My New Year resolution was to lose 8 lbs by my birthday or September. Well, my birthday has long gone, so the race is on to do it by September. This week I am 6 lbs from my goal...which is better than 10 lbs. It's more difficult now that I am at home most of the time and only a short walk from the kitchen fridge. I really have to make an effort, I've been bouncing between 6 and 10 lbs from my goal all year!

Life without a real job continues to be interesting and stressful. I have a a few small contracts which is good as I just found out I am not entitled to any unemployment insurance for 3 weeks because I got 11 vacation days when the company folded. I have been doing about 10 billable hours a week...which ends up taking up 30 hours of my time. I will have to be much more efficient and not go "over and above the call of duty" when I'm only being paid for adequate!

I found out today that a friend I knew in high school died. She had a brain tumor.
I knew that she was ill, but you always feel you have to think positive. This may be an aggressive tumor, but Aileen had the strength and willpower to fight it; if anyone was going to kick this Aileen was. I thought of her on July 4th, her birthday, never thinking that she she was feeling bad. I thought of high school when we were walking from one building to another; it had been snowing and someone was throwing snowballs at us. One of the science teachers took a photo of us hiding from the missiles behind an umbrella. I have that photo somewhere, it's a large black and white. I thought of the youth fellowship we used to go to and the time she got contacts and cut her hair. I remember Alan Dixon doing a double-take when he saw her. I remember meeting her at the students union; what a wild woman, full of life. In a time when I had so many insecurities, she looked like she had it all worked out. She was in control and loving it.
She died yesterday and left two children and a husband.

Hmmm

My first week of unemployment was rather busy. A lot of time was spent researching 1099 employment; I am really going for it. The way I see it, the chances of getting a job in my state are pretty minimal, so I might as well get myself ready for the long haul; some small contracts here and there could (or "should") keep me going better than unemployment. I have already invoiced Moxie for three small project management projects, not enough to make a difference to unemployment, but I have to start somewhere.

Still 8lbs to my goal :-)