The Mayans didn’t see it coming, and neither did I.
I had a mid-life crisis (sort of, I think), and a record year in Kentropolis. I have a phone that is practically a tri-corder, a new kitten (very possibly the cutest in the world, and the reincarnation of LadyBug), and wearing a tuxedo on a regular basis.
Connecting spiritually with a friend back in April awoke all sorts of energies, dreamings, and the generic longings common to a mid-life to broaden my sense of being alive. Rememberings of places and times, almost like alternate realities, still swarm my brain a bit, an impetus to explore consciousness with a greater sense of necessity. And I learned a lot of lessons about myself and others in the process. It was a spat of innocent limerance, but it was one helluva emotional ride.
But otherwise I really did focus on work — my business — and it paid off. Two big projects came in within weeks of each other in November, when not only does this happen every couple years at most (one project), but this is the time of year we don’t know where money will come from for Christmas gifts, since people usually put off projects until after the holidays. Instead, everyone was eager to get things done THIS year to where I had to put people off. It was just weird for money to not be a question when Mer needed to go to the store for something.
A downside was that I didn’t have an advent. I wasn’t “present” for much of the season. The holidays were good though, right down to “Maximus”, our real tree that people swore was too nice and had to be fake.
The important thing was that we paid off some debt, can probably pay taxes without too much trouble, and Christina and I can finally go see my Father to where he moved to in Arizona a few months ago.
Around the house, I FINALLY put in the basement post, not without the help of my friend Bob, and helpful inspectors from the City of Buffalo. One just said “nice hole” and an engineer I had take a look saw the brace I had designed and offered me a job. The library is finally done, moulding and all, and the new electrical line is active, from root cellar to kitchen/library, to replacing a loose two-prong outlet behind my recliner (which is losing parts every time it’s moved and needs to be replaced).
Now that I’m an officer of the Lodge and Colour Bearer for the OES, I’m wearing a tux more each month than I did my whole life before I became a Mason. And at the Tuxedo Junction Warehouse, I stocked up at their yearly sale: two vests, white tux top, four ties, and white gloves cost me $60!
But now let’s talk about Squish, the apple of my eye. Tossed from a car and brought to the vet hospital at 3 days old, we nursed it to health (saving her eye) and it was clear from nearly the start she was home and there was nothing we could do about it. We even have a Facebook page called “Saving Squish”. Cute? Just seeing her brought women to tears and I suspect a few men were lactating. She is more affectionate than any dog, and lots of little things remind us of Lady, enough to not dismiss Merry’s suggestion of reincarnation.
This year also marked the first time I can’t read things up close. I used to be able to read newspaper titles on microfiche and now everything has to be a little too far away to see clearly. Oddly, I found in my possession reading glasses (no idea where I got them) that do the trick, though I only need to use them for really small print.
So what of next year? Where I focused on business this year (and will continue efforts and habits), the theme of 2013 is “Creativity”. All the artistic projects I put on the back-burner will now be on the list of things to do and not things I may eventually find time for. Wish me luck.