2013 Year-End Review

How is it possible for a year to fly by and simultaneously drag on? Because that's what 2013 has been like. A weird trick on the mind. The last few months I feel like I just haven't had the time to blog like normal, nor keep up with reading everyone's blogs. No . . . wait. That actually happened. I strive to keep up in 2014. At least better than I have as of late.

Boyfriend is currently snoozing on the couch after a long day at work, while I'm sitting in my recliner after a long day at work. Our dinner was random leftovers, and I'm wanting cookies for dessert - but I already ate them all. Must mean I need to make more. That's what I'm going with.

So, here's my 2013 Year End schpeel. Let's see what happened:

The start of 2013 found me working for a veterinary office that turned out to be a horrible fit for me. I was so unhappy it actually physically affected me. I literally felt ill driving to work every day. I had also signed up for online dating again (at my mother's urging to "give it another whirl"). I met a guy named Dan and it turned out he had zero personality. I gave him 3 dates to make sure, but nothing improved and it just fizzled on it's own.

My birthday (I turned the big 33) started the Pam Tillis song All the Good Ones Are Gone playing over and over in my head. I emailed a guy from the dating site and we made it to the phone call stage and he neglected to call on his turn. After a week I emailed him to politely let him have it and of course, never heard from him again.

March brought on a whirlwind of changes. I "separated" from the vet's office that I was so miserable at. The Office Manager, or The World's Biggest Bitch as I like to call her, fired me, stating that she had "taken too many chances with me". No matter what I did, I could not please her because she thought I was something I wasn't. She thought I was a licensed tech, which I told her I wasn't before she hired me. I couldn't answer the phone correctly.  My personality was all wrong. Everything I said was inaccurate. Nothing was ever clean enough when I did it. No matter what it was, I did it wrong. I'm surprised she didn't tell me I did the whole breathing thing wrong. Right about the time I breathed a huge sigh of relief and left that hell hole, I "met" another guy online. We quickly began texting during all waking hours and even into the sleeping ones. We texted all. the. time. Mom started playing "Where's Waldo?" as he was truck driving and we never knew where I'd find him the next day. I also began the extremely fun step of getting unemployment and the incompetence of it all.

On April 1st, I met Boyfriend for the very first time. We met up for lunch and wound up spending the entire afternoon together (which I've never done with anyone I ever met from online dating). I finally had to break the day off as I had to cook dinner for Mom's birthday. That weekend he was back in town for what ended up being 9 days and we were totally inseparable. He went back on the road for a week and quit his job. He hasn't left my side since. (insert adorable "awwwww" here)  I also found part-time work thanks to a cousin who ran a wedding rental business. He also gave Boyfriend a job for the summer, too.

May brought about my parents 5 week road trip to baseball parks and national parks. I managed to not burn the house down and Boyfriend and I got a taste of actually living together. 

June brought my parents back home (finally!). I continued the job hunt for full or part-time work to no avail. Job interviews led to rejection letters. Boyfriend and I killed time and relaxed on the lake(s) on the boat, also escaping some of the horrid Redding heat. Oh and the douche-nozzle that neglected to call me when it was his turn? Guess who emailed me with this, "how's miss sexy j.day?" Are you effing kidding me? I emailed him back and told him I had met an awesome guy. Which was totally true.

In July, Boyfriend applied to the City of Redding and the City of Sacramento for water jobs. My hunt still continued. Breakdowns from the stress of it all were on a fairly regular basis. Regular lake visits were made. I took Boyfriend on a road-trip to Burney Falls and the Subway Caves, showing him where I grew up. I also took a trip to the Bay Area to see BFF and attend her county fair and a concert. Boyfriend and I also attended the wedding of the cousin who gave us part-time jobs.

In August, Boyfriend had three interviews and wound up getting rejected from all three. I started my weekend Pet Nutritional Consultant job and I had an interview at the end of the month which resulted in a full-time job - with benefits. Celebrating in the kitchen followed. We found out that Mom's dad, Papa D, was not expected to live much longer. The medicine that had helped to keep his heart pumping had done a number on his kidneys and there was nothing else the doctors could do for him. Mom and Dad went up to say good-bye. K told me that she didn't want my last memories of him to be like this.

