I sent off an email with a pitch and salary demands. I just don't want to drag this out when there is a good chance they will see the salary and say no. I talked to a friend this morning who has followed a sort of alternative path and I'm getting more used to the idea of being okay about working three days a week, not thinking of this as the end of my life, thinking of it as something I will do for now for some money.

And now that I am more interested in the opportunity, I am sure that I will receive an email saying 'thanks, but no thanks.'

It is such a weird thing. Have you talked to people about how you are unhappy with your job because there isn't enough work to do and had them just sort of look at you, or tell you that you should be thankful? And you sort of look at it and think, well, I *should* be grateful that I don't have a micromanager, and I can use my free time to do X/Y/Z... but there really is something stressful about the situation, something that's not easy to put into words. Anyway, that is sort of how I feel about my situation. I should be saying 'oh, how perfect! a job has fallen into my lap that will let me be partially free.'

I think you are smart to go for job stability while you are sorting out other stuff, as long as there are aspects of your job that contribute to feeling stable. A paycheck is a nice thing! Your boss sounds like a bad fit for his job, but not cruel or abusive. That's huge.

I guess my take on this now is that simply not having the stress of a job doesn't really fix what is wrong with me. The problem is not the stressors but my reaction to them. Even this situation, I just feel kind of crazy about it, like I read a lot of negatives into this that might not be there? I just expend all of this emotional energy on stuff and wish I didn't do it. That intentional resting concept should come in handy

I've been reading that book about male/female communication patterns, btw -- it's definitely interesting! It's been inspiring 'Wait, you mean men really think like this??' conversations

I would reach out to that woman. You have nothing to lose by reminding her that you are here. You were in touch just before the holidays, and it's not unusual for things to slip through the cracks. It's so much nicer just knowing than wondering, too. I am trying to come up with a downside to sending her a quick note or giving her a call and I can't come up with one! What is it that makes you hesitate?