2021 Holiday Letter

Well, well, well.  Look who has found my holiday letter.  I hope you’re ready for snark and laughs, because I’m going to tell you about 2021.

January started off with a kiss at or near midnight on New Year Eve and it wasn’t to Buster.  

So you remember how last year I told you I was in a relationship, but didn’t give you details?  So, about that…

Love does indeed Rule

His name is Jeff.  We’ve been together for over a year now and it’s safe to say we like each other.  A lot.  A lot a lot.  I tell you this now, because you’re going to see and read about him a lot in this year’s letter.  This is because we are awesome and we do cool shit together, and now I shall tell you all about it!

In early January, I got to celebrate my favorite human’s 40th birthday at the fanciest restaurant I’ve ever been to (Maestro’s).  And just like usual, I spilled while we were there.  But so did Jeff.  And that’s just one of many reasons I love him.

At Maestro’s.  Post spillage.

Anyway, January also brought me the opportunity to get my first vaccine to help protect me from COVID19.  I quickly took that opportunity and got the shot.  I had minor side effects – a headache in the middle of the night – and a sore arm for less than 24 hours.  

In February, I had my long-awaited ankle surgery.  

In 2020, I found out I needed to have surgery on my left ankle (not the one I broke a few years ago).  Then the COVID numbers were still very high, and I was not comfortable having the surgery then.  We decided to wait in hopes the world got healthier.  

I was prepared to have arthroscopic surgery to clean out cartilage and for them to perform microfracturing on the surface of the bone to stimulate bone growth.  But on Christmas morning of last year, I stood outside my mom’s house (without the walking boot I had been prescribed to wear until I had my surgery) holding presents, and my ankle decided to tear a ligament.  The pain was not any worse since it all hurt anyway, but I simply could not stand on it.  At that point, surgery was just over a month away, so the surgeon just added that to the list of things to do while he was working on my ankle.

Despite being a ROTTEN patient, I had the best caretakers.  My mom and Jeff had their own schedule between them to make sure I was fed, medicated, and generally taken care of.  

I was positive I would bounce back after surgery, but my bounce-back was more like a splat.  The surgery recovery was very difficult for me because there was no getting comfortable.  I had to keep my ankle elevated above my heart 90% of the time – for six weeks.   

I assure you: I was that pale before surgery.

 For obvious reasons, I took medical leave for six consecutive weeks.  That was the first time I had been away from a job for an extended period of time.  Turns out, it would not be my last, but more on that later.  
While the recovery was difficult, I was hellbent on doing some living once I was up and running I mean walking.  Especially since I had gotten my second COVID vaccine while I was recovering from surgery.

Jeff and I spent our spring visiting local jewels and taking day trips around the state. 

Because the world was getting and staying healthy for a moment in time, Jeff and I took a long weekend in Portland.  The weather was glorious, the food was delicious, the sights were fantastic, but the highlight of the weekend was the company.

As spring turned into summer, I made a massive life decision.

Last year I started a new job. This job was my dream job, and exactly what I needed for the next step in career.  And then 2020 happened, and my entire life view shifted.  Unfortunately, it shifted towards the (even more) bitter, angry, and skepticism.  As 2020 marched on, I fell further and further out of love with the public in general.  The public I had spent my career serving.  I had hoped 2021 would relieve some of my anger and bitterness, but when I returned to my position after my surgery everything had changed – both with me and with the organization.  

For several months after my return, I had a number of crucial conversations with my chain of command, and with my loved ones.  It became clear to me that the organization and I were not as good a fit as I had hoped initially, and I was not thriving in my position.  The universe sent one last final sign that I needed to consciously uncouple myself from my job in the summer, and I became a member of the Great Resignation.  

I timed it so that I could help my dad when he was recovering from surgery, from which he recovered 100% yay!, and then I did some recovery of myself.

I kicked off my first summer without responsibilities for the first time in almost twenty years, by immediately hoping in the car with my love and headed to see Ryan and Kristina in Las Vegas.  We spent the weekend being spoiled by them, and I ended up winning a couple hundred of dollars, which was a nice welcome to temporary unemployment. 

