things are starting to come together..

for the trip, and it's DEFINITELY about time.. we leave in 12 days, and i still need to pick up my passport from San Diego (doing that tomorrow am) and i need to APPLY for miss M's passport (doing that on Monday)
I am cutting it rather close to the departure date for her passport, not thanks to any of my doings, but.. other factors. Hopefully I'll have the missing document tomorrow midday, and HOPEFULLY the passport agency feels like cooperating with me.. :) fingers crossed. Just in case, I've got a full travel cancellation protection, that will repay the cost of the trip if we have to cancel for any reason.
I really, really, REALLY don't want to cancel the trip...
My own passport drama.. cost me a new job, and a very expensive trip across the country. I had gotten a job offer from a different studio, and I had actually accepted the offer, already found a new apartment closer to the new studio, found a new daycare for miss M, and I had even given a tentative notice here at my current studio that i was thinking about leaving... Then.. as the new studio was about to transfer my work visa (yes, i am still here on a visa...) we realized that they'd have to apply for a new visa, as the kind of visa i have isn't really transferable... That, in itself, is a process, but.. right as they were about to start that, my current passport expired, and they couldn't even submit the application w/o a valid passport.. I knew my passport was about to expire, but.. I was also working 6 days a week, 10-12 hrs a day, and I just didn't have a chance to travel to DC to get it taken care of. But, facing the risk of loosing my new job, i finally contacted the Swedish Embassy in DC, and made my appointment.. this was at the beginning of April.. Earliest appointment they had was May 7th. :(
I was supposed to start my new job on April 16th.

I contacted the new job, explained the situation, and apologized profusely.. they said the timing might not work out any more, but that they might have an opening for the end of May, if i was still interested. Unfortunately that didn't work out either, as it would take 2-3 weeks to get my passport shipped here from DC, taking us thru end of May, then another 3+ weeks to apply for a visa, once they immigration lawyer had all documents, so.. that would take us well into mid June.

argh.

but.. sometimes you get the reason to why things happen, sooner than later.. turns out that an old friend of mine just returned to LA to work for my current company, and her soon-to-be husband was looking for a job down here, and 'my' new job contacted him and offered him the position that opened in late May. AND.. second day on the job, he found out that they'd be expected to work 6 days a week, and 11'ish hour days until mid September, when the show delivers..
What in the world would i have done with miss M working those kinds of hours? She would have had to be at the daycare 6 days a week, a minimum of 11-12 hours a day.. She would have called her teachers 'mom' and not recognized me at the end of those months. ugh.

But.. fortunately my current company had been begging me to stay, and so I did. We're having a couple of months with a little bit less work at the moment, and that's quite wonderful. I get to catch up on things i should have taken care of a long time ago, and I get to further my knowledge about the pipeline here, and I am an integral part of setting up our new workflow on the current show. Quite nice.

I think that's it for today. Fingers crossed i get the required documents tomorrow!!!!

C

T minus 13 days

To VACATION!!!! oh, i can't wait. Sun, sand, rum punch, palm trees, good food, great company, a wedding (oh, nono, not mine!!)

Some time spent with the extended family, it's been too long again.

Me and Maddie away from home, for a few days, enjoying the sun and beaches. ohh, I CAN'T WAIT!!



Only thing missing would be my OWN family there, too...

Ending the long weekend with..

Maddie asleep in my bed, and 2 kittens asleep on my tummy on the couch, as I am enjoying a few moments of quiet, before I go to bed.
All in all been a good, mellow weekend, with a visit to Sally on Sunday..
I've been sick most of the weekend (all of the weekend, really) but it feels like there's a light at the end of the tunnel today. :D

Anyways..

I'll be back later.

.c

Doh.

And.. headline of previous post refers to being sick as a dog, most likely JUST because we finally have a long weekend..
Complete with body aches, runny nose, raspy throat and a cough that has settled deep into my chest. Not excited. :D
But, in the same breath - a measly cold is the very least of my health concerns at the moment. ;)
.c

Sickly

Ah, so very nice to have a 3day weekend. Usually around this time on Sunday eve, the Sunday depression sets in, while getting stuff ready for Monday and the week ahead..
But not tonite.. am enjoying some peace and quiet after Maddie has fallen asleep, the kittens are being rowdy after getting a second flea bath earlier this evening, much to their dislike.

We all went up to visit our friend Sally this afternoon. Her health isn't great, and it's been too long since we saw her. Was nice to spend a few hours there, we got to catch up on all the events of the past couple of months, and we'll have to make it a point, to not let as much time pass until we go see her again.

And now I'll retire to snoozing on the couch...

.c

Testing

E-mail updates.

Ren and Stimpy

Our new family members. :)

and on the topic of reading..

I've found an alternative way to read - audiobooks!!! :) works just as great - if not better than- real books. Besides, they can be listened to in the car, at work, while working out. :) just not great to listen to in bed at night, 'cause.. you end up falling asleep in 2 minutes and have no idea where you left off listening.

been a while - again..

oh, wow.. it's been a while again... Life moves a bit too fast these days. I can't believe my little monkey already turned 2!!! Looks like last time i updated she was around 6 months.. wow. where to start then? :) Screw it.. I'll just start fresh. Too much have happened in the past 1.5 years to even start making sense of it.


I am still at the same company, work's going well, me and miss M just moved to a new apartment, a bit further from work, but.. it's suuuch a nice upgrade. Just about double the size of the old place, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, hardwood floors and fully renovated... It's an older building, but.. the apartment is fantastic. :) And.. for M's birthday last week we adopted 2 little kittens.. 2 flea infested scrawny little things, but.. oh, so sweet. They got a flea bath before i let them loose in the apartment, and got flea drops right afterwards, and they're already so much better. :) No more fleas, and they've put on a little bit of weight, and seem to be adjusting well.


And.. M looooves them!!! She carries them around the house, gives them kisses and hugs, and helps them to the litter boxes, like she's saw me do in the beginning. She can say their names 'weeeenn' and 'simpy' ;) (that's Ren and Stimpy for all of you that don't speak 'baby'. ;) )

M started pre-school about a month ago, and has developed SO much since then.. she's learned so many new words, she speaks SO much more now, she can sing the whole abc song and count to 10 now.. :) even if she skips the number six, every other time. :) She's still a bit upset when i drop her off, but.. she's only upset for about 30 seconds, and then she's off playing with the other kids.


And.. me? i am happy. Finally happy again. Much less drama in my life at the moment, so very nice with a peaceful life again. I never imagined I'd be a single mom, working around the clock, but.. we're making it work. M is such a wonderfully easy child, she's the sunshine itself, with an amazing personality.. If she'd been any other way, it would have been a whole different story. My job has also been wonderfully accommodating, with everything from letting me and her use one of the training offices for after-hours work, to letting me work from home if needed.

Her dad? He's living with a new family in Central CA. Reasonable distance away. :)

aaanyways... should probably try to get some work done.

I'll be back. :D Hopefully not 1.5 years to the next update. ;)