Saturday, March 07, 2015

Intermittent

I know that spending more time in reflection would do an amazing amount of good for me.

"I've never been one for quiet reflection..."

"I am the catalyst for any and all chaos...the ground zero for an un-expected break from the ordinary."


Yes.  I can look back and agree with those statements.  NOT without some discomfort and grief.  

But, in the present, I compare my current life with the life I lived before.

I work.  I work hard.  I have always worked hard.  However, now I work with additional purpose.  I have a family to think about.  No, it isn't a husband a children.  I work to care for myself, and to care for my mother - to be able to handle the emergencies that arise from time to time.  I work towards my future--saving and planning for the day that I might retire (as if it will ever happen...I know the stock from which I was built...we work non-stop until the day we die.)

I work so that I can take care of my little loves. Those three pups get the best of me...and they deserve every bit of it.  I've been surrounded by unconditional love of the canine variety since 2005.

I recently told another family member that my pups are my priority.  The day that I held each of them for the first time, I vowed to love and care for them for the rest of their lives.  They might frustrate me, but they are the most amazing examples of unconditional love.  I made a promise to each of them that will never be broken.

I first held Topher as a tiny, wiggly pup of seven weeks.  My parents had decided that I needed companionship.  Their poor, newly divorced daughter needed SOMETHING to love.  And, love I did.  That tiny bundle got the best of everything...food, treats, training.  I poured my heart and soul into that tiny little life....and cuddled and held him when the world was far too harsh for me.
Today?  He's a headstrong, stubborn old man who is over ten years old.

I adopted Brutus from the SPCA when he was three years old.  I heard about him on a "Pet of the Week" segment on a local radio station.  The second I got to the office, I pulled up the segment.  And, that little face sold me.  I was waiting outside of the SPCA offices thirty minutes before they opened....because I KNEW that he was meant to be mine.  By the time I walked out of there, holding my new little man...there were over one dozen people waiting in line to adopt him.  I'm sorry.  God gave him to me -- and that has been proven time and time again.

I never even considered another dog.  In fact, had you suggested it?  I would have told you to shut your mouth.  My boys were more than enough for me...

Then, in October of 2010...my mother and sister placed a tiny, five-week old puppy into my arms.  And, I was a goner.  Now, over four years later?  She has proven to be the biggest drain on my financial resources, and the biggest headache I have ever experienced....but I wouldn't trade Lucy Furr for the world.  I can look at that tiny little face, with her little bit of blue-eyed innocence (thanks to the bit of dapple dachshund in her lineage)...and realize that she is just hell-bent on living her life to the fullest.

People seem to come and go --- even those who swear that they will stay....

But, my pups were, are and will be my loves and the best examples of the the love that one doesn't truly deserve, but is sooo thankful to receive.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

If I die....

...just save my body from the doxies.

At least long enough for me to wear my new (very expensive) shoes.

Then bury my ass barefoot.  


...Because you KNOW the dogs will have peed on my shoes in a sign of solidarity and hatred that I have passed.  

(come on, it's weiner dogs  - - that is their protesting MO....pee on everything!)


"Let me 'splain...no..there is too much... let me sum up"

Wow.

How to condense years into a post.

This is where my "live gently and love more" motto originates...

"Buttercup is marry Humperdinck in a little less than half an hour"...

...that is probably a pretty good summary of my life.   Intrigue, betrayal and lots of Mandy Patinkin.
Okay, maybe not so much with Mandy.

But the eight years was wild.  And, come on...you KNOW I would refer to "The Princess Bride" as a reference.  It was a given.

I ran through Blue Vertigo (remorseless liar)......
....then Buzz...(soul-less cheater)....
....and worked my way through a few others who don't even warrant mention.

I spent four years with "Doc"....the brilliant PhD who almost had me tied down....until he admitted (after being engaged for five months....and dating for four years) that he wasn't ready to get married...and that he had only proposed because he was afraid of losing me.

