Hey Everyone!
So sorry that I haven't been able to stop by sooner - between the Jewish holidays and finishing up at work, I haven't been able to spend as much time on line as I'd like. But now that I'm FREE (yea!), I can post to my heart's content, without worrying about someone looking over my shoulder all the time!
Thanks so much to each and every one of you for thinking of me, last Friday, and for all of the wonderful things that you said and thoughts that you shared! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, as always! You are all such wonderful and special people, and I am so lucky to have met all of you and to be a part of this thread!
Wendy, I am so sorry to hear that you were recently in the hospital and have had to deal with these many health issues, tests, etc. I hope that you are feeling well, despite all of these things that you are going through! I'm sure that you will be relieved when you receive your test results and when your dental work has been completed! I hope that all is well, and I'll be thinking of you! As always, it sounds like you have a wonderful attitude and a positive outlook, and I know that that can only be good for your health! I am so sorry to hear about your DH's job. Believe me, I can relate to the hurt, anger, fear, etc. Especially since he was sort of "given notice" about the layoff, a few weeks ahead of time. I'm here if you need to vent, talk, or otherwise - having experienced 6 months straight of similar feelings and situations, I definitely empathize! But I'm sure that your DH will find something else great, soon! With all of the experience that he has and with all of the contacts that I'm sure he's made during his business travels, I'll bet that he will find something even better than his current job, before you know it! Glad to hear that all is well with your children, and that they have begun the school year and are enjoying it!
Thanks so much for stopping in and for your kind wishes, Dan! That's OK - I can be a bit of a "fiend", myself, I suppose!

Thank you for thinking of me!
Hi Angie! Nice to hear from you! Hope that all is going well, down there, and that your children are enjoying the beginning of the school year!
Linda - thanks for everything, as always! 66 pounds - WOW!! That's so wonderful!!

I'm sure that you will have lost even more than 75 by the time that you go to WDW! Belated happy Grandparents Day! That was so nice of you to take out all of the children! How is your DD feeling? And how are things going at the library? Has your new helper been fully trained, now? And do you find that it makes your work easier, having her there?
Hi Elaine! Belated happy birthday to Luis! So sorry that I missed the celebration for him, here in the Suite - I'll have to make it up to you both by taking you out to dinner at Victoria and Albert's, in honor of Luis's birthday!

Thanks for thinking of me on Friday, even though you had much happier things to think about!
Everything has been fine, here. We spent Rosh Hashana at my parents' house, last week. I did all of the cooking and serving and setting up and cleaning up, and it was exhausting, but fun. Frank's sister came along, and she really hit it off with my family. I think that it really cheers my father up to have people over and to have a lot of people around. Then, this past Monday was Yom Kippur, which is the Day of Atonement. It couldn't have come at a better time! The week in between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is supposed to be a time of reflection and a time to forgive and to think about ways that you would like to make your life better, etc. So this layoff was actually timed very well, and fell during that week! Frank and I went to Yom Kippur services at the new synagogue that we joined (the one of the Rabbi who married us), and I'm glad that we did - I found it to be very comforting and "cleansing". Then we went to my parents' that night, and I made and brought dinner for them and my uncle.
My last day of work was actually very anti-climactic. I had already long finished all of my actual work (the entire last week was horrible, since I had so little to do and was constantly trying to look busy), and I just basically sat around all day, waiting for my boss to "release me". The people in my group had had a cake for me the day before. It's very strange - I haven't worked with this particular group of people for very long, and while they are nice and we certainly all get along, I just don't feel close to any of them. So I almost felt like they got me the cake out of "obligation", not because they really WANTED to. Or maybe that was just my perception - as some of you said, maybe they just felt weird and didn't know what to say, or maybe they're afraid of losing their own jobs. Who knows. Anyway, that, along with my communication with them on the actual last day, was very awkward and stilted. When I finally left, they were all standing around me - I wasn't sure what they wanted me to do - I think that they were waiting for me to hug them, but I just didn't feel close enough to any of them to do that! It was very strange. Anyway, I managed to get myself out of there around 4:00 PM, then I went and met my 3 "co-layoff-ees" at a nearby restaurant in Princeton, and we had a few drinks. Frank came and joined us, when he finished with work, then the others left and Frank and I stayed and had dinner, which was nice. So, all in all, it wasn't a "bad" end. And now I feel relieved that it's finally all over, and that I never have to look at that office or those people again! I haven't really been able to do much relaxing per se, yet - too many chores to tie up and holiday stuff going on. But I plan to slow down, soon!
Today, Frank and I are off to the
travel agent to make our reservations for our WDW trip in June 2003 - yea!!!!!! I don't care whether I am working by then or not.....nothing is going to keep me away from WDW!!!!
And maybe we'll watch our new Monsters, Inc. DVD later, too!
Anyway, hope that all is well with all of you, and thanks so much again to all of you, for thinking of me and for being such great and special friends!
