h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks. It's a crap time for anyone to try and find work. Self-employment seems like the only option, but the 'system' doesn't make it easy. I'm crossing my fingers I'll get my research contract again next year, but with things the way they are for all businesses at present, there's just no guarantees.

This is most unusual. I always think of cats as independent creatures, but he follows me around the house and demands constant attention. He's worse than a !

It certainly is a crap time, only makes me feel worst about the what ifs of not currently designing. Though I have, bar the burn and the cut, have been enjoying being back in the workshop. Here's hoping 2012 isn't in fact the end of it all, but instead the beginning

Your doesn't sound weird. My four, they wouldn't do quite the puppy act, but I wouldn't call they hugely independent. Dizzy, our ginger and white tom, was so sweet and placid, when he came home from bunnying he'd always shout to tell us he was home, he'd also occasionally follow me to school and was a total sook. Pepper would follow me around the garden if I was taking photos until I paid attention to him - he also got freaked out by peek-a-boo, Gilly was very timid and didn't like cuddles unless they were on her terms, but she was a scaredy cat and Mini, she used to just keep herself to herself, but since the others have gone if she's not sleeping she's yowling for attention. Which was what I was greeted with as soon as I got up.

I don't think it' actually that weird, I mean in the morning there was always a little coven waiting for breakfast and a bit of love.

Hey Em.

Just wanted to drop by and say hi as I've, unintentionally, been absent for a while. Life is full of complications and also has a tendency to run away with me, and suddenly months, if not years, have passed.

I read your journal entry about two paths (really lovely poem). I am sure the decision must have been difficult to make, but it will never be the wrong one if you follow your heart. I know not everyone would agree with me there, but I really do believe it. I'm torn between two paths myself now, but neither of them is really where I want to go. I keep hoping that a third path will suddenly present itself. My decision is changing almost on an hourly basis at present. I suspect the weather may be partly to blame there, as the sunshine always makes things seem rosier and the rain does quite the opposite! For me, at any rate.

Well, I've spent far too long reading here today so I should go and take a break and try to make a decision about where I go next, rather than avoiding the issue. Look forward to catching you around some time.

hey dear, I know exactly how you feel about life running away from you, and finding time for online personas seems to always be the first to drop by the wayside.

Choosing between the paths will always be difficult, certainly more difficult than Frost makes out, and even though I've made my decision I'm half convincing myself on a daily basis that I should do the other. But even my dad said yesterday that he wanted me to be a jeweller. I suspect while the D.O. course would be a good career path he wouldn't really want any of his children going into optic after years of being in it himself.

I agree on the weather front, when it's sunny out, everything seems so positive and possible and then, within ten minutes it's dull and raining and the sensible route which takes you away from your ideal seems like the sensible thing to do.

Hopefully a third option shall appear for you, one did for me as a stop gap at least (while i'll be being a dogs body at work, instead of the D.O. course, I've been asked to keep the website going, revamp and run etc, which would mean being able to work at home more, hopefully around my jewellery and I've made the decision to begin looking into PhDs, if I want to teach I need to bite teh bullet.) The day I posted that journal I'd been sitting tearing my hair out trying to make a decision, and I actually found asking people on here really helpful. I wasn't asking anyone to make my decision for me, but talking helps. So if you want to, I'm here and pro-con lists are always helpful!

Now I shall go because I actually have a proper day off today, after doing tonnes of overtime and typically I'm feeling like crap, so I am going to do nothing more but watch telly, plant some seeds and plowter on the net Talk to you later.

Em

Sometimes you need a day to just chill. Sometimes I find you also need a day to be really productive and busy, so the chillout days feel even better. Some days you just don't know what you need.

I've been making pro-con lists in my head, but I'm a bit short of pros for either option at present! I think that's the real trouble. Had a bit of potentially positive news earlier though (which is actually why I switched the computer on, only to be distracted by h2g2!), so I will follow that up and see where it leads.

Have a lovely, relaxing day and feel better.

My problem at the moment is work is so hectic (we had a new system put in on Tuesday and so between getting ready for it and training everything's piled up) plus being the bosses daughter I get dragged in for all the extra stuff at weekends, it just doesn't seem like there's been any breathing space!

So yes, today I am doing nothing. In fact am currently watching The Time Travelers Wife, which I have been putting off for about two years and am actually not hating it, it's not right, but it's not terrible...think enough time has elapsed from reading it watching that I can ignore some of the inaccuracies and unintentional paedophilia overtones.

Pro-cons tend to be overly con heavy, because I guess when there's a decision like what to do with the rest of your life, the negatives always seem far stronger. Have you ever heard of Edward De Bono's Six thinking hats? During a project to keep your from being too positive or negative, you spend a period with each of these metaphorical hats on to focus on a particular mode of thinking. Anyway, it might be worth trying: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats

I hope your positive news is that third option you've been looking for