Life as I know it

Vaguely alluding to… SOMETHING/ANYTHING/NOTHING…

So… there’s big doings afoot… and I’m excited. But I’ve cursed things before by speaking before they are fully cooked. So let’s just leave it at that… there’s big doings afoot.

Keep fingers and toes crossed… this could be huge for my program.

HUGE

On Tuesdays and Turmoil and such

Okay Tuesday, you just need to back this ish up right now. First we had the sneaky coffee swap at Dunkin where I ended up with a large black coffee instead of the Cappuccino I actually ordered. Of course I blame Covid because that’s why my Starbucks was not open so I could get my usual there. Then I get to the office and my door app shows no access points available and when I logged in to the system my Accesspoint there is also dead. No… despite every sign pointing that way, I am not out the door. Job is fine. I’m just playing an elaborate game of “New Phone Who Dis”, on a scale I’m sure you never imagined.

So yeah… you’re overachieving on a huge scale. Quit it. Now.

And I would say thank god it’s my Friday… but that’s not entirely the case. The thank god part anyway… it is actually my Friday, but nothing fun is planned for these days off. Wednesday is already locked and loaded and the real fun starts tomorrow morning at Advent Heart of Florida when someone is getting a second shiny new hip in a year and the role of Nurse Ratchet is being played by… you guessed it, me.

Yay.

Have I mentioned that Himself is the worst patient ever? I’m actually a distant second and I’m pretty horrible. He makes me look like a saint. Stubborn, irascible, grouchy… bears with sore heads are more friendly… truly. There are times when only that smile and the sparkle in his eyes when he looks at me keeps him alive.

Plus I look horrible in orange. There’s that too.

But even with all of that I’m still in a relatively okay mood… maybe a new phone did that? Probably not. I don’t get excited over those anymore. But things are pretty good… all of the first world problems notwithstanding.

Life is good.

Be happy… it’s your choice… now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find some decent damned coffee. Dunkin Donuts I’m looking right at you…

Happy Birthday…

Yesterday was Mom’s birthday. The day is hard every year… but then, every day is a little bit hard since she’s been gone. And she’s been gone for 10 years this year.

I still miss her so much.

The days I wasted fighting against her, trying to prove I was nothing like her, trying to be me… and now, today, I realize that I am so very much like her and I am glad for it. I consider it a compliment when someone tells me how much I remind them of her. In fact, my sister and I are an amalgamation of her best and worst sides. We represent all of her. And all of Dad. We are them… they made us… just so you know that whole “in my own image” stuff goes farther than you ever dreamed.

Wherever you are now Mom I hope they had Pepperidge Farms Coconut Cake for you. I hope they sang “Happy Birthday” just as badly as we always did. I hope someone gave you a ridiculous gift that you didn’t need… just because they loved you so very much and they wanted to buy you something they thought was really super nice with their allowance that they saved up even though it turned out that the gift really wasn’t all that nice and it wasn’t something that you needed at all. I hope they left a mess in the kitchen for you to clean up after they fixed you a fancy dinner of Beef Rice-A-Roni & Asparagus with Cheese which was their favorite, not yours. And most of all I hope they gave you a hug and a kiss and I truly hope they told you how much you are loved and missed.

Because you are.

Every day.

And even more… on your birthday.

I love you too Mom.

Always.

And you thought you got rid of me…

Yeah… er… well… almost… good try

Not even kidding, it’s been a rough few years. And apparently whilst surviving said rough few years I took a vow of silence or some such nonsense. But finally, after much wailing and gnashing and nonsense that I didn’t share here, I’m back again. Same bat time, same bat channel, and it finally looks like the long hard journey toward the light might… MIGHT… be very close to over.

For those of you keeping score, here’s the quick checklist:

  • Good job – Done, finally at last – and that was a fun 3 year ordeal kids (cue eyeroll and sideeye)
  • Divorce – Done, and we’re good friends again… I consider that a win.
  • Good friends – Done… and there is no way I could have survived the last three years without them. Truly. No way.
  • Learning humility and how to pick myself up and dust myself off and start over again (and again, and again, and again…) – So damned done with that process that there aren’t even enough words to describe it.
  • A good, stable relationship with someone who is oil to my water – done, and some days more than done but I still love him even if I’m ready to cheerfully strangle him at times.

