I have managed to wear myself out in a single morning of domestic chores. Vacuuming, doing laundry, changing bed linen and various other tidying has led to a sore hip and taken the cheeriness with which I started the day. I think it's just getting old; as R emailed me yesterday "Getting old sucks" and he's 6 months older than I am. I read an article from Sydney Morning Herald about how bitchiness is becoming regarded as not the most nasty trait that a woman can have, that perhaps a bit of bitch makes you stronger. I mention this at this point because what R and I were sharing comments about was the appointment of a particular person to a post as VP of my former employer, for whom R still works. I loathe this woman, not only because she took my job against my advice to management when I left to come to Australia, but that she is smarmy, self-aggrandizing, possesses an extreme case of trees instead of forest mentality and is the author of a discussion paper that strikes at the heart of everything I believe about the virtues of my profession. Now she will be in a position of authority at the place I adored working. Granted, I left them, and their position in the marketplace has changed, as well as most of the staff I worked with. I try so hard to detatch myself from my work these days partly because my devotion to my former employer also caused massive burnout and I don't want to get emotionally committed to that level ever again. I often get nostalgic for the good times circa 1985 when both my job and my marriage were great; but today I am happy for different reasons (when I'm not grousing about my health) and my fibre life has replaced software development and gourmet dining.

The bitchiness article also reminded me of another person who used to work at my old employer who could be the poster girl for bitch. While she and I were the members of a quartet who used to dine out frequently, I knew she was also play-acting as friend. Once she fed me a lie (that she had cancer of all things), solely (I think) to see how fast I spread the idea as gossip. She must have been terribly disappointed when I told no one. She was also convinced I was having an affair with a male colleague, an innocent enough misapprehension until she used it to kill a project which she thought I was championing only because he had designed it. No, it was just a good idea that worked well. He might have used me as a tester but I would be one (of many people) who would be using it. She was in a position to kill it and told me it was because my "relationship" with him had clouded my judgment. Appalled doesn't begin to describe how I felt about that one. If that's what is being proposed as an acceptable way of getting along in the workplace, I hope it is only being used in jest. I try very hard to be honest and transparent in my life, simply because it uses up valuable energy trying to keep track of the lies and feeling angry over things one has no control over, such as who has been appointed as a VP. These days I try and keep my head down and work my (limited) hours doing the best job I can for my current employer and not let past injustices allow me to get angry all over again.

On to happier topics: The latest issue of Wild Fibers magazine arrived yesterday and I have only had time to skim it so far but, as it does with every issue, I want to stop doing everything in order to do fibery stuff all day every day. There's even a weaving article I can take to class when we restart next week. Obviously that would mean somebody else doing all of those domestic chores mentioned at the beginning of this post. Where can you find a house boy these days? An article about Shetlands has the most adorable photo of a mixed coloured group of lambs. My battle to get the paperwork for getting wool processed in the US has made a leap foreward when we all made contact finally with the USDA Vet Services officer who is in charge of granting the certification. One of the fleeces awaiting this blessing is a black Shetland lamb fleece, and I have a very pro-active Shetland breeder in Illinois (Shepherdwoods Farm) who has at least 2 more. Chris Green sent me samples of a white and a grey that are gorgeous. Once I get the alpacas sorted, I think I will be doing some blending. I think I might have to get the Ashford Book of Carding even tho Amazon is not stocking it.