disappearing from Facebook

I deactivated my Facebook account.

FREEDOM!

I guess I will probably have to reactivate it at some point, if only to retrieve photos and videos, maybe? I don't know. Or maybe I'll just go back and everything will be like it was. Ugh, it's all just too toxic for that to seem at all likely now, though.

I fear two things. First, I may be missing out on some work that maybe would have been coming through my Messenger (which I also gleefully deactivated before taking everything into full consideration). My other concern was keeping in touch with my family, but you know, all of my photos are still on Flickr and Instagram (and this will be a push to sort out Flickr for once and for all, I reckon), and I still have my email address and my telephone.

Speaking of work, though, yes, hmmm. I extended my career break to next week to avoid having to go back before Christmas, and Giles and I talked about it a couple of weeks ago and together decided that I just wouldn't go back at all. But then I noticed a job at my grade at the [REDACTED] where the closing date was 15 Jan, and I thought it might be worth applying to that job--but of course, I need to be a civil servant to do that. So, just as my hand had been hovering over the keyboard to resign from my job--as in, I had literally opened my laptop to write a letter of resignation--instead I went ahead and renewed my security clearance, made plans for my return, and applied for that new post. This means it's likely that a week from today I will be getting up at 6am, getting B out the door at 7:40, and starting my 1.5 hour commute each way to DESPAIR oh sorry, autocorrect, I meant CROYDON. So we'll see how that goes.

Meanwhile my good work that I like continues, albeit at a very sloooow pace. I've read one new George R. R. Martin Wild Cards anthology, with another to finish by the end of this month, and I'm trying to figure out how to pump up the volume a bit. As an aside, can you imagine how my heart leapt into my throat (for sooo many reasons) when I got an email with the subject line "new George R. R. Martin to read by Tuesday"?

Finally, I managed to embarrass myself into oblivion by bringing a GIANT CASTLE CAKE (seriously, the bottom tier was around 18 inches) to a party Beatrice was sharing with two other children, where the other two children had rather modest cakes. Giles thinks Beatrice will now get invited to fewer parties because of me. I'm such a jerk.

Later, gator.
Angel