32

In ten years I'll be the answer to life, the universe, and everything!

Well.

Another year has gone by since I was born. This year it feels a bit strange, like my birthday has already happened, because so much energy went into the house party. Not that there aren't plans for today as well. Probably lunch somewhere, softball after work and a yummy Japanese meal after softball. And if it's raining and softball is cancelled, the meal is still on.

It's a strange year for me I think. Because it's a year where not very much has happened perhaps. I was living the status quo. Work continues to be work, Mr.Aloof featured prominently in an aloof way. I woke up, I lived, I played, I went to sleep. This year I have no vision for. Will it be more of the same or will there be change? The biggest change I could make in my life would be to change jobs. Something that is frequently a consideration. Not because I don't like my job, or my office, but because of how my office sees me. I am not a martyr to someone else's business. I like to be appreciated and taken care of. This is not my current situation.

This was hammered home yesterday by us getting our annual salary reviews, only for me to find that I had no salary review. I received the regular interest-based increase that anyone else got. But nothing else. Even though I have taken on tons more responsibility in the past year, and even though I told them that my salary was not acceptable.

So it's something I need to address at least initially today, will probably really deal with it when I get back. The thing is, I'm tired of fighting with my office for scraps. Knowing I could go to another job in the city with more prestige, more work, and instantly get a 6k increase in salary more than likely. When all I want from my office to make me more content is 2k. They just go that little extra bit too much, that step across what is reasonable and moves into the realm of 'taking the piss'. And it's not at all what I want to deal with. And certainly not on my birthday.

I have hopes for the upcoming year of course. Health. Happiness. I would really like it if I could meet someone and have a 'relationship'. Maybe I'll have to get a new job. I'd like to finally finish my exams and be a licensed architect. It's all a big unknown. Sometimes I think you have to shake up your life a bit in order to really live it. And sometimes I think it's nice to relax into the comfort of a life that you've worked hard to achieve. It's just that I'm still young-ish. I'm not entirely sure what else it is I want to do, but I feel this ball of potential spinning inside of me sometimes, knowing that there is more that I could do. And hoping I find out what it is.

Happy Birthday to me.