So long 2011...

Well, it's that time of the year again. The last day of the year. The time when you make some long blog entry about how the year treated you. Well, guess what, here's that post.

2011 was a year of many changes in my life. Started the year off in a weird sort of relationship that I shouldn't have been in, but when I was with him, I really enjoyed it. However, due to an external issue, things just couldn't work out for us to be together. I don't regret it at all as it showed me what real love was like, and that I could actually have all the happy feelings you are supposed to have.

However, that left me able to get back together with a friend of mine who was no longer long distance. We had dated a little big the previous year, but I had broken up with him due primarily to the distance as he lived in NC and I lived in NH. When he moved back, we started hanging out once in a while as just friends, and things progressed from there.

We moved in together in August. Remind me in the future that moving sucks, and no matter how much you try to declutter and bring only the minimum, there is still too much stuff! LOL. But him, me, and my cat are coexisting under one roof. I know my cat is LOVING being the only pet.

October 29th he popped the question, giving me the most beautiful ring a girl could ask for. Course, we had picked it out together, but still, it is absolutely perfect.

During the first few months, I had an hour commute each way to drive a school bus. The pay and the benefits were worth attempting to make it work. Unfortunately, it took a toll on me, plus my cat hated me being gone from 5:15sm until 6:15pm everyday. It was just too much, and I had to say goodbye to the job I really enjoyed and managed to make a living off of. I am now working at another bus yard much closer to home and it is making life much nicer as I can be home during the mid day between shifts. I am in the process of acquiring a second job at a city bus company.

I bought a new car recently as I wanted a stick shift, and I love it. I miss my other car too, as it was awesome.

Unfortuantely the last few months I haven't been doing well. I have been very depressed and withdrawn, not the smiling happy  person I was when I first got engaged and before. It is tough, because it has absolutely nothing to do with my fiancé or anyone. It just is. It is definitely taking it's toll on everything around me which really sucks as I was working hard to improve this chapter in my life. It also makes it very hard to write a nice optimistic blog entry.

All I do know is that I have a wonderful fiancé who deserves so much better, a beautiful place to live, a wonderful cat, two fun cars...basically everything I ever wanted. Now, if I just could find that happiness that is hiding somewhere inside me, life could be great!

Christmas 2011 "Wrap" Up

I should have been on and wished everyone a very Merry Christmas on Saturday or Sunday, but life got in the way! Oh well, here's a belated Merry Christmas, and while I think of it, have a very safe, very Happy New Year!

Christmas in my household went great. We did stockings on Christmas Eve, a fun tradition I stole from my close friend/ex-boyfriend. They were a blast. Of course, the cat got one too, the spoiled little brat! He now has even more toys than any one cat should have, but they did seem to be a big hit!

Our stockings for each other came out great. Got a lot of nice things. The funniest thing is that we got each other the same exact style back massager! 

Christmas morning was a lot of fun too! We opened our presents in our pajamas like little kids! It was great! My big gift was a down comforter, duvet cover, and bed skirt! We both loved the comforter at Lake Opechee Inn and Spa that it is the perfect gift. His big gift was basically everything he needed to get started drawing. Of course, the cat got presents under the tree as well! His favorite is a tunnel I got on an awesome sale at Petsmart. I don't think Hobo knew what to do with so many presents! 

After presents and breakfast, we headed up to Maine to visit with his family. His mom and dad (and dog) were up from NC, so it was really nice to see them. We got to enjoy a white Christmas as the predicted "snow showers" turned into a full blown snow. When we left, there were a couple inches on the road. It was a great test for the Fiat. I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it handled in the snow! It was my first time with a stick shift in the snow as well. Both of us did very well and made it home without incident.

Yesterday was really nice, his parents came down to our place. We went out to lunch at Red Hook Brewery. Very yummy food. Unfortunately I had to bail early and go drive a school bus...there was a tournament and as vacation work is so rare, I took it, not realized that it interfered with my plans. Oh well, I got 5 hours or so of pay, and all I did was read my Kindle Touch the whole time. Plus I got to show his parents my bus and what I do for work. When I got home we enjoyed delicious home made pizza (one of my favorite meals ever). Apart from freezing in the bus, it was a good day. 

Well, I guess it's back to reality today. Gotta go drive a bus again, same place, but earlier (lets hope for coming home in the daylight!). Hopefully I can have the rest of the week off and relax.  

New car

I got a new car! It is a Fiat 500 Sport with a manual transmission. I have had it a few days now and I am absolutely in love with it! It is such a fun car to drive! It has plenty of power even though it's only rated at 101hp, but I am easily able to climb hills, even in 5th gear. It has no trouble passing on the highway and zipping around town. The seats are amazingly comfortable and supportive. I have driven and ridden in many different makes and models from a Geo to a Mercedes, and this is the most comfortable car I have ever been in. The Bose sound system is awesome, especially in such a small space. I think the only complaint I can think of is the tire noise on the highway, and that has nothing to do with the car, just the silly rubber band sized tires.

One cool thing about this car is you can download a software program onto your computer called Eco: Drive and using a USB memory stick, you install some software that gets uploaded to your car via the in car USB port, then records your driving habits over 5 days. You then plug the USB stick back into your computer and the software will analyze your driving habits and help you get the most fuel economy and energy savings. I'm only 2 days into it, but I am already averaging 38mpg combined driving. The software gives you tips on how to improve as well.

 I bought my car from Kelly Fiat in Danvers, MA as there are no dealerships in NH yet. They were great, even through some complications in the delivery that ended with the car I initially bought being sent back to Fiat. It all worked out in the end as I ended up with a better car with more options.  They treated me like I had a brain even though I am a woman driver. They gave me a more than fair offer on my trade-in. I would recommend both the car and the dealer to anyone in the market for a Fiat.

Yet another new chapter

Yesterday marked my four year anniversary at my job. It was also the day I handed in my resignation. I have decided that the hour long commute each way every day is too much, both on my physical and mental health, and the wear and tear and fuel costs for my car. My work day was already very long, 6:15 until 4:45, and add on an hour on each end, plus the fact I need about 12 hours of sleep a night did not make for a happy me. I am giving up a great job at a decent company, awesome pay, and the best benefits for the same sort of job, with less pay and no benefits. My hope is that I will end up a happier and nicer person who is not so exhausted all the time. The fiancé has been very supportive of me through this decision.

I am looking forward to a fresh start. I do not want to make the same mistakes I did while at my other job. I just want to go to work, drive the bus, and go home with minimal socializing until I get to know some of the drivers and who are backstabbers and who are true friends. It took me 4 years to realize who the "good people" were at work because I was just sucked into all the drama and craziness.

I will miss several people a lot, others I will miss but will be glad to not have to see every day, and there are others I will be happy never to see again! I am very thankful that all but one person I will miss is on Facebook, so I can stay in touch! :-)

My last day is the 16th of December.