Lighting the fire

So the trip to Baltimore that Matt and I had been planning had to be canceled at the eleventh hour, due to a combination of factors -- sick husband, irritable son, and no money, to name a few. I was very disappointed (as were Chris and Colleen, who were planning to host us), but under the circumstances I think it was the right thing to do...even if I feel kind of stupid for buying the tickets without thinking things through first.

But it's not a total loss -- at least some of the purchase price of the airfare can be applied toward another trip within a year. Tentatively, we're planning to come out to Baltimore in the mid to late summer...better weather, and then there's the beach within driving distance (Yo Jason -- get the VW van ready, woo!).

A couple of weeks ago I resigned from my position at the library...another hard decision to make, but one I feel was ultimately the right thing to do (whoever said that doing the right thing was easy, eh?). I'd been working there for almost six years, and it was hands down the best job I've ever had. To make matters even more difficult, the situation in my department had been vastly improved by the arrival of my coworker Ben, as well as some fat grants and equipment upgrades...just in time for me to leave, dammit.

But I feel content in knowing that I left the place in better shape than it'd been in quite some time, and with the assurances of my supervisor that I have excellent references and a welcome return should a position become open in the future. I've left jobs under much, MUCH worse circumstances than those, so I guess that's something.

I've become a real homebody these days...so much that at the urging of Matt and my friend Terry, I have decided to join a mother's group. OK, I know how odd that may sound coming from me, but the group seems to be comprised of intelligent and interesting women, and it'll get me the hell out of the house every once in a while. The group I'll be joining has playgroups and such, but that's not of a whole lot of interest to me while Sy is still so small. I'm more about the evening activities -- a book club and a "nibble night" being among them (books, good food and wine being among my favorite things these days).

Although I've historically been not so great about maintaining friendships with women, I found the company of the group members to be pretty enjoyable (especially my friend Terry -- we had a great time gabbing in the car on the way to-and-from, a conversation which ran the gamut from religion to penises, hell yeah!). I think this could be just the impetus I need to get off my ass and try to build a network of friends in the area...as it stands, I was starting to go a tad batshit with being in the house all the time, to the point of getting worked up about household duties more than what is normally considered healthy. Many thanks to Terry for lighting a fire under my ass on this one! :-)

I have more I'd like to write about, but I need to get over to my apartment community's fitness center (dismal but functional) and spend some time on the treadmill while listening to my dumbass electronic music on my iPod...these 40 lbs I want to lose won't come off on their own. Sy has been whinier than usual today, and blowing off some steam is in order.