Sunday, March 3, 2013

I Have Been...

Now that graphic novel month is over my reading will be slowing down a lot and I'm sure my blog posts will become even more sparse. Though I'm hoping they won't!! I wish I'd blog more often really. I really do. But sometimes the motivation just really isn't there. Or my brain is too fried to even think of something to blog about. But it always puts me in a better mood when I can blog and then interact with all of my blogging friends. When I was visiting Allie's blog last week, I saw that she posted this meme, "I have been..." and I bookmarked it because it's a great idea for a post when you just don't know what the hell to post about but feel like babbling and connecting :p So I thought I'd use it and may make it a regular thing here and there. So here we go.

I have been:

Writing: Hmmm....quite a few things actually. Not nearly as many blog posts as I'd like to be writing, but a few here and there. What I seem to be writing more than anything of these days is assessments. And assessments. And more assessments. As an admissions counselor at a psych hospital, this is something I hate. Sitting across from a person, asking what's wrong and then writing down their answers. It feels so cold and impersonal, but it's my job. I try to do it as compassionately as possible and try to do as little writing as possible in front of the person too, but sigh...as one of my coworkers said, it feels like a psyc-factory sometimes. That's what he now calls it, lol...sad. I'm also working on a super secret project that's not really secret for any reason except that it is :p It's a NaNo book that I started a few years back and actually stopped because I liked it so much that I didn't want to rush through it. I'm collaborating with a friend on it now and we're doing something really special with it that has me more excited than anything has in a long time :)

Reading: Too many things and not enough :p I WILL finish The Shining even though the Shinealong has ended :( Of course I failed at finishing in time :( I still have a little over 100 pages to go. I'm also reading Lenore's Level Two which is fantastic, but it's suffering from the same thing as The Shining...it's in my work bag. Which means it has very little time to come out for air. And with those other two there is a THIRD book in my work bag and that is The Open Road by Pico Iver which I'm about halfway through. I think I just need to take all of those OUT of my work bag and have a mini readathon and finish them all :p And I started The Care and Handling of Roses With Thorns by Margaret Dilloway last night! It's actually an ARC that was sent to me but it was released in August of last year /o\. It's my first book for me and Debi's food and gardening books month!

Listening: I always have an audiobook going now with my commute to work and since it's food and gardening month, I started Novella Carpenter's Farm City on audio and you guys it is SO GOOD!!!! Seriously, not even halfway through yet and I'm totally in love. She's such a kindred spirit when it comes to a love of plants and nature and making do with whatever you can! As for music, my current obsessions are the new Atoms for Peace album which is Thom Yorke from Radiohead's new side project, Purity Ring's album, and I've rediscovered my love for Lucinda Williams...a reminder that I CAN'T make the ignorant statement "I hate country music."

Watching: Oh god...me and Matt and our shows....we have too many. The big ones that we can't miss are Project Runway (I love Patricia even though everyone seems to hate her), The New Normal which I am in LOVE with!, Glee which I continue to be in love with even though every one else seems to have fallen off the Glee bandwagon :p, Kathy Griffin's new talk show, and I'm a little obsessed with American Idol this season. Which is weird. I swore off American Idol like 8 seasons ago and haven't watched since. But I have a secret love for Nicki Minaj...I really do. And there really are some AMAZING people on this season and I would totally buy like two or three people's albums like right now if they put one out. I'm already in love with Cree. That girl can sing like no one's business. And I'm sorry, but Zonette (sp?) is my new favorite person. And she just about moved me to tears when she sang Circle of Life.

Looking: For a house!! The first one that I was so excited about because of the PERFECT location didn't work out. I was more bummed than I can put into words because it was everything that I moved here for. But the inside just needed too much work. And trust me, if it was a few things that I could've fixed up, I would've taken it...but it was like $20-30 thousand dollars of work which I just can't do. But there are a couple more already that I want to see! The good thing is I can take my time. No rush. I'm happy where I am, I just want my own piece of land. I'm also looking forward to a massage tomorrow and then spending time with my family to celebrate my little brother's 18th birthday! How the fuck did that happen??? Oh...and I'm looking for a new neurologist because mine quit. Not a happy camper about that.

Learning: Well I'm learning as I write this post that I better shorten these answers or else no one will bother to read this :p And that's fine, lol. I'm TRYING to learn to pace myself more. In life. In all aspects. I've been letting myself get too stressed about everything and that needs to stop. There's no reason for that. Deep breath. I can only do what I can do!

Feeling: Anxious all the time lately because there is so much in flux right now! Things are changing at work, things are changing in my personal life, I'm looking for a new house, I need to find a new neurologist, I worry about making all of my bills on my own...lots of anxiety. But things always work out. They always do. Yes things have to get done, but I don't need to worry about them a month before I actually have to worry about them. Lesson that needs learning :p If only it were as easy as just accepting it.

