Long Life Update

Remember me ripping on horoscopes on 2005-05-11? I found the prediction below on a random site and e-mailed it to a friend. She replied the day after I got laid-off, which caused me to read it again with new eyes.

May: Change of job is possible. Weak health, worries, stomach or heart disorders are possible. Beginning of month may not be favourable. There may be opportunities for employment in the end of month. Worries may be over by the grace of God. Journey would be successful. Luck may favour.

Ha! So maybe I was wrong. I've had one of those so-called "stomach disorders" on/off for the last few months, which MJ said could be due to stress. (She could tell I was stressed by the black storm-cloud over my head between 9.30am and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.) I called B.S. on her yet I seem be in the clear since last Thursday. Weird. And simultaneously, cool.

It's good to know there's some employment coming up in a few weeks, cos I've done sweet F.A. so far. That's not entirely true, but I have made the most of being a lady of leisure! I've dreamed of living in a bigger city: D.C, Baltimore, New York and Seattle lead the pack so far. I've thought about which of the U.S. companies that tried to head-hunt me when I worked in Europe are based in those areas. I've heard that one of them might be hiring in Sales shortly.

I've asked friends for copies of their curriculum vitaes/resumés because I haven't been unemployed since 1999. I gots to play that game again, so please help if you can.



So far so good. I'm feeling positive. I came here for a job and a girl and, now that both have metaphorically fallen over, I'm on a brand new track for the first time in years. As Brad says the Dalai Lama once said, "Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."

The company (hereafter "Weyland Yutani") has offered legal help to manage my visa transfer and also to step my severance to a part-time basis if I need that, to allow me to stay on payroll and in the country that much longer. They've also given me a free ticket to Star Wars III: Revenge Of The Sith tomorrow so I get to see the movie knowing I'm not personally lining George Lucas' fat pockets!

I can't begin to be bitter about any of this. I've had nothing but one opportunity after another through Weyland Yutani. Of course, it's sad to see them in hard times. I went in to clear my desk yesterday. I had a last smoke on the back balcony and on my way back in I noticed a full pot of coffee in the kitchen. "So they didn't fire all the coffee-drinkers, eh? Our legacy lives on!", I thought. But the pot was cold. It had been there since last Thursday...

One bittersweet part is that I was about to help contribute something a teensy-weency bit creative to one of the company's products - the one that introduced me to the company and the gaming industry altogether. It would have been a nice piece of closure for me but, understandably, I'm off that project now!

Adverse Dates: 3,9,10,11,12,21,22,23 and 29.

The 12th was an adverse date? No shit, Sherlock. My positive streak is due to last til the 21st, according to the stars. If you don't like bears with sore heads, it's probably best to avoid me on Saturday. Or get me drunk on Friday so all's I have to grumble about is a hangover.

Whatever happens, this is gonna be an exciting few weeks for me and I'll end up in a big city one way or the other - even if it's back in ol' Blighty.