Holiday Newsletter

I was reading about Lucia's recent Thanksgiving fiasco (she's prone to breaking ovens, don't invite her over if you have cookies due for a swap this weekend! ha ha ha)... and she said that it was good that she doesn't write a holiday newsletter. I got to thinking... this might be how ours would go...

Dear Friends and Family,
2009 was certainly a year of firsts for PC and Mini. When you last heard from us, we had been remarking how fortunate 2008 had been and how we couldn't wait for Christmas. Two days after mailing the cards, I lost my job. We agreed it was too late to return gifts and after checking with Emily Post and Miss Conduct, it was established that asking for "rent" was not considered "okay" at the holidays.

Keeping with the holiday spirit, PC thought we ought to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday entertaining our local hospital employees. We played a raucous game of 'how high can you go?' with his blood pressure. At 3am, a very kind, sweet, young nurse asked me if I was PC's mom... and that's when I made a mental note to wear more makeup. We went from a very normal 30 something couple to people who worried about salt content. Forever cheerful, we established 'not dead' as our motto.

February, March, April and May.... I looked for a job, tried to remember to shower, interviewed 12 times and got rejected 12 times. PC was spiritual in his daily reminders that 'something will come along'. PC and I tested our relationship by discussing how long I'd look for a job 'that speaks to me' before taking contract work in a lab. Wonder at how strong our relationship is.... secretly hope that like dinner plans and birthday parties, PC will forget our agreement. Smile and wonder at the strength of our relationship. Throughout this time, I developed a relationship with our cat, Pumpkin. Once she realized I was going to be around all day, she stopped hissing and taught me how to give her cookies.

June. We decided to move. Just because I was out of work, getting unemployment, and we had no idea when I'd get a job, doesn't mean we can't move! Moving gave me a project! I cleaned, organized and packed. I searched for apartments on the internet. I called agents and landlords. We met Satan. She owns a lovely 2 family on Middlesex Rd in Watertown.

July. We went on vacation to Niagara Falls. LOVED it. Resisted all temptation to throw myself into falls so that PC could have life insurance money. Remembered: Life insurance disappeared with job. July was also the filing of my first 'extension' for unemployment... cried to state worker over the phone. Very nice man named Brian talked me through the very easy process of "do you need an extension?" question. I continued to cry. Discovered I do have pride.

August. Applied, interviewed and received job offer. Read and re-read job offer letter to make sure they weren't joking.

September, October, and November.... slowly regaining my ability to get up and go to work every day. And just like last year... we're really looking forward to Christmas!