A year Later...

A year ago a big door slammed in my face and with that a few little doors opened and there was a lot of change that took place – so as I pass the one year anniversary of the AOL lay off I look back at all of the changes and things that happened over the year.

For Jobs:

I was unemployed

I worked in a glass studio

I was a substitute teacher

I was a swim instructor

I was a Swim coach (go Wahoos)

I was an art teacher with CHAW

I was a stained glass and Fused glass co-instructor

I continued to work at Gap

I babysat

I gained plaster 101 flood damage lessons

I pulled up carpet

I laid tile

I helped someone move

And in the end I started teaching full time as an Art teacher

Some of the things that happened over the year:

I had my house flooded by a former roommate Jann)

I had 2 of my tires slashed by a friend'’s neighbor (may)

I had 2 wrecks in one day in July (I think I am finished with the bad luck)

My side view mirror had a battle with a trashcan and lost

My Antenna fell off the car (after a battle with a tree last may)

I have had 2 roommates move out and 3 moved in and another 2 are moving out

I became an Aunt again - this time I got a Niece

The glass studio closed for the summer and then was extended to the spring

I went to the beach twice

I loved Coaching Swimming

I was asked to be a bridesmaid (I accepted this time for 10-07)

Gas prices went well over $3 and stayed there for awhile (not fun when unemployed)

I did start driving less

I loved my 3 mile drive to work this summer

I had a lot more interviews than I ever had before:

In one I was not sure if my car was going to be there when I left.

I was offered a teaching job that required a bouncer in the room ( I turned it down)– I am not ready to save the world yet.

I got an interview for the pool in a " hour access, 24 hour psycho" t shirt

I did not have to interview for the summer coaching job

I was offered a year round coaching job that I had to turn down due to Tuesday nights in glass and that I could not leave school and get there on time. (I miss swimming)

I was offered the full time job in the glass studio in MD, but the drive was to long and the pay was to little with no health insurance.

What I miss about the old job

I miss the free gym

I miss the flex hours

I miss getting to wear jeans every day

I miss free coffee from Fatima on Fridays

I miss my friends

I miss the options of what to eat, in what cafe, at what time (I don’t like having to pack lunch every day)

I don’t miss the work

I don’t miss the 1 hour plus drive home at night

Do I miss the free t-shirts and food - not really

Some how in the mess of all of this I have managed to send in my last car payment J (ok so I have to take what would have been next months and fix the side mirror and the antenna)

I still run into old AOL people those who are still there, those who left before me and those who got kicked out with me.

To the ones of you who are still there it is hard at first but life gets SO much better after you get kicked out the door.

And with my AOL stock that I had to sell (and then watched it go up $2) I am going to by a MAC to replace my 11 year old on and make a good investment.

So thank you AOL for the 5 years I was there and the friends I made and the lessons learned but most of all thank you for giving me my life back, for getting me back into swimming, and for Laying me off - Cause I am a much Happier Person than I was a year ago.