alrighty then...

I finally got my new job's start date...March 26. That means I have more than month before I'm back to work full time. I'm not sure how to feel about it. I'm still very excited for the job. It's going to be an amazing opportunity for me, and I'm eager to dive into something new. I'm also ready to get myself back on some regular routine...I feel like I get A.D.D. really bad when I don't have to be somewhere in the morning. I start thinking about all the stuff I can do during the day, and I either fly around and get it done, or I completely shut down because I get exhausted from thinking about it. On the flip side, working from home at present has allowed me to run errands during the day when the shops are less busy, and if I'm tired at noon, I can take a nap in my own bed. That's pretty baller. I have also been loving having the dog asleep on the floor next to me and a kitty asleep on my lap while I work. I will definitely miss the fur babies. However, starting the job sooner than later means that I can start aggressively paying off the credit card again and also aggressively saving for a house down payment. I figured out that if I can put one paycheck a month toward the credit card and one toward house savings, we could have a zero balance and enough for a 12-15% down payment in about 15 months. That's assuming we can still go without a second vehicle for the time being. If we end up needing to buy another car (talking about getting a Subaru), we'll call it 18 months (that'll probably have to happen). And if I start working, I can finally break ties with my old job, with whom I've been freelancing since we moved. I feel like there's still a lot of anxiety wrapped up in that place, and even though I'm 700 miles away, the stress there still touches me on some level. I find myself getting worked up from the comfort of my home...so much so that I'll sometimes have to do yoga and meditation breaks to keep myself calm. I'm just starting to deal with it better, though. I've finally come to grips with the fact that no matter how much I do, or how hard I work, my contribution will never make that place better. It will always be broken, hostile and disorganized, and there's nothing I can do to fix it. I've had to turn off my empathy for my former coworkers because I was getting sad/angry thinking about how it's still awful for them. The best that I can hope for is that they are able to find their passions again. It will be incredibly interesting to see how my new work environment will differ from my last two jobs. In speaking to my future supervisor, she asked me what equipment I will require to do my job. I HAD A CHOICE. I am also getting my own office. I feel like my job is being tailored to me, not me being shoved into a job description. I've never experienced this before, and I'm a little overwhelmed by it. If nothing else, I feel like I'm being treated well. I don't feel like just a cog in the machine...easily replaceable. It may just be the romance before the reality, but it's a good feeling. I'll do my best to keep it going.

Speaking of houses, I've been scanning Zillow about once a month to see what's out there. There's an awesome house for sale just outside the city limits up a rough dirt/asphalt road that caught my eye. Yesterday, Ben and I drove out to see it, mainly because of the spectacular mountain views advertised. Yup, it was pretty amazing. I think we're narrowing down on what we want: property/space, basement, non-ranch-style, 2+ bathrooms. Ben wants totally rural, but I don't want to be isolated. Thankfully, it seems as though we'll have options for both just outside of the Blacksburg town line...easy access to town without suburbia. I'm excited to look at houses for realsies!

Knitting update: I finished all the pieces for the next big afghan square, and they're all currently blocking and waiting assembly. After I do that tomorrow, I'll put it away for a little while and finish a few more projects. I need to buy more Cascade 220 to keep it going, and I'm not sure my LYS carries it (they have a TON of Berroco instead). I got more black and gray Lion's Brand Wool Ease from Jo-Ann a couple of weekends ago, so I'll finish the row of granny squares I started before running out. I have a lacy cowl all queued up and ready to cast on after I wind the Manos!