My weekend wasn't good enough compared to today's announcement!

I'm down in San Diego today again, was there last week as I had a feeling my grandma (dad's mom) wouldn't be of this earth much longer. So... Things are looking fragile at the moment. It's strange to see this pattern, the slow exit from life that the elderly take - the end process when the body mercifully shuts down, bone by bone and breath by breath. Reminds me of when my mom's mother died 5 years ago. It was sad but peaceful and almost comforting at the same time. The news of sneakerbeater becoming a father makes me happy... I'm babbling at this point but it's always interesting, the correlation - out with the old, in with the new. Love you guys...

That was pretty deep!

The subject of mortality is a touchy subject for me because it just makes it so hard not to think about it and then for some reason, I start thinking of my own demise. But in your case Whirls, its tough to concentrate on your own life and the rest of the family one day at a time, especially when you have loved ones that are dying. But I always like to think that people are in a better place after they pass away...pass away to a place of tranquility and joy!

There is nothing more I can do other than to respect any wishes or needs that my grandma or grandpa may ask from me if they should ever pass away soon.

Babies are cool! I would love to have a son or a daughter sometime in my life.

Awww, Whirls! :-(

I love you too. :-)

I wish I was there to give you a hug. I've been feeling the flows of life lately, especially considering some of the people that are dying/have died around me.

::hugs::

So my grandma passed away sometime in the night. I think she knew she was going to. When I left her house yesterday she kept saying 'thankyou' whereas she always used to say 'Come see me again soon.' She was smiling and tried to hold onto my hand. Oddly I'm not sad at her passing because I know she's better off and no longer trapped in a body that was no longer of any use. It's a mercy - she was in her 90's so she had a very full life! It was finally her time.

I worry about other people but I'm not particularly afraid of my own death and don't think about my own passing. There's just too many things in life to keep my brain occupied. But I think the hardest part about death is how it affects the people that are left behind. When the elderly die, a generation has passed and all the untold stories, the secrets, the memories, the little details that took up their daily lives are lost forever... My folks are still alive. My dad is the oldest child in his family and he'll be 70 this summer... The natural order of things dictates that he's next in line to go. He's always been obsessed with time (he collects watches, even) and he is in constant fear of things he cannot control. He's not the emotional type nor is he the kind of person you can have a conversation with at all - but I wonder what's going on in his head right now. Putting mortality into perspective, knowing the natural order of things, has got to be a strange feeling when you're forced to fill those shoes. Such is the process of things, I guess. Hmmmm.

Aw, Whirls! :-(

I'm really glad that your grandmother had a full life, and once again, hugs for you.

It's always strange for me to come across people who need to feel like they're in control of everything. It seems to me, in most cases, at least, that these are the people who seem to struggle the most with life. The notion that one has any control at all is a debatable one. I'm sure you can successfully argue that you have a certain amount of control over your life, but there is no doubt no one can argue that they have -complete- control over their lives. It's cute when people try, though. :)

Whirly I'm sorry to hear that! I know what you're going through, my grandpa passed away last week (on my !@#$!'n birthday) and although it was sad, it was a bit of a relief since I know he had been suffering for some time as his health decayed.

Not to completely flip a bitch on emotions, I officially got a job. I kinda knew I had it, but wasn't 100% sure until today. This is really good news cause it's back in Santa Cruz, so I'll be able to go back there and be close to my girlfriend and the surf.

And sneakerbeater is becoming a father?! Congrats!! We'll have to do the whole cliche thing of smoking a cigar on the day of, except I'm thousands of miles away, so I'll have to find a .jpeg file instead.

Awww Whirls, i'm sorry...Hugs for you :-( I've lost my grandmother, and i hear what you're saying about all the stories and memories that are lost with the person. I sometimes wish i've heard more of here stories but i guess i was too young.

So yeah, i actually have time to post and i'm @ work. I haven't had time to post in months, so some of you might think " what happened!? " Well, i still ask myself the same thing!

In Holland the financial crisis had arrived. Lots of people around me have lost their jobs and are struggling to find new jobs.

So last monday (last week) i'm working my account executive/project manager job that i worked so hard for (i started here as a receptionist and i had to work my way up, cause for the job i'm doing you need a high level of education and i don't have it), and i get called to see one of my bosses. I think it's about a contract with a client. So i start rambling about it. Then she says "Jeanie, i'm here to talk about something else". Yeah, i know you can all feel it coming right !? I felt it coming to so i was really calm when she said " we have to let you go ". I wasn't suprised at all. I did really well at account, but out of 16 people at account, 3 people had to go deu to the crisis. It's not strange thats me as i have the least experience. So i was calm, i said i understood, but than she says something i didn't see coming: " Jeanie, we really don't WANT to let you go. You have the least experiencen but we see great potential. We HAVE to let you go at account, but we would like to offer you your old job back, so at least we can keep you and when things starts to pick up you'll be the first to go back to account..but that could be a month or a year, we don't know"

So i was like...WTF. Offcourse i said yes...at least i have a job! So i got fired and got offered a new job all at the same day.

That dat 17 (!!!!!) off my co-workers got fired (in a company of 80 people). It was the strangest day ever. We are a very close group of people and there were a lot of tears that day.

The next day i find out my brother has lost his job too. It was a very strange week!

So now i'm working the reception desk again, and although i find it very hard, i'm the only one out of the 18 people they fired that they really tried to keep. So i'm trying to see it as a compliment. But it's strange, i went from project manager to receptionist.

I'm not naive and i've seen it coming, but when it does happen you're look " WTF!!!! "

So thats that, time to post again! ;-)

x

Aw, :-( Sad days all around.

