I'm free...

It's been a long time since I've posted, since I've been so busy at work. I really hate the reason I now have time for the blog again...

So, apparently the publishing industry is not doing well. There have been major cuts at several publishers in the past two weeks, including my own. (If you're interested in which company I worked for, check GalleyCat's home page - there are currently four separate posts about it.)

I must admit it was kind of a shock. I knew there were layoffs coming, as a "corporate streamlining" team was hired to analyze the business after our merger earlier this year. But seeing as I was a major part of the technical integration team, it was kind of surprising.

I'm a little worried. I have 10 years experience in the field, but the last 8 of them have been pretty much restricted to Notes/Domino, and I'm really not sure what the demand is for those skills in the Chicago area. I'm a quick learner and have no doubt I could pick up any system or language a potential employer might want, but probably not before I need to start interviewing.

So, if anyone knows of open positions in the Chicago metro area (or telecommute positions with minimal travel anywhere), keep me in mind. I'll try to start posting more now that I have some time on my hands, starting with an early SnTT post later today or tomorrow.

The dog ate my homework...

Well, no, not really. But it's the standard excuse for why something doesn't get done, right? I've never been a regular, consistent blogger, but I used to at least try to keep up with the whole SNTT thing.

The truth is something I've struggled with talking about, but have been told (by a "professional", no less) that putting it on paper, so to speak, can really help. And reading about the similar problems faced by other members of the Domino community has led me to try.

About two months ago, I thought I was having a heart attack. Horrendous pressure in my chest, trouble breathing, all kinds of stuff. I went to the emergency room, where they did two EKGs, a CAT scan, and three separate cardiac blood panels, as well as keeping me on oxygen all night. After thirteen hours, the verdict was: there ain't nothin' wrong with my heart. They discreetly suggested it might all be in my head, and recommended a shrink.

So I went. I may be the only person on earth who's made it to almost-35 without ever having seen a therapist/psychiatrist/etc. He diagnosed general anxiety disorder with localized panic attacks. Of course, it's going to take years to determine exactly what caused this to start now (hopefully my insurance will cover it), but for now he's put me on Lexapro, an antidepressant which is also used to treat generalized anxiety. It's my second week on the drug, and I can't really say I've noticed a difference, but he said it could take four to six weeks to kick in, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm also trying to cut out caffeine (almost 2 liters of Diet Pepsi a day) - I've managed to cut down, but I'm not certain that the withdrawal isn't contributing to the anxiety.

The good news is, I've been so nervous and nauseous that I've lost 12 lbs. in two weeks. I've also found that, at least temporarily, exercise helps to head off the attacks. So, in addition to my regular tennis classes three evenings a week, I've also started going to our office gym every day at lunch. I need to lose at least 40 lbs., so I'm hoping this will kick-start things.

So, that's my excuse. I feel so... cleansed :o) I doubt anyone's still paying attention to this sorry excuse for a blog, but at least I got it down in pixels, so my homework for the week is complete.

5 things...

So Gregg Eldred tagged me for this... I'm a bit late answering so I'm not going to forward this on. Hopefully it will die a painless death.

1. I play tennis. People are surprised when they hear this, because I look like the world's biggest klutz.
2. I'm an operatically-trained soprano. I was too chicken to try to make a go of it as a professional singer, which is how I ended up a computer geek.
3. When I was in high school, I was a student at Northwestern University's Cherub program and lived in the same dorm as Noah Wyle, who was also in the program that summer.
4. I'm terrified of heights. Always have been. In grade school, I got stuck on the "high" balance beam on my school's timbertown playground. Looking back, it was probably all of 4 feet up (in my defense, I was only 3 feet tall at the time...)
5. My parents were both in medicine before they retired, and I can't stand the sight of blood.

The reason I can't afford a vacation...

waldo
This is Waldo. Waldo is picky about his treats. This makes him an embarrassment to the basset hound breed, as he's lacking the indiscriminate, "eat it before it eats you" gene. Because he turns up his nose at PetSmart specials (heaven help me if I ever bring a box of MilkBones in the house), I'm always on a quest to find new treats he'll condescend to enjoy. It's either that, or listen to the "I'm starving; I'm wasting away" whimper while I try to eat dinner.

So I found these treats by Merrick. They're disgusting. Dehydrated lamb lungs, beef hearts, and other things you wouldn't expect to see outside of maybe a biology lab. He loves them. Naturally, they're expensive. I find that I could use some supplemental income...