Yes, I still exist!
Damn, have I been bad at maintaining this blog. In fact, this is only the second actual post since I started it back in the spring. Oops. But in my defense, it’s been a crazy summer. Way too much going, and not all of it was great.
I’ll start with the not-so-fun stuff.
My assistants, Ozzie and Becky (pictured below – my favorite photo of them) have both been experiencing health issues. Ozzie is an old man – somehow 15 already – and has heart issues. Aside from a leaky valve, he’s also a little Grinch. In that every time he gets a new X-Ray, we find out his heart has grown another size. Cute in a Christmas cartoon, less than ideal in a tiny little dog.
BUT his meds all seem to be doing the trick of keeping him comfortable and lessening his symptoms, and he still has plenty of energy (and anger) left to let joggers passing by know he would gladly murder them.
Becky has had a rough summer, too. Late in the spring, she started having seizures. We haven’t confirmed with a neurologist yet, but given her age, their sudden onset, and her weight loss, it’s definitely nothing good. It’s been a challenge nailing down the right dosage of her meds – the right amount to prevent her from having more seizures, but also from turning her into a zombie. There’ve been lots of phone calls and appointments with the vet.
We’ve got it just about right, I think. She’s still quieter than she used to be, but likes to be in the room with us, and is definitely enjoying her new all-Fancy-Feast diet. Whatever she wants, she gets. Lots of Delectables treats, too.
Job-hunting also ate up a lot of my summer. The company I was working for – and lots of other in the same industry (cannabis cultivation, legal where I live) – were experiencing significant growing pains from market oversaturation, and it became clear it was time to move on or potentially watch things get worse. Because no raises, benefits reductions and layoffs weren’t bad enough.
Thankfully, I did find something new, in a completely different (but much more well-established) industry, and just started my new job this week. It’s only been a few days, but I think it’s going to be a good fit, with lots of opportunities for growth. Something my last job, ironically, did not have.
That’s the serious stuff. I’ve also been too busy enjoying to enjoy the few nice days we’ve had this summer to sit down and blog.
In July, I went on a Viking Cruise along the Rhine with my husband and some of his family. It was absolutely amazing. We visited beautiful cities and ate so, so much food. We started with two days in Amsterdam. We did two canal cruises (I love being on a boat), and me and Max visited ARTIS park, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in the world. We also did the Heineken Experience. Which was … an experience. At least it included one of those canal cruises.
After Amsterdam, we boarded our ship and headed along the Rhine. We got to see windmills, castles and cathedrals (a couple of which I ascended with my sister-in-law and her husband – the tallest was 500 steps to the top – hello, firm glutes). And there were plenty of charming, picturesque cities.
I squeezed in a couple beach days with my family, but when the weather’s been good, I’ve been trying to get out on my motorcycle. I’ll dedicate a whole post to her later, but I have a ’22 Can Am Ryker 900. Her name is Cova, and she does indeed light my life (this is a Monster Magnet reference – my favorite band – do yourself a favor and give them a listen). She even has her own Insta: @cova_roves
Live music has become a big thing for me since the “end” of Covid, and although that’s something I’ll talk more about in a future post (look at me committing to this!), I’ve been going to a lot of shows. I even did a fun weekend away in Portland, ME with a friend to catch show up there.
I’ve also been doing writer-type stuff. “Better Half” is still going up episode-by-episode over on Tapa (read it here!). Although most of it is already technically written, I’ve been heavily updating most of the chapters. Trying to make them, you know, better.
So there’s my list of excuses about why this is only my second real blog post. Now that fall is on the horizon (or technically here if you go by the meteorological start), I’ll hopefully have more time to maintain this page.
Or I’ll just end up working on the Lego sets that have been piling up in the corner since last winter.
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