Better days are shinin' through?

I've described 2009 as my annus horribilis. From being shit-canned at my previous newspaper gig to getting unemployment benefits denied through filing for food stamps, it seemed at one point as if nothing would ever go right. Add to that my years-long lack of communication with my mother and you had a recipe for ugh.

In the last couple of months, my mother and I have re-connected. It was awkward at first. The first time she and I talked in years was June 26 when she called to tell me that Grandma was being taken to hospice. That conversation was awkward to say the least. A few days later, I called her after my father called to tell me Grandma died.

But something happened on Grandma's way to Heaven or wherever she's going to end up in the afterlife: My mother came down to Maryland to clear out her father's old house after his girlfriend moved out into a nursing home. I called her, then I went over to the house to help her with the move. During that time we started communicating in fits and starts, but at least we could now re-establish communication without it being that old awkwardness.

Fast forward to this past weekend. She came down to Maryland again because she found a buyer for the house and she wanted to be here to settle it. I went over to spend some time with her and we ended up going to lunch/dinner, then to Coldstone for ice cream, then we drove by my paternal grandmother's old house. Then we talked. And talked. I originally expected to be for about an hour or so. I ended up staying for nearly five hours. I finally looked out the window and realized it was dark outside when I finally left the house.

I've been on a few temporary assignments the past couple of months and had a couple of interviews here and there for part-time jobs and one full-time position. I got a call the other day to go in for a second interview for one of the full-time positions at the local community college.

I definitely don't want to count my chickens yet, but my iTunes did play "Better Days" by Bruce Springsteen a few hours ago...

 

That's cool. You (generally) only get one family so it's great you've reconnected. Sounds as if things are looking up for you.

 

Better Days, indeed, F_T, to one who deserves the best

 

I can say unequivocally that 2008 was the worst year of my life and 2009 was the best. Hopefully you are about to see the same sort of swing!