Definitely, definitely, definitely take it as a compliment that they want to keep you around. That shows that you've made a difference in the company and overall, they not only appreciate it but they also value you as a person. It's not to say that they don't value the others that they had to let go, but obviously they see something worthwhile in you. That's awesome that you still get to keep working for the company! :D

Here's to better times, everyone. ::cheers::

I hope everyone out there who is looking for a job won't have to look too much longer...

You know the videos for Let forever be and Star guitar? They were directed by this guy named Michel Gondry and I thought some of you might be interested in his movie Tokyo! that's coming out soon if you liked those videos. Here's a link to the trailer if you want to check it out: http://www.youtube.c...re=channel_page

@Biff - Congrats on landing the job!

@Jeanie - In life, a door closes, and then another one opens!

@katherinelee

Welcome to the brotherhood! You can call me inchem!

Tokyo looks promising. I think,if I remember correctly, it's three stories in the film.! I'll mark it down in my 'must see' list.

@Whirly

Sent you a message 'over there' Hope to hear from you soon!

Helllllooooo children!

My grandmother's funeral was today. It was very strange to see my dad and his brother and sister 'orphaned' for lack of a better word. I gave an eulogy and don't think I did very well. :/

It was nice to see everyone afterward, though. I really love my cousins and dopn't get to see them all that much. And my brother flew out from the east coast so we got to spend some time with each other, and that was good. All things considered it was a beautiful day rehashing some memories, playing catch up with the relatives and best of all the day was not fraught with family drama like there usually is when it's a holiday dinner or something.

I'm tired and in a funky mood. I'm not melancholy, but rather drained. I feel done with the week already. It's very strange. I keep thinking today is Sunday, but it's not.

inchem - I did receive your message, I just haven't had a chance to reply. :)

And Jeanie Beanie - everything MadPooter said is what I would have said to you as well. I am so relieved you are still employed, are with the same company and that your superiors have so much faith in you to keep you around. You go, girl!!

Congrats to Sneaker! I love kids but I'm deathly afraid to have my own. Good Luck! I'm sure you'll be an awesome Dad.

R.I.P. Whirly's Grandma. I have a somewhat similar situation with my Grandpa at soon to be age 94. He's beginning to experience Alzheimer's and really getting depressed to the point where he wont eat. My Dad's sister lives with him and helps him as much as she can (Grandmother of 8 herself), but it's starting to get to the point where it's too much, and the idea of a nursing home is getting thrown around. My Dad is determined to keep him home and help my Grandpa as much as he can, but as days go on the Alzheimer's seems to get worse. It's a really tough situation cause everyone in my family has great respect for Grandpa and we know that he doesn't want to be any where near a nursing home. We hope the warmer weather will bring his spirits up...

Biff, big Congrats on the jobby job. I can only imagine the feeling of working so hard to finally completing college, and when your done, the world goes into a economic swoon and nobody is hiring. Happy Days! However, I hope this doesn't spoil your chances of coming to Coachella.

Jeanie! Good to see you back! Ugh, what a roller coaster of a situation for you. Hopefully you'll be moving back up that ladder sooner then later. And it's good to see you have such a positive attitude about it. I only wish I had your optimism on everything.

@Whirls - I'm glad the funeral was a productive family gathering. I think the last funeral I attended was my grandfather's when I was 12, but I've been watching a lot of Six Feet Under lately so in the least I have a dramatic reminder of what funerals can be. It sounds like it was a positive experience, and I'm sure your eulogy was in the least appreciated, at most absolutely effective, where your emotional state might not have created the best lens with which to see the reception of your quasi-public address.

Knowing you, your ability to touch others, to understand and navigate the emotional territory in which we humans seem to blunder about, I'm sure that you did a great job in recognizing your grandmother's presence.

@ Jeanie, your story sounds exactly the same as mine in the last week. Meeting with my boss. Was the same we don't want you to go speech but..... same as when you breakup with someone. Next day they call back with the idea of tansfering to one of the retail outlets to help them with Baking. So now I am baking Scones, Cookies, and Muffins for a Tea company and trying to mark up the prices.

@Bosco & Whirly, similar story with my grandmother. Aging, suffering from Vertigo, needed a new pacemaker, can't be on her own anymore. She is living with us (Me and the parental folk) right now which doesn't help because we are always busy outside of the house. She's a women that is very stubborn. Most of the my aunts and uncles won't help much with the situation. The same thing happend with my Grandfather about 10 years back. It has been tough emotionally over the last year.

As for positive news in my life. I just got my summer placement here in town with a big arts organization. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. I'll be working for them for 2 months this summer to complete my program at school.

I am also in the midst of scheduling artists for auditions for the music festival I am helping organize here in Edmonton. Heart Of The City Music Festival. That has been going good and I am looking forward to hearing the different artists play.

So a little bit of good, a little bit of bad right now. Just remeber everyone "This shall pass"

Congratulations on the placement in the orchestra Rynostar! I'm sure it will be a great experience, man.

I'm on cough syrup with codeine. It makes me feel gooooooood. [insert South Park bit from the Ritalin episode with Kenny saying a muffled "gooooooood."]

It's 1:15am! Just got off from work! Not really tired, just thinking of all the crap I had to put up today.

That is all!

OK, I am seriously done with being sick. I feel loads better than last week but I can't seem to shake the post nasal drip and cough.

Birthday boy Connor is ditching school with Daddy so they can go to Disneyland.

Thats a damn good birthday!

Whirls--you and I have the same thing. :-(

I'm still coughing. I'm supposed to go see my son this weekend and I don't think I'm going to be able to because I need a break to get better. The past four weekends I've been traveling--Seattle, Marin, Phoenix and Southern California. I need a weekend at home where I do nothing but relax and let my body heal. This is seriously lame--I should be better by now. >:-(