All within five hours

2005-04-27 - 3:52 p.m.

You know -- you just never expect this kind of thing.

I stayed up all night long. I was up until seven-freaking-thirty playing my online game. I played it on Nelson's computer, since he was at work. His computer has better graphics, etc. When Nelson arrived home at 6:45 a.m., I asked if he minded if I played until I 'leveled-up' -- which I did.

By then -- I was beat, so I went into the bedroom, turned on the fan, and had a fantastic sleep. I was up by 11 a.m.

The answering machine was beeping, and Nelson was on the computer playing his game.

"Who are the messages from", I asked?

"There's one from Linda (my boss) and the other one was a wrong number."

So, I played back the messages.

"Hi Jamie. This is Linda. Call me back a.s.a.p?"

So I called. Fresh from bed. My mind still half in dreamland.

"Hi Jamie. You don't have to come to work today. There is no work."

"Huh? I'm off today anyway."

"We are closing our doors. We've tried, but we can't keep the business going anymore."

Okay. What?

You can imagine my surprise. I was speechless, and I think I just said, "Ok. Bye." and hung up the phone.

After I got myself together, I sat and tried to speak to Nelson. But of course, with Nelson -- it's all about how it is affecting him. Never mind that I just lost my job. Never mind that my feelings are hurt, and I am feeling nothing but confusion and anxiety. Just clam up, dear. It always helps me when you do this. You know -- the one who just lost another fucking job!?!? SAY SOMETHING. SAY ANYTHING!!!

So, I got dressed. never mind the shower. All the water in the world wasn't going to wash away what I was feeling at the time. I decided it was time to go into work and find out what the hell was going on.

Linda was in the front, and her husband, Mark (my other boss) was in the back making some macaroni salad. I half-expected to walk in and have Linda tell me this was some twisted late April fool's prank.

Alas, it was not.

There was more money going out and less coming in. Sometime this morning, the gas people came in for their money early and Mark didn't have it. They stopped all fuel deliveries at that moment, and in a snap decision, Mark decided to close down.

So, here I am. Standing in the back, telling Mark and Linda that they are quite possibly the best bosses I have ever had the pleasure to work for.

And bawling like an infant.

---

So somewhere in this mess of a fiasco -- there must be some little glimmer of hope, trying to surface. Right?

Yes.

My next stop was next door -- at my friend Amy's shop. I hugged her and told her I'd be around to see her -- which I will. I grabbed my keys, and headed to the local market to grab a bottle of soda.

Now I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, so I will now. A few weeks ago, my pal Jessie -- who runs the local market, asked if the deli in which I worked was going to be closing. I replied with a "no", because I thought we weren't. (*insert out-of-context laugh here*) Jessie was there again today, and I told her she was right all along, and that apparently the hearsay was true.

"So what are you doing now", she said.

"Nothing Jessie. I have nothing."

(I don't have "nothing" -- but a little exaggeration goes a l-o-n-g way.)

"I was just getting ready to put a sign in the window. We are looking for someone immediately."

"Oh?"

*insert fake-look-of-surprise here*

Long story short, I lost my job and found another one in the same day. I just now (as I was typing this entry) received the confirming phone call. I start tomorrow, and will be training, in of all places: The deli.

---

This has certainly been a trying year for me, thus far. My life seems to be going in all sorts of different directions as of late.

A wise woman once told me that "The Universe will take care of you -- if you let it." I think I'm starting to understand what she meant by that.

And yes. Since I've found a new job (or rather -- since the new job found me), the tattoo is still on for Friday. :-P

Love to you all.