Sick days, what are they good for?

I’m remembering the very first time I wrote a blog…that’s all.  Just remembering.

JK..you know it’s not like me to be brief. I remember I was living in Fair Oaks and had taken a sick day. I have a feeling it was cold out – or I couldn’t afford the gas to get to work – one or the other, or both. I had thought about blogging for some reason – must have read about it somewhere – so I chose that day to ramble on about what I did that day.  Which if I remember correctly had something to do with an avocado either as a face mask or hair treatment.  And that was what was on my very first blog.  Guess who read it…Janelly.  I have no recollection of how she even saw it – obviously I posted it somewhere – but I remember she read it.  Do you remember JaNel? Anyway, the site is still live.  Looks like I erased that original post and posted over it – it has one post – the post about moving day to Florida which was obviously pre finallyflorida and well the rest is history.  By the looks of it I must have assumed my blogging would have taken on a more spiritual/religious turn (i.e. god’s turn)…. Life…just can’t figure it out.

I am reminded of this because I am home again, taking a sick day.  I can’t use lack of fuel or the cold as an excuse but I can use the fact that I’m just needing the day.  After some much-needed rest this morning I was once again sending out books.  5 more today.  I’m going big too.  Big name agencies, and small ones too.  Hey, you never know. Everybody was new at some point.

I’ve decided to make some moves…quite literally..to get some “life” back into my life.  No I am NOT quitting my job.  Everybody exhale. I looked at an apartment near the beach over the weekend.  It would be a big move but a much-needed one. I have not kept it a secret that I have not warmed up to DeLand.  For instance, I am home today, in Florida, sitting in this stupid chair (I love my chair though honest). I mean I want to be outside. I have a yard, this is true, but I can’t explain my neighborhood to you, it’s not a yard I would sit in. So I’m trying to literally make a move.  I think I’ve stressed myself about it so much that I’ve stressed myself right into a sick day. I have applied but I don’t know that I’ll be approved, although there is no rental history reason not to be approved but I will find out soon I imagine.  It’s a one bedroom in an apartment complex similar to Waterford Landing (for those of you that remember when I lived there) only smaller. – well 1 bedroom not 2.  But it would be a return to normalcy with cabinets to put things in, closets, a dishwasher!!, a bathtub, a screened in porch, central air and heat, a washer and dryer!! I can do laundry any day of the week (right now I am assigned to Wednesdays) I mean I won’t know what to do with myself…AND windows that open.  And a pool., and exercise room, and they pick up your garbage every day.  How wild is that? I’m thinking that is the result of a problem with bugs but all I have to do is put the garbage outside the door and they come and get it.  You can’t opt out.  You have to have the service.  And let’s see what else – oh it’s 3 miles from the beach 🙂  And get this – I stopped in a semi-fancy strip mall for a late breakfast place called Cinnamon Tree Café.  Alongside this delicious place (turkey, brie, apricot jam crêpe) is a burger place, a dinner place  and wait for it…sushi. HA!  Oh not to mention a Smoothie King and a Nail place.  This is all in one strip mall less than a mile from the apartment. I could walk there, as there are sidewalks but I won’t because the sidewalks are along an 8 lane highway so yea, no…But won’t take much in gas to get there.  It’s also weirdly minutes away from horse farms.  Now I have been warned that those horse farms are in “cracker” territory (yea I had to look it up once too) and I probably don’t want to ride there, but I have to believe that there’s someplace where I can go and not get killed.  I was also told it’s a “fly-in” community.  Know what that means?  HA!  Me either. These communities offer residents the ability to keep their own planes right in their back yards, allowing them to come and go through the air as they please. Apparently John Travolta used to fly in and out of the airport in this community until he bought a 747 so now he has his own private airstrip in Ocala…so the story goes.

Well obviously a different community than DeLand.  There is nothing wrong with DeLand.  It has a cute Main street. But is it bad that I prefer a nice Ross Dress for Less because I can’t afford the shops?  Is that bad?  I mean if I can get a top for $9.99 why would I pay $99 because it’s in my community? I seriously wonder who shops in there. Even in Sewickley I could find a nice sale. Well needless to say I think it would be a good move for me and guess what??  I wouldn’t even have another housewarming blog party. Nope, I’m good all on my own.  (everyone exhale again) I even know what kind of couch I want already (imagine that Suzanne) – and dinette table.  But I’m not gonna lie – it’s a lot more money and a 25 mile one way commute which will be about 45 minutes during rush hour. I’m kinda used to that timing from living in Fair Oaks/Sewickley and working in the city for ever.  But there in Pittsburgh it was more traffic jams and walking across the bridge eating up time.  This will be mostly distance. Kinda like living in Beaver and driving to the city every day.  BUT to be 3 miles from the beach I think I’ll manage. And even if I can’t afford to eat I can still walk on the beach.  That’s free!

Having narrowed down knowing now what kind of community I want to live in (again)  I thought about what kind of lifestyle I want and then started sending out those books. I mean it could be bad, I could be back to calling off work because of lack of fuel. Might be a little more motivated these days to push that book. Maybe it’s the right time. Things in life take a long time to come together. Just like that blog I started years ago, it had to be maybe 2009 ish? And I didn’t start one for real until 2014. One thing I’ve learned at this age is it’s rare that life just comes together; although that happens too and has happened for me once or twice, but usually I’ve been working at it awhile, just trying to figure it all out.

Well could all be a moot point as I have not heard back from my application.  I don’t know that I’ll be overly devastated (other than being out the non refundable application fee) BUT I will say this, if it falls through I know I have to keep looking because I now know what direction I need to go next.  It’s time to put some life back into this ‘ole girl.

‘ole being relative…should not be confused with the word “old”

xoxoxox