Trouble in Paradise

    We're still pretty homesick for our beautiful Seattle and nearby Spokane and Vancouver BC.  With my recent job troubles, it has been a struggle to keep to our vision of staying here for a few years before heading back north.  C put it succinctly the other night: We can do three things. 1) Do what we're doing and stay miserable. 2) Change what we're doing here and get happy.  3) Give up on the Bay Area and move back to Seattle.  Option 1 is certainly out of the question and with more consideration we have decided again to go with option 2.  At least for a while.
    I have had a job working as Office Supervisor in a cancer clinic that is partially owned by a group of hospitals.  I work out of an office in Los Gatos (T, W, F) and Palo Alto (M, TH).  It is the most disorganized and poorly structured workplace I have ever been in and I was put in charge almost 90 days ago.  Yikes.  In addition to this challenge, I work with purportedly very good but very egotistical surgeons who act like, but are not actually, my bosses.  The commute is an hour in the mornings whether I head south or west, mass transit is unfortunately not an option, and I hate (with increasing vigor) to drive.  My actual boss (I am employed by the hospital) is fortunately a very helpful and supportive woman who does not want to lose me.  I have not yet given notice, but have been out interviewing and fantasizing about walking out on it all.  I have been mostly miserable and working long, exhausting hours including Sundays.
    Part of my not leaving as of this writing is the commitments for change made by my boss, and part is due to other life changes I have been considering.  I would like to leave the health care field.  I don't get to use my brain very much.  I don't get to create much at all.  I am in the minority of office staff in that I have a college education.  And, I'm tired of never having more than a couple of days off for Christmas.  So, anyway, I'm thinking about programming.  I think I'll be good at it and enjoy it too.  It doesn't make much sense to commit to another job for a short while before jumping ship to go back to school or change industries, so I guess I'll stick it out.
    Other life changes we're considering include buying a house to limit my and C's commute, and having kidlets.  We're in the planning and talking stages only of both those projects now, but are looking forward to future developments.  We'll keep y'all posted.
    The weather, typically, has been beautiful here and we're in full-fledged rose season, car-wash season, and automatic sprinkler season.  Sunshine is nice and we're having the Bay Area spring that is warm 70 degree days cooling at night with a breeze and the hills green just before they brown.  Of course, this makes me wish I had a chance to be outside more often, but at least it is light now when I head home from work and when I run with Pepper it is the early morning cool of a beautiful day in which I get to run.
    Well, I've been a pretty poor correspondent recently and hope that I can change that soon.  It is not being busy that has been the problem, but misery and depression that have narrowed my focus.  Thanks to all those who have been there when I've periodically reached out of this dark hidey hole, and to those who have reached in on their own.  Please feel free to prod me into further communication via e-mail.  I hope you have been well yourselves and enjoying your own springs.
    Peace,
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