On September 16th, I started my new job. On September 17th, Papa D passed away. Boyfriend started looking for places for us to move to. The Clover Fire decimated 8,000 acres; the evacuation line about a mile from my parents house. I met "Bubbles."

In October, we finally got to say good-bye to Papa D by spreading his ashes on his ranch. His beautiful, beloved ranch. We finally got to meet one of his sons from his first marriage and his family. I met cousins I didn't know I had. We had a lovely time sharing stories - surely making Papa D smile. I am now Facebook friends with my new cousins and aunt. Boyfriend found places for us to look at. One of my good friends was also married this month. The weather forecast for weeks leading up to it called for no rain whatsoever. Mother Nature decided to throw out a random and powerful downpour for about twenty minutes.

November 1st, Boyfriend and I moved into a 3 bedroom house on a few acres. He bought chickens on the first day. While putting  the water bill in his name, he was told of an open position for a water district west of Redding. He looked into it and is now their Operations Manager. We hosted Thanksgiving for both our families. We also discovered that our neighbor across the street is an asshat who rewards bad behavior in his dogs. And Mom and I bought new phones - spending three hours at the Verizon kiosk in the mall. Boyfriend and I went to see Catching Fire - awesomely done by the way.

December has brought some ups and downs - details will have to come later. But they include a restraining order, court, slashed work hours, increased work hours, learning how not to call in sick, having a moment of knowing how an extreme couponer feels at the register, Boyfriend hiring a guy at his job who happens to the husband of an ex-girlfriend and of course, the trials and tribulations of having Boyfriend's grandmother as a room-mate, and of course the holidays.

Crazy Life Update

A week after the Clover Fire, it was finally contained. In its wake it destroyed 8,000 acres, 68 homes, and about a 120 structures, and took the life of one man who stayed to protect his home. As quickly as it moved in those first few hours, it could have been a lot worse. Now it's time to rebuild.

Last week I played phone tag with the HR gal for my new job regarding my drug test. Two weeks ago I went to a walk-in clinic of their choice to pee in a cup for a required pre-employment drug screen. Last week the HR gal called and asked if I went as she hadn't received any results. I told her I had (even had the receipt to prove it). She called the clinic to inquire about it and it turns out UPS, who picks up shipments from that clinic, lost part of the shipment they picked up. Just so happens that my cup was in that lost shipment. A couple days later, they found it, tested and it discovered I was marijuana free. (Geeeee, what a surprise).

Today (Monday), I showed up for my first day of my new job. I spent nearly two hours doing my orientation online. It consisted of reading all the required paperwork, just online, watching a few videos, and filling other paperwork out like my direct deposit (very important as I want my money). Then I spent the rest of the day in with my boss and she did a lot of talking and a bit of showing me what they do.

By the afternoon, my head was reeling from all the information being thrown at me and actually started hurting a little. Around 4pm, I felt my eyes start to glaze over a little. Hopefully tomorrow I will actually get to do a little more, but I can't do too much until I get computer access. But it looks like I will keep busy when I actually know what I'm doing. Plus I have my own desk (and I can't wait until our office gets remodeled because then we girls will all get new desks. They bought "temporary" (aka cheap) desks and they are tiny and slightly uncomfortable in the leg area) that I can make my own.

While on my lunch, Boyfriend and I were texting and he said a saw a little house on Craigslist for rent and he wanted to go take a peek at it. We met up afternoon and drove over to it. It's probably about 10 miles from my parents house in an older, but cute, neighborhood. It's a one bedroom house, about 1000 sq ft., has a nice little fenced yard and the rent isn't too bad.

I know my blogging hasn't been overly regular lately. Partly due to lack of something to write about, partly due to slight lack of blogging mojo, and partly due to the fact that there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in each day. And life isn't about to get any easier. I have my new full-time job, the weekend job as a Pet Nutritional Consultant, and I will be writing quite a bit more for my grandparent's publication. Papa D isn't doing very well these days, and in fact, has been "day to day" for over a week now. It's been really hard on all of us (it's my Mom's Dad). K isn't partial to the writing part of the magazine, she puts it together on the computer, but Papa D has always done the writing. When I emailed her my column a week ago, I told her that I would do event write-ups and could also write other stories to help fill space to help her out as she's trying to not only do the magazine, but taking care of Papa D. We're not sure how long K will keep the magazine going - they recently sold all their cattle and will be leasing the ranch out to another ranching couple.

