The Aftermath...

It's my first work-week weekend of 2010... and my first official lazy day as a result.

Normally, I take care of my dear Chester on Saturday afternoons, but I did not get a call from his wife to come by. Now that I've done nothing but sleep in and eat breakfast, I do feel as though I should have called her. Sometimes, she forgets.

Considering this decade's first week of work was an absolute nightmare... complete with fear, anxiety, and a very climactic ending; I'm absolutely exhausted. For months, there has been tension at work and the week before Christmas, we found out we were losing a LOT of money... talk of "tough decisions" and "changes" began to fill the days, then culminated with never-ending hush-hush meetings most of us were not invited to.

Thursday one of us got permanently laid off.

Being the "new kid on the block," employed there a short 11 months (after my ten months of unemployment), I had just cause to be very concerned. The organization is small and the staff very close-knit. Surely I worked hard every day and made myself as valuable as possible... but I would have done that no matter what. But was it enough?

Thankfully, I was NOT the one who lost their job, but, it's a bitter pill to swallow. I know very well what it feels like to lose a job! The person who lost their job is one of two that interviewed me for a volunteer position and demanded they hire me. She has also been there 7 years. That is a bitter pill for both of us. It has been difficult for everyone. I was afraid I'd find myself unemployed again, in less than a year, and this time it would be simply too much to bear.

Mom's cancer, the holidays, the "situation" at work... very stressful. Even though the sun is shining and part of me feels I should just take a chance and go on a date tonight, I know my mind is still recovering. I don't think tonight is the right night to make a first impression. Staying home this weekend getting my house clean and personal affairs in order appears to be the better choice.