I need a post-vacation vacation

Summer... and my first paid vacation ever. Three weeks of having nothing to do but laze around, play with the dog, maybe go out for a jog or ten. No worrying about money or a summer job. Ah, what a feeling... Living the dream.

As for reality it's a whole different bitch fest of a ballgame.

It started out with me deciding, at the very last moment, to journey the 1300 km south to visit my mother in Stockholm. Said and done, I packed my car, realised that my splendid idea of fitting XX bags and luggage into the car together with three cats and a lively hyperactive disorder disguised as a spotted dog was doomed from the start. So my journey began with the baggage area filled to bursting, three cats in their carriers taking up most of the back seat and a restless Dalmatian in the front passenger seat. The dog decided she really couldn't stand for riding in the car unless she got much more space than she actually needed so I had to stop a few miles from home to tilt the back rest as far back as possible just so she would stop fidget and go to sleep. In the meantime two out of three cats were holding an a capella concert in the back seat while the third was most likely plotting the gruesome murders of all the rest of us. On top of that the petrol pay card suddenly turned up empty, despite having been checked the day before. So I had no idea whether I'd even make it the full stretch to Stockholm. Either way, the last issue was solved along the way, thank goodness. We reached our stop for the night, got our cabin, where I found out one of the cats had decided that his carrier really was a good substitute for a litter box, and then me and the dog took off for a visit to my sister. Part of the luggage was, thankfully, safely delivered into my sister's hands, enabling me to change the seating arrangements for the second stretch of the journey.

The second stretch then... I thought it was such a brilliant idea to let the dog share the back seat with my luggage while the cats could frolic around, including using their real litterbox, outside their carriers in the baggage area, which was separated from the rest of the car by a lattice. Foolishly I forgot that cats are the original contortionists so in the end I had one cat sleeping happily on the floor at the front passenger seat and another getting stuck between the lattice and the car  in his attempts to do what the other one did. As if that wasn't enough I managed to hit the rush hour in Stockholm... *shudders*

Anyway, we finally reached the goal and I decided to take my twitchy dog for a walk to stretch her legs. It ended with her pulling too sharply, making me stumble into a hole and fracturing some toes. My grand ideas of long walks and jogging were thus firmly thwarted. Thank god for the garden at my mothers house and specially made dog enclosures in the vicinity.

As if broken toes weren't enough the vacation then continued with two of my, normally indoor, cats managing to run off when my mother forgot a door to the outside open. One of them returned home that same day, being used to the area after having lived there as an outdoor cat for a few years. The other one had never been outside and only lived in my care for two weeks so to say I was worried would be a gross understatement. In the end he did return, almost a week later, apparently not much worse for wear and with a new taste for freedom... as long as it comes with a pristinely clean litter box and smelly wet cat food on a regular basis.

And in the middle of all this I noticed that the third cat, which suffers from a chronic kidney disease, was starting to look really bad. She's lost weight and started to smell awfully. So not wanting to travel with an obviously sick cat I decided to prolong my vacation in Stockholm from the original two weeks to three (thus cutting it uncomfortably close to when i start work again). My little one's got an appointment with the veterinary on Tuseday 23:rd. While I'm still hoping for the best I'm also firmly expecting the worst, and have pretty much steeled my heart to the fact that I'll probably have one cat less when I get home than when I left for my vacation.

But hey, at least the weather's been nice. In fact it's been so nice I'll be travelling home with itching skin due to sun blisters. I've also had a lot of fun with friends I haven't seen for years, apart from the fact that one such outing with friends gave me a sore neck due to a café chair breaking and med hitting my neck against a wooden bench, and I've gotten to spend some quality time with my dear mum.

Still, I'll be needing a vacation to recover from this year's vacation. At least there won't be much risk of getting sunburn and broken toes at work.

Mostly rollin' on fine

I thought it was about time to write something a little more upbeat than my usual cynicism-laced bitterness. And for once I actually do have some fun stuff to write about.

First of all, the living situation has vastly improved... because my work situation did. And that's where the fun stuff starts to happen.

In autumn 2012 I decided to send in an application for a job I was certain I wouldn't get. I didn't have the education for it, nor any previous experience working in that particular field. On the other hand, I really, really wanted the job since it would mean I'd get to work with graphic production and loads of other incredibly fun stuff. But, alas, no education beyond a very rudimentary course in newspaper layout...

So, yeah, I was fairly certain I wouldn't hear from them, other than maybe with a polite "Thank you for your application but...". Imagine my surprise (and, truthfully, crazed elation) when they suddenly called me and asked me to come in for an interview. I went, still convinced I wouldn't get the job, and the questions during the interview, on which many the answer was "no", didn't help me to feel better.

I'm mostly self-taught where graphic software is concerned, I've never actually had any opportunity or reason to learn how to prepare the graphics for print, it's been years since I'd worked with (the predecessor of) the software the job used. I was brutally honest during the interview, since I felt there wasn't any hope anyway. I left the office feeling odd... with the request that I come back the next day to do a sort of work test.

I returned the next morning, worked that whole day and then simply continued coming back for almost a week... and then one glorious day they smiled at me and told me they wanted me to stick around. Can you imagine? Getting the job you've always dreamed of, when you were certain it was never meant to be and that your chances were even worse than zero? And when you most desperately of all needed a job, any job?

I believe I more or less skipped home in happiness that day.

I've worked there for over 6 months now and man do I love it. It's most often to the point where I actually feel sorry when Friday rolls around and I realise there are two days in which I won't get to be at work. Won't get to meet my wonderful colleagues or joke around with what has to be one of the best bosses in the world.

And the job I do... My mum always used to frown at me playing around in Photoshop or other similar graphics software all the time. Well, now I get paid to spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week doing that very same thing. On top of that I've learnt how to work a vinyl cutting machine, print clothes and started to get a hang on the whole retail/profile thing. And, it bears to mention more than once, I've met some of the most amusing, amazing and warm co-workers ever.

The job is, however, a temporary position due to one of the work force going on maternity leave. So, unfortunately, it's only for a year or so. But by the end of that time I've gotten another piece of experience for my resume, it'll have increased my chances of getting another job doing the things I love and, most importantly, I've had the opportunity to experience what it really means to love your work and your colleagues so much you really don't feel like leaving for the weekend.

Oh, and then there's the housing situation. Thanks to me getting a temporary position for such a, relatively, long period, the landlord decided to give me permanent contract (without a set date for renewal of the contract, which was the case previously) on my apartment. So that piece of worry has also left.

In other news I've also gotten myself a dog (been more than 6 months since that though), a little Dalmatian girl who gives me ample reason to alternately smile, tear my hair, laugh like crazy and go all gooey and warm by looking at her. She's the dog with a capital D! And we've started to attend Dog Shows, which she's, so far, handled beautifully.

I've also gotten myself a new car, a sleek Subaru Outback, sold my darling Toyota to a close friend (whom I know will take good care of my baby) and sent the Volkswagen to car heaven. I've got a somewhat heavy loan on the new car, of course, but it's worth it.

All in all, life's pretty good right now :). Now, if only I could get to sleep on time and the little spotted one could eat when she's supposed to, most everything would be well on track. But, I guess you can't get everything in life... I mean, how then would I get my kicks with cynicism and bitterness?