One of my good Xanga friends posted something like this yesterday… she stole it from one of her good Xanga friends… the object is to post a paragraph or two from your first post each month in the previous year. (I think I should be more careful what my first posts are, LOL.) Here is mine.
January
Pink Sky
I couldn’t sleep tonight. I was plenty tired, and lay down for hours. Got up and took a shower followed by a bubble bath (lavender and chamomile). Went back to bed, read 4 more chapters of whatever I’m reading (Kinky Friedman’s Armadillos and Old Lace). Still no sleep.
I got up and futzed around a bit. Then I asked the important question, “WHY am I not sleeping?” followed by “What happens when I just can’t sleep?” Simple answer – it’s snowing. I don’t know why, but I just can’t sleep during an active snowfall event. I had to look out the window to check, but indeed we had about 2″ outside.
I remembered back to when I would complain to Beth (now my #3 ex) about not being able to sleep. Snowfall in Colorado Springs, combined with the street lighting, made the air/snow look pink. I started referring to not being able to sleep due to “pink sky conditions”. Don’t know why I forgot that for so long and remembered it when I needed to tonight.
We don’t get many snowfalls here in Asheville. The ones we get are rarely worth mentioning, maybe 5-6 events per year, no more than 1″ each. Today they started out predicting 3-6″ (to which I snorted, “yeah, sure”) and revised it downward to 2-4″. Well, we definitely have 2″ or more… and I definitely can’t sleep.
It is always interesting to see what kinds of things you remember when you’ve been a few decades removed from the first experience. And this was one of the biggest snowfalls we’ve had in Asheville in my 10+ years here.
February
As I wrote on January 8, I had been served a court order from one of my creditors. I filed my reply with both the County Court and the Creditor. My Creditor just sent me (and, presumably, the Court) a document stating that, since I did not dispute my owing this debt or the amount, the Court should issue a Summary Judgment.
Not only can you not get blood from a turnip, the lawyers and the Court should all know that I cannot be docked for this amount of money in any way. Unless, as I said before, the laws changed when Bush had the bankruptcy laws changed.
Always talking about my debt. Well, I’m proud of the way I have been working at reducing it, instead of just paying the lawyer to ask the government to make it go away. Some day I will be debt-free, and will have done it myself (with help from my mother, who cosigned several loans and put her credit union account up for collateral).
March
Well, I’ve had a couple of weeks “off”, and now it’s back into the swing.
I have to report for jury duty at 8:45 am… those of you who know me know how unlikely it is that I will show up rested… I have a meeting on Tuesday, a doctor’s appt Wednesday, and my usual AHN meeting on Thursday, any and all of which may have to be cancelled if I get on a jury.
My friend Mike spent 3 nights on my couch, but has found (or is trying to find) other accommodations. He has some more options, but none of them add up to housing at the present moment. It has been frustrating, as I’ve been working with him for two months and still haven’t found him any long-term solutions to his housing problems. He does not blame me for any of it, for which I am grateful — it would be far too easy to beat myself up over this.
Ah yes. I beat myself up more than necessary, I’m sure. I will continue to get better. And I continue to do as much work as I can, often 10% more than I can. And I did not get chosen for Jury Duty, and missed no meetings.
April
I’m getting ready to go to the AHN meeting, taking my non-roommate with me so we can get him a bus pass and I’m taking him to CiCi’s afterward. (Read about the AHN meeting on Asheville Homeless’ blog).
BTW, the beard is back, and looking pretty good. Several of my friends told me they just didn’t think I was “ME” without it.
Me and my hair. I don’t know why I care about it — I’m not doing this out of vanity; maybe it’s just oddness. I’m having to start from scratch now… I have about 16 days’ growth right now from shaving everything off from the neck up. I’ll try taking some pictures every month to show the progress. Some of my friends swear I use MiracleGro.
May
Things have been hectic, and look more hectic for next week.
I just had a minor “heart attack” (not a real one) when I got both my computers connected to the hub for Internet use, turned them on… and could not get to Ubuntu. After several tries, I booted to Windows, which was successful; after making sure I had an Internet connexion, I rebooted to Ubuntu and IT WORKED! (Deep sigh of relief, mopping brow, thanking all the gods of electricity and photons — Hermