42

Huh, so....42.

I've never tended to make a big deal over my birthday or the significance of numbers. I've had friends freak over 30. I've read articles about guys being upset when they turned 33 because that's how old Jesus was when he died, and what have they accomplished in their lives (dudes, he was the son of God. Perspective) and, of course, 40 is the one where everyone gangs up on you.

I kind of like the idea of 42, in a purely Douglas Adams sort of way. It is, after all, the meaning of life, the universe and everything. I like the idea that maybe, just maybe, at 42 you've gained enough wisdom (although maybe not the meaning of life) to have a better idea of where you are, and still young enough to enjoy it. I like that thought.

As for the year that was 41, well, another one filled with little twists and turns. I manged four trips this year, which was nice. One to Florida, one to Ottawa for a course, one a combination of Ottawa for our sealift and then to Costa Rica for 10 days. And then a trip back to St. John's to visit family and friends.

That's a good year there, I think. It's not so much a "Oh Christ I need to get out of Iqaluit" so much as that I appreciate travelling and seeing places not home more. For years I could never afford to travel while I watched friends go all over the world. Now I have that opportunity and I enjoy it. Age 42 is showing equal promise for trips. Four are planned, but we'll see. Plans are weird things.

Four was a number that had significance in other ways during the past year. It was also the number of jobs I had.

Seriously. And I managed to have them all in a period of about two months.

I'd also like to mention that the turmoil on the job front had nothing really to do with the quality of my work. I was never fired or anything like that. Life just...happened.

As in the job I had most of last year, that I quite liked, was a contract gig. And then things got a little weird with them and they couldn't renew my contract, even though my immediate bosses were making it quite clear that not renewing my contract was a terribly bad idea. By the way, found that out after Cathy and I completed our biggest spending splurge of the year. As long time readers know, our spending habits tend to go with months of nothing, then followed by expenditures that would fry the brains of lesser people as we prepare to resupply for the winter. Oh, and after we bought a new car.

So yeah, no stress there.

Fortunately one of my co-workers gave me a head's up on some work, so I got a month's contract helping out for the local trade show. While that was going on, I got offered a job with Canada Post. Which was lovely grand. I once worked with the post office for a summer about 23 years ago, so I was looking forward to it. I called it a jobcation.

It's not that working with Canada Post is easy. It isn't. There's a lot of manual work and the amount of abuse staff take from customers is unreal. But most of time with the post office was working in back, so it was just the physical aspect I had to deal with. And after years of dealing with deadlines and lots of mental pressure, just going in every day and dealing with sorting mail and packages, it was relaxing.

Of course, it didn't last.

One week into that job and I get a phone call offering me another one. In-between the trade show and Canada Post I'd gone back to St. John's for a week because the parents were laying serious guilt about not seeing them. It had been nearly two years. But while there I had a chance to interview for a job in Iqaluit. By phone.

Believe it or not, this is not the first time I've been back in St. John's, on vacation, while interviewing for a job in Iqaluit.

Anyway, enough time had gone by that I figured without hearing anything that I figured there was no offer happening. Except a week in the post office job I get a call offering me the new position. Which is in my field, has great benefits and pays well. So onwards to Job #4.

I've been there two months, so here's hoping that's the last of the job drama for awhile.

Other than that, we've been doing well. We're content and life is...progressing. It wasn't a bad year, 41. Could have done with a little less job drama, but it's worked out well so far. And hey, I'm still healthy, Cathy is still healthy and things are well, for the most part, with family and friends. Things could be much worse.

Never got the novel finished thought. That's kind of frustrating. Oh well. Maybe that's what 42 is for...

Last Five
1. My city of ruins - Bruce Springsteen*
2. 99% of us is failure (live) - Matthew Good
3. Nutune - Drive
4. Don't get angry - Blue Rodeo
5. Sexy Sadie - The Beatles