two steps forward, one step back
What I've been doing:
Media.
Almost done listening to Whispers Under Ground, by Ben Aaronovich, one of his Rivers of London supernatural police procedurals with Peter Grant as an apprentice wizard and London copper. These are chock full of SF references and great fun to read and even more fun to listen to.
Reading Sonia Sotomayor's autobiography My Beloved World. Slowing down largely because of brain fracturing due to stress and realization that I won't be here for book club discussion.
Watching the end of Season 6 of Charmed. Two more seasons and we're done, but there's some major stupid to slog through on the way to the series ender payoff. Season 5 of Person of Interest finally popped up on Netflix so I'll go back to that after Charmed I think. Also watching and recapping the end of Season 2 of Babylon 5. Signed up for a good bit of Season 3 and may do even more.
Writing journal entries both public and private. I've started a hand-written journal which is pretty much a long whine punctuated by screams and deep sadness. It's a process.
Echoes of our choir songs murmer in my head every day. Hymns of all religious traditions punctuated by oldies. #2 is enjoying it, I think, but maybe not as much as I am to my great surprise. On our way home from practice last night I had him listen to the original versions of Everyday People (Sly and the Family Stone) and Put a Little Love in Your Heart (Jackie DeShannon). Thanks, YouTube! We are singing choral versions of both. Sly did it better. I just hope #2 isn't driven to emulate the Sly-scream during the serivce ;) The choir director told me about an Iris Dement album with Akhmatova lyrics after I mentioned my college passion for Russian poetry. I put it on my Wish List, sigh.
Family.
My niece is moving up to live with my parents (providing housework and cooking assistance as well as companionship) at Thanksgiving. My sister is driving her up and #2 and I plan to drive up too. So we will see each for the first time in...a year? Two? Something to be grateful for, indeed.
Almost reconciled to Home Alone Christmas. I will work hard at work, on the core's new Sharepoint website. Taking classes in that, me. Going to be a Manager at least--and do some of my own design? Hopefully I will also be finishing up whatever I do for NaNo. These things might be better than trying to piece together a broken family tradition. Is it wrong that I don't want phone calls from R and the boys telling me what a good time they are having?
Have decided to continue working through marital issues and not move forward in any legal fashion until after the New Year. This time of year is just too fraught for me. I will have access to Legal Services through a work benefit in January which is one step better than throwing a dart at the Internet to pick a lawyer.
Health.
Not so good. I bagged off going back to the psychologist and never picked up his suggested prescriptions. It's the stoic Scot in me I think. We soldier on and muddle through. After the New Year I'll take my brand new insurance for a spin.
The longer commute, on top of stress, has brought back many of my aches and pains. Even sciatica paid me a return visit! Move gym/exercise and finding doctor higher on the To-Do List. We are starting a new series of experiments next week. That is not good for me either. Ah well.
Work.
Better. Up and down still, but better. My consultant gig is heating up again as well, in a couple of months I should be busy and earning some extra which will be helpful.
Other Interests.
#2 and I are working the UU booth at MidSouth Pride tomorrow morning. Don't know if we'll stay for the parade in the afternoon. I tend to huddle inside during the heat of the day unless it's something we both really want to do. May hit the Humane Society's Volunteer Days in the afternoon--that's air-conditioned, and #2 can play with the cats. I haven't managed to re-work dog-working into my new schedule yet. The commute eats up a lot of time, and weekends are busier. I'll get it fitted together somehow.
Trying a writer's group but don't like it much. Only a few people and one with a 9 book series (!) took up most of the air. Will try one or two more than gently fade away if it doesn't get better. I'm not too good at either giving or receiving constructive criticism so I'm wary. I would rather get together and write or discuss writing problems with examples from our respective works.
There is a Women's Group at the church that I may try to attend. I know most of them, and they are my age give or take. I had my kids later in life and have been hanging around younger people through school and other activities. It's nice to be around some women with similar life experiences and at a similar stage.
I am planning to host a Doctor Who Christmas Party as a church fund-raiser. A very small party given my domicile but a party(!) I haven't thrown a party in ages. We will watch past Doctor Who Christmas episodes and eat British Christmas treats. My grocery store had Nonesuch mincemeat on sale for some bizarre reason. Also lemon curd. Weirdly apropos.
That's about it. Except for the occasional meltdowns I'm wobbly but upright.
This entry was originally posted at http://vjs2259.dreamwidth.org/403648.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Media.
