My life

[Danya (imported)]

I just wrote how I had no

t heard anything from the GRS surgeon.

Minutes later, I checked my 'junk' email and there was a note from the GRS surgeon's office. They are offering April 19, 2011 as 'the date.' That is roughly 7 months from now.

It is possible that, even if I am offered a permanent job in the next several weeks, I will be able to keep this surgery date.

[butterflyjack (imported)]

Hi sweety...All seems well in Chicago (a city that I love). There's an article in National Geographic's Travel magazine this month on "Green Chicago". I'm about to read it.

I love your dauntless perseverence...What a marvelous employee you're going to make some lucky employer. And likewise life partner... I really love chatting with you...Please tell me more about your feelings that mimic those detailed in my last post...I painted my toenails a nice pale pink last night..I have pretty feet and legs...(what a slut..hehe)...smooches dragonfly

[Danya (imported)]

Hi dragonfly,

I just went online to look up the article on "Chicago, America's Green City (http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/tr ... -traveler/)." The article photo, taken a bridge/walkway as it leads from the Art Institute over Monroe Street to Millennium Park, is stunning. The low clouds that partially obscure the skyscrapers just north of the park give this an especially dramatic look.

The central tower is Aon Center, formerly Amoco. For a time after this 83-story building was completed, it was the tallest marble-clad building in the world. Then a marble slab fell off a year later! Later still, all the marble was replaced with white granite at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.

Just to the right and slightly in back of the Aon Center is the 82-story residential Aqua Tower, one of my favorite buildings in the city. You cannot easily see this in the photo, but the irregularly spaced, curving balconies produce a really cool effect. The building looks as if a sculptor artfully crafted its exterior. Or water had eroded its surface.

Just one more thing, as the photo caption suggests: Millennium Park, at 24.5 acres is perhaps the largest roof-top green space there is (http://www.greenroofs.com/projects/pview.php?id=459). The whole thing is built over a huge underground parking garage. With sky high rates.

I need to stop writing about Chicago or I will not stop.

Thanks for the compliment on my "dauntless persistence." I made it a point in the post you were responding to to note that I was feeling very down for a time Sunday. I want readers to know I have difficult days. Fortunately, I usually recover in 24 hours or less. I do not feel "dauntless." People make comments similar to yours and I honestly wonder where they get this image of who I am. This persistent, dauntless and so on person. Maybe one day I will believe it. I feel I am doing nothing more than what I must and, at times, this is very difficult.

All I want is a 'normal' life. Whatever that is!

Reminds me of Helen Hunt's character in the movie "As Good As It Gets." Somehow, she has fallen in love with the extremely obsessive-compulsive character played by Jack Nicholson. Not only does he have a severe case of OCD, he can also be very annoying and difficult. Helen's character asks her mother, late in the movie, something like "Why can't I have a normal boyfriend?" Her mother responsds, "There's no such thing, dear."

I do not imagine I will ever have again what I used to consider a normal life, as recently as 16 months ago. I'm not at all sure I want it, either.

I'll post something on your feelings and mine in a day or two. I really need to get cracking on interview preparation.

[butterflyjack (imported)]

Thanks for that history lesson...You are what people say you are...and love you for it....smooches, I'm looking forward to our next conversation...and good luck on the resumes/interviews... Just be yourself...you're a winner..

dragonfly

[butterflyjack (imported)]

Hi hon...You okay? Miss your conversation...dragonfly

[Danya (imported)]

Hi hon...You okay? Miss your conversation...dragonfly

Thursday, I worked late at the office finally leaving at 11:15 PM. 'X' drove downtown to give me a lift to my car at a distant 'L' station. An end to one of my worst days in corporate America.

After getting three hours sleep, I got up an hour earlier than usual to head back to the office. I was surprised I was able to lead a meeting despite being exhausted.

Found out Thursday I will have a third, and final, interview for the permanent job downtown. It will be late Monday morning. My Minnesota friend always tells me to ask how many people they are interviewing. I have no wish to know. The knowledge won't help me or change the outcome.

'X' says he is starting to understand me. That could be dangerous. He refuses to tell me exactly what he is understanding or how he has reached this point. I need to give him more of a challenge!

Too tired to write anything else tonight.

[Mac (imported)]

.............

Found out Thursday I will have a third, and final, interview for the permanent job downtown. It will be late Monday morning. My Minnesota friend always tells me to ask how many people they are interviewing. I have no wish to know. The knowledge won't help me or change the outcome. .......................

Go get it girl! You have waited long enough. Good Luck with the interview.

[butterflyjack (imported)]

Wow...that is a looong day! Its good to have someone who cares enough to help in times like that. X came through. This company must see what they have in you...as do we.....Good luck, and, as always, big smooches dragonfly

[Danya (imported)]

'X' and I arrived at Millennium Park 2 1/2 hours before the start of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert. Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the concert venue, was already packed. The orchestra was rehearsing Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture to his ballet music "Romeo and Juliet." Very quickly, the superbly performed, emotional music overwhelmed me and I was in tears. Crying is usually a good thing for me and it was Sunday evening.

I simply could not believe how fine the orchestra sounded.

When they played Respighi's symphonic tone poem "The Pines of Rome," I was able to curb the tears until the third movement. There, for the first time ever in a musical composition, the sound of a bird singing is an integral and very effective part of the music. The nightengale's soaring song is an extraordinarily beautiful addition to this nocturne, a reflective night time piece of music.

The last movement has a more brazen and at times martial tone as it draws a musical impression of the pines along the ancient Appian Way. This conclusion affected me even more deeply.

The actual performance was more than I had hoped for. I was entirely engaged by the music and masterly playing. The concert ended with a display of fireworks along the perimeter of the pavilion. There were over 25,000 people in attendance.

My third interview with the downtown company went very well. The director and I hit it off from the start. The interview lasted far longer than originally planned. I cannot think of any way in which this interview could have gone better. I am hopeful I will be offered this permanent job by the end of the week at the latest.

Even if I do not get this job, the series of interviews was a great experience.

After work, I wanted to walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The weather was still a bit drizzly when I got there. Since I was wearing a business suit, I decided against walking around the wet grounds of the garden.

Instead, I kept heading north and wound up in Milwaukee. I love driving and I listen to all kinds of music in the privacy of my car. This is very relaxing. Although the interview went well, I felt a need to unwind mostly from my 'high' feelings after things went so well.

I intended to eat at a German restaurant I visited over 20 years ago. I was able to find it, but it was closed. Next time, I will check their open days before driving so far.

Before getting to bed, I will write a thank you email to the director I spoke with during today's interview.

[Danya (imported)]

Go get it girl! You have waited long enough. Good Luck with the interview.

Hi Mac,

Thanks for the good wishes. I'm still waiting to hear if I will be offer

ed this job. More on this in another post.

Danya

Wow...that is a looong day! Its good to have someone who cares enough to help in times like that. X came through. This company must see what they have in you...as do we.....

Good luck, and, as always, big smooches dragonfly

Hi dragonfly,

For part of a day last week, the very long one, I was not at all sure the company saw what they have in me. Then we talked about it to set things rights.

Danya