On the Importance of Friends

Okay, so my Part II of the "Turning 30" post is a bit delayed - but I'll get to it, I promise!! For now, though, I feel the need to post this snippet of funny.

Anybody who knows me knows that the last few weeks have been really stressful, as I'm waiting to hear if my application for a job in the UK has been successful or not. My life has basically been on hold for the past few months while I wait for the confirmation or denial, but the past week has been especially difficult.

I've been informed that the recruiting process is done and the recommendations have been made - a week ago - but everything is still being "signed off on." First of all, that is maddeningly neutral. I have no idea if things are looking favourable or not for me actualy getting this job, so I can't even confidently prepare myself mentally one way or the other.

In the meantime though, Ottawa Comic-Con AND the next major Browncoats Burlesque show are in May, but I can't confirm or deny my participation in either until I know if I got this job. Not to mention the whole "possibly packing up my life and moving to another country" thing...

Needless to say, I've been a LITTLE stressed.

Okay, a lot stressed.

And maybe I've responded to this stress by attempting an undergraduate degree in plenetary studies through opencourseware from MIT starting with biology 101. *ADENINETHYAMINECYTOSINEGUANINENUCLEOTIDESCHIRALITYPHOSPHOLIPIDSHYDROGENBONDSOXIDEGROUPS**crazed laughter*

Also, I've been venting to my friends. My poor, long-suffering friends, who have started to stress out by proxy. I was venting this morning to one friend through email, and I must have been getting particularly crazy, beacuse her eventual response was "LEAH BREATHE"

But I was too far gone. And the only way to express my feeling was through imagery, so I created this in my frustration:

...and then I laughed. And felt a lot better. And I assume she laughed, too because her response was all in caps.

And it reminded me how important it is to have friends to talk to, and be weird with and, more importantly, who understand your weirdness. I mean, I have people I can be weird around, but they don't understand it.

Now, when I think about my stress regarding this job in England, I think of being crushed by a giant hippo butt...and somehow, I feel just a little better. :P