How's things? Well, there hasn't been anything exciting happening in my life recently, but it's better than it was a year ago, worse than two years ago, and far worse than three years ago.
Next week I turn 33.
When I turned 30 I thought life was excellent. Although a few months earlier I had found my first grey hair, life seemed to be finally falling into place.
I'd started a new job in june, which was a 50% pay increase, working in a more interesting, friendlier environment than I had been in.
In January that year I'd bought a house. A three bedroom place, and I had two flatmates. With the new job at the new pay, plus the flatmates, making repayments was easy - I had lots of money left over.
In August my boyfriend moved in with me. He'd been living about 6 hours drive away, and had completed his degree, and had now moved to my city - in fact, he had a job at the same place I did (we ended up working on the same team, but since no one at work knew we were more than friends, it became troublesome).
So, at 30 I had the career I wanted, a house, and a partner. Life was very good, and turning 30 was not the issue for me that it is for many others.
A few months later my boyfriend broke up with me, and he moved out. By my next birthday - 31, the business I worked for was closing down, and I was waiting to be made redundant. And the job market sucked.
In October '01 I stopped working. I didn't get another job until November '02.
So, at 32, I was single, unemployed, and wondering how I would keep paying my mortgage.
But, as I mentioned above, I got a job last November.
It's a government job, which means stability, which is good, but boredom, which is bad. It was a lower job than my last one - I was earning 25% less than my previous job. Adding to that, with my boyfriend having moved out, and another flatmate gone, I have a vacant room that could be earning me good money.
So, now, this week I turn 33. I'm still single (I haven't been involved with ANYONE since my boyfriend dumped me - almost 3 years ago), my job, although improving (I'm no longer on a helpdesk, as of this week, yay!), is still low paying for what I'd like, and what I had. I didn't lose my house while unemployed, but paying for it now is not as easy as it was 3 years ago, even though interest rates are lower.
All in all, Life is ok - my gaming is going well, but I've been spending too much money on new D20 books. I'm single, and very very lonely, but that's not the end of the world. Life has been far worse for me, but also a lot better.
I'll just keep taking my medication, and hopefully things will improve.
One thing I am looking forward to is new year's eve. Since my birthday is at the end of August, NYE will be my 33 &1/3rd birthday
So I'm arranging to have a big party. And who knows - it's always possible that I'll meet the man of my dreams there!
Duncan