Lemondrop

I suck at keeping secrets. I'm your classic gossip-hound with the verbal inhibitions of a four-year-old, especially after a few glasses of wine. So you can imagine my difficulties in trying to keep my impending move a secret, since prepping for the relocation is basically a full-time job ... that my co-workers and bosses don't know about yet.

When I'm not doing things like home improvement or job hunting, I'm thinking about them. My non-working life currently revolves around new carpet, general contractors, painting, appraisals and house-hunting trips to Vegas. And that's dangerous, because it might sound suspicious to the co-workers who have no idea that I'm leaving soon.

Click here to read more about Eliza's attempts to keep her big news hush-hush.

The toughest part about that is that I'm friends with a lot of people I work with. That social dynamic used to keep me thinking about work all the time, but now it keeps me thinking constantly about what I can and can't say around the people who I'm closest to.

Some of my friends know that we're moving. Some don't. I'd much rather quit than be fired, so I've severely curtailed my alcohol intake so that I don't inadvertently blurt out something inappropriate.

Of course, it was silly to think anyone would be shocked. The friends who we have told are all but shoving us out the door. "Vegas? Really? Awesome! I can't wait to visit you!" Greedy bastards. Yes Vegas is definitely the place to have a friend who feels so guilty about ignoring you for months before her move that she'll let you sleep on her couch for a week.

For now, the relocation process is like a second job. We work on the house most nights, trying to make it seem like a couple of rabid raccoons haven't been living there for the past five years. My husband has vid-cons and business plans for his new venture, and I search for freelance work to boost my portfolio. Fortunately, I now have so little free time that I don't see my friends even when I want to, making the whole "Shut the hell up" thing slightly easier.

So far, the right people remain in the dark, so I'm still gainfully employed (although there are times when I wish I wasn't). I love my job, and I'm trying to soak up as much experience as I can, but it's getting increasingly difficult to devote the required energy to work when I know I'll be leaving soon. Especially when there are hardwood floors that need refinishing, carpet that needs to be installed, and about a million other things on my list ...