I'm alive!!!
I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last post. I can attribute this to either being extremely busy and social or extremely lazy the past year. I've checked in here and there, but Livejournal doesn't seem to hold my interest that much lately. Perhaps that is to change now... I hope. I'm not sure what inspired me to get back on here, but I am... so whatever.
So... where to begin. I have an awesome job! I work at McLain Wiesand Design, a small,custom furniture design company in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. I work with 7 wonderful people who have more or less become a kind of family over the past 9 months. The atmosphere is great and work (at least for me) is so dynamic. I'm the office assistant/errand runner/whatever-they-need-me-to-doer. We're trying to develop a good title that encompasses everything I do (and don't do). We predominately work with interior designers because it's crazy expensive furniture... so at least I get some insight on the field. I've learned that some rich people are so cheap and just hard to please!!!
I've developed quite an "addiction" to growing and tending to plants as well. I'm pretty damn good at it, though my herbs never do as well as my succulents and flowers. I'll keep trying though. Everything I have now is in pots (with the exception of the little flowering dogwood and serviceberry trees we planted this fall). I hope in the spring we can overhaul our front and back yards to plant stuff in the ground. We'll see.
My dog still rules. He's weird and cute and snuggly. He looks like Santa's Little Helper from the Simpson's... exactly like him.
I've also seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist since last March. I've been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, though I'm not sure I quite believe the dianosis. Though they have put me on *ahem* several medications that have made me functional again. I do feel more "normal" than I used to... not drugged by any means... it's hard to explain. Though I do have to say the past couple months I haven't felt the productivity and happiness I felt before. I suppose I should talk to my doctors at my next appointment.
Speaking of medications, I've also been seeing a dermatologist for my adult acne. Since 2004 I've been on a topical antibiotic, oral antibiotic, and Retin-A, though it never really did what I hoped it would do for my skin. And a lot of people don't believe I have acne... I guess because once I noticed the onset of it I got on the cocktail of the aforementioned medicaitons. But I guess people don't realize it's mostly deep, cystic, painful acne that's under the skin. Recently, there was a period where I thought, "Perhaps my skin would just be okay if I stopped using that crap." Uh.......no. My face went nuts! Lesson learned. What I also learned is that I needed another option. So I went back to the dermatologist to get on Accutane, since it was suggested to me before. Oh, Accutane.... the most insane and vain medication you can take to literally "cure" acne.... All those side effects just to feel better about yourself. Fuck it, I care about how I look and am willing to suffer for a 6 month, intense regimen of it. I can't drink alcohol while on it (suck!!!!!!!!!) because it affects liver function. Oh, and it affects kidney function, makes you intensely sensitive to the sun... I will be severely dry (cracked, bleeding skin; nosebleeds, skin peeling, etc.). Not to mention the fact that you HAVE to be on 2 forms of birth control because of severe birth defects it causes--- I mean, there's a whole program you have to go through and get monthly pregnancy tests and everything! I keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the end.
So, I go to the doctor tomorrow to actually get on Accutane. They had me take one pregnancy test, and then come back a month later (which is tomorrow) to have a negative test (just to make sure) before I can actually get on it. The joy and terror awaits!
Yeah. It may seem like it's been a crappy year for me based on some of this stuff, but it's really been a year to do all the things I've been meaning to do to improve myself.... a transitional year if you will. I hope this year will be even better.
Oh, goodness.... this takes so long to do. I have a bazillion things to say, but I really just want to get out of my house and do something. Okay, so I will have more next time.... whenever that is. I promise it won't be a year!
So... where to begin. I have an awesome job! I work at McLain Wiesand Design, a small,custom furniture design company in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. I work with 7 wonderful people who have more or less become a kind of family over the past 9 months. The atmosphere is great and work (at least for me) is so dynamic. I'm the office assistant/errand runner/whatever-they-need-me-to-doer. We're trying to develop a good title that encompasses everything I do (and don't do). We predominately work with interior designers because it's crazy expensive furniture... so at least I get some insight on the field. I've learned that some rich people are so cheap and just hard to please!!!
I've developed quite an "addiction" to growing and tending to plants as well. I'm pretty damn good at it, though my herbs never do as well as my succulents and flowers. I'll keep trying though. Everything I have now is in pots (with the exception of the little flowering dogwood and serviceberry trees we planted this fall). I hope in the spring we can overhaul our front and back yards to plant stuff in the ground. We'll see.
My dog still rules. He's weird and cute and snuggly. He looks like Santa's Little Helper from the Simpson's... exactly like him.
I've also seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist since last March. I've been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, though I'm not sure I quite believe the dianosis. Though they have put me on *ahem* several medications that have made me functional again. I do feel more "normal" than I used to... not drugged by any means... it's hard to explain. Though I do have to say the past couple months I haven't felt the productivity and happiness I felt before. I suppose I should talk to my doctors at my next appointment.
Speaking of medications, I've also been seeing a dermatologist for my adult acne. Since 2004 I've been on a topical antibiotic, oral antibiotic, and Retin-A, though it never really did what I hoped it would do for my skin. And a lot of people don't believe I have acne... I guess because once I noticed the onset of it I got on the cocktail of the aforementioned medicaitons. But I guess people don't realize it's mostly deep, cystic, painful acne that's under the skin. Recently, there was a period where I thought, "Perhaps my skin would just be okay if I stopped using that crap." Uh.......no. My face went nuts! Lesson learned. What I also learned is that I needed another option. So I went back to the dermatologist to get on Accutane, since it was suggested to me before. Oh, Accutane.... the most insane and vain medication you can take to literally "cure" acne.... All those side effects just to feel better about yourself. Fuck it, I care about how I look and am willing to suffer for a 6 month, intense regimen of it. I can't drink alcohol while on it (suck!!!!!!!!!) because it affects liver function. Oh, and it affects kidney function, makes you intensely sensitive to the sun... I will be severely dry (cracked, bleeding skin; nosebleeds, skin peeling, etc.). Not to mention the fact that you HAVE to be on 2 forms of birth control because of severe birth defects it causes--- I mean, there's a whole program you have to go through and get monthly pregnancy tests and everything! I keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the end.
So, I go to the doctor tomorrow to actually get on Accutane. They had me take one pregnancy test, and then come back a month later (which is tomorrow) to have a negative test (just to make sure) before I can actually get on it. The joy and terror awaits!
Yeah. It may seem like it's been a crappy year for me based on some of this stuff, but it's really been a year to do all the things I've been meaning to do to improve myself.... a transitional year if you will. I hope this year will be even better.
Oh, goodness.... this takes so long to do. I have a bazillion things to say, but I really just want to get out of my house and do something. Okay, so I will have more next time.... whenever that is. I promise it won't be a year!