An Ups and Downs Day

The oddest thing happened today. I picked up my cell phone to retrieve a voice-mail message, and I could not remember my password. I have had this phone and phone number for, oh, seven years? And out of the blue, mental block on those four digits. All my brain was giving me was the PIN for my ATM card (which I know is not the same number, but I tried it anyway and no dice). Two hours later, I tried again to think of it and drew a complete blank.

Once I started writing about it, fortunately, the number popped back into my head. The human brain is so odd, don't you think?

Anyway! That has nothing to do with anything, but I'm glad I decided to share so that the elusive 4 digits resurfaced. That's not really an Up or a Down, though. Maybe a down-then-up. But onward.

Down: the Bruins last night. Oh, oh, oy. What happened to my team? Did I ask for the inept-most-of-the-season Bruins to come back? No! I wanted the end-of-the-season, first-nine-playoff-games Bruins to stick around, and instead they vanished and the players seem just as puzzled as I am. Not good, people, not good. The only Up to last night was that I had a good book to read* when I didn't feel like watching the game. Which was ... most of the game. I kept it on to the bitter end, but oh, dear. Bitter indeed.

*The second in the Sharing Knife series by Lois McMaster Bujold. I only picked up one of hers for the first time last week, but I like her touch with fantasy. Looking forward to exploring more of her worlds.

Then there was my low-key but pleasant day yesterday, which was all Up (until the puck dropped). I got a rebate in the mail Saturday for my contact lenses. Most years it's been a $50 rebate, which is nothing to sneeze at, but this time they had a half-off deal, so I got $120 back, in the form of a Visa debit card. Nice!

I decided that since it is essentially "found" money, I could splurge on non-essentials, not to the totally frivolous level but beyond the "do I really need that now?" that I've been operating on recently. I did buy some cat food, which the furries consider essential, but I also bought shampoo, even though I wasn't out, and eye drops ditto, and razor blade refills when the old (old, old) blade still worked, and some OTC meds, and calcium chews and trash bags which are both kind of needs? I guess? (I mean, what would one do with one's trash sans bag? I can just see myself putting every scrap into the newspaper delivery bags, and putting them out twice a day.) In a first-world way, these things are needs.

Then I totally splurged on lunch out, at KFC, and got an ice cream on the way home. Now that's living! Up all the way. It wasn't warm enough for my preference, but at least the sun was shining, and it was a pleasant day.

For that matter, it isn't warm enough today, either. Honestly, 54? What is with this weather? The forecast for the rest of the week gives temps from 54-67. Mid-May! I disapprove. Definite Down.

Today I had some fun plans, but I wasn't organized to get out of the house before I got a phone call, which is just as well because it was a big Up. It was the woman I interviewed with last week, to find out if I was still interested in the position, because if so they'd like to offer it to me. Eeee!

Now, there are drawbacks to this job. For one thing, it's a temporary position, expected to go to October. (It gets my foot in the door, though...) The salary isn't as high as I would like it to be (though it's near the center of the range for proofreaders in Boston, according to salary.com). I got benefit details from the agency who would be my actual employer, which are about as expected (better than nothing). (Medical is a lot cheaper than carrying my old insurance through COBRA, but it doesn't cover very much. Dental is only slightly cheaper than the COBRA. My head hurts from trying to compare the benefits and limits of coverage.)

It's in Boston, and I haven't actually worked in the city before. Will I like it? Only one way to find out. I'm not sorry to try it, though. Public transit equals time to knit or read, after all. Less wear and tear on the car, too. Considering the cost of gas alone, the T pass isn't much of an expenditure. And maybe this will make my car insurance cheaper?

Most important? It's a proofreading position. It's what I want to do, in a good place to do it. In fact, it's very similar to what I did when I was a proofreader before, which gives me confidence in a situation full of new, change, and all that other stuff that upsets my stomach.

Up, all right. To be confirmed tomorrow.

P.S. I went out this afternoon, and around the corner from my house found myself behind a few cars that had stopped for something I couldn't see at first. A minute later, I saw Mrs. Mallard crossing with six minute balls of fluff behind her. She stepped up onto the curb, and boing-boing-boing they followed. So cute!

P.P.S. I saw a car with the license plate FILNDR. What do you think it stands for? (It can't be "philander", can it?)