Alrighty then!

Life is still on the fast forward track in my neck of the woods. This is my second week of training at the new job, and while I'm nervous about the amount of information being thrown at me, I'm excited. It seems like those two emotions should be polar opposites, or at least not manifest in equal amounts, but in this case, neither is true. Okay, so maybe I'm more excited than nervous, but the anxiety is still there. That's new for me.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I jump into my decisions with both feet. Deep water? That's okay because I'll learn to swim that much quicker. I don't know that the water could get much deeper. Some wise person once said, "When it rains, it pours." Most of the time, I see that handy adage applied to negative situations. Not so in my situation. I'll give you a quick rundown, and you can be the judge.

We moved from an undisclosed location to a disclosed location. My husband and I went from being employed to being job-searching fiends. I got a job, DH is still looking. The kids are in school. I've become reacquainted with the in-laws. Sooner than I knew it, my job sent me away for training. So now I'm away from home--aka my home on wheels. Funny aside. A home on wheels grows smaller the longer you live in it--especially if you're talking about living with four other people and all of their things.

Dude! No one tells you this stuff! So I thought I should be a font of information--just in case you ever wondered. So it won't be a Jeopardy question, but hey, I'm working with what I've got here. Anyway, the smaller the palace on wheels got, the more interested DH and I became in finding a home that was a bit more permanent. Preferably one with a basement and a full kitchen. We browsed the MLS listings in the area for the "perfect" place. And finally, when life got super busy, the perfect place found us.

Is it wrong to fall in love with an inanimate object? If it is, sign me up for Kitchen Lovers Anonymous. This is the largest kitchen I've had--ever. And soon, very soon, it will be mine. After living in a travel trailer, almost any home would feel like a palace, but this place is everything DH and I wanted. He had the onerous task of making the final decision because I've been away for work. Every time he asked if he was doing the right thing, I let him know that he would make the right decision. I trust him. Not just because there will be hell to pay if he does the wrong thing. No doubt, there always is when he crosses the wrong line. But in this situation, he had an interest in choosing a home that would be a haven for all of us when we need a retreat from the cruel world. I've told him and I'll tell you too, he did a damn good job.

On more creative fronts, I've not written much lately. Last night, I did two pages, which were fun. It's amazing when I know my characters how well I can write. They let me jump into their heads and roam around. I don't know the ending yet, other than it will be a happy one. Isn't that what people read romance for? I will write for a bit before bed and then wake, ready for a new day of learning. Only a few days to go, and I'm already sad to leave behind the wonderful folks I've met here. That's what email is for, I guess.

I'm still waiting to hear on a couple queries I sent off before the move, and the one I mailed since living here. Yes, I'd love to have someone say yes, you must sign up now. But right now, I just want to know that my work was reviewed. I am quickly reaching the ten-week mark on the first two and am getting nervous. What if they hate my work or think I'm a newbie who has no clue about the market or what makes good fiction? If that's the case, I'll have to cross those agents off the list and move to the next. But I really, really don't want to do that. I want to hear yes, so until I do, no news is good news.

Today I got a view of what I don't want to be when I grow up. I've heard that we don't like qualities in others that we detest in ourselves. Since I agree with that, at least 99% of the time, it makes me really wonder what or who people see when they look at me. I met this person who has one of the ugliest spirits I've seen in anyone in a long time. She is rude, self-centered and generally frustrating to be around. When I do spend time with her, I feel as though I have to be on guard for some sort of personal attack. Not that she strikes out at me directly. No, she's one of those who spreads the wealth. It's just that she's not the sort of person one feels safe around.

In my heart of hearts I don't believe that she is a terrible person. In fact, she seems deeply wounded. Her actions and words scream that she is someone who has suffered tremendous hurt. Yet, I'm having the most difficult time seeing past the surface ugliness to get to who she truly is. There was a time when I would work until that nugget of coal produced the diamond. Now, I almost can't be bothered. I know this woman wouldn't have been placed in my life if we weren't to have an impact on each other, but I'm still asking why. In the spirit of gratefulness, I'm going to thank God that I've been allowed to see what I can. In the meantime, I'm desperately seeking perspective.

So, for my dear beloved readers, what do you do when confronted with a difficult person? If your prior coping methods weren't effective, what do you think you could do better?