Area 51? More like Area Fifty FUN!

When I got home, I did a lot of decompressing and crafting.  I felt very renewed after a month or so of getting enough sleep, eating meals at regular intervals, not tensing up each and every time I got a new text or email, and focusing my efforts into creative ventures (crocheting in the summer makes total sense.  But then again, I did leave a job without having something lined up…). 

 

I started my job search knowing that I wanted – NEEDED – something very different from what I had been doing.  I did not focus my search on the title, or even the level of the organization.  I instead did an inventory of my skills and focused my search on what nurtures me, versus what I can bring to an organization.  Because I’m brilliant, I only looked for jobs that are in the same retirement plan to which I have been contributing to for 14 years.  Only a short 16 years (But who is counting?  Me. I’m counting.) to go until I get my lifelong pension!!

A month after I started looking, I accepted a job with a school district in the southwest valley.  It’s an entirely different world.  It’s like learning a new language.  The best part about working for a school district so far has been that I’m working with educators; if I do not understand something or ask for clarification, they slip into their teacher role.  They break down the topic into pieces, and help me understand each piece, and then help me put the pieces together to get the whole picture.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am a peer of these super teachers, and I don’t have to ask to go to the bathroom (except I really do if it’s during a meeting).  

When I tell people I am commuting to the southwest valley from where I live (north central Phoenix), their minds are blown.  When I explain that I was making essentially the same commute just the other way when I was working in the east valley, it makes people stop their questioning.  Also worth noting is I am driving in the opposite direction of traffic which makes a world of difference! 

Because looking for and then starting a job can be so stressful, it was only natural that I took a week off one month into my new job.  In reality, I was very forthcoming in telling my new employer I had vacation plans to attend a postponed 2020 wedding the week of Halloween in Georgia.  And they announced the Moderna booster (scientifically the vaccine with the best protection) the week before, so I got to fly to the south being triple-vaxxed!

My friend Mina was finally going to make an honest man out of Troy, and I was going to be there to celebrate it!  About a month before the wedding, Mina found out her brother would not be able to make the wedding due to a bout of COVID that had been running through his house (everybody is ok now).  Her brother was going to perform the wedding, and him not being there left a key vacancy.  

I know.  I know. I said I was never going to perform a wedding again.  But then when my dear friend of over a decade tells me she’s officiant-less a month before her wedding, obviously I’m going to step in.  Which is what I did.  And, to toot my own horn, I kicked that ceremony’s ass!  

I got many complements, but what mattered the most was that Mina and Troy liked it.  Since it was Halloween weekend, it was obviously a costume wedding.  And since we know I can rock a royal role like no other, it was only natural that I once again became the Queen of Hearts to perform the wedding.  And my King of Hearts was the most handsome man there (no offense to the Groom).  

Let"s pretend my hair was frizzy like that on purpose.

It had been a couple of years since Jeff or I had taken a proper vacation, and we made the most out of the week we spent down south.  A highlight of our trip was the day we spent in Alabama visiting some and meeting some of my McKeever relatives.  We spent a day laughing and telling stories and loving our time together.  I’m so glad I got to spend some quality time with my family.

Of course we had to do the touristy stuff while we were down there which meant we spent time at World of Coke, Olympic Park, and the Georgia Aquarium.  The Georgia Aquarium was magical.  I wanted to see the whale shark because whenever am I going to see a whale shark ever in my life?  It was even better than I imagined.  I’m pretty sure it smiled at me.  

And that brings us to now-ish.  Well, the now when I wrote this.  Perhaps not the now you’re reading this?  I don’t know.  I"m not going to think too hard about it.  You shouldn"t either.  But I digress.

This winter I have huge plans of constantly complaining about how my body hurts all the time (this is middle age??), listening to raunchy romance novels during my commute, and telling Buster to stop yelling (barking) at Jeff for kissing me.

No, in all reality, Jeff and I will obviously be spending the holidays together with family and friends.   We’re doing a staycation over Christmas break, and I plan on crocheting more.  Buster will probably be barking at something.  And all will be right in the world.

Much love to most of you.

xoxoxxx,
A