So, it's been a while.
One major reason I haven't blogged lately is because I had to get a new computer. My old one would overheat and shut itself off after about an hour of being on. That computer was nearly 10 years old, though, so it was time for a new one.
Ever since I got back from my vacation, I feel like I have been playing catch-up with every part of my life. Here are some updates:
My Business: I felt energized and refreshed while I was on vacation but when I got back, I felt like my stride and my motivation were broken (as far as my business was concerned). Before vacation, I was very close to getting one of my business ideas up and running and I was working on it every weekend. But my trip ended in early July and only now have I been able to re-motivate myself, though I still struggle with excuses.
My current excuse is that some of the fabric I'm using in these products bleeds in the wash onto lighter colored fabrics. I'm afraid it will ruin a few of my creations, so I have put off washing them. Because, you know, if I never wash them, they'll stay perfect forever, right? And I won't have wasted time and money on a few unsaleable pieces.
Housing: It's been almost a year since I officially started looking. I lost out on a third condo when my realtor didn't get back to me in time. It was a 3 bed/ 2 bath. Well within my price range with a nice little back yard. Needed a few cosmetic updates but nothing I couldn't handle. The only thing missing was a garage. I got an email from the real estate website that the place was under contract the same day I got an email from my realtor explaining how busy she was and sorry she couldn't get back to me sooner. She also looped in her protege to help me in the future.
My realtor also mentioned she had a condo coming up that was within my price range. I waited anxiously but when the listing was finally announced it turned out to be the ground floor unit directly below the second condo I lost out on. It was also priced $15,000 more than the upper unit that I had wanted. I thought long and hard but ultimately passed it up because there were too many cons.
This past week, I toured a former hotel-turned-condo complex. There were three condos, all with different layouts and different pros/cons. Unfortunately, the only one in my price range was a one-bedroom. All the rooms in it (bedroom, living room, bathroom) were adequately-sized, except for the kitchen - the one place where I need the most space (except for the whole needing a second bedroom thing). Also, there was no dishwasher (dealbreaker), parking was an added expense, laundry was shared, and the bedroom window looked out onto a shared inner walkway. There were beautiful views from the living room, though. And the building retains the charm of its fancy hotel glory days. Plus, it wasn't far from work. But I'm afraid the cons outweigh the pros on this one.
So, I've basically been twiddling my thumbs waiting for the right place to come along.
My Job: My boss was already contemplating retirement at the end of this year but this summer she found out she has cancer again. She is currently undergoing another round of chemotherapy and is expected to recover well. I have picked up the slack of bill-paying and I am thankful that she trained me on that before she got sick. It was still a learning curve, but I feel like I've settled into a routine now. I want to make things as simple for my boss as I can while she rests and recovers. So far, she's only had to come in to do paychecks.
This does, however, leave a giant question mark on my job future because she has not been able to work anything out with my coworker who was trying to buy the business from her. There is a very real possibility that, come January, I will be out of a job due to the business closing.
That's all for now. I will continue with my projects and update when I can!
