Hey there, it's been a while. Thought I'd catch us all up with some events from 2016. Last year's motto, according to my small corner of the internet, has been "Dumpster Fire!" What it lacks in hope for the future, it makes up for in enthusiasm!!!! Just stick with me for a minute.
First, the fun stuff: what have we been up to? Let's do the time warp.
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| A New Year's wish from Paige |
Way back in January, before hell froze over and Donald J. Trump won the electoral college vote, we had what seemed to be an endless string of snow days here in Cackalacky. It was fun for a while, but soon the cabin fever set in and we were all ready to go back to school and work.
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| Keepin' the fashion game on point... but just a little bit worried about faceplanting on the icy driveway. |
In February, one of my lifelong dreams came true when I was selected as a juror! I was juror #12 in a civil (personal injury) trial in Durham County. It was fascinating. I loved every minute of it. This is not sarcasm. I highly recommend it.
In March, Jonathan and I got away to New Orleans for a long weekend. I was there for a training, but in the evenings we walked around the French Quarter together. The verdict? Beignets at Cafe Beignet were better than DuMonde. Wear comfortable shoes. Bourbon Street is the definition of sensory overload. So much music. So many topless women. It was fun.
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| Way down South. |
Then, our girl turned six and promptly mastered bike-riding without training wheels.
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| How did it get so late so soon? |
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| Her balance game is strong. |
April? We did Easter stuff. Jonathan's office moved from Cary to downtown Raleigh, and Gideon moved from Spanish for Fun to a small daycare in the basement of a Methodist church downtown.
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| Here comes Peter Cottontail. |
(Gideon's teacher recently told Jonathan that Gideon has four girlfriends. Gideon neither confirms nor denies. His teacher spoke with the girls to explain that there's only one Gideon and four of them, and the girls immediately agreed to share him.)
At the very end of April, my dream job was posted. The application was due like a week later. I wasn't planning to apply - I had the private practice and contract work in the schools and things were working. But when would the opportunity arise again? Never? So I frantically applied. The posted start date was June. I waited.
In May and June? Kindergarten ended, camps started, naps happened. We graduated from couples therapy, content in our awesomeness and carrying some new tools in the interpersonal communication toolbox. More naps. I attempted to be a North Carolina delegate (for Bernie, natch) to the Democratic National Convention, and learned a great deal in the process... mostly that I'm much more interested in protests and rallies than I am at playing the shady, expensive game of politics. But it was pretty cool to be in the room where it happens, and the whole election cycle definitely re-lit my civic engagement spark.
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| Love |
In July, election season started to kick into full gear with the national conventions. It became clear that, so matter how much we were feelin' the Bern, Hillary Clinton was the party's nominee. I reluctantly agreed. Oh, and I had a soul-satisfying reunion with "The Fab 5", my college besties, in Missouri and a week or so in Kansas with Evelyn and Jonathan's parents and my mom and everyone.
August ushered in the fourth annual Beach Week (Friendcation IV: Return of the return of the return of Friendcation!) Beach week is inching its way from the "want" to the "need" category in life. We laugh, we play, we sleep, we swim, we eat, we drink, we go to the beach in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower.
One day during Beach Week, we were all hanging out in the pool and I got a phone call from the dream job. Four months after the application deadline, and three months after the "start date", they were ready to interview! I was ecstatic. I really couldn't believe I'd even gotten an interview. I could see myself doing this job. I was honored to even be considered.
(Turns out I
have had a bit of a hero-worship complex regarding teachers/professors. I came by it honestly, I promise. School was my sanctuary growing up and I hung on every word of my teachers. It was surreal to even picture myself working with my former professors and filling the shoes of someone I had mad respect for. The interview was scheduled and I waited.)
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| The Crew, minus Evan! |
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| Gideon and Evan |
Which brings us to September... a new dance school uniform, and HARD SHOES! (This is a big deal in Irish Dance). And first grade.
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| Proud Dancer in her Horse Dress |
That dag job, though. So much waiting. I interviewed on a Monday. I was so nervous. More nervous than I've ever been interviewing for anything ever before. Ever ever ever. I got a new suit. I practiced questions. I got there early and ran into a university bigwig at the coffee shop and we chatted. I went into the interview feeling good. I knew there was room for improvement in my answers, but I left feeling like I gave it my best shot. They said they'd let me know by Friday.
Friday came and went. The next Friday came and went. I emailed, and emailed, and emailed. And then I got a call and there was this protracted, meandering conversation that I instantly knew was bad news bears for me. There was a lot of "it was a tough decision" and "you're very qualified" and even, at the end, "we'll have a part-time position opening and maybe you'd consider that?"... like a consolation prize, but I considered it for a while. Yes, it was disappointing to not get the job, but I knew I didn't have it on lock, and I accepted it...
Hahahaha NOPE. Did you believe that?
Perhaps one day I'll be so graceful.
I despaired. I sorta accepted it, right up until the instant I found out who got the job and then I lost my mind. Nothing made sense anymore. I was reminded that it's all who you know. Life is not a meritocracy. Life is not fair. Dusting yourself off and moving on seems so pretty but it is messy and exhausting and horrendous. I was angry and sad and overflowing with self-loathing but I think now, after a few months, I've channeled most of it into what is perhaps a more healthy view of academia and humanity. The teachers and professors I elevated to hero status are just people too. I can be grateful for what they taught me, but I don't owe them my eternal deference. So there.
October? An impromptu weekend getaway to DC with Richard and Terry (Jonathan's parents) and the kids! I found an awesome little apartment on AirBnB on the cheap, and we had a fantastic time. We crammed so much into a short amount of time!
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| Bartels on a tour bus! |
As October progressed, we realized the benefits of living in a swing state. We saw Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Pharrel Williams, Lady Gaga, Jon Bon Jovi, and I can't even remember everyone else. Thanks to job flexibility, I was able to spend hours and hours and hours in line and get right up close. It was so energizing to be at the rallies. I had almost zero fear that a hateful demagogue could win the election. Ignorance was bliss!
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| ... but being a rich white man still wins... Ugh, America. |
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| Fam Selfie at the Clinton/Sanders Rally! |
I watched the election results roll in and uggggggh. People, I'm trying SO hard to stay positive here. But I mean the fall of 2016 brought a repeatedly broken heater, not getting this job that meant more than I knew, my income-based student loan repayment being recalculated to go from owing $0/month to owing A LOT MORE THAN THAT. The neighbor's tree fell and made our fence all wonky. Jonathan rear-ended someone and we had to buy a car. The hits kept coming. So when Jonathan came out to the living room on election night to see how it was going, he found me ugly crying on the couch. Thankfully, I had the foresight to not schedule clients the following day because I was weeping all day long. How did this happen?
Maybe I'll have more to say on that later. I mean, we have four years of him right? Or at least, however long until the world implodes.
And life keeps happening! For reasons unknown, Raleigh has their Christmas parade on the Saturday before Thanksgiving every year. Jonathan's office brilliantly planned their family holiday party to coincide with the parade, so we could watch it from the heights of his office building downtown. They had an amazing Santa setup, too! If we were on it we probably would have sent this one out as a Christmas card this year. We were a little busy just putting one foot in front of the other, but doing cards is a goal for 2017 so watch out!
I'm resolving to write more, here. So, be on the lookout for family updates and political rants and navel-gazing and all your favorites. Happy New Year to everyone. No exceptions.
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