A short play about the nature of modern relationships, and some other things

My boss, noticing that I'm about to change clothes before leaving work: Oh, do you have a date tonight?

Me: No... no.

My boss: So... what, then?

Me: I'm making dinner for The Lawyer.

My boss: Oh no. You're not back with her again, are you?

Me: No. She has a girlfriend now.

My boss: But... wait, what? I'm confused!

Me: Yeah, that makes six of us.

My boss: Six? Who's six? You, your girlfriend, her, her girlfriend....

Me: ...My flatmate, and you.

My boss: Wow. [beat] So, that's how you guys roll, huh?

Me: Apparently.

My boss: Well, bring me some leftovers if there are any.

*****

So yes, apparently that is how we roll. I don't know what else to say. I have bruises. These Things Are Not Easy.

Filed under 'Other Things Involving My Boss', I'm happy to say that the potentially nasty situation at work got ironed out without a problem on Monday. It turned out that there was so much confusion around what I was and was not allowed to do that not only did my boss and I not get in trouble for it, but she was actually able to make a case for bumping me up a pay grade and changing me to a salaried (rather than hourly-rate) position in the next budget. I wasn't in the room when she attempted this, but I wish to god I had been because that is some kind of spectacular maneuver. She is exceptional.

And I'm happy to say that apart from a small amount of lingering jet lag, I'm feeling pretty good about things. I was an anxiety-ridden disaster until Monday arvo, but once the work stuff got sorted out I found that I was... fine. Really, fine. I had expected my return to Boston to be much more tumultuous, especially given how great a visit I'd had, but instead I feel pretty resolved and calm about things. I don't know that this will last - I remember that early on after my move last year I felt way more settled than I'd expected, before crashing hard a few months later - but for now I'm trying to enjoy it.

It also helps that I've returned to a much warmer and more welcoming city than I left a month ago. The snow's all gone, we turned the clocks forward on Sunday so it's light well into the evening, and the weather's substantially better - it's not warm by any stretch, but it's warm enough that I can leave the house in only a warm jacket over a long-sleeved shirt and a singlet, rather than needing a long wool coat, a jumper, a hat, a scarf, and gloves as well. To me, that counts as progress.

All in all, things are... yes.

I have to start somewhere...

...so here we go. I don't have much to say yet - I'm too jet-lagged - but I'm here and I'm conscious and I have a slightly narky but otherwise healthy Buster with me. All of these are good things.

The aforementioned furball has become the apple of my parents' eyes in no time at all, and I expect that he'll overtake me in the will stakes within the week. He seems to make friends wherever he goes: his fan club at the Qantas Freight terminal alone would make most pop stars seethe with jealousy. He was extremely well-behaved throughout the trip and I don't think he's stopped purring since we arrived, apart from a rather nasty run-in with my Boston cat Didi, which left me with a couple of angry-looking scratches on my hand and a renewed resolve to keep Buster safe in my room for a while yet.

I start work tomorrow - this is just a temp job, not the one I'm interviewing for on Friday - but I haven't got(ten) up to much yet. I took my computer in to get fixed yesterday, and thanks to the Apple Angels I'll have it back today. I'm using a loaner PC at the moment, and it's... well, it's free, so no complaints, but I'll be happy to return to my beloved Trillian. Apart from that I've been sticking pretty close to home, catching up on American television and trying not to think. In which news, the U.S. Women's Ice Hockey Team is on 'Ellen' today. Sometimes the jokes write themselves. (Another being the god-awful blush pink blazer she's wearing - with black pants and brown shoes, no less. Come on, babe: you've finally got the good hair, let your wardrobe catch up.)

Anyway. I'll follow up with something more... something... soon, but I wanted to get this started. Sign up to follow me and leave comments and all the rest: the more encouragement I get, the more likely I am to keep up with this, and I like having a project right now.

XOXO

Link du jour: Feist on 'Sesame Street' singing a new and improved version of '1, 2, 3, 4'