Almost done listening to Whispers Under Ground, by Ben Aaronovich, one of his Rivers of London supernatural police procedurals with Peter Grant as an apprentice wizard and London copper. These are chock full of SF references and great fun to read and even more fun to listen to.
Reading Sonia Sotomayor's autobiography My Beloved World. Slowing down largely because of brain fracturing due to stress and realization that I won't be here for book club discussion.
Watching the end of Season 6 of Charmed. Two more seasons and we're done, but there's some major stupid to slog through on the way to the series ender payoff. Season 5 of Person of Interest finally popped up on Netflix so I'll go back to that after Charmed I think. Also watching and recapping the end of Season 2 of Babylon 5. Signed up for a good bit of Season 3 and may do even more.
Writing journal entries both public and private. I've started a hand-written journal which is pretty much a long whine punctuated by screams and deep sadness. It's a process.
Echoes of our choir songs murmer in my head every day. Hymns of all religious traditions punctuated by oldies. #2 is enjoying it, I think, but maybe not as much as I am to my great surprise. On our way home from practice last night I had him listen to the original versions of Everyday People (Sly and the Family Stone) and Put a Little Love in Your Heart (Jackie DeShannon). Thanks, YouTube! We are singing choral versions of both. Sly did it better. I just hope #2 isn't driven to emulate the Sly-scream during the serivce ;) The choir director told me about an Iris Dement album with Akhmatova lyrics after I mentioned my college passion for Russian poetry. I put it on my Wish List, sigh.
Family.
My niece is moving up to live with my parents (providing housework and cooking assistance as well as companionship) at Thanksgiving. My sister is driving her up and #2 and I plan to drive up too. So we will see each for the first time in...a year? Two? Something to be grateful for, indeed.
Almost reconciled to Home Alone Christmas. I will work hard at work, on the core's new Sharepoint website. Taking classes in that, me. Going to be a Manager at least--and do some of my own design? Hopefully I will also be finishing up whatever I do for NaNo. These things might be better than trying to piece together a broken family tradition. Is it wrong that I don't want phone calls from R and the boys telling me what a good time they are having?
Have decided to continue working through marital issues and not move forward in any legal fashion until after the New Year. This time of year is just too fraught for me. I will have access to Legal Services through a work benefit in January which is one step better than throwing a dart at the Internet to pick a lawyer.
Health.
Not so good. I bagged off going back to the psychologist and never picked up his suggested prescriptions. It's the stoic Scot in me I think. We soldier on and muddle through. After the New Year I'll take my brand new insurance for a spin.
The longer commute, on top of stress, has brought back many of my aches and pains. Even sciatica paid me a return visit! Move gym/exercise and finding doctor higher on the To-Do List. We are starting a new series of experiments next week. That is not good for me either. Ah well.
Work.
Better. Up and down still, but better. My consultant gig is heating up again as well, in a couple of months I should be busy and earning some extra which will be helpful.
Other Interests.
#2 and I are working the UU booth at MidSouth Pride tomorrow morning. Don't know if we'll stay for the parade in the afternoon. I tend to huddle inside during the heat of the day unless it's something we both really want to do. May hit the Humane Society's Volunteer Days in the afternoon--that's air-conditioned, and #2 can play with the cats. I haven't managed to re-work dog-working into my new schedule yet. The commute eats up a lot of time, and weekends are busier. I'll get it fitted together somehow.
Trying a writer's group but don't like it much. Only a few people and one with a 9 book series (!) took up most of the air. Will try one or two more than gently fade away if it doesn't get better. I'm not too good at either giving or receiving constructive criticism so I'm wary. I would rather get together and write or discuss writing problems with examples from our respective works.
There is a Women's Group at the church that I may try to attend. I know most of them, and they are my age give or take. I had my kids later in life and have been hanging around younger people through school and other activities. It's nice to be around some women with similar life experiences and at a similar stage.
I am planning to host a Doctor Who Christmas Party as a church fund-raiser. A very small party given my domicile but a party(!) I haven't thrown a party in ages. We will watch past Doctor Who Christmas episodes and eat British Christmas treats. My grocery store had Nonesuch mincemeat on sale for some bizarre reason. Also lemon curd. Weirdly apropos.
That's about it. Except for the occasional meltdowns I'm wobbly but upright.
This entry was originally posted at http://vjs2259.dreamwidth.org/403648.html. Please comment there using OpenID.