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Bam! OctoberNovemberDecember…
How does it go? August takes forever; September is a terribly hot, August part two, and then bam! OctoberNovemberDecember go by in a flash? The flash has started and here I sit, again, wishing I had used my time more wisely back in August. Will I ever learn?
Bug and I have finally figured out how to do our weekly mother-daughter dates without biting each other’s heads off. It’s been really sweet hanging out with her again. We had a beach day, and then, this last Friday, we went to Oak Glen and got apple cider doughnuts at Snowline with my parents. It almost felt like old times when we didn’t worry about the world coming to an end.
Speaking about not worrying and returning to a time of happy memories, I spent Halloween with my great niece and did all the great Antie things. I am the greatest aunt after all. It felt just like old times with Bug and before that, Rapunzel. These are the things that make seasons go round.
I tried to do Inktober but fizzled out on day nine; that’s worse than usual for me.
I’m trying to make October resolutions instead of New Year’s resolutions, but they are going just as badly as New Year’s resolutions. I get going for about three days, all gung-ho and motivated, and then my inner rebel takes over, and I revolt and stay in bed. Then I try again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Be gentle on yourself, I say. But gentle doesn’t seem to get me very far. I even stuck a note to my pantry (where I sometimes keep the carbs) that says, “Forgive yourself,” thinking maybe reverse psychology would work on me. It doesn’t work. I’m too smart for myself. Do you know what does work? Not shopping for food. Empty pantries are excellent appetite suppressants. When the best thing you have to snack on is lettuce or an apple, that’s a win! It’s a good thing I’m the only one around to be grumpy at.
I went to Las Vegas for a weekend in October. I visited my best friend, Bethany and we talked about snake shed art. She’s working on a fantastic art piece for Chinese New Year that I’m very excited about. I will make sure to put the deets here when they are available.
And you know how I love a desert sunrise…
Matt visited and we stayed in San Diego which was something new and exciting. I love a hotel with a view…
Flowers, flowers, flowers! Fall is a very good time for Rasta Rita Flowers and weddings.
This wedding was so pretty and fun. I love it when brides seek me out for my style instead of my price.
That’s all for now. :)
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It’s been so long…
It’s been so long since I wrote anything here I don’t even want to bother trying to catch up anymore. The good news is I live alone now (queue Empty Nest Syndrome!), so I have much more time. I also quit my part-time job as a behavioral therapist to focus more on my freelance work, so I hope to show up more here. You can’t promote your work if you don’t have a blog that you visit occasionally, right? Don’t worry; I hate over-promoting, so I’ll keep it on a need-to-know basis and save the PR drop bombs for Instagram, but I do need to not take my friends here for granted. Sigh… remember when we checked in every day? Those were the days.
What do you want to know? Leave any curiosities or questions in the comments, and I’ll try to answer them in my next post.
My latest news is:
I’m not working as a behavioral therapist anymore. I quit cold turkey. It was hard to do. I had a new client, and my hours were very late. It got to the point where I felt like I was banging my head against the wall. I was tired and so was the client. The new client was violent and unpredictable, and I found myself afraid and dreading sessions. I wanted to help the family, and I knew I could, but it was tough, and unfortunately, the pay was so low. Why are the industry’s least experienced and lowest-paid employees thrown into the fire with the most dangerous and complicated people? I was very insecure about how well I was doing. The parents knew ABA better than I did, and I felt like I was on stage and being judged for my lack of experience. Of course, I wasn’t. The parents liked me and were pleased to have me. It breaks my heart that I let them down. But with the help of Matt, my very Virgo planner bf, I did a cost analysis and realized this job was hurting me more than it was helping me. I’m still interested in the field and can see myself returning in some way. I will take early childhood development classes at my local junior college and see where that takes me.
Bug moved out. It wasn’t on bad terms, but we were both stretched to our maximum stress capacity, and she decided her dad could help her more than I could. It was hard for me, I won’t lie. I have missed her. I always thought she’d be with me until she was in her thirties and beyond. We’ve been a unit since 2006. But she’s also a free bird and stretching her wings. I did the same thing when I turned 18. I know she might be back, and she knows she will always be welcome here.
My niece is the new Bug when it comes to taking photos. She visits now and then so I can get my “little fix.” I do love littles. I also love being the aunt who can send her home and have a glass of wine with a 1000-piece puzzle and an audiobook. I love living alone. It’s bizarre how much I love it. I organize and rearrange my apartment to my heart’s content. I develop complicated routines and then break them. I stay home every day, cook dinner for myself, and never feel guilty about not going out. Is it big-headed to say I love my own company? I never get bored! I have so many things I love doing; I never have enough time in the day to do them all!
I’ll let you know when it gets old, but so far, so good!
If you have any graphic design/illustration work, send it my way! I’m back in the game.
xo
