Update - here I am, back in Van-bloody-couver...

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Homeless and wandering about the country - Will I ever have a home? ...

So I've been out of camp 21 days... I picked my sister up from the airport the evening I got in. We did a 6 day road trip through the Okanagan looking for a home for me. Nada. Nothing to buy, nothing to rent. Well, nothing I'd want to spend any time in.

Then I spent 2 weeks looking in the Fraser Valley, with the same results.

I am staying with my ex (he's been very kind), but it's time to move on. So I was forced to look in Van-bloody-couver and I've only seen all sorts of places not fit to put your animal into. This one guy leered at me, pawed my shoulder and asked if I had a boyfriend, and oh yes, he liked my "skirt". Ick ick and double ick. Yeah, I do, he's 6'2" and is a boxer, d'ya mind?

Then tonight a g/f calls and tells me about a place up for sublet for CHEAP ($550/mo) for 3-4 months - yes! Just have to meet the woman and see if that works out.

And on to ...

Working - will I ever be doing that again? ...

Went to a conference in Calgary a week or so ago with a g/f and got to stay with my son and his lady for 3 days (that was just a bonus!), and two things happened:

1. Made some great connections for work
2. Met a really nice man (went to Uni with my g/f) who is coming to visit me this weekend.

So, work this year is weird because of the market. If the Juniors hadn't raised money last year for this one, good luck!! And apparently there's a plethora of cooks, dammit. I have an edge because the people I know have referred me, which gets me in the door, but... sigh.

I've got enough money saved to last the rest of the year, but that's not my idea of a life, so I've been calling, emailing, reminding people I'm alive and back, pounding the pavement, and hitting up all my friends for contacts. I LIKE working. Several irons in the fire but who knows what will transpire? And more importantly, when?

So basically, I'm just kinda hanging around, visiting friends, shopping for clothes (lost a bunch of weight in camp), and generally making myself annoying on here.

Trying to remain positive but this sitting around crap is getting to me. I mean, the visiting is wonderful but not knowing is tiresome. And, of course, being homeless isn't great for mental stability.

On a more positive note, I went to a fabulous Blues club in Calgary - wow, they were FANtastic! And when Jen and I came home, we HAD to go the Yale (Van's best blues bar) - a bunch of us went, actually, and it was wonderful. Then she gave me two JJ Cales CDs from another friend and I've listened to them over and over - great, great music. So, musically, I'm happy Very Happy

This morning I was thinking - why limit yourself, Mame? You can move to Costa Rica or England, for heaven's sake - why stay in BC?? So, I have some thinking to do. But first I need to make some money. Hope to have some good news to post on that soon. In the meantime, I'll just add a few withery comments here and there on A2K... forgive me if I get tetchy.

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Consider yourself understood.

Yes, consider horizon widening.. not that yours aren't wider than most. But of decisions I've regretted, they've been ones where I thought I was all adventurous, and later thought I didn't see a wider view.

(Your energy is inspiring to the rest of us in the meantime, though.)

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I know that feeling - too many chips in the air at one time.......

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Lil K - Yeah... a little too much uncertainty which I'm learning to deal with. After all, I asked for this, didn't I? Not worried but like to be doing something. Don't care about the home as much as I do about the work. I have 6 sisters and a multitude of friends I can stay with but that doesn't answer.

Osso, yeah, you get me. We are the authors of our own lives, so it's all about what we write for ourselves, isn't it? Our stories are as limited as our own imaginations.

This is nothing, and I know that. I think the inertia is what's getting me. I think I need to go listen to some great music.

When I painted while listening to blues, I think they were my best works.

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Well, for various reasons, I'm in lemon decline. That's what my business partner used to describe when she saw plant material, a tree, a shrub, a perennial, or a whole landscape with not immediately nameable problems re infestation or more. But it is fitting for my age and reassessment time.

I could murmur things about figuring out what you want, but I won't, as many times one doesn't get the range of what one wants until one has some more experience.

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Hey Mame

Nothing real constructive to offer you (sorry) but "tetch" away - better out than in girl.

Just for the record - you're pretty inspiring in the journey you just had - and I hope something find's you soon to get rid of the inertia.

Hope the weekend goes well with the "new" friend.

(offer still open - anytime!)

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hehe

come on down to austin while you are ...eh...homeless Very Happy

stay with me

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izzie - thanks... that sounds like a wonderful idea.

shewolf - aren't you just a TAD late, woman?? I had to write that in two separate threads, for chrissakes!

huh!

And this is after I offered you my hotel, you dawg.

But if I ever get down that way, I'll take you out for a meal. You and Chai. Now, THAT would be an evening!

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Now, Albuquerque is still a part of everyone's plans, right?

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no.
everyone has changed to Austin Smile

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Certainly!

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After all the work Osso has done, that would be sacrilege! Austin is a separate trip, roger, and I don't care if anyone else goes - I just want to meet she and the chair.

End of story.

I am going. AT some point.

I just hope I make the ABQ meet. Barring work (which, as you know, I WANT), I will BE there. Sounds like so much fun, and so many people to meet, including your wonderful self. I'm really looking forward to this.

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I hope to get to Austin too, one of these days.

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I've done some looking around, true, as have Dys and Diane, but never signed on as decider, just trying to give options. I do regret my whining episodes. Bitch, you know.

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Oh yeah, you're so BAAAAAAD, osso. Thanks for all your help. THere was so much info I couldn't keep up.

I'm just coming down and doing what everyone tells me to. and that's that.

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Oh, and BTW, and update - I've found a temporary home for several months - a friend called me and said someone she worked with needed to sublet her West End apt starting ASAP and I just called the woman and I've got it - I should be jubilant, and I am to finally have a place to store my clothes and operate from, but it IS Vancouver and I don't want to be here, so the edge of the jubilation is tarnished. However, on the upside, I have a home, decent and clean (and if not, it will be soon), and local, close to everything, and blah blah, so I am no longer homeless, unless she can't stand me when I meet her tomorrow. I think it's going to work out just great.

And I had a brainwave - to share a home with a chef at the restaurant where I worked... we'll work on that one and I'll let you know.

Now it's just the work I have to focus on. Whew.

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I'm hearin ya Mame. I've been out of work (not counting the trial business run) for over a year now and I can't wait to get back out there to work.
I only have enough funds to cover me for another month and a half, but I'm not hearing back from jobs I've applied for.

I have the lobster shop to fall back on which is slave work, but hell, I'd even be happy with that at this point. Anything to get back out there.

<sigh>

Good luck in finding a cool job and I'm so happy you found a place to hang your hat for a while.

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Wish I could help you Montana, but I don't know anyone in NB. Except you, of course, and that wouldn't help atall.

Good luck to you, hon.

Update - here I am, back in Van-bloody-couver...

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