1. Do you complete your own tax returns or hire out? Something you’ve found taxing lately? 

My husband does them but sometimes I feel like we should just pay someone. I find all of life taxing! LOL, that’s not entirely true. My days are broken into two disparate parts these days: “go to work and stress about finding a new job” and “go home and cook and watch movies and enjoy my family.” So not everything is bad.

2. It’s spring (in the northern hemisphere anyway)…would you rather spend the day hiking in the great outdoors or planting a garden? Do you/will you have a garden this year? Flowers, vegetables, or a bit of both?

I’d rather be hiking but right now, I need to spray some weed stuff on the lawn and get it back to a normal state. I did ask my normal lawn guy (who basically just hedges and edges in the front) to do a one-time weed eating on some areas in the back. It REALLY needs it. I won’t be planting any gardens but I’ll do that. Might even buy some jalapeno plants though.

3. Do you consider yourself a patient person? In what sort of situation is patience not desirable? Are you happy with the degree of patience you have in your daily life? If not, what can you do to cultivate more of this quality in your life? 

That really depends on the day. Sometimes I am content waiting and other days, like while driving somewhere, I am completely in a hurry and annoyed. I cannot even imagine a situation where you wouldn’t want patience; is there anything where things need to be more…urgent? I am pretty happy with how patient I am but only because I have been a lot more patient with my kids. Five to ten years ago, I had a very short fuse. In terms of cultivating it, I think I just have to be more aware of it. Some of those aforementioned times when I’m in a hurry while driving, I will catch myself and start talking myself down.

4. Do you like the flavor cinnamon? If so what’s your favorite something made with cinnamon? 

Eh, maybe. I don’t use it too often and the first usage I thought of was on toast with butter. That’s a nice combo. I don’t like it in beers and I don’t enjoy, like, Fireball or cinnamon candies.

5. Learn by watching or learn by doing? Elaborate. 

Ugh, it’s funny this question came up because here, they kept harping on ‘you learn by doing’ but yet, I guess I never learned quite enough. They also said it took three Sessions to really get the hang of it so why was I let go after two? I feel like there is just something else going on but hell if I know. Or maybe I don’t want to.

6. Insert your own random thought here

So far, I have applied to eight government jobs, one with Institute for Intergovernmental Research (a place I’ve applied before), one with TCC, and one at First Commerce. I actually just applied for one at DOT in Maintenance that kind of seems up my alley, as it is administrative in nature and that’s what I did at FSU. I just need to get interviews. My boss stopped me in the break room to ask how it was going and I told him I was applying but hadn’t heard anything yet. After all, it has only been two weeks. And to be fair, I didn’t apply for anything until the initial shock had passed, two days later. It could take a few weeks before anyone reaches out. I did start looking here, even though I no longer want to work here. There’s probably some positions, like in HR, that do not require the long hours because, obviously, they would not be beholden to House Members.

I started having an odd sore throat with a lot of mucus yesterday but I feel fine, not sick. It’s weird. I guess today I’ll use my Immune Zoom tea and drink lots of water. I can’t go getting sick before this weekend. Headed out of town for a beer festival (that the club is serving at) and that would be pretty crappy to not be able to enjoy it!