January 14th

That was the last day I worked. It seems impossible that almost 3 months have gone by. I am one of those people who rarely took vacations. I always did extended weekends. 3-4 days and back to work. Looking back now, I think what a dumb ass I really was. In these 3 months, my store hasn't burnt down and thanks to a wonderful corporation behind me it is running swimmingly along. I these three months, I have learned so much about myself. Work is no longer on the top of the list. Work life balance is a term that I was familiar with but I always thought it was most companies way of pushing us out the door so that they didn't have to pay overtime. Hell, Ill fix you. I'll just work off the clock! In the end, I fixed myself! What is that old saying? All work and no play?

It has only taken me 3 months to learn that work is mearley a way of making an income. If that income is not enough than it is up to us to figure out how to get a better salary there or somewhere else. Of course it is important to have a good work ethic, but giving your life to your company is rather like trading the Hope Diamond for a glass of milk. Donn Wilson, my former boss used to tell me to build the Sistine Chapel at home! In a nut shell what he meant was that I should stop stressing and fighting things that were out of my control. It was good advice then and now. It took me until I had cancer to even consider what that message meant. When he would say it I would always picture myself with scaffolding in my living room painting murals on my ceiling and cursing as paint dripped in my eyes. Today I think of myself building the perfect life. Building a future that Ken and I both want to share in. I'm not sure how it will come to pass, but this time I am being specific with the universe (in small pieces as it comes to me). I won't make the mistake of asking for 6 months off of work again without a detailed plan of what I would be doing and believe me that that plan will not include cancer or illness of any type or any person, working on the house, or anything that actually feels like work! It will be more like my girlfriend, Carolyn. She took sabbatical and went to Rome to teach English. She of course fell in love with the perfect man while she was there, so I am not sure when I will get to see her next. Under normal circumstances, I would miss her and ache to spend time with her, but because of the fact that A: She is in Rome (one of the most beautiful cities in the world) B: in love (with a guy with abs that look like they were formed out a sheet of titanium), C: can live on real pizza, D: did I mention that she is in Rome?, and E: is helping people by teaching them language skills. What a life! I am in no way envious of her only happy! I know that my perfect life does not include living abroad (although it does include travel) and I already have the man of my dreams (OK, so he doesn't have abs of steel. He has something that is much more important! The ability to deal with me in sickness and in health and keep coming back for more. I'm not saying that I am high maintenance, but I will say that if heaven does exist, there is a special place for him! Which I'm sure will include a down stuffed easy chair, plenty of snacks and a monster TV with about 100,000 channels all with something new on!) The most important thing to me is that in my perfect life Ken is not just there he is happy and stress free!

So it's only taken me 3 months to learn what I couldn't or wouldn't in about 34 years of working. So I'm a late bloomer! I can handle that! God knows I have handled so much more and am  living to tale the tale!