The Happiness Thread

Nope. Try lady in her late 30s at her house.
(I don't go to bars here, cause they are shit holes.)

 

The kids started school this week!

 

Dude, you said you were going to keep that secret!

 

Well there is one that the nicest things in it were the billiard tables.

 

It's wrong in so many ways... but it's so funny.

 

Besides not beeing an author I am also a hobby photograper. Mostly doing studio work. But sometimes we go out in the real world. This Saturday I was acting second shooter at a wedding. This is allways so nice. Everyone is so happy. We were at an old castle that was so beautiful. I shot together with one of my friends, it was the daughter of one of his neighbours that got married. As he was the official shooter I took only the pictures I wanted and assisted with a reflector when needed. I have processed all pictures that I found good enaugh. He is still downloading his pictures to his computer. It will take him days before he's finnished. I know, I have done 3 weddings on my own.

So I got all the fun and don't have to put in all hours to edit and choose.

 

I did the "Baby Foot" treatment last Tuesday, and my toesies are beginning to peeeel....

 

You want your toesies to peel?

 

We may have gone through this before, but yeah. It's a pretty cool exfoliator for you feet. Take a bath (or just soak your feet) for a half hour or so, then put them in the little chemical booties for an hour (dilute salicylic acid), then... wait a week or so, and all the dead skin starts to slough off your feet in sheets.

It's pretty cool, IMHO, but I'm still going to wrap the pictures (not mine, from advertising, but it does do just that) for those without my peculiar mental wiring.

Spoiler: Skin peeling off of footsies

 

Wow! I am glad I am not into feet...also that looks kinda weird.

 

In the past few weeks, I've experienced a massive increase in my motivation and productivity. I've kept myself busy and have accomplished more in a matter weeks than I did in 2016 alone. The down side is that now I drive myself crazy because there isn't enough to do. At times, I can feel the desire to collapse back into apathy because being able to blame depression is easier than upholding my responsibilities. I've grown more frustrated than I ever have been with the creative process, especially now that I'm trying to sell art. But where is the art? My hand hasn't produced anything worth keeping in days. I learned that sketching is to drawing what taking notes is to writing, and that has helped, though I can't deny the presence of the urge to say "fuck it," crawl back into bed, and dream all day about dying again. It is a small opponent; weak and much louder than it is strong, but it is insidious. I have to be a sentinel and remind myself of the most important truth in my life: I would rather be frustrated and restless under the burden of responsibility than pitied and excused under the burden of depression.

 

I wanna see Brady get his 6th SB ring. Just for shits, giggles and a big "why the fuck not."

Time to bust out the beers.

 

Signed a four day work week agreement with HR & my senior manager last week.

My last five day week is starting tomorrow and I could not be happier right now knowing that every Wednesday going forward from the 17th will be mine until retirement. More time to write and finish my WIP and knowing that I will be giving less to that corporate world which I have less and less in common with as they march on towards what they have the audacity & pride to call "corporate culture". This makes me uneasy to say the least.

I am relieved that this was a decision I still had enough gonads to make. In fact, it was necessary in my mindset in order to keep myself from leaving my chair all together. Who knows, this change may turn out to be just a band-aid for something that is deeply wounded in my soul when it comes to my square job. Yet, I feel a strong sense of relief in knowing that I will at least be one fifth less consumed by tasks that serve those above me more than how the time spent at work contributes to how I see my life and well being. I use to really like my job, things have changed once again. Change is the only constant, and sometimes it steams and even boils my lobster.

Comes a time....yes, comes a time to do the right thing mookie.

 

4 day week instead of 5... not jealous in the slightest...

Well done though, that's amazing.

Can I ask, did you choose to take a Wednesday, or is that what you were told you could have? I only ask because if it were me, I'd ask for a Monday, or preferably a Friday for a long weekend, which is what some people at my work have done, that's all. Sorry if that sounds a bit rude!

 

A couple of years ago we were cutting costs, so one of us pantomime horses had to go; a fight to the death was suggested. Round about this time they realised that there was only going to be one winner, and it wasn't the young one who's got management's ear. So, we both had to reduce hours. Eventually I settled on working 80% = four-day week. Except that the requirements of the job + the fact that I'd rather get five day's use out of a week's season ticket meant that I'm now on essentially a three-week month...whenever I feel like I need a holiday, I can count on the thumbs of one hand how many weeks until I get one!

ETA: @Millamber , yeah, I get people being jealous of my 80% week. They're not equally jealous of my 80% pay packet, or the fact that I'm still responsible for what I was responsible for before.

 

@Shadowfax you must have a rare condition of having 3 thumbs on one hand.
Are you the reason the saying 'all thumbs' came about?

 

No, I don't reach the point of needing another holiday until part-way through the second week, so...just next week to go then!

 

@Shadowfax okie dokie. Your post was a bit confusing the way you worded it.

 

@Millamber - Not at all rude in the slightest. Wednesdays off was totally my choice.

For some reason (i.e. changes) I feel that I can no longer perform efficiently working at the "puzzle factory" after more than two days straight. Hence, Wednesday off simply breaks up the week, which is what I need. Five days (even 4) has become too long for my thinning patience of late. And weekends are long enough to provide me with solace/salvation as they stand, just needed a bit of the latter saviours mid week.