Anticipating: Hmmm....What comes after the big question mark? That probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense but a lot is up in the air right now and a lot of big change is probably going to be happening for me in the next few months. I'm very much anticipating what that will be like. And how I'll handle it all. In the immediate, I'm also anticipating a lot of REALLY good books that are coming out soonish and some really good new albums too!!!! :p 2013 looks to be EXCELLENT for music and books!! Now I just need a concert buddy! Ana, can you please come move down here and go to shows with me? PLEASE?? I will buy all of your tickets!!!! :p But seriously I will....*gathers twigs and sticks and mails them to Ana*

Wishing: See above. For this anxiety to go away. And for the hard part of house hunting and life changes to not have to happen :p And for my migraines to go away because they've been fuckwads. And for my friends' pains to go away because I hate seeing them in any kind of pain be it physical or emotional :( One magic wand please!

Loving: My family, Matt who will always be someone special to me even though our relationship has changed, my amazing friends who are always there for me when I need them....that includes all of you reading this :) I mean is anyone actually still reading this? :p

9 comments:

DesLily said...

of course someone is reading this! Cripes ! I wish more than 2 people read my blog anymore lol.. I think FB took a chunk out of blogs but I still like blogs better.

Oooo good to hear you are writing again! I wish I could..my only thoughts are of a 4th "comical" additing to kesterwood but the past number of years my "comical" thought up and flew away.

Glad you have shows on tv to watch! I am waiting for "new seasons" of anything to start! sheesh.. Downton is gone, dancing w/ the stars is not back yet or america's got talent..too many nights without anything decent to watch.

I can't wait for you to find that perfect home!! don't forget it has to have a treehouse guesthouse for Mama! *lol*..

ohhh sorry to hear you need a new doctor..it's such a pita to "begin over" with a new one..but then at least HOPE a new one might help more than the old one!

I am not discussing anxioty and stress and depression.sigh.

...but I do love you baby boy!

Anonymous said...

I hope The Shining is staying IN the bag during those assessments, and that it's not sitting on the desk. ;-)

Have you ever done yoga? Not that you need another thing in your life to juggle, but I found it to be incredibly relaxing and calming. So just a thought. :-D

Ali said...

I've been seeing this meme around a bit and really love it. I may have to borrow it at some point, too, though at the moment I have more posts in my head than I have time to write down.

I'm so excited for you that you're working on your book again! My current book started with NaNo (the 2011 NaNo) and I finished it a year later except for final edits. I'm really in love with it and determined to put it out there into the world, one way or another.

Becky said...

There's so much going on for you! First off, I have to say THANK YOU for the awesome postcard. How did you know that I love hydrangeas?!? :)

I have to say amen about migraines--we need to find a miracle where they are concerned. I had to bail work the other day & get a sub because I got one on my way to work. Horrible. Also, about the shows! I love Kathy's talk show on BRAVO! She always cracks me up. On the flip side, I'm super pissed at Salt Lake for being huge idiots for not showing The New Normal here (I won't even get started on how backwards that move was...). They put it on after midnight here, and I started taping it, but sometimes I would record it and go to watch it and it would be half of some stupid fly fishing show. :( Sad.

Anyway, I'm excited to see what writing project you're up to. Also, I have to say that the way you've handled your changing relationship with Matt seems so mature. I've been absent online for a bit, so I'm not sure if I missed a big post about it earlier, but you seem so good. I'm glad you seem okay with everything.

Well, thanks again Matt! Here's hoping that as spring comes in and nature starts to pop up a bit more, that we'll really perk up even more! :)

Thanks for your awesomeness Matt!

Kristen M. said...

I think this post seems like it was cathartic for you. Sometimes it's good to just ramble and ramble about life and then, whew, it's all out there. Here's hoping that everything is awesome for you in the coming months!

Beth F said...

I'll second Jill's yoga suggestion.

Literacy-chic said...

I enjoyed this post a lot, Chris! So much so that I intend to do this--perhaps even regularly--on my *old* blog, Words, Words.

Debi said...

Of course, we're still reading! Loved this post! Btw, this "meme" has been a scrapbooking journaling prompt for many a year. :) But Chris--you totally forgot something under "writing"--dude, your postcards!!! Of course, my favorite under writing is your secret project. :) Anyway, you could have gone on for twice as long and I still would have been happily reading!

Bookfool said...

Yep, I read the whole thing and enjoyed it. I think anxiety is everyone's worst friend who won't go away, right now.

Sorry the house needed to much fixing-upping. If it helps any, we looked for 2 years before finding the right house but the wait was worth it. We are so, so happy with our new home.

I think you should definitely have your own little readathon to finish off some books. I've waited a bit too long to review Level 2 and have forgotten quite a bit. Oh, wait. Maybe I reviewed it on Goodreads. I'll have to look. I loved it; that I remember! :)

I can't believe your neurologist quit! After all that mess trying to get the prescriptions right! Argh! Are you going to try mine, now? You should, if only because I have at least one book to hand you and you *need* to sit on my deck and watch the birdies. It's very therapeutic.