Life is going to be crazy for awhile. Think it'll keep me out of trouble?

I didn't think so, either. But it's worth a shot.

Monday was on fire. Literally.

Monday, 9am: Started work for rental returns. Just like any other normal day.

Noon: Got off work, met Boyfriend at his Grandma's to take the boat out on Whiskeytown Lake. Was on the lake shortly thereafter. 

1:00pm: Noticed a new fire on the outskirts of town on the way out there, so turned the radio on.

1:30pm: Listened to boat radio to get news updates on fire. Learned it had started off Clear Creek and Cloverdale Roads. Called Granny to let her know to put the news on. Cloverdale, while a long road, is a road that leads to Happy Valley, which is where we live. Called Mom and Dad as they were on the lake as well, and let them know about the fire. Igo school being evacuated to Old Shasta.

 From Whiskeytown Lake

2:00pm: Fire now called the Clover Fire. Up to 1,500 acres burned with absolutely no containment. Learned the evacuation area, part of it was about 1 mile east of our house. Called Mom and Dad who had gone home. No power in all of Happy Valley - PG&E turned it off for safety reasons. Road closures being listed.

2:30pm: On our way home, drop the boat off at work, and raced back home. Let me just say that traffic never moves slower than when you are in a hurry. SOOO aggravating. My stress level went through the roof listening to the radio. Road closures listed: Clear Creek Rd at HWY 273, Canyon Rd at 273, Olinda Rd at 273, Gas Point Rd. Canyon and Olinda are two roads leading home. Radio starts listing veterinary offices offering 3 nights free board for evacuation animals and people with acreage offering their properties to horses and livestock evacuees. 

 On S. Bonneyview Rd. heading home. We are approx. 10 miles from home.

On Hawthorne Ave. We are about 1.5 miles from home.

3:30pm: Fortunately found that Canyon was open and took it like normal. Smoke looks close. Too close. Can see the throbbing orange of the fire. Evacuation area hasn't changed. Parents have truck pulled up to 5th wheel just in case and have water running. Have also pulled important things and put them all on kitchen counter for easy grabbing. Have Granny packed to leave for G's house in case of evacuation.

From our front yard. Not long after this, the smoke blocked out the sun. Couldn't get any closer, road blocks at the evacuation area.

4:30pm: Hear that fire is burning South, wind pushing it South-Southwest. Boyfriend and I pack up for the night to spend it at his Grandma's in Redding, where she has a/c. Not to mention we both had to be at work in town at 7am. Tell Mom to text/call if anything changes.

5:30pm: Neck starts to ache and realize just how stressed I was for the afternoon. Grab dinner. Start responding to Facebook messages and posts regarding Clover Fire. Let family and friends know we're okay and thank them for their offers of assistance if needed and share details learned. Fire burned nearly 7,000 acres. In 4 hours.

6:00-7:00pm: Mom texts me to call Nana and K and let them know we're okay as the phones at house are down. Call Nana and she says, "We have a spare chair if anyone needs to crash." She lives in a one bedroom apartment - but those recliners of hers are pretty cozy . . . Call K and say, "I don't know if you heard about the fire down here . . . " She said she had, had been watching it on the news and was worried about us because all the roads to Happy Valley were listed as "hard closures". Told her all the details that I knew (thank God for Q97 Country Station) and she updated me on Papa D's condition.

7:00pm to 9:00pm: Continued talking to people on Facebook and texting Mom. Power came back on in the evening, PG&E turning on certain areas. No new real updates on the fire.

Tuesday, 6am: Fire well over 7,000 acres. Three firefighters and one civilian injured. 30 homes burned. 50 structures burned. 40% contained. Pictures of fire are released. Not much has changed all day. Firefighters seem to be holding it.

Thank God for firefighters. Without them, this would have been so much worse. Thank you guys for putting your lives on the line to save as much as possible. Also, I know our sudden fire isn't as bad as what has been burning around Yosemite, and I hope that they can contain that in under the two weeks they think it will take. But this is the second massive fire in Happy Valley - we had one in '99 that ravaged it, burning more than double the homes and structures. It's brought a lot of flashbacks and some people lost their home for the second time.