Take a second and think about just how much less filthy your day has been without my influence. You missed me, Internet. Admit it.
My gift to you... 59 bite-sized facts about the time we've been apart:
- I was made redundant from my job in Corporateland™ (where I'd been in situ for seven years) on the 4th of January 2012, a mere two hours after returning from the Christmas holidays.
- It was one of those things that you think about not really ever happening to you and then it totally happened to me. I cried on the journey home and for a good few minutes the next morning.
- I can recall in exact detail what I was wearing and how I felt at the time, which was slightly shocked and a bit like I was moving in slow motion.
- It was like someone took my identity away - I was no longer Elizabeth who works in Corporateland. I was Elizabeth who didn't have an awful lot to do and who could now wear casual clothing 24/7.
- My lovely partner in crime was made redundant from his Corporateland (where he'd been hanging out for a mere 13.5 years) a week before the Christmas holidays.
- I didn't have to work my three month's notice so I was immediately spare.
- The boyfriendliest had to work his three month's notice so he was not immediately spare.
- The weirdest thing about being made redundant was suddenly being responsible for nothing. I mean, I still had personal home-type things to take care of but all the work things that used to wake me up in the middle of the night? Gone in an instant.
- I watched a butt-load of really bad daytime television and cleaned the house a lot.
- I tweeted and blogged very little. It was fun being mostly analogue. It turns out that no one really does miss you telling them what you're having for lunch or reading reams of electronic dribble. Go figure.
- There was very little panic in our house over losing both our jobs.
- Perhaps there should've been more panic - but it's not really our style.
- Being made redundant wasn't awesome but it was a cool way to end the awful commute to/from London every day .. I went in for two hours, I came home, I never returned.
- I loved being on garden leave. Pay me for doing nothing for three months? Okay. I can get my hair done at 10am on a Thursday? Excellent. Shopping for groceries during the daytime when it's less crowded? Awesome. Making funny conversation with the pensioners at the mall in the mornings during the week? Incredibly hilarious.
- Being unemployed with a finite amount of money in the bank? Less awesome.
- It was really neat to get to spend so much time with my boyfriend. Yes, there was background stress about being unemployed, but I'd like to think we made the most of our time together. We considered joining the elderly bowling league.
- That's not a lie.
- We had some excellent time away in the States for most of April and some of May.
- My grandmother died - it was sad.
- I keep forgetting my grandmother's not around any longer - and that's even sadder.
- I signed up for Unemployment for the first time in my life.
- This meant every other Friday I went to sign on while telling myself that I wasn't the same as the weird people at the Jobcentre.
- (I was totally like the weird people at the Jobcentre - just with better shoes)
- I am thankful for the free money that signing on gave me - it was worth the 15 minutes of strange every two weeks. Being told that I couldn't leave the country was a bit odd.
- Panic set in and I started really looking for a new job in July. I didn't really want to but it seemed the responsible choice.
- Sometimes being responsible is a bit of a drag.
- Mr eBeth also found gainful employment recently. Our bank account breathed a sigh of relief.
- I'm now working on a temp to perm basis at a very large local company. You'd know it if I told you. Hence, why I'm totally not telling you.
- Staying here depends upon the person I took over from getting a new position within the Firm - so far, so good, so weird.
- Now that I've escaped the surly bonds of daytime television and shopping with the blue rinse brigade, I am not sure I'm keen to return.
- They have casual Fridays in New Corporateland™ . I like casual Fridays.
- This is the first time I've commuted to work by car in 12 years. The novelty of being at work within 15 minutes of leaving the house will never wear off.
- We put our nine year-old girlchild on an airplane by herself for the first time ever. She's spending a month in Chicago with my mom and family.
- I only panicked four times about her journey and I was very pleased to hear she landed safely and without incident.
- It's weird to think of your baby being five miles up in the sky, 2,000+ miles away from you in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.. ALONE. The thought of that still makes my heart skip a beat and not in a good way.
- She's doing the same flight in reverse in two weeks and I know I'll still be anxious.
- I still want a puppy.
- Our eldest son went on his first date two weeks ago. It was the kind of moment that you try to be nonchalant about but know you'll never forget.
- He borrowed my hairdryer and his father's shoes.
- We're just back from an excellent trip with our two boys to Normandy, France where we took in all the WWII sights we could shove into a five day trip.
- I learned an awful lot.
- I stood ankle deep in the English Channel. The American part of me thought that was pretty cool. The British part of me was like, 'meh, whatever.'
- I think I now have a keen interest in war propaganda and quirky artifacts.
- Said keen interest really surprises and pleases me at the same time.
- I learned that I do not like to eat mussels. But whoop for me for trying something new. It took some major culinary balls for me to put that thing in my mouth.
- People really shouldn't eat filter-feeders. They're the garbage scowls of the sea.
- I managed to speak two complete sentences in French.. to a French person!
- The French person responded to me in French. I was thusly screwed and had to go find someone else. Je ne parle pas très bien français, yo.
- Driving in France on the American side of the road but with the steering wheel on the British side of the car made me feel like a US postman.
- We went on a ferry to/from France. I'd never been on a ferry before and learned that there are crew members who live on that silly big boat all the time. That's strange to think about - living and working your life away in 1.5 hour chunks of channel crossing.
- Yes, I am the type of person who asks questions of people I don't know. I figure if you never ask, you never learn.
- I detest people who won't do something for fear of being embarrassed or because they can't be bothered.
- It is a bit stereotypically American of me to be that way, I suppose.
- The good thing is that because I am American, I'm expected to be loud, talk a lot to total strangers. I take advantage of this.
- People who hang out with me also take advantage of this. I'm happy to ask dumb questions for you. Just ask.
- I learned on our trip to France, where we took a tour with louder, even more stranger-engaging people that I totally clam up when I'm around other Americans. To the point where people ask me if I'm okay or ill. Weird, huh?
- The Olympics in London have been enjoyable to watch. Even in French.
- I forced my boyfriend to watch the Opening Ceremony with me and he's so lovely that he didn't even get mad when I fell asleep during the bit where the athletes enter the stadium. I slept from the C to the U countries. Sorry about that, Equatorial Guinea.
- I've enjoyed making this list but have just noticed that I can't stop thinking of things to include. For your sanity and mine, I'll stop babbling and making this list. You thank me.
ps - I think I'll be blogifying a bit more now that I have some routine back in my life. Oh, AND I found an awesome local shop that sells cupcakes. You wanted to know that.
