Freedom

I finished up at work yesterday. I wasn’t expecting much. I considered myself to be one of the least popular people there, and the fact that I was leaving with THE MOST HATED PERSON IN THE OFFICE didn’t bolster my expectations.

(Of course, I didn’t give a rat’s arse whether I was “popular” or not. I was there to do a job, not to be Miss Popularity. If you don’t like me – stiff shit. I am what I am.)

You know that saying that goes sort of like “have no expectations and you’ll be surprised”?
Yesterday was actually a really good day.

There was a big morning tea – chocolates, chips, cake etc, a card, which had some lovely things written on it (and the stock standard ‘good luck’ from those who don’t really care), and my parting gift? A Pandora charm! I got given the giraffe, which is just so damn cute.

My two besties in the office got together on the low and pulled me aside after the feeding frenzy… they had gone and gotten me another Pandora charm just from the two of them. The dog – very awesome – and cuter than I thought! And another little card… I love those girls to bits and I know we’ll stay in touch.

A few people in the office had asked if I was doing anything for lunch, and I hadn’t planned on at first, but as the question kept getting asked, we decided to go out. I wasn’t going to invite everyone in the office (which earned me a 10 minute lecture on how rude I was from THE MOST HATED PERSON IN THE OFFICE – wonder how she earned that title?) but I figured everyone had their chance to say goodbye at the morning tea, so lunch was just for me and the friends I’d made over the past two years. We had a great time, me and my 12 (!) office buddies, and when I said I didn’t think I was this popular, I got shot down with a “don’t be silly!”

Between lunch and the office I got another card and a bunch of flowers, taking the gifts total to flowers, two charms and three cards, and then it was just a case of tidying up the leftovers that my now ex-supervisor left laying on her desk. I didn’t think it was right that she’d finished up and walked out with paperwork everywhere, so I filed the things she should have done, and then it was all over. Out the door at 3.30, with no tears and my head held high.

So that’s it. While I’m now officially unemployed, I’ve expressed my interest in a temp role at my local council. It runs until the end of the year, and it’s 2 minutes from home. I’ll follow up with the agency on Monday, but if I get it, there’s another week before it starts, so I get a mini holiday – yay! That will give me some time to organise the finances, make some purchases that I normally can’t at stores that don’t open weekends, and just generally chill out. Oh, and I better start doing something about my lack of Christmas decorations, I suppose. That’s not too far away!

This year is going to finish on a positive note. I’ve had to deal with some pretty nasty shit this year, all unexpected, horrible stuff, and there is no other option. I think I’ve used up all my bad luck. Only good things ahead!