And the list of lessons I’ve learned and things I’ve achieved goes on and on. Those are the high points though. The things that hurt the most, caused the most stress, and feel the best now that I’ve made it to the other side. I’m here, and it’s time to start living again. Stop being scared for the next thing that’s going to come at me. Things are always going to come at me. Now I know for sure that I’m ready. Bring it. I’ve got the hands ready to throw, earrings ready to come out really quick, and a few folks who will hold them for me and watch my back as I kick something else square in the ass and out of my life.

The thing I’ve missed? This. Writing out the dreck. Letting it go. Feeling like it’s gone. Moving on. So it was time to take back up the pen so to speak. Let me back out. Exercise my “gift” such as it is. It’s time.

I’m back.

Thank god.

Finally.

I’m back.

And the world keeps spinning…

So hi! It’s been a while I guess. Not sure where to even start if I were going to write a catch-up post… so yeah, suffice to say that things. have. changed.

All of the things.

So I’ll make an attempt to give the less than 3 day version of that catchup. I’m back in Lakeland, back in my home on Belmar, my contract job is now my full-time dream job and I am a permanent employee with benefits and such for the first time since 2015. The divorce is officially a thing… albeit a very slothlike thing… and with any luck we may be divorced sometime before we both die.

Cue the eyeroll and side eye…

No, I’m not kidding… that’s how these things work when lawyers are running them. It’s a process, that we don’t control, and nobody appears to be in a hurry so we’re moving at the speed of turtles, running in molasses, and that’s apparently okay. So we keep doing our separated thing and trying to be supportive of each other’s individual happiness. We’re not acrimonious. But we put others in charge and we don’t have an agreement so we’re stuck.

It is what it is.

I came back home to Lakeland in September and I think I came home a little bit changed. Punta Gorda was good for me I think. I got in touch with myself a lot more, had some adventures, learned a lot about what I don’t want from people, situations, and relationships, and then I came home when it was time. Now I am happier, more centered, and less lost than I’ve been in years.

I know… what fun is that?

I’ve found peace. I’ve found different sides of me that I didn’t know I had. I’m still evolving and changing. I like me… even if I surprise myself every day in some small way. I’ve gone through some very hard things this last year, things that have made me step back from my life and re-evaluate who I allow to be in my life in a personal role. I’ve learned that I’m far more accepting of others and their choices than I ever was before. And I’ve realized that I really do miss being able to talk to my Mom because I understand her and her choices today far more than I did when she was making them and I was so very harsh and condemning.

I’m sorry Mom… I love you and miss you every day… and I still wish I could have another conversation with you. Perhaps one day… perhaps…

So yeah… that’s life in a thumbnail sketch these days… full, happy, secure, and honestly blessed. I am focused on the future and no longer trying to go back to the past. I have the tightest circle and they’ve helped me through some awful shit the past months. I know who loves me. I know who values me. And I know who has my six. They’ve had it through things I didn’t ever imagine would happen. They happened. Things went to hell. Or my version of hell. And my circle brought me back.

Thanks for saving me. There aren’t enough words to thank you so I’ll just say this. I love you. Forever.

I’m focused on giving back these days. Making this place I love a better place. I know that as bad as things were for me there’s a lot of people who would love to have my life. There are many people who look at me with envy. To those who much is given much is expected. And that’s my focus. To fulfill those expectations. Pay it forward. Remember the kindness and love that was shown to me and do the same for others.

Life is good y’all… really good.

So I guess after all this… the wrap up thought is this. Live your life today and don’t be afraid to fail. Take that chance. Make that move. Don’t hold onto something that isn’t bringing joy just because it’s better than nothing. Reach for joy. You might not get it…

But then again you might.

Thoughts on a Saturday…

Sitting in my big chair in the Sunroom, looking at Lake Hollingsworth, while I drink my first cup of Coffee in my home. It still doesn’t feel like mine. It feels like a place I should want to be but I don’t.

So many thoughts. So many feelings. So much to consider.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

And right now… for this moment in time… I’m just going to be.

Just be.

Me.

At home.

Here.

Now.

Be.

Oh Tuesday…

So… this Tuesday was a big one… wow!

Yes, really… it’s like Tuesday looked at Monday and said “bless your heart” and then she pulled up her big girl panties and proceeded to kick some ass.

Yee haw.

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