Hello, again, all

The last time you heard from me about life up here on the Mendocino Coast, I was keeping a hundreds-of-addresses email list, and that was quite a while ago.

Even though, or perhaps because, my life has speeded up a bit since I got here, I decided to jump in and try this method of updating. Hopefully it will keep me motivated and entering a few lines won't seem like such an undertaking.

I live in paradise, at the edge of the earth -- the Pacific coast 4 hours north of San Francisco -- and also sometimes on the edge of existence -- the economy up here is a tourism economy, plenty of low-wage, no-brain jobs, lots of money in the hands of visitors, very little in the wallets of locals.

For two and a half years, I clung to the economic underbelly of this place, combining several part-time jobs and never making ends meet. I did respite care for a county agency, looking after disabled kids so their parents could have a break; helped older and disabled people in their homes; took care of people's yards; declared myself a specialist in bulk mailing for several non-profits; wrote plant descriptions for a local nursery with a nationally-distributed catalog; wrote thank you letters and news releases for a charity out to get kidney dialysis services on the Coast; wrote and designed a couple of newsletters. I also had to make monthly decisions on which bill to defer. And when I met Frank, my sweetie, his unemployment checks seemed like notable regular income. But somehow in the midst of all that I still had time to go to the beach!

In February, challenged by my partner Frank, I applied and won a full-time job as supervisor in a caregiving agency. I hire and schedule workers, keep track of their hours for payroll, enroll new clients and market the business, all with varying degrees of skill and success. I also work weekends and some overnights as a partial trade for a lovely two-bedroom cottage with a fenced yard and an ocean view. I also see my Little Sister, Beth, once or twice a week. I am also still involved with the dialysis charity. I also daydream about retiring early, collecting a bunch of animals, planting trees, and getting an unlisted phone number.

So I intend for this blog to be snapshots of my life on the North Coast and also of the strange rat-race quality my life has taken on. In documenting that, I hope to be able to sort out what's essential and what can go. And maybe I'll entertain a few people along the way.