On so many levels, 2008 was a *crazy* year. Nothing about it was steady, solid, or rooted. The days, situations, and people constantly changed like the weather in South Dakota. I was along for the ride, trying incessantly to adapt to the ever-changing landscape. And somewhere along the line, I fell off the train.
It started as any new year begins in these freezing bowels of Wisconsin. The snow was heavy, the air was wickedly cold, and cabin fever settled in, in turn making me one crabby bitch. Apparently, I wasn't the only one affected with the fever, as my roommate at the time mirrored my attitude, only to mulitply it times ten. Think of concrete expanding on a highway on a hot day. Enough pressure and heat causes the concrete to rupture and place dangerous "bumps" along the road. Travelling the fast lane at 90 miles per hour and running over a bump like this is going to cause some serious damage to your vehicle.
Being couped up indoors for months, the only "relief" people sought was to gather with groups of more people affected with the fever, and drink themselves silly. Myself and roomie included. It became almost a nightly ritual, and the days and weeks melded together to a point of exhaustion. The late nights and early mornings didn't help make life any easier to live, and nearly cost me my job.
What now seems like a Godsend, I developed an allergic reaction to some medication administered via I.V. This called for a three-day hospital stay. Even though I spent those three days doped up on Morphine and other drugs, I got a lot of much-needed rest and reflection time. Thankfully, my mom was there with me the entire time, although I'm sure that wasn't her favorite thing to do. My exit from the hospital was immediately followed by my decision to ditch the roommate situation, and look for a new place to live that was more affordable by myself.
Easier said than done. Nearly two months passed before the roomie was able to move out. At that time, I had serious difficulty trying to find a place on my own, having too much debt and other financial obligations. However, relief came, probably another Godsend, when a longtime online friend of mine offered to let me, my dog, and my two cats come live with him until I could get back on my feet. I took him up on his offer, and it wasn't long before a whole new soap opera started to develop.
(Part II coming soon, stay tuned!)
Well, at least there was the morphine, right? ;)
ReplyDeleteI never did the roommate thing because I was always worried about where it might lead. 2009 is gonna be our year.