Well, the butterflies are gone and I'm breathing a little easier. Still, I can't help but be on pins n' needles because a final resolution hasn't quite been determined.

When he sat down to join us for lunch, Development Funding Contact (DC) apologized for the carrot on a string. He has been swamped lately and hasn't had the opportunity to speak with his lawyers yet, but he wanted to touch base anyway.

DC will meet with his lawyers on July 9th. Then he'll present us with our options. He wants to find a way to fund us so that it won't somehow screw us over tax-wise -- which of course, we both fully appreciate.

Once he presents our options on the 9th, we will have a chance to think things through and then likely meet with the lawyers on July 16th (I think?) to sign papers and get everything set up. What DC is thinking of doing is providing us with a single set amount divided into four quarterly installments.

So all in all, it sounds very positive. The only thing is, if we receive enough funding to get by for a whole year -- which, on one hand, would be totally awesome! -- on the other hand, I can't help but find myself very reluctant to quit my job for only a year's absence. Does that make me crazy?

I can't help it -- I'm a Taurus who takes a lot of assurance in stability. Plus, a year goes by so fast, and as much as I b*tch n' complain about the nonsense that goes on around here, the reality is I do have a good job, and I feel very fortunate to have it.

A less risky solution is to consider applying for a leave of absence... but I seriously doubt they'd ever give me one. I just checked our HR manual and there is nothing about taking a leave of absence in there. DC jokingly suggested that I should take a mental break down. Ha. If I haven't legitimately taken one already, then I doubt I'll take one now.

Anyhow, I know that you can never achieve success without pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and taking necessary risks... but even so, risks are such scary things, aren't they?

Oh well, we'll see how everything shakes out come mid-July. In the meantime, we'll just keep pluggin' away and trying to keep those butterflies at bay.

...And now ya know!