24th Feb 2011 - San Francisco Again
Finally We Have Furniture to Sit On!!
Has it really been 3 weeks since I last wrote? It hardly seems like any time has passed, however, the weather here in San Francisco has been pretty miserable most days - cold and rainy - so I have not got out much in my period of new-found freedom. I have been beavering away with the paperwork as I am determined to try to get my taxes in, however, do have to report that I have not made the progress that I had hoped to make. BUT, there is always tomorrow and having completely covered my lounge room in paper and then managed to get that paper into files, I am now poised to enter all the data into Excel. Problem is that I have chosen now to convert to Mac, and I have a wonderful new shiny Mac Book Pro, but I am like a novice.....There are so many things that I do not know. I am sure I will get the hang of it, but I think a concerted period of time with Chris will go a long way as he knows the Macs so well. Every day, I have tried to do something physical - bought a tennis racquet and every couple of days I go over the road to the tennis courts and hit the ball against the wall. Sadly, have lost 4 balls in 3 sessions as the roof of the building with the wall keeps swallowing them up. But surely this must be good for the flexibility of my back. Have also bought an exercise ball and am doing Pilates from a book. Probably nowhere near as much as I should be doing, but I am held back by pain - I think now that I am not distracted by work pressures, I am more aware of my pain. Finally, and ironically, my lounges have arrived and so has my lovely dining table. Today, the chairs arrived and the place actually looks like home. I still do need some things on the walls and some rugs on the floors to make it cosy, but I am well pleased with the look of French Provincial - in the middle of San Francisco!!!!After many months of living on the floor, this is a great pleasure. So, what are my plans?? To do my taxes, then, to come home to Australia for a while and to see if I can become a normal and rested person. The weather here has really held me back and being inside every day is not good for the psyche. I have had some excursions to catch up with friends for lunch, etc, but nowhere near as much as my normal and I really want to come home to the sun and to friends and family. I have had some very encouraging discussions regarding some consultancy work and also there are full-time jobs on offer, however, I am reluctant to dive back in to another executive Pharma job. The world of Pharma is undergoing a big change at the moment and I have to say that the last few years have been pretty tough as I have put my all in to build teams and relationships. It has been great work, but at some stage, it takes it out of you and there has to be something other than long, long days away from family and friends. So I will explore the consultant work - it sounds like a load of fun - and I am very keen to set up my own business. I have so many ideas - the problem will be to focus on one or two at the beginning. Watch this space - will soon be writing from Australia, I hope. Love Deb
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