Who knew that getting fired would be the best thing to ever happen to my social life?  I've spent more time out with friends and with my parents in the last three months than I think I did in the whole of the preceding year.  I've got to say that I'm very grateful for this time with my parents.  It's fun to go shopping with them, and for lunch at Arby's, and for coffee at their place whenever I'm driving in the area.  Heck, I even rather enjoyed spending an hour watching curling with them this aft.  I actually found myself cheering!!  This is precious time (yes, even the curling), and I wouldn't have missed it for all the tea in China, or for any job on earth.  I'm especially glad that I'm not missing it due to the job I had; it had become something unhealthy, which was sad given how wonderful the first 8 months of it had been.  

I've also noticed that I'm walking with my head up for the first time in years.  I hadn't realized what a heavy burden futility can be.  Day after day chipping away at a mountain of expectations that just kept growing exponentially while the resources to accomplish it dwindled at the same rate.  I think back to how horrible I used to feel 15 years ago when I lived on a tight budget.  Having since had the big paycheque, and the accompanying futility, I've come to cherish the budget because it represents freedom.  Given a choice between budget and futility, I'll choose the budget every time, because no amount of money is worth my soul.