...and, cue the huge, flaming exit (on my part).   I'm not proud of my behaviour during that period...but I learned some very, very valuable lessons:
  • Treat others as you wish to be treated (i.e.  if you decide someone fits in only one area of your life, and you sequester them there....either ensure that they understand and accept it, or expect them to react accordingly to that rejection).
  • Don't close yourself off from the unknown, the unexplored and the unaccepted. Everyone deserves to be accepted for who they are....if they will only accept it themselves.
  • And, when it all falls apart, don't rely upon those you have known for years to either understand your reasons for doing what you did....or to support your stance when the pieces start crashing down.   Because self-preservation and social/political currency will always trump friendship.  
The late spring and summer of 2013 were very difficult for me.   I was trying to find myself after a very, very tumultuous fall and winter of 2012.  That being said, I made some poor decisions.  But, I chose to exclude my friends from those decisions.  What I did, I did with the absolute confidence that my closest friends would never be made aware.  Unfortunately, that wasn't honored by the other person...and then the mental/emotional consequences of those very decisions affected the manner in which I interacted with those friends.

And, then I betrayed a trust.  I never should have done so.  But, I did.  After ongoing discussion regarding how the interaction was unhealthy - I broke.  It wasn't my place to share or defend the other person involved.  But, I did it.

And, for that, I lost some of my dearest friends.   Did I deserve to lose their trust?  Yes.  I did.   Does it hurt that it happened?  Very much so, even to this day.  These were MY dearest friends.  They had been my friends for almost a decade.

But, I killed that friendship when I broke down and betrayed the trust of another.

I apologized.  To that person, multiple times.  And, I have been on the receiving end of their ire, venom and threats.   I deserved that.  They shared.  They trusted.  I betrayed that.  I will admit it.
While I could defend myself with arguments regarding their mental/emotional manipulation, as well as some very, very serious unresolved issues between the two of us...

I still betrayed a friend.

But, even moreso....I lost the friendship of people I had known for almost a decade.   The people who had seen me at my very best, and my very worst.  And those people still loved and supported me through those times.

But, this time?  I didn't have those friends to fall back upon....to say, "I made a mistake, and I only want to make it right and do my best to make things whole"...

...because the friends lined up alongside that other person.

Gut-wrenching.  Yes.  But, in all honesty....that other person not only wanted, but NEEDED the love and support of friends.  So much self-doubt, so much indecision, so much disbelief in their own worth. Even if I had not been the catalyst for my own destruction, there were so many times that I assured that other person that the "true friends" were there, and would be true...

Yes, the friends were there for that person. And, for as much anguish and pain as it has caused me in the past year...missing out on the 'touchstone' moments we have always shared...
the thought that someone was the recipient of the love and support they deserved to thrive?


....that is worth the price I paid, still pay...and will continue to pay every day via the loss of the people I once held most dear...

"Live gently, and love more" became my lesson.

And it came with some hellacious scars.









...slinking back in...

...after over eight years....

There have been stories, and more stories.

Blogs, and more blogs...(thank heaven most are password protected or deleted)

But, I have returned home.  


Shall we see just how much mayhem I can cause in my tiny, original little slice of the vast web?
With history as my guide, it's bound to get very, very ugly.  

Monday, May 16, 2005

It is Time.....

to unveil

UnfortunateSerendipity.com

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the new site is up and running. I am still learning the ways of WordPress, but do me a favor and bookmark the new site, as I will no longer be updating at this Blogger address.

Archives are immigrating slowly but surely, as Blogger and I fight a custody battle over my intellectual (or non-intellectual) property.

Special thanks to Justin Baeder, WebbleYou, and Greg Kendall-Ball in helping me give birth to the new site. (No, none of them has been designated the father, thank you very much.)

Monday, May 09, 2005

You had me at hello....

Apparently, she did......as we have learned. Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger say 'I Do'.

Much better choice than Jack White from The White Stripes, if you ask me.

The (un)timely demise of the DSG

The DSG has pretty much disbanded. Not that there was every much cohesion within the group. But, one must still mark the passing of an era.

The DSG (Divorce Support Group) headquarters was on Beltline Road in Irving...aka Villa d'Freeman...aka, my house. Membership was limited...to three people - myself, The Wired Monkey and Zen.

All had gone through divorces within six months of one another...and all chose to lean on the collective shoulders of the group. Granted, our brand of self-help wasn't exactly life-changing - - mainly good food and sometimes slightly questionable cinematic entertainment.

But, we were there for one another.

Now, however, the DSG has gone the way of the dinosaur and poodle skirts.

People are moving on. The Wired Monkey has found his inspiration in Lamp Lover. After finally meeting her at a quick lunch on Saturday....I can understand why he is so smitten with her. She's great. Very quick wit, and seems strong enough to handle the Monkey. Love you, Monkey - - you know that. The Wired Monkey seems to be the member with the most enthusiastic zest for the pursuit of a new relationship - - - unabashedly going for it. Wish I was that comfortable and secure with my self-worth. He's great to watch.

Zen is in introspective mode. Imagine that. He's not quite ready to make a physical move...but his experience with divorce happened six months after The Wired Monkey's experience....and five months after mine. He's making his progress...at his own pace. He's viewing it as a wading pool, I believe. He'll stick a toe in there....test the temperature and observe the ripple effect. If that suits him...then he might splash around in ankle deep water until he's fully comfortable. I am considering buying him a pair of water wings, just in case.

I have begun the tentative steps forward, also. Blue Vertigo has pretty much blown out of the water every expectation, schedule, pre-conceived notion, standard accepted practice, and socially acceptable tradition that I had stubbornly clung to for most of my existence. It's genuinely amazing and terrifying at the same instant. But, he celebrates my 'perfectly flawed' nature and hangs on for dear life during our discussions, which veer and sway like verbal rollercoasters. Plus, we do a darn good job of getting our responsibilities taken care of when we're together. This weekend was quite nice....though most of it was spent conducting business, research, writing and data entry. We both had our tasks to complete...but it was so nice to have some human companionship while getting things done. Scared much? Yes. Enjoying it? More so than I can express. Hopeful about the future? You'd better believe it. We will find ourselves amused by the sheer implausible origins of our new relationship...the 'if I hadn't, then we wouldn't' type conversations. Chance meeting, yes. Very, Very much so.

To bring my tag line back into things - - 'Why must everything come together perfectly at the wrong time?' You just can't choose to time these events. You can only take a deep breath and jump. So far, the ride's been great......and I couldn't ask for more.

So, cheers and goodbye to the DSG....we're making our way back into the fray, thanks to good friendship and encouragement...we can all say we're glad to leave those tougher times behind.

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Do you ever get to that point?

Yes, as I type this...I am watching the time creep closer to three in the morning.

Blue Vertigo and I are sitting at my dining room table....laptops creating a shoulder high barrier that we glance over from time to time.

I am working on conversion data for my payroll system, and Blue Vertigo is working on homework...something about 'Ten Days with Diaper Rash'......(the aforementioned 'Diaper Rash' being a fictional name for a band......with which he is planning a fictional independent tour.....etc etc. as a class assignment).

We're both working hard to get things done. It doesn't help that my wireless web has had some 'connectivity' issues. I had to call Zen over to help us out. I won't go into details....but his declaration of the problem consisted of, 'That m*(#$%#$^$%^&$% piece of C*$(*#^(*#^$(@*#" .....but ultimately ended with Zen being crowned King Geek once again.

Blue Vertigo hates my guts right now. From what I can gather - - - he's not as much of a fan of flip-flop shopping as I had hoped.

At 9:00am, Blue Vertigo and I were conquering the monetary abyss that is Wal-Mart. I needed some necessities...including Diet Coke, baby oil gel (have to have smooth skin this summer) and 25 watt light bulbs (no thanks to Vic...who kept promising to supply some for me.)

