2005: Who Moved My Cheese?
So I've been thinking about this post for quite a while and haven't been able to get started. 2005 was definitely a year of change for me and those closest to me.
January 2005 - Mom is hospitalized for chest pains and is ultimately diagnosed with acute asthma and COPD(sp?). She is doing well with it, but is now required to have breathing treatments and inhalers. Love you Mom. Our family dog, Winston was diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma in November 2004 and was undergoing chemotherapy.
February 2005 - An announcement came out that my employer, MAY, was going to be acquired by Federated Department Stores. I started with them on November 16th, 1992 when I was 17 and a senior in high school. I worked my way through college by standing in the young men's/sportswear departments on most evenings and weekends. One summer I went to a temporary agency to get some easy money and ironically was placed at May Merchandising. After the summer was over they wanted me to stay, so I switched to night school and transferred to corporate. The rest is history. The buyout was a big blow to me and my financial security. I had been looking at houses with a realtor, and planning to buy a home. Not anymore.
March 2005 - After the news of the buyout my roommate took over the house hunt and put money down on a cute yet smallish house not too far from where we are living. After some thought, I decide to move with him and we start making plans for the new place. Winston's hanging in there but the chemo isn't helping much anymore. The tumors aren't going down like they initially did. I have lunch with a friend of my director that may be hiring in a few months.
April 2005 - T closed on the house and we started a month long process of removing carpet and installing hardwood floors on the main level. We went from 2700 sq. ft. to just over 1100 sq. ft. so I had a lot of consolidating and goodwilling to do.
May 2005 - Winston passed away on May 15th, 2005. He was a great little dog who had more personality than half the people I work with. RIP. I get a call to meet with the EVP from the company I interviewed with in March. It goes well, and the next day I get a job offer. I took it. Taking the offer I gave up 32 weeks severance, but I gained stability, more money, less stress, and did I mention financial security.
June 2005 - New job started. Was very hard to leave my friends. We are finished with the remodelling and can start settling in at the house.
July 2005 - Mom finds an Australian Shepard on Petfinder who recently lost her owner from cancer and needed a home. Due to the odd connection of cancer and needed companionship, we drove the three hours to meet her. Mom brought her home and she is turning out to be a very sweet, but very dominant little girl :)
August 2005 - I am working in the backyard at Mom's and twisted my ankle shoveling mud out of a trailer. The next day I cannot put any weight on it. I tore the talio-fibular ligament and spent the next 7 weeks in various forms of walking casts.
September 2005 - My brother is filling in for me at Mom's cutting the grass since I'm in a cast and our lawnmower dies. It was 2 years old and a Honda, so that shouldn't have happened. Turns out I was checking the oil incorrectly and the engine burnt up. That was an $800 mistake. I spent a great weekend at Lake Geneva, WI decompressing.
October 2005 - I turned 30. It wasn't as big of a deal as I'd anticipated. Given where I was at 25 financially and emotionally, I am a much stronger and more independent person now. I bought myself a new truck as my present to myself.
November and December 2005 - These months always fly by! We did manage to get all the decorations up early this year and that resulted in a much more relaxed holiday!
So much change, so little time! I like to think I took it all in stride, but wow it sure meant I had some sleepless nights and headaches! Here's to a happy, healthy 2006!
January 2005 - Mom is hospitalized for chest pains and is ultimately diagnosed with acute asthma and COPD(sp?). She is doing well with it, but is now required to have breathing treatments and inhalers. Love you Mom. Our family dog, Winston was diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma in November 2004 and was undergoing chemotherapy.
February 2005 - An announcement came out that my employer, MAY, was going to be acquired by Federated Department Stores. I started with them on November 16th, 1992 when I was 17 and a senior in high school. I worked my way through college by standing in the young men's/sportswear departments on most evenings and weekends. One summer I went to a temporary agency to get some easy money and ironically was placed at May Merchandising. After the summer was over they wanted me to stay, so I switched to night school and transferred to corporate. The rest is history. The buyout was a big blow to me and my financial security. I had been looking at houses with a realtor, and planning to buy a home. Not anymore.
March 2005 - After the news of the buyout my roommate took over the house hunt and put money down on a cute yet smallish house not too far from where we are living. After some thought, I decide to move with him and we start making plans for the new place. Winston's hanging in there but the chemo isn't helping much anymore. The tumors aren't going down like they initially did. I have lunch with a friend of my director that may be hiring in a few months.
April 2005 - T closed on the house and we started a month long process of removing carpet and installing hardwood floors on the main level. We went from 2700 sq. ft. to just over 1100 sq. ft. so I had a lot of consolidating and goodwilling to do.
May 2005 - Winston passed away on May 15th, 2005. He was a great little dog who had more personality than half the people I work with. RIP. I get a call to meet with the EVP from the company I interviewed with in March. It goes well, and the next day I get a job offer. I took it. Taking the offer I gave up 32 weeks severance, but I gained stability, more money, less stress, and did I mention financial security.
June 2005 - New job started. Was very hard to leave my friends. We are finished with the remodelling and can start settling in at the house.
July 2005 - Mom finds an Australian Shepard on Petfinder who recently lost her owner from cancer and needed a home. Due to the odd connection of cancer and needed companionship, we drove the three hours to meet her. Mom brought her home and she is turning out to be a very sweet, but very dominant little girl :)
August 2005 - I am working in the backyard at Mom's and twisted my ankle shoveling mud out of a trailer. The next day I cannot put any weight on it. I tore the talio-fibular ligament and spent the next 7 weeks in various forms of walking casts.
September 2005 - My brother is filling in for me at Mom's cutting the grass since I'm in a cast and our lawnmower dies. It was 2 years old and a Honda, so that shouldn't have happened. Turns out I was checking the oil incorrectly and the engine burnt up. That was an $800 mistake. I spent a great weekend at Lake Geneva, WI decompressing.
October 2005 - I turned 30. It wasn't as big of a deal as I'd anticipated. Given where I was at 25 financially and emotionally, I am a much stronger and more independent person now. I bought myself a new truck as my present to myself.
November and December 2005 - These months always fly by! We did manage to get all the decorations up early this year and that resulted in a much more relaxed holiday!
So much change, so little time! I like to think I took it all in stride, but wow it sure meant I had some sleepless nights and headaches! Here's to a happy, healthy 2006!
posted by Aaron at 8:50 AM
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