State of the AJ :: 24 April 2010
Wow! I have been really bad lately with posting anything of substance in DW/LJ, haven't I? WTF? So let me use this post as a way to begin to remedy that and get y'all caught up on things at the same time... And we'll be doing this with bullet points and cut-tags, as usual...
- Work :: So, as I'd stated on the 14th [DW/ LJ], I quit my job on 6 April 2010. I think this was the best decision for me at the time, because I really needed to get my mind/heart/soul/body back into a state of equilibrium that has been desperately needed for more than a year now. I do have an application in and a few other prospects that I'm going to consider, as
shatterpath is no longer doing the bus driver thing. But I'll let her explain that situation herself. I find that I miss the people I worked with, but not the job itself. And I still flip the bird to the bulding any time I pass it, just like I did when I worked there. *veg*
- Health :: Amusingly enough, or maybe not so amusingly enough, I haven't had a single damned migraine since the day I quit my job. I've had headaches, yes, but nothing that would practically incapacitate me like those work- and stress-related migraines did. I take this as a very obvious sign, y'know? And with the loss of the job comes the loss of the benefits. I don't have the money to pay $400/mo for COBRA benefits, particularly since
shatterpath isn't being covered by them. But that's okay. We'll figure something out. Honestly? I'm quite sure that my BP has dropped significantly since leaving my job, as well.
Last week, I apparently twinged my sciatic nerve after overdoing it a bit on the house cleaning. Jeezus, I'd rather have a twinged back than a damned twinged nerve. Any. Damned. Day. SRSLY. I'm STILL having issues with that left leg now, a week and a half later. Tho' it IS getting better, to be honest.
- Writing :: Not a lot of writing has been done since February. I'm rather bummed about that, but I'm working to remedy the situation. I'm signed up for Remix Redux for the first time this year and need to figure out my story so I can get the damned thing written and am curious as hell as to how it will turn out. I've also signed up to do
ladiesbigbang, which I'm also co-modding. I've got my basic idea already figured out -- rewriting certain S5 eps of CSI: Miami with the OT4. In other words, it's another Light, Water, Muses piece with the Calleigh/Natalia/Ziva/Abby grouping. *heh* I'd had other ideas that I listed, but this is the primary one I want to work with, so it's what I'm going to do. And I've got to figure out what I'm going to do for femgenficathon, tho' that's not due for a while yet. And I can't forget about the plot_wout_porn story that's due, too. I actually need an idea for that one...
And I'm trying to finish polishing up a piece to submit for MZB's Sword & Sorceress 25. I'm kind of pushing the time limit [tho' the reading period only started a week ago], but I really would like to do this. I'd wanted to do it before MZB had died, but that didn't happen. Maybe this will be the start of a new possibility for me, ya know?
- Casa 3 Dogs :: The yards are looking absolutely wonderful. We even have the "stream" [made of river rock and those little glass marbles that are half-flat like Junior Mints] nearly completed. I know that amyrayh and
shatterpath got the last of the river rocks today to finish it up, and I get to put in the glass bits to simulate water/waves. It's quite fun and pretty. I"ll have to take pictures. The food plants are being worked on, as well. And they bought me a packet of cactus seeds today to grow. They're primarily going to end up in the sun room and the kitchen, boht of which are on the south wall and get the most sun. I need to get the kitchen cleaned up again. I've gotten lazy on the housework while my leg's been recuperating. But now, with
shatterpath home again, we'll be dividing our time between job hunting and working on cleaning up the house.
We're also going to be working on moving my bedroom. I'm going to move down into the northern half of the office/basement, and we'll turn my room into a craft room. Possibly even a sort of guest room, tho' I don't know if THAT will work out due to Stasia and her territory issues.
shatterpath and I have been working out details of how we'll do the shift to move me downstairs AND separate the room enough so that I have a bedroom and we have an office/spare room. I think it's going to work out in the end, and I can handle the cold far better than she can...
- Pets :: The cats are all doing fabulously. Gabe just celebrated his 4th birthday yesterda, tho' he's actually celebrating today with some gooshy food and a big old pile of his treats [that he's sharing with Leo]. For a flashback, check out these shots from when he was 12 wks old... Leo will hit 8yo on 1 May and Elphie will turn 2 on 10 May. Um, I already mentioned that Papi and Bailey had passed away about 2 months ago now, and Lightning, our Egyptian spiny mouse, passed away within a week after that. Pickles has turned into a completely affectionate little slut of a pig and Mami has grown like crazy since she was put into Papi's old tank [ie. from a 5 gallon tank to a 29 gallon tank].
- Howrse :: I deleted my game today. In the end, my last 11 horses sold for a combined228919 equus. After selling off all my stuff, my personal account ended up with 811598 equus and my EC account ended up with 4928156 equus. There were some real morons asking me for shit that they shouldn't as time went on, and they're doing the same shit to
shatterpath [her auctions aren't done yet]. It was crazy, but I don't think I'll actually miss the game at all... AND it's one less tab that I "need" to keep open.