It's a Helluva Life

Life is real good.

I stole that title from a country song. But, he likely stole the phrase from someone else so....sharing is caring. Anyway, here's some stuff about my little ol' life....

It's the midst of summer, and since I live in paradise (summer anywhere outside my normal AZ roots feels like paradise, but northern CA is particularly paradise-y) I just want to be outside all the time. Luckily, I work somewhere that lets me wander outside with my laptop if I want. And, I want. So, I do. Often.

Speaking of work. Ah, work! Google is an incredible place in so many ways. I think the free food is causing me to feed myself better since.......well probably since I lived at home in high school and ate my mom's food. I'm doing my body goooood.

My temp contract ends in 2 months. Two months! How'd that sneak up so fast? The hunt is on hardcore to figure out what my next step is. Maybe I can stay? Maybe I will go elsewhere? It's back to the drawing board for me.....again. And that kind of bummed me out for a few days last week.

The idea of job boards and cover letters and interviews was noooot putting me in a happy mood because.....this feels like a perma-trial. I know, a lot of people deal with employment issues for a lot longer than I have. But a year's worth of uncertainty, short-term contracts and ups and downs sure feels like a long time. And trust me, I am so grateful....SO grateful....for all those little contracts and gigs (seasonal Anthropologie job at minimum wage, hollllla!) along the way that helped me survive all of it. It's been a lot easier the last few months than it was for the first few months. I guess I'm just uncertain if I'll end up unemployed in September again or not, and that puts a little knot in my tummy. But, if there's one thing I know how to do....it's job hunting like a boss. So.....boss mode. Let's do this!

But like I said, my life is really good.

Anytime anyone asks me if I wish I had never left Arizona, I don't even hesitate about my answer. I have zero regrets about that crazy decision last summer. I do miss my family and a few friends from back home, but....it's hard to miss that desert (beautiful as I do think it is) when it's July and that beautiful desert is a broiling oven. I think I prefer spending the majority of my day not covered in sweat, thank youuuu.

I have the greatest friends in California. And, in general.

I feel like I could write a whole post dedicated to the amazing people in my life here in The Golden State, and elsewhere. Sometimes it feels like the only things that have been sure in my life this past year have been the incredible people in my life. I have a wonderful roommate, and I've slowly been gaining more and more excellent friends. Friends mean a lot to me. I need my people. And it feels good to have people again, after starting from scratch and collecting them a bit at a time over the last year. It feels good to feel needed, which is something I used to naively think I didn't need in my life.....being needed, or needing people. But I do. I need the needing. I need to feel like an anchor in other people's lives, and I need them to be my steady ground when my own knees are jello. I've got friends scattered all over CA, AZ, UT and beyond....and I couldn't feel more blessed for it.

I feel like there's a lot of turmoil in the world these days.

And, all days. But particularly lately with the shootings and wars and plane crashes and so on. And I wish I could just.....fix all of it. I wish I could just pick the whole world up and hug it until it calms down. But, I can't, so, the crazy goes on. And I try to stay informed.....which keeps my own problems in perspective, makes me wonder how I got so lucky to have such a blessed life, and also fills me with an immense longing to give back and make the world as good as I can help make it be. Maybe I'll figure that magic world peace cure out someday? Gosh, I'll keep you posted. That whole thought vein is a post for another day!

Now here's a few pictures from my life lately. As I said earlier, it's a helluva life...
Featuring: 4th of July cabin trip, a day at the race track, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and one of my weekly frisbee games that included party hats for a friend's bday.