The More Things Change

 It’s been a little while, my apologies if you’ve been waiting patiently to see what happens next! Believe me, I am there with you. Right now I’m sitting here on the couch and typing on my iPad, which I bought last year to use to start drawing on a regular basis. Instead, I ended up reading more which isn’t so bad but definitely not my original intention.

Anyway, I’m still plugging along! But I also have news: I got laid off about a week after I last posted here. So I’ve had plenty of free time and have been thinking a lot about where to go next. I was really sad about it initially but now I am seeing that this might have been a good thing, maybe? I try to stay positive. 

I started painting again, for one thing! For another I realized it’s really ok that I enjoy and I’m good at administrative work. I enjoy helping people and being a good support system. I’m not sure I have more lofty ambitions for a formal career than that. Also, the last time I tried the whole being an artist thing I probably did it half-assed and still had good success. So maybe if I go all-in this time, I could actually make most if not all of my living from it? Hopefully I can use this “free” time to just do ittttt allllllreaddddy. It feels good to have that freedom right now. I’m trying to get a groove going with my painting but it’s taking some time.

Also I have become fully addicted to quilting. Hand-piecing and hand-quilting. It takes extraordinary amounts of time but I really really love embracing the traditional ways of doing this craft. I like that I can sit on the couch and make something lovely and useful. I had to take a break today from it because my hands and arms and shoulders were hurting from my first session of hand-quilting yesterday. First time ever!! I think I have an affinity for it.

Finally, the news you’ve been waiting for: am I still working on my food stuff? The answer is: YES. I’m losing about a pound a week give or take and not obsessing over anything. I’m just trying to eat when I am hungry and I guess I have been kind of intermittent fasting but not officially. I also eat what I want but try not to eat too much junk. It’s just the way I like to eat. I decided not to stop drinking soda but have also upped my water game because it really tastes SO GOOD, you know? Sometimes only water will do. But I also need some sweet fizz in my life, and yes I have tried seltzer water which I also like but IT IS NOT THE SAME SO DON’T EVEN TRY TO LAY THAT ON ME.

On the downside I have been feeling like total crap, more than I ever have in my life if I am honest. The big worst thing about getting laid off when I did was that my health insurance just kicked in on May 1 and it was the good kind — like, literally platinum, baby! I was really looking forward to using it. So that is out the window and I’m just not going to bother seeing a doctor without it unless I am on my deathbed, and even so,

...?

My whole body is in pain all the time. Everything down to my fingers. Some days are better than others, but lately there haven’t really been any good days. It really, really sucks and it’s really disheartening. Exercise has not been happening except for helping to get the vegetable garden up and running and I will probably work through the pain and work on other parts of the yard I’d like to make look nice again. I just... I don’t know. It’s hard. 

So that’s where I am at. Oh, and I cut bangs! Huge.

Tell me what’s up with you! I’d love to hear.

Menopause and Me

 It's 1am and I am up after a few hours' sleep and a bad dream, waking up covered in sweat. 

Thoughts raced through my head about a school assignment that is due today (or tomorrow, however you want to look at it) that I didn't complete. That I didn't even start. That's for a class that is important to me – it's being guest taught by a former editor-in-chief of National Geographic and esteemed photojournalist, and obviously this is a person from whom I have a lot to learn from, and who has been so great so far. I can't even get my shit together for that. Also, I didn't get any financial aid this quarter and I think I have hit my limit, which means that I can't continue school anymore, probably not for a long while and that kind of makes me sad too.

I ended up talking to my partner, who was still up, and crying uncontrollably for a few minutes. I didn't feel good in any way. Not physically or mentally or emotionally. I'm so grateful for him in times like these. He suggested, "Menopause, right? Because this is not like you." And yes, oh yeah. I always forget that I am in it. Brain fog, loss of focus, pain all over my body. Feelings of hopelessness, etc. I looked it up: Menopause symptoms. What a joke! They still don't really shit about it. Here, check what the NIH has to say. Basically, they don't know. Maddening.

So here I am writing this instead of the paper I should be working on for tomorrow. It felt needed. 

How are things going, you ask? (Maybe you ask. I could be wrong about that.) Things are... going. I have... an awareness. I haven't logged food every day but wager a guess that I am probably eating within my target zone in general. I haven't started walking or yoga yet. I have been weaning myself off of regular soda, though. Onto fruit juices/drinks, onto sparkling water. Onto plain old water, which I love but I also love soda so it's not super easy. I'm trying to decide if it's the fizz I love so much or the sugar. Probably both. Anyway, I need a break from soda regardless so it's not forever, it's not a big deal.

I think I will get on the scale once or twice a week. I'm down a couple pounds today and will look again on Thursday. Not even making a huge effort gets some results.

I don't know, man. I just want to stop feeling so bad all the time.