Good News, Weird News, and Bad News

It's only eight days into 2009, and already it's turned into a weird, surprising year. The last 48 hours have been particularly bizarre, because a number of unexpected things have happened.

The Good News: I'm a working girl! I have a job and I start next Monday. And I didn't even have to go looking for the job: it fell in my lap. 

The only catch is that it's not a totally real job. I mean, it's a real job in the sense that it's in my field and full-time--I'll be doing tech writing for my brother's startup company--but it's not a real job in the sense of a full, real salary. So it's not really a viable solution for more than a few months, but it's a perfect fit for right now, as my first job after a long absence from the work force.

The bizarre irony?

My first day back at work will be 3 1/2 years to the day from the last day I worked, on July 12, the day Charley died. 

Charley died in the evening of July 12 and I never went back to work after that day. (Otherwise ignoring the three weeks, seven months after he died, when I technically returned to work, knowing I was subsequently being laid off. In reality, all I was doing those three or four times I was in the office, for only two to four hours, was clearing out my office and figuring out what I was going to do--which was ultimately to quit, as I wasn't anywhere near ready to work full time while being a freshly grieving, single mom with an hour commute each way. So all things considered, I've never really gone back to work since the day Charley died.)

It'll be the 3 1/2-year anniversary of Charley's death on Monday. The number seems far too large.

The Weird News: Assuming they actually follow through on what they've said, I'm supposedly going to be receiving a written offer on my house in the next day (or few). No, the house isn't still on the market. It's yet another bizarre thing that's just "happened" out of nowhere, without me doing anything to achieve it. And yes, it's those mystery people who kept appearing and disappearing with sort-of offers in October and November. Apparently it just takes them two months to decide to act (and this is assuming they actually do, in fact, write an offer this time; I'll believe it when I see it).

The Bad News: It's going to be a crap offer, far below what my listing price was when it expired right before Thanksgiving. My realtor called me and left a message while I was out of town after Christmas, so I technically found out about it a week ago. And in fact, I'd snorted and rejected it entirely. After getting used to the idea for the last month or two that I'd be staying here in Sandy, I had no reason to take a low-ball offer just to get the hell outta Dodge. 

It was fine to stay. For now. But I knew I'd have to be reexamining the issue again in a few months as soon as I knew what I'd be doing for a job, because I'd have to be working again full-time by spring.

I talked to my realtor on Monday, and I told her what my bottom line was--something that was not appealing to these buyers at all. So I assumed that was that, and nothing more would happen.

But then I found out on Tuesday afternoon I had a job, and a start date. And I was downright giddy, excited to be returning to a hallmark of a "normal" life. And suddenly having a light at the end of the tunnel--a concrete job to go to, being free of my house in Sandy so I could get to that job and a more fulfilling social life, living closer to friends and activities I like to do, having some cash in hand to give me options again--was in my grasp. And their offer didn't seem quite so offensive. 

So I changed my mind a bit, and told my realtor to convey that to the other realtor. And they wanted to meet with me tonight to present their offer (which I can't do, because of a family birthday dinner for one of my nieces...which I'm supposed to be at right now). So I haven't seen this written offer just yet...but from everything they've said, it sure seems like they're going to do it.

And depending on what their price is, I just might take it. 

No "might," even, actually. 

I think. Most of me wants to take it and run away skipping for glee...but I have to be careful about what I choose to do next too. So I can't say with 100 percent comfort what I'll do. But I sure know what I want to do.

But until I have a written offer in my hand, it's all irrelevant anyway. So I might be getting all a-twitter for nothing. 

There have been one or two other odd things that have happened too, but nothing worth posting on here. But needless to say, it's all happened in the last 48 hours or so...and it's just bizarre how they're falling into place, except I don't know if all of it is even going to happen, in the end. 

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because for the last 3.5 years, the other shoe has always dropped. There's always a catch, or something that looks like it's supposed to work out but ultimately doesn't.

But maybe there doesn't have to be this time. Maybe, for once, something can. just. work. out.

It's not precisely the scenario I hoped for last spring when I was desperately deciding to try to sell my house and move, and it's certainly far from ideal...but it's something, and it feels like a ray of light I haven't had in a long, long time. 

So keep your fingers crossed for me. I need all the added help I can get with this one....