Consuela,

the only note I would make is if you think maintaining these relationships may help you land another job. You might need to pick and choose one to further communicate with if that is the case.

Have a phone meeting at 3. Did research online about the person's work place. Have a list of questions to ask the person on the phone. Followup actions. Organized and all set.

Check the email again, the meeting is on the 16th.

FUCK.

Your focus has to shift to you, and your future, which no longer includes this job. Let go as soon and as well as you can and look forward, not back.

msbelle IS wise, and Beverly is wise too.

I think making every two characters who spend time together a sexual pairing does oppress the idea of platonic friends, even really good and close friends. But I'm used to that.

When I say oppressed, I'm talking about structural oppression in society, which is something romantic partnerships of a same-sex nature face, and friendships just don't.

I think today calls for cocoa.

With Schnapps in it?

oooh. That sounds good. I have neither of those.

Not while I'm still at work...

If choice humanism means that this [link] can be a more mainstream fashion choice, I think it's clearly the best answer to life, love, and ogling legs.

That video was HOT. Thank you, I needed that in my life today.

I have no idea what that says about my sexuality, but strong legs in high heels, and cute little butts in short tight pants and pretty faces are sexy to me, no matter which gender they're attached to.

hardly anyone has asked me about the really quite large gaps in my resume

On the flip side, I've been asked (multiple job applications, recruiters, and interviews) to account for what I did while unemployed (Cry? Is that what you want to hear???) so if it's not counterproductively stressful or distracting, it might be useful to have the information to hand. IT might be crazier than most (But why did you work in AIDS education instead of IT for a whole entire month??? What are your priorities? Can you be trusted????)

When I say oppressed, I'm talking about structural oppression in society, which is something romantic partnerships of a same-sex nature face, and friendships just don't.

Yeah, I have the same sort of apples and oranges question about "equality". They're not equal, in a logical way, and Equality is a code word for nigh-tangible things, like legal allowances, non-erasure, etc, that I can't see applying to friendships.

Consuela, I agree with people who say that if those explanations contribute to you not burning bridges and increasing your marketability, do them. Otherwise, your plate is really full with said other priority, and you shouldn't lose sleep or anything because of that. Sometimes the thing collapsing behind you is the only way your former employers will get any perspective. I know that your job does more...good? Can I say that? I mean...you have more tasks which appeal to the conscience than an IT desk jockey than me, so make sure you're square with your Maker, etc, etc, but none of these people are helping you get your next job, so that task should be your focus.

I, though, am a workplace idiot, so feel free to ignore me. I've been focussing on personal skill development so much this year (inadvertent NY resolution) that I might drown under this all. But I want to prove to myself that I'm an intelligent and teachable achiever (I've spent a lot of time feeling professionally inadequate, most intensely during said unemployment gaps--when CSI: Miami is depressing because everyone's so good at their niche, you know you're losing hold on reality), and I want to get a consistent reputation for performing, as opposed to having one group of people grateful to me, and another one impatient or dismissive.

So, in addition to helping out the new director with now 4 high profile projects, I've volunteered to be a champion for our new SDLC methodology, and to join a skill inventory working group (What is that? I do not know what that is, but my name seems to be on the list now) because I want to be more like the people here that I admire, and less like the ones that get in the way of me getting my work done.

Thing is, I don't think dead or catatonic are on my 2013 objectives, so I gotta not lose my balance.

Thankfully, something that I've been banging my brain to numbness on, understanding at least at a high level what every single tool in our workstation software does for financial planners (I have never planned more thoroughly than "don't sell your body for rent") of all sorts, in order to be able to recommend the software tool model for new offices, and I was sure I was not only out of touch with the information, but also with the expectations of me. Well, the latter seems to be true, because I over-delivered. So, oops, might need to keep doing that.

This is not the best possible picture, but my (latest, oops) package from zulily came, and from left to right our colours are eggplant, flame, and tomato, and they are LOVELY: [link] (dress, skirt, coat respectively).