Of course, we happen upon the flip-flop aisle. I want flip-flops. No, I NEED flip-flops.

Correction, We ARE NOT walking out of the store until BOTH Blue Vertigo and I have flip-flops.

(As an aside, ladies....I am pretty sure Blue Vertigo is now searching for a new girlfriend. Applications will be accepted over at his blog.)

I got a cute little pair of plain blue ones.....and Blue Vertigo (the risk-taker he is) ended up with a pair that looked exactly like the pair he wore into the store. Ponder that, my chickadees. Does he have a fear of the unknown? The inability to try something new? Does he have an unnatural attraction to that particular style? Is it an issue from childhood? I think I need to talk to his mother about this flip-flop issue.

Well....ladies and gents...it is 2:58.....I am gonna get back to work...and Blue Vertigo is, too. Otherwise, he has to stop mooching off of my wireless connection and go home!

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Whabadoohuh?

I don't often blog about anything to do with work...but this is just too hilarious to pass up.

Today, a coworker in a management position came into my office and casually mentioned that one of our employees (in another location) was rather upset with me because said employee had called me three weeks before and I had never returned that person's call.

I was rather puzzled. I am pretty good at returning calls - - even if it takes me a day to get around to all of them. I went back through my mind, searched the recesses of my brain, and came to the conclusion that said employee's message had never gotten to me.

This bugged me, BIG TIME. I hate it if an employee feels like I have 'failed' them in any way. Especially when that employee chooses to voice their disappointment to others instead of taking it up with me.

After my coworker left the office...I picked up the phone and called the employee - - who is located at one of our branches in another part of the state. The employee came to the phone.....and I explained that I had heard that the employee was upset with me for not returning the call. I stated that I had simply not gotten a message and wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help the employee out.

The answer?

"Yeah...I called.....but I didn't feel like leaving a message."

I love my employees - - but my phone doesn't have a caller ID log...and, however talented I may be in many areas of my life...mind-reading is not one of my gifts.

You can't win for losing.

Update

CR is home from the hospital....she is resting comfortably.

GW is home from the hospital, too. They let her out today! And, the baby is doing fine. Turns out, the 'mass' they discovered in her side was a very, very infected appendix.

My grandmother is also home.

Thank you so much for the prayers for these three special ladies.

BRRRRRRR....

Did someone forget to tell Mother Nature it's MAY?

It was 50 degrees when I rolled out of bed this morning. I was not amused. And I feel truly sorry for my Canadian friend Linds. She asked me 'So, what's the weather like down there this time of year?'

Foolishly, I told her, 'Oh, it should be in the low 80s.' I should be flogged senseless for omitting the standard Texas catch-phrase....'but hang around for five minutes...it'll change'.

Good gosh, let's hope she packed some warm clothes....or can borrow some from Dev.

Right now, I am taking a break from doing actual WORK work, and am letting my mind unwind by blogging and listening to some acoustic Alanis Morissette. More specifically, I am trying to get rid of the 'Head Over Feet' earworm that has been pestering me for about a week now.

A lot of my life is mirroring that 'old' song right now. Been teetering on the edge of something...with fear holding me back. But someone isn't content with leaving it at that. That person is reiterating and reiterating his stance. He is a part of almost every aspect of my life.....he WANTS to be there. Reassurance, reinforcement, realization. And, it's amazing. Wow, it is a little too much for me to go into right now. And, I really don't want to go into it. It's private....it's not for public consumption. There are just some things a girl needs to keep to herself. It's almost like all of it is contained in a fragile bubble....an globe of iridescence.....thoughts and emotions. I want to protect this feeling as long as I can.......it's not as special when you pour everything out for everyone else to see and share. That time will come.

I am being selfish. This contemplation is mine......and his.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

......the dark side......

Heh.....the blogging world has claimed another 'victim'. Blue Vertigo is now broadcasting his musings over at Tips for Nosedive Avoidance.

I feel like quite the queen of encouragement....um, enablement?