O'dog's Act II

[orangedog]

Yeah, I love the summers here, this city is a nice size, but the winters are just too long.

APD probably isn't hiring because of city budget cuts. The mayor is on a big "balance the budget" thing right now so in city government and services there have been hiring freezes, wage concessions, and some job cuts - mostly thru attrition but there have been some layoffs. A-town isn't as bad off economically as other places (0 to -1% growth projected next year. Past 15 years have been constant 1% growth per year.)

[Gardener]

Used to live in Eugene. Still miss it sometimes.

Interesting. That's the area I'm checking out first.

[orangedog]

Eugene - Liberal
Springfield - Conservative
Corvalis - Rivals
Portland - Big city but different
Salem - The Gov
Bend/Sisters - Playground



Words/phrases that come to mind to describe Eugene:

U of O

Duck Football

Go Pre!

Nike (born there)

TrackTown USA

Tailgating at Autzen Stadium

Basketball at Mac Court (Saw Bob Dylan and Van Morrison perform there)

MacKenzie River Valley

Ken Kesey

Organic

Winter is rainy, Summer is dry, and Spring is sneezy (the Valley is notorious for allergens)

Lots of restaurants

"Animal House" (filmed at U of O and Cottage Grove a long time ago.)

Cycling: Home of Burley, BikeFriday, and CoMotion.

Running trails

and of course Dog Parks

--

[orangedog]

Not feeling good today.

[bluerain]

Im sorry O'dog, I dont have much else to say, but Im sorry that you are having a tough day.

[Gypsy]

Hey Dog 'o O's..

Sorry to hear it's a bad day. How often do you see the kids? I know lots of parents feel the emotional slump when the kids leave, that.. emptiness.

You're right about your former spouse trying to 'manage' two households. Setting your boundaries of what is and isn't appropriate takes time. Your time with the kids IS yours, as is your (their) home.

You're a great guy.

*hugs*

[orangedog]

Thanks Gypsy,

I have the kids Wednesday night thru Saturday afternoon. We alternate Saturday evening. Yes, Sunday can sometimes feel a little empty.

The depression comes and goes a few days at a time. It's probably natural to feel strong emotions now however I was also dealing with it long before the divorce.

Right now there are just huge adjustments. Living alone, money, work, goals, etc.

I've been posting in the Newcomers forum still because most of the people who have been following me and who I have been following are there (smiley, a&K, thinker, robx, antlers, puppy, coach, dia, citygirl...other like bluerain stop by often.)

[Gypsy]

Well.. Dog

It's great to have you here wherever you post. And it's great that you have such a strong core group of friends on the site.

The adjustments are astonishing in their depth and breadth. Having friends and activities that keep you grounded are invaluable.

For what it's worth.. just after the darkest days of winter, the days slowly get better. Not right away. It doesn't even seem like it's happening, but it does. The transition is always the toughest, especially going from being THE DadDog to being the 'holy crap what do I do now' single man when the kids aren't there.

You sound like you already do all the healthy stuff for your body. You're great at stating if things are good or bad. There's two ways to process this experience... the Velveeta way or the Gouda way. Me.. I'm going for Gouda. It might take more time but the result is worth it.

*hugs*

[orangedog]

Yes, I think I'm going for Gouda...no, make that Stilton. Things are going slowly and deliberate. I'll get there when I get there.

[bluerain]

Hi Odog. How was your weekend?
Have you gotten treatment for your depression? I thought that you had, but I wasnt sure. It sounds like maybe your treatment could use some revision?

Do you expect that when you have started to recover from this, the depression will resolve itself? I know that you said that you struggled with it before the D process started.

I think that we all have good days, and bad days.