HIRED!

First day at new job is Nov 30th.  Not saying more than that right now until the ink dries, but celebrations have commenced if you know what I'm saying and I think that you do.  (That's right, we bought a pizza last night. What were you thinking?)  

HAPPINESS UPDATE

My marriage works so much better when I'm happy.  (Go figure, right?)  My Beloved has basically re-built this house that I love from the inside out saving us thousands of dollars in labor, kept us flush with heat and electricity, and maintained the health and wellness for an increasingly high-maintenance dog.   What have I contributed to the family pot?  I have bitched about the two times I had to rake the leaves (in my defense, it was a LOT of leaves!) and learned how to make kick-ass homemade pizza dough.  Clearly, there's some inequity.  While I'll never pick up a spirit level or paintbrush again (see "Recipe for Marital Strife"), I can contribute to the family by making it a priority for me to be happy.

You should not imagine that I am unhappy often or that when I am unhappy or upset I beat the dog or walk around the house like one of those women in an SSRI ad.  But, after so many years together, My Beloved and I enjoy very strong marriage-ESP and can intuit a whole conversation of understanding in the smallest gesture. So, while the rest of the world may think I'm perfectly content, My Beloved always knows - sometimes before I am even aware - that there is a pebble in my shoe.  

As part of my job search, I've been doing a number of self-assessments.  These can be as concrete as listing the types of work, work environment, etc. that I enjoy.  Or, they can be more open-ended as in identifying what I want out of life.  A workshop I attended on Saturday instructed on the latter type and recommended an exercise to do at least 2x a year.  To do the exercise, make 5 lists (friends/family, self, workplace, community, affiliations) and under each heading itemize what you give and what you get from each category.  For example, under SELF, I listed "time";  I give myself time to be indulgent.  Under friends/family, I wrote "distraction"; dinner/movies/bowling with my girlfriends is a way to distract myself from myself.  If I'm feeling out of balance, a review of the list should help figure out why:  Have I been giving myself time?  Have I been hanging with Da Girlz?  I'm putting together my objectives for Q4 '09 and for 2010 and will list “happiness” under SELF.  For each category, I’ll list some concrete things to do for that objective and review this list every quarter to make sure I’m living with intent and true to my priorities.

One concrete activity is to list 5 to 6 positive things about the day before.  So, here's my list for November 16:

1. Went to a Chopin concert with My Beloved
2. Accepted a new job
3. Indulged myself by eating out
4. Took care to get a full 8hrs of sleep
5. Went to be before 2am.
6. Scheduled a dinner date with friends