Where did 2007 go? Feels like a good but brief joke ... succinctly told and quickly forgotten (apparently I was laughing about the joke of it all was when this was taken Christmas morning 2006). At the end of 2006, I was approaching my final semester as an undergrad student and still very much in student head-space. The day I turned in my last term-paper, around the end of March 2007, I felt like I'd just completed something BIG -- really B I G. When I made a comment to that effect and suggested applause or a party or something would be nice, my prof (facing, not very cheerily, the marking of a couple hundred term papers and exams at that point) snarled "that's what Convocation's for!"
Between handing in that final term paper and Convocation, I started pounding the pavement looking for full-time non-academic (as in "real world") work. And quickly discovered my academic success pretty much counted for SQUAT! My resumee got me lots of interviews, but onced interviewed, I either heard "you don't have any current work experience" ('scuse me, what the hell do you call accomplishing this 4.0 GPA and honour society membership? A vacation???) or "you're SO qualified, you'd intimidate our other employees if we hired you!" (WTF???)
Between handing in that final term paper and Convocation, I started pounding the pavement looking for full-time non-academic (as in "real world") work. And quickly discovered my academic success pretty much counted for SQUAT! My resumee got me lots of interviews, but onced interviewed, I either heard "you don't have any current work experience" ('scuse me, what the hell do you call accomplishing this 4.0 GPA and honour society membership? A vacation???) or "you're SO qualified, you'd intimidate our other employees if we hired you!" (WTF???)
As a result, I encountered Mr Deep Dark Depression. Fortunately, I had some good friends around, and they knew exactly how to cheer me up ... tickets to go see Willie Nelson! (Great concert ... great performer ... what more can I say?) 
Not long after Willie, I found a new job with a local non-profit organization. One of my first duties was organizing a 2-day seniors' info fair. ("Why do something small when you can do it whole hog" should be my motto!) It went really well, and we're planning to do it again in 2008 (altho for one day, not two).
Next, I found myself organizing a concert by the Penticton Tune-Agers. (Great group of seniors ... if they ever do a concert in your part of the world, don't miss out!) Guess I was feeling a little too sure of myself after the success of the info fair, 'cuz I figured filling a small theatre (less than 300 seats) would be a piece of cake. Hah! Did you know PGers do things AT THE LAST MINUTE!?!?!? Three days before said concert, less than 60 tickets had sold, and yours truly figured SOMEONE (as in the ding-a-ling -- moi -- that came up with the whole Tune-Agers concert idea) was about to have some "'splainin' to do" ! Fortunately, we sold 200+ tickets in the final 3 days and the concert went over really well.As 2007 draws to a close, I'm recovering from our Christmas hamper project. Once again, PGers came thru at the last minute (after keeping yours truly biting her nails and slightly sleepless for most of December!) and we were able to fill and deliver really substantial hampers to all the seniors who requested them, as well as the dozen or so requests that came in at the last minute. I still have enough food donations to make up some emergency baskets in January.
So I didn't totally leave studenthood behind. I've been working on some distance ed courses towards a Business Admin Certificate. The Business English and Economics weren't too difficult. Just don't ask me about Accounting! ICK! YUCK! GAG! Every word, every bloody debit and credit reminds me why I have a Social Sciences degree! And I've done the odd bit of tutoring and editing since leaving the university. Just enough to maintain that connection. I'm still planning on grad studies ... somewhere and some time down the road ("... on the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again ... " )
Craft and creative-wise, I haven't produced as much as I usually do. My GRYPHON cross-stitch project is still a work in progress, perhaps about two-thirds completed now. I took a bit of a break from knitting this fall and did some quilting, including one HARVEST MOON vest for myself that I'm quite pleased with. I have access to a lovely floor loom (it came with the new basement suite) and am looking forward to playing with that some time over the winter ... AFTER I finish the gold and purple trim currently on my inkle loom ... maybe ... one has to be careful about this finishing one project before starting another. That's a habit sure to stifle creativity!
Blog-wise, I've been a very BAD blogger during 2007. I've discovered Facebook. And Scrabulous on Facebook. I LOVE Scrabulous! Some days, the closest I get to blogging is playing a half dozen turns at Scrabulous on Facebook (without even signing onto Blogger). So my New Year's Resolution should be LESS FACEBOOK AND MORE BLOGGING.
However, this little redhaired gal has never been one for New Year's Resolutions (Thanks for the photo, Lester)! Good intentions seldom turn into reality.Instead, I'll just wish you all ...
