Totally Excellent

Wow, I'm so flattered. First a wonderful recap of my capers over at Doahleigh, and then I hit up Nanette's blog to see what's shakin' in LA, and she's awarded me an Excellence award! And I haven't prepared a speech!



I'm so honored. I've been reading Nanette for . . . well, pretty much as long as my blog has been in existence. I first saw her when she submitted some photos of her on the set of The Office. I was in love from that moment. Nanette also helped build my reader base a little—so thanks to you, darling!

This blog has been so good for me in so many ways. As a writer, it's therapy and practice. As a person, I've been able to meet people, both in person and online, who have provided advice, supported me, and been there to listen/read, not to mention I've read so many new people that I just love. I laugh and cry along with all the people I read, and I feel like I really KNOW them.

So I guess then what I get to do is forward the love onto 10 bloggers that I read. Now a few have already received theirs, so I took them out of the running to make my choices easier.

19 Reasons to Live Alone: Sharp commentary, funny and touching moments alike. From a fellow twentysomething.

Better Now: Writing that stops you in your tracks. Can break your heart or make it bigger.

Bookish Bent: For literary satisfaction, and great recommendations, head over there--I know her in real life, too.

Da Potato: I love her Potato-Head theme, and her writing.

Found Out About Me: A high energy blogger I know in real life.

Kirida [formerly Hello Insomnia]: Laugh out loud, achingly funny.

Married Not Buried: Cali sweetheart.

My So-Called Wedded Life: Always herself, her observations—sometimes touching, sometimes cutting—ring true.

Oltremare: Artsy blog from another Katie. I so relate to her, except I'm not artsy.

Sundry Mourning: One of the rocking-ist, funniest, most touching bloggers in the entire blogosphere.

It's Been One Week

I have not had a job for a week. It has been a wild rollercoaster of emotion. I swing from feeling sorry for myself to just plain sad. Frustrated at the loss of a four-year investment, my career, my energy, my creativity—all in a single half-hour. Clean out your desk, we're done. And yeah, I'm angry. I feel totally demoralized, degraded, and lost. Occasionally, but only occasionally, I feel a thrill of freedom, of possibility, and of opportunity. But that part has been very fleeting.

People have been saying that usually after a storm like this, something really great comes out of it. I hope so. But the idea of launching this full-scale search, of figuring out what's next, resumes, cover letters, interviews, freelancing . . . it is all so, so, so daunting.

Strangely, for a crybaby such as myself, I haven't cried that much. Just a couple jags. I really have been trying to just focus on what I do now. What I can do today. So far, that's included a couple of lunches (more on that later), some errand running, signing up for a media group, and lots of talking.

One great thing that came out of being able to be off of work was meeting Doahleigh! She's in Minneapolis for a business trip, and I live here and currently have no schedule! I picked her up at her hotel--so fun, I already knew who she was, so it was like picking up an old friend. And we picked up right away with conversation—also fun. She's just a doll. We had lunch at Spoonriver—continuing our [mostly internet] parallel lives, we ordered the same thing—and had dessert at Cupcake (mine was Razz-ma-tazz, a combo of chocolate cupcake, raspberry jam, and frosting, and hers was Orange Dream). Mine was super tasty, I think Doahleigh liked hers, too. We had a lovely time talking and driving around the Twin Cities! She is incredibly fab. So if you don't read her already, go check her out. It made me wish she lived here! Finally I could have the real-life get together you California readers talk about. Doahleigh took a couple pictures...I did not. I am bad. So you'll have to check out her recap when/if she writes one. Hooray!

Other things: Thank God I have a dog. Molly keeps me lots of company during the day, and if she notices I'm getting upset about anything, she has adopted this habit of lying on my lap, paws aloft, and gazing at me until I giggle. She also has been putting one of her front paws on my heart if I start to yell or express crabbiness. I don't know where that is coming from, but consider me a pile of mush when it happens.

I am so lucky that I have a wide support net to catch me during this freefall. It is sucking mightily, and I appreciate all the encouragement.