meet (for the 2nd time) another actor I fangirl over. (Sachin Sahel and Alessandro Juliani, respectively). Doris started to really worry about the pay cut, I started to think she was right, and I actually discussed it with Sachin in Vancouver! Our coffee date ended up being like 2 hours, amazing! Sachin gave me the exact wording to use to discuss with my boss about not leaving. Flew back to O'hare and waited for my suitcase. Saw that my boss's boss announced she was leaving, and saw that this was likely a good time. Texted my boss asking if we could meet, we agreed on 8:30am the next day and....it was agreed that I'd stay at my current job. My boss told me that I made her day, her week and her year!!

And the Sachin and Alessandro experiences were amazing.

The rest of the year was kinda "steady as she goes". Pretty low-key.

Did some political stuff with MFA and the DPOP table, but not as much political stuff as last year. It wasn't an election year and the Postcards to Swing States office closed. But in 2024, Postcards said they are opening back up and will need volunteers again.

Great 50th birthday celebration with my besties in Savannah. Ann engineered lots of nice things to happen on my birthday weekend (flowers, candy, Sachin Cameo). 

And I am fine with traveling. Did 4 nights/5 days in Las Vegas for work and was fine.

Fandom! Got into Shadow and Bone when S2 dropped and got some fantastic engagement with my fics! At the tail end of the year, got into Shadowhunters. Loving these shows and ships and fanfic.

Everything else felt pretty steady? Friends and family and marriage etc etc. Ann, if you're reading this, our monthly Scrabble dates are still among my favorite things.

Books I especially enjoyed, in no order other than fiction at the end:

Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke 
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby 

The Naked Don’t Fear the Water by Matthieu Aikin

Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America by Karine Jean-Pierre

One Day, All Children….by Wendy Kopp

Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Revolution: The Year I Fell In Love and Went to Join the Revolution by Deb Olin Unferth

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

Everything I Have Is Yours by Eleanor Henderson

This Body I Wore by Diana Goetsch

Blood Orange Night by Melissa Bond 

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama 

Fiction:

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankham Mathews

In Love by Amy Bloom

Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin 

 

Comments

[nytshd3]

I'm glad the job thing ended up working out so well (and that you still have a good relationship with the folks from the other place!)

Scrabble dates are a high point for me too!!