Good Riddance, 2011

You may have noticed my absence these last few weeks and here's why: the end of 2011 pretty much sucked.  It all began when my four-year-old brought lice home from preschool and shared it with two others in the house.  Here are a few other sucky things:

• I picked up a part-time seasonal retail job and lost my weekends.  We were either so busy I rang at a cash register for eight hours straight and didn't have time to pee, or I was bored out of my mind handing out samples and stocking the same products over and over and over.
• With two jobs, my writing time seriously decreased.  Like, to nothing.  I also received a rejection on a full manuscript from a dream agent.... but it was a promising rejection, one filled with connection and hope.  
• The Monday after the long Thanksgiving weekend, during which I worked overnight on Thanksgiving into Black Friday, Friday night, and all day Sunday, I learned that my company would be closing its doors December 30 and I would be out of a job.  So while I dismantled three years' worth of hard work (and more), worked a second job, and barely saw my family, I had the added stress of looking for new employment.

But enough sucky stuff.  Here's why 2012 is going to ROCK:

• I got a new job and it's NOT in HR.  I will be the Communications Manager for a local Chamber of Commerce.  Newsletters, social media, etc.  It's closer to home so my commute will be much shorter.  Summer hours will be every other Friday from eight to noon. I'm already dreaming of weekend getaways with my family. 
• Back to writing -- it's only been a few weeks since I wasn't writing every day, so it should be fairly easy to fall back into that habit.  I have a lot of books on my To-Read List (TRL), including Writer with a Day Job: Inspiration and Exercises to Help You Craft a Writing Life Alongside Your Career.
• Dear Twitter, I've missed you.  I can't wait to get back to my social media life.
• We have tickets for Coldplay in August and Van Halen tickets go on sale January 10th!

We're in Wisconsin for the long holiday weekend, celebrating Christmas and New Year's with Hammer Guy's family.  I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening of popcorn, reading (BIRTHMARKED by Caragh M. O'Brien), and THIS:

Cheers!  Here's to a fantastic 2012!