A Not-So-Final Farewell.

A billboard near our house. Until recently.

It has been far too long since our last update, but I would have had a pretty good excuse if I had ever bought into the warning depicted in this image. Alas, I'm a sensible, rational person, so I cannot say “the devil made me do it” either. In fact, it's my own fault. Plain and simple. Wouldn't it be nice if more people could just own up to oversights, mistakes, poor judgement and dumb moves? Apologies. Accepted? Good, let's move on.

The potential end of the world not withstanding, Phillip and I have been fairly busy, and with both of us working, there has been a tendency to truly slack off when we have the opportunity. March was particularly nice, because we visited Joan and Paul in Florida. The weather was extremely cooperative and the beach was so inviting – such crystal blue, clear water! - that I bought an overpriced swimsuit just so I could truly enjoy it. For those of you who know me well, this is notable simply because I am not fond of swimming in the ocean. San Diego is beautiful in many ways, but the beaches here can't compare to Grayton. I guess we can't have everything.

Our return trip was uneventful except of course for the usual frustration with airport security. Phillip found it particularly ironic that there were two boys with toy guns going through security without undue attention, despite the fact that we're all subjected to invasive searches as a result of living in a fear culture. I sigh and ask for a pat-down rather than the scanner and we wait far too long for someone to respond to our request. Of course, once we'd declined the scanner, we were not allowed to pass through the normal metal detector, despite the fact that other people were randomly chosen to speed things along. Good enough for them, but not the trouble-makers, I suppose. Sadly I don't anticipate any of these policies to ever become easier or more sensible.

Speaking of travel, plans have shaped up, been discarded, rehashed and changed around frequently for 2011. In January, we talked seriously about Hawaii, then reconsidered in light of friend's plans to visit Colorado. That slowly morphed into a driving trip idea before both were discarded. But only temporarily. We still want to visit Mathew and Paula in Denver, so the driving plan is back on the table as of this week. There was the potential of including Maverick, but that is definitely not going to happen this time. (One day, though, if I get my way.) Then our dear, yet easily distracted Lincoln informed us of plans that might pull us to Britain instead. Of course all of this must be balanced against our must-do trip to Australia in 2012. Time and money are obviously a huge factor and as much as we want to go everywhere and anywhere, reality keeps biting us in the arse. So back to the drawing board. Lincoln, if you're reading this, take a hint.

Back home, Phillip's work is a bit topsy-turvy. Restructuring has put two employees under him, much to his dismay, but I think he's a better manager than he will admit. As for myself, I now have a good number of regular clients who consistently request me, which is nice. It's the best thing about my job right now, to be honest. While the company I work for is a great place for therapists to start out and gain experience, it is definitely not for everyone. Appointments are frequently mishandled; I have developed the habit of calling before every shift to make sure I actually have an appointment in my first hour, otherwise I could find myself sitting around without pay. I also recently discovered that some of my clients were being scheduled with another therapist of the same name. While I respect and really like this other therapist, I earned those clients and expect them to be given my next available appointment! The pay structure is … quirky. We are asked to sign in and otherwise behave as employees, but we are paid like contractors. It is also up to me to double-check my client printouts every pay period to make sure I've been paid the correct amount for each appointment. The printouts do not specify anything more than base pay and totals, so we have to keep our own records in order to compare the balance. All this to say that I'm looking into getting my business license and hopefully, by the end of the year, be earning fair wages.

On a happier note, Phillip and I were both recently given a clean bill of health from our new GP. Neither of us had undergone a thorough physical examination in several years, so after receiving a recommendation for this doctor from a co-worker, my darling husband scheduled appointments for us both. Pelvic exams and all. Thanks, honey. I kid; it was good to get it done.

Until next time!