I GOT THE JOB!!!!!

That's right, after 2 years at a job I disspise, more than a year and a half at 32 hours a week, more emotional breakdowns than I can count, numerous missed engagements with friends and family, countless hours of driving to hand deliver proposals out of town, never measuring up to unattainable standards of perfection, and a co-worker I'd like to shove off the balcony on a good day, I HAVE A NEW JOB!!!

I've been truthfully looking for a new one since about 3 months after I got this one in February of 2008. Unfortunately, about that time is when the economy pretty much went down the crapper, and as much as I hated it, I was thankful to have a job at all. I've had a couple of leads over the last two years, but nothing went very far.

To say the least... it's been a LONG two years! Over the past 2 years, I've tried to adjust to post-military life, struggled with moving back to a town that brought back few happy memories, tryed to connect to old friends in the area as well as make new ones, survived the death of my grandmother and the implosion of my extended family, navigated the house-buying process and attempted to be a good homeowner, all while dealing with a job that drains literally every ounce of my mental and emotional energy. And more importantly while trying to establish a solid foundation for the rest of Jay and my life together. Overwhelming... no. Exhausting... no. I truly cannot find a word to describe the last two years of my life.

But during this time, I've come to realize that sometimes getting out of bed every morning and putting one foot in front of the other all day long is something to celebrate! But I'm tired of simply surviving! I want to thrive! And hopefully, this new job will help me attain that goal!

Don't get me wrong... I know it's not going to be perfect. Nothing ever is. (Not even Studio 111, although all the non-perfect parts seem to have fallen out of my memory!) I know that this will be an adjustment, and there will always be at least one person who I don't click with as well as the others. I know I'll still get bored with the detail-orriented work sometimes, and no matter what job you have... you would always rather be at the beach. But I'm confident that it will be enormously better than what I have survived through the past 2 years.

Thanks everyone for all your crossed fingers and toes, your positive thoughts, and your prayers. If I can ask one more thing... please keep me in my thoughts over the next two weeks as I work out my notice. If I thought it was stressful around here now, it's only going to get worse. I'm keeping my eye on the goal though, and trying to keep in mind that nothing is worth my sanity. If I need to, I'll work a shorter notice.

Thanks again everyone! Here's to enjoying life!