A Year Ago

A year ago, give or take a few days, I was let go from my much loved job at the hospital due to financial mismanagement by the department head. Refusing to allow his positions to get away from him, he fired people rather than let another department with funding take on the Web support group.

As I was already anticipating my husband's company to fold up its tent at the start of 2006, this was pretty devastating news.

The Republicans were engaging in shameless crime and calling those who objected to them traitors to the nation.

Worse, just after beginning a temp job in January, I got news that my father-in-law was ill. Eight weeks later, he had died of a brain tumor.

Fast-forward a year.

I'm working for another company in a better paid position with a wider range of interesting projects, a much more comfortable work-place environment and a benfits package I didn't think existed anymore. I have a great group of sometimes endearing, sometimes aggravating, always supportive people to work with. I am happier here than at the hospital, which is saying something.

The husband's company staggered on for another year, though it really does look like it won't last past January. On the up-side, the parent company has said Joe has a job with them for as long as he wants one, doing support for the old company's products.

My mother-in-law, a dear and wonderful woman, gave us the house she had shared with her husband for fifteen years, saying she wished to move closer to her family. We sold the house, and are doing what my father-in-law would have wanted us to do - buy a nice house and stop living in an apartment.

The Democrats control Congress and are poised to bring the neocon wet-dream of unfettered markets and projection of military might to a screaming halt.

So, I am thankful that the employment insecurity of last year has resolved itself so well. I would still prefer to hear my father-in-law's voice on his weekly call, "I just wanted to see how you kids were doing," than to own any house. My faith in my country is somewhat restored with the first round of regime change.

And I have great hopes for the coming year.

Anglachel