Halloween

As I had arrived in the US in the July it was October [end of] when the three months from hell came to an end.

The close of business between Sherry and Pom and me was phased in slowly…

Initally I had thought it prudent to go the bold and have a chat to them about how I was feeling… So I got them together and told them… actually I might have taken the cowards way out and written them a note… that I was unhappy and had a couple of suggestions to make the whole situation work a little better…

As you may expect we had a rather intense exchange, where I indicated that I needed some time off during the day and a bit more support at the daycare centre… So it was agreed that things would stay the same but for 2 hours off in the middle of the day.

This was bit of a farce given that we lived semi rurally, I wasn’t able to drive and the bus ran once an hour… sheesh… So I got further jaded and on one Saturday, having had a gutful, I wrote them a note tendering my resignation and left the house for a day at the mall (see below!).

When I returned all hell broke loose… I was told in no uncertain terms that I was unwelome but that I had to stay and work out my one month’s notice. Where I had been promised a bed upgrade I was informed that the in laws from the UK were coming and I’d have to make do. And in fact, during that 3 week period my stuff was gone through, the new employer I had been fortunate enough to secure was called and bawled out for stealing their nanny and I was basically ignored…

Actually, the nanny I had replaced 3 months earlier came back after I’d given notice to work alongside me for a time. and, as it became apparent they couldn’t wait for me to leave I called the Resucers the week before Halloween and asked them if I could take them up on their previous offer of a port from the storm should the need arise.
They came at once and whisked me home with all my gear, installed me in the bedroom which had been completely cleared as if to accomodate a long-term guest and all at once I was made to feel right at home. We then left the house for a long visit through one of the local parks and some time out, ostensibly to prove that there were some rather nice American folk if you just know where to look!!

And, as it happened, I stayed with the Rescuers, calling the prospective employers declining their kind offer of a job, feeling rather as if I was trading one noose for another and remained for the rest of my year in America at the Rescuers haven!

The Garfield decorations reference both that Halloween and actually a teenage love affair with that cat. I believe I identified most strongly with his struggle with lasgne but I have quite a collection of Garfield publications in NZ in storage… quite what I’ll ever do with them I don’t know but in very short order the Rescuers managed to cotton on to all the things I loved and these decos were included in that magic ’88 Christmas I had with them.