This will be the final time I talk about work on my blog. After this the blog is only for photos, trips and extra-curricular.

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis might know that I have been stressed out lately. I appreciate all the love and support I have been receiving.

Yesterday I did the hardest HR thing I have ever had to do...I had to fire the person who hired me.

It has been in the works for a few weeks, as these things always are and yesterday was T day. The termination went rather well...or as well as these things can go. It has been heart wrenching trying to be discrete while trying to fill a position that is not vacant and acting as though nothing is wrong.

The whole event was over in less than an hour and finished today when we told the rest of the staff. There was a deer in the headlights look around the table as the announcement was made. No one is overly surprised. It happens in every company in every country around the world.

For a number of reasons I was taking the lead up to the event very personally and not being able to discuss it with anyone even more difficult. I will never be able to have an affair, the sneaking around to meet candidates and head hunters was stressing me and trying to remember the lies. How do these people who lie and cheat keep the lies straight in their head?

It is over. I'm glad. Time to move on.

The project is complete.
It may not be the best handy man job ever but it seems sturdy and I left it hanging on the wall for one full day before I even thought about hanging my precious jewels in it...and I haven't finished that part yet. I actually just put a few things in so I could take the photos for you!

Here's the breakdown by cost...
3-ring binder--free. It was a toss out from the office
drawer from Ikea--$5 it was in the as is section
hinges--$2 from Habitat for Humanity ReStore
picture frame--I already owned
print--already owned
plastic sleeves--$1.99 from Salvation Army
hooks for necklaces-$1.99 from Value Village
screws, nails, small hooks--already on hand from previous projects

Total cost of project=$10.98*

The drawer I purchased at Ikea and my faithful Chicken helper.

My awesome purchased from Value Village and the free binder from work.

The binder was cut apart and screwed to one side of the drawer.

The insides of the jewelry case. Hangers for necklaces and bracelets. The plastic holders on the right side are for earrings, rings, braclets, etc. The pages can be removed or flipped.

From the side. Hanging on the wall in my bedroom. I used picture hooks onthe back of the 'drawer' and picture hooks are temporarily holding the frame and print on the front.

The front of the display case. A wonderful beautiful print. Glare from the window.

Example of how it will eventually work.

*Total cost of project was increased on the final day I put it together. I flipped the framed print over to put the hangers on it and the glass cracked. I will need to either purchase a new frame or just get a piece of glass to fit it...so the cost of the project will go up in the end.

So far I'm very happy with my project. It looks good....it does what it was designed to do. A minor modification will be to find a new hinge for it. The one I purchased at the ReStore will not work and I will need to reconsider my options for this. It works in the meantime, but I will appreciate having the hinge eventually.

I've decided on a new career...blogger and world traveller. Now I just need to figure out how to financially support that. Any thoughts?

I don't want to be selfish about it...I will travel the world and donate my time to helping worthy causes...Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, any number of different charities. I can blog about my experiences and post pictures for you and the thousands of other readers I will need to support the project.

The only problem of course is money. Funny how the world revolves around it.

I had thought about donating blood, but you don't get paid for that here in Canada. I have no hobbies that produce money--just absorb it. My luck with Bingo is not so great...and if I had saved all the money I've spent in lottery tickets over the years I'd probably have a good down payment on a trip but not much more than that.

I'm looking into selling some of my photos to stock photography websites, but it takes a lot of time, money and patience not to mention the 'right' photos. That is something that might get me a couple hundred bucks over the course of a year--IF I'm lucky. Most aren't that lucky.

A garage sale would not net enough money to go anywhere let alone fund myself for years to come...so I'm at a loss as to how to quit my day job and devote myself full time to blogging and travelling the world. But I'll continue to work on it.

Two years ago I was in India.  Ah, India. It still feels like yesterday. I'd love to do another Habitat trip to India or almost any other destination.

Here's a couple of pics that I think I had posted before from my trip...enjoy, I know I did.

Isn't it funny how when you let go of one little area of your life...it makes other things easier to handle. On Friday I allowed myself to let go of a couple things and by Sunday evening I was feeling much more relaxed..sort of. I didn't sleep well, but you know it happens. Today at work was much easier than last week. The mood was different...which was good. It is a tentative, hesitant type of good...but you could feel it. You could also feel the under current of tension, but I focused on the positive. My mantra for the day was "I will survive. And only 5 more days."

It helped.

It's Monday night. I have survived one full fifth of this week.

I have almost finished my jewelry case. I am 90% of the way to completion. I had a small problem with the hinge on Sunday and was feeling to lazy to head to the hardware store. I came up with plan B late Sunday evening and if I had of been home before 7pm tonight would have considered trying plan B...maybe tomorrow night. I took a few pictures as I went along and will post when I reach 100%!

Hope your week has started out as well as mine.

Wine and Cheesecake. Yep, wine and cheesecake for supper tonight. Mmmmm. How can you go wrong with a combination like that? Sure, it doesn't necessarily cover the 4 food groups, but life should be about enjoyment....shouldn't it?


The wine is made of grapes--1 fruits and vegetable

There are nuts on top of the cheesecake--1 meat and meat alternatives

The cheesecake is made with cream cheese--1 milk and milk products

The crust is made of graham wafers--1 grain and grain products


Huh, so I did manage to get all 4 food groups in. Good for me.

Went to see a movie this afternoon, I knew it was a rental before stepping foot in the theatre but I was looking forward to a distraction. It was a definite rental--When in Rome. With my trip to Italy once again on the back burner I thought the views of Italy would be delightful--it wasn't. The movie had a very shallow plot and the scenery was minimal at best. Oh well. I spent a delightful afternoon wandering around the West Ed Mall (WEM). I was looking for a shirt a bankers shirt with French cuffs to be exact. I went into several stores and had no luck. Then a light went off in my head and I went to Mark's Work Warehouse...they didn't have the bankers shirt, but they certainly had the French cuffs on their perfect fit shirts. I bought two.

I have a few pairs of wonderful cufflinks and very few shirts I can wear them with...so finding a shirt that I can use them with is fantastic. And the fit of this particular shirt is amazing. It really is the perfect fit. I've had a thing for cufflinks for SEVERAL years now and presently own 3 pairs yet am still always on the look for more. To me it is a very sexy sophisticated look--a woman in a man’s looking shirt, tie and a pair of very high heels. I'll knock 'em dead on Monday at the office.

TTTTTTT        GGGGGGG     IIIIIII     FFFFFFFF
TGIF!

As you may have figured out...I'm a bit stressed. I can't go into what I am stressed about--HR issue is all I will say. Some days I really question my present choice of career.

I set a few personal goals for myself back in the fall and I have been doing great in filling them. I am quite proud actually of how well I HAD been doing. Then last week the stress at work went up and my personal goals ended up on the curb. I'm still working towards them and trying really hard to stay on track, but it has been hard. So I ended up beating myself up over it all. And after reading comments from my wonderful readers and on the advice of a few people here in Edmonton I have decided to let them slide.

The stress at work will be over on February 25. So it has a definite time line. The advice I got last night is do what I can towards my personal goals but don't beat myself up if I don't get there. And it made sense. I can't control everything in my life at the moment...so don't try. Work on the things I can and let the rest slide. It's really good advice. The freedom one person said of allowing myself to let things slide a bit might allow me to actually achieve some personal goals in the long run. It made sense as I thought about it last night and early this morning.

I am not forgetting my personal goals. I am not stopping the journey I am on. I am simply allowing myself to take a time out. If I don't I will stress myself into an ulcer.

What did I do to help myself last night? I bought a bottle of diet pepsi to take to work today. I enjoy drinking it when I'm stressed--and I think we can all agree me drinking a few gallons of DP instead of a few gallons of wine is a better choice. I can go back to my DP free life on February 26. That is only one of the personal goals I am working on at the moment...but it gave me a sense of freedom.

I expect a lot from myself in my professional life. I generally like that about myself. I'm not pushing myself too hard at work at the moment, there is just an event coming up that is causing the strain on me. Once that hurdle is jumped I can go back to pushing myself as I normally do. I wouldn't be in my current position if I didn't push myself...and for all the complaining and grouching I do on here about my job on here you might be surprised if I said I like my work. I really do...it's just...well...it isn't the life I am looking for at the moment. But that is for another post.

I am getting in my truck this morning and popping into A&W for a yummy breakfast...then off to the office to drink my diet pepsi and try to get a few more things arranged. I am not working on any of my personal goals this weekend. I'm taking the weekend off from work and goals. Happy Friday!

I started to watch Kitchen Nightmares tonight--with Chef Gordon Ramsay. I love his Hell's Kitchen show and normally I like KN too....but not tonight. The head chef/owner was yelling at one of the employees and my first thought was "I get too much yelling at work as it is I don't want to listen to it at home" and I switched the channel to the Golden Girls. No matter how bad life gets I know within the next 30 minutes the gals will be able to solve it, have a good laugh and enjoy a cheesecake together.

It's been one of those weeks and it is only Wednesday. Or I should say It's Wednesday and the week is drawing to a close soon. I've had some extreme moods today. Very happy to very stressed. I think I need a new job. One where I am not expected to work 60 hours a week and still not feel I am putting in enough time.

The glasses have arrived. I picked them up on Sunday. It has been a tough transition again into wearing them. I need to wear them for an hour or so and then take them off for a bit. Then put them back on and repeat. I'm not sure if they are helping or not but I will continue to wear them.

Anyone have plans for the weekend? I am going to focus on my jewelry. Either making the new necklace or working on the new holder for my valuables. I picked up a couple of great items last weekend at VV and think they will help with my project. I'll take pictures as I go along and post them for you.

February 14--Valentine's Day I am headed North. Bound for the trade show in Cambridge Bay....I'm not looking forward to the trip. Which surprises even me a bit...but what are you gonna do. I must go and so I will--but I really would rather not. At least I know that just over a week after my return I am on a plane and headed to Anne's Land to visit with most of you! :)