autumn finally

I walked outside yesterday to discover that the temperature had finally dropped about 15-20 degrees, and was in the low 70s. This is what it's like in parts of Australia almost-year round, and one reason I'm still thinking about returning to The Great Southern Land in a year or two.

While I was able to get a fair bit of gardening done over the weekend, the cooler weather also set off my motorcycle cravings again. So I parked the hedge clippers for a while and went tire-kicking at a few dealerships. I have today off as well, so I may drop by one or two other places.

I'm still leaning toward a Suzuki SV650, or what they're now calling a Gladius, although I want the higher handlebar model. I am not quite ready to do the lying-down thing on a motorcycle.

a laissez-faire strategy

I received my offer letter for the new job today. I suppose I should view it as verification that it was stupid to fire me in June (they could have let one of the other writers up north go, but they're both TD* suckups), as my job grade and salary have both been increased.

Although I still haven't managed to totally shake the Juvenile Sulk, and still wonder what to do about Ian, I've decided to focus on other things. Both situations should resolve themselves sooner or later.

In the meantime I can be Ferdinand the Heifer. The weather's cooling down some so I can resume bird-watching, and do some more external repairs to Chez Melina and my mother's house.

If anyone is wondering what I mean by Ferdinand the Heifer, it's an awkward gender spin on Ferdinand the Bull, a Disney character who was not interesting in bullfighting. Instead, he just wanted to smell the roses.

I should add here that I think bullfighting is barbaric and cruel, and am glad that the Catalonia region of Spain has outlawed it. Hopefully other regions will follow.

* See Key to Characters at right.

beagle-flavoured ennui

Even though I haven't enquired about full time jobs, I am fairly sure that the ad agency where I'm currently freelancing doesn't have any for those with my background. It's too bad, really. I really like the place, even although it employs lots of middle-aged men with silly designer glasses, strange facial hair, iPhones and noisy flip-flops. Nobody manages me and there's even a pool table on site.

Conversely, my former employer (home of the nefarious Poison Dwarf*) wants me back. Not working for PD - I'd rather live under a bridge than do that again. The job is in another department, and the manager is someone I've always liked, although she's one of those women who own little fluffy dogs. I'm not really into little fluffy dogs. But after initially turning down the HR department's offer, she talked me into coming to visit her so she could bump up the salary offer. And Salary Slut Melina said okay.

The upshot of all this is that it looks like I'll be employed by the Snoopy Borg once more beginning in mid-October. And even with a slightly increased salary and benefits, I'm still unable to be cheerful about it. Instead I'm in Total Juvenile Sulk Mode with a little PMS thrown in.

The offer letter didn't even lower my blood pressure any. Isn't a steady income supposed to be a good thing in these recessionary times?

A couple of friends have suggested I consider it clever karmic revenge, since PD will probably pee herself the first time she bumps into me in the onsite coffee shop or the parking lot. But I've never sat around wishing I could stick a fork in her eye or anything like that.

Hopefully I'll buck up after I get there. At least I can continue to finance my mother's visiting nurse, who has improved my mother's health; together they conspired to reduce my mother's medications.  I visited my mother last weekend and it was the first time in months she didn't have to crawl off for a mid-afternoon nap. She was visibly perkier.

I might even have some money left over for some Maison Close lingerie - not that any male will ever see it - and a Triumph Bonneville. I want the basic black model with just a little chrome here and there.  (the motorcycle, not the lingerie)

* See Key to Characters at right.

no comment

Actually, I do have a comment. I've watched two episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm in their entirety and just didn't get it. I wanted to ask "is it funny yet?"

However, I will always tune into Arrested Development.

splat, and contemplation

For anyone wondering where the fork I've been this week, the diverse reasons are as follows.

1.  While checking out Chez Melina's new roof last Monday - I was about to sign off in the presence of the roofing company rep - I fell off a ladder and banged myself up pretty well. Nothing was broken, but I have an unhappy right shoulder, a colorfully bruised right arm, and an occasional achy neck.

2.  I recently began to suspect that my builder friend Ian may be, as Barbara suspected, harboring some feelings toward me. (She was the friend who commented that Ian was "nutty as squirrel shit about me" a few months ago.)  Here's why: in addition to chatting with me more than usual, he took me out to dinner last weekend. It was rather posh, so I dressed up.  When we arrived he opened the car door for me, and when I looked up at him I suddenly saw That Look in his eyes.

I've yet to deduce if That Look was romantic, lustful, or none of the above. Perhaps he was simply looking down my dress. But since I don't know how to interpret it, I've been avoiding him this week. Why am I still so frickin' naive after all this time? Why didn't I pay more attention to him before this happened? And since he is married (although he seems to have no difficulty finding time for me), I'm still not sure how to proceed. He did kiss me after dinner, and he was a good kisser, but his hands didn't wander south. Instead, I practically smacked my head on my front door, half-fearing I'd like more kissing and half-fearing that I wouldn't.

Besides - isn't one married boyfriend enough?  OOD* is still around and does not inflame my desire any less than before. He has the edge in the looks department. Besides, my libido has never worked in stereo.

It's a carnal Catch-22. Although the possibility of new adventures with Ian is tempting, I can't see myself time-sharing two married men either.

3.  The Snoopy Borg has approached me with a job offer that I may have to accept. Same location, different department. Definitely a nicer boss, and more money than before. And PD* and TD* would have absolutely nothing to do with me if I were re-assimilated (I checked).

But it still seems like a step backward, even with the salary increase. And to complicate matters, I like where I am now, even though I fear they will not be able to make a counter-offerl. If I had my druthers I'd accept any mid-range to senior copywriter job they offered, even at a slightly lower salary than the current Snoopy bribe.

What's a quirky woman to do?

* See Key to Characters at right.