The Kiss

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  “Ryabovitch pulled the bed-clothes over his head, curled himself up in bed, and tried to gather together the floating images in his mind and to combine them into one whole. But nothing came of it. He soon fell asleep, and his last thought was that someone had caressed him and made him happy—that something extraordinary, foolish, but joyful and delightful, had come into his life. The thought did not leave him even in his sleep. When he woke up the sensations of oil on his neck and the chill of peppermint about his lips had gone, but joy flooded his heart just as the day before.” The Kiss By Anton Chekhov (1860–1904)

Times, They Are A-Changing

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 On Monday, July 11 another change is coming to my life. After losing my job of 20 years and subsequently being excused from my doctoral program (the University was footing the bill) I’ve spent the last two years working in a local hardware store, a more Pop than Mom operation an hour away from where I live. I’ve worked open to close many times, missed countless lunches, filled in for absences, managed two fleets, a staff of workers, provided customer service on all levels, even IT support and stocked shelves. I am grossly overworked and severely underpaid. But I’ve made lots of friends and have in some way, contributed to the building and beauty of the community. But it’s time to move on. 

I’ve been on a constant job search and now, it’s come along. So I’ll be going into Hotel Management at a location 15 minutes from my house. And the pay is commensurate with the position. I’m actually excited about the room for growth and advancement! Hopefully I’ll be able to recover so much that I’ve lost the last couple of years. 

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