This made my day....

Every year my Mom sends me a Halloween card. Without fail there is always some small thing about it that totally cracks me up. Probably only in a way that I find hilarious and nobody else understands.

Today I got the card. There is a sticker on the outside of the envelope:

Sometimes it's the small, unexpected things that totally brighten my day. Well done Mom!

Real Friends

Wow. During rough times - you really learn who your real friends are. Sounds like a cheesy cliche, but it's so true.

People I have worked with professionally literally crawled out of the woodwork to help me out when they found out I got laid off. One guy called me the next day offering advice. I went to an interview last week and mentioned someone and the guy interviewing me laughed - apparently the guy I mentioned had been sending my resume all over the place. It's been so uplifting and comforting!

Personally too - obviously. Whether it's buddies having me over for the weekend and making me fantastic bourbon drinks, or friends gifting me music through iTunes. I even had a friend send me two books in the mail last week.

Whether it's an email of encouragement, letting me cry on your shoulder or - seriously - if you have listened to me whine over the last two months, thank you.

You know who you are.

More Craziness in Jabbatown

About three weeks ago I met with my torturer surgeon for the first time. He made a bunch of measurements, showed me x-rays and told me how screwed up my jaw is. Overall, he felt like we could go ahead with everything after they see how I do with my schplinth. This was actually good news - believe it or not?
 
He also let me know how much the surgery is going to cost... Eight. Grand. 

Ahem. No, that was not a typo. Eightthousanddollars*. Eight. Thous - ok I think you get it.

After that I drove into work. My appointment was first thing so I hadn't been to the office yet.

I sauntered in and everything was chaos...and.....I got laid off.

I kind of don't remember the next hour or two after that. I remember putting my head back on the chair when my boss said something about closing the Victoria office. I remember calling Brad right away and he didn't believe me. I kinda sorta remember sitting outside with my workmate. Shock doesn't begin to describe it, nobody had any idea.

So half of our office has been laid off. My last day is November 1st and I get a severance. My bosses are being really reasonable. It's business and they weren't making money. I get it and I leave with no hard feelings.

My desk for the last 4 years. Bye!

I will tell you more about the job hunt later, I'm documenting all this crap gradually because this blog is generally a happy place. But sometimes we have to get real right? Life isn't all book reviews and cartoons.

Things here will get back to "normal" some time but it's going to be a long road.


* MSP doesn't cover surgery for TMJ because they consider it 'elective.' Seriously.

My Schplinth

Remember that time when I had a meltdown when I found out I had to have braces and jaw surgery? Oh!! How I wish I was there now.

Yes, you read that right.

I'm now wearing a splint. It's like a gigantic mouth guard that fits over all my lower teeth. I'll be wearing a splint 24/7. I'll be wearing a splint while eating only soft food. I'll be wearing a splint for the next 6 months.

Then. And only then......will I get braces and have jaw surgery. That is - if my jaw isn't too messed up. Which it might be. Only the splint....and time....6 months.....will tell.

The soft food diet? I can deal. I did gluten/dairy free so this is easy. Plus, it's a good time of year for soft food. Stews, soups, chilli....

Definitely the hardest thing about this is talking. My entire mouth (and voice) are hidden behind a giant WALL. I have to talk louder - which is weird, I feel like I'm yelling. Worse than this, there is no way in hell I can avoid lisping like mad.

Let's just say that a couple days after I got this thing, I was ranting to my workmate RF about it and finally said 'And why ish it that the hardesth word to sthay with thisth thing is Schplinth?'
(This put us both on the floor, we were laughing so hard.)

So this is my life now. Insurance forms, toothbrushes and lots and lots of soup. If you have any good recipes, pass them my way.

More to come.....the story doesn't end here, oh not nearly!

Serious Ass Kicking

Remember when I said life has given me an ass-kicking lately? 

I am the dog.

(I have no idea where I got this picture.)

I will elaborate one day, probably sooner rather than later because this blog has brought  good things my way in the past. I can feel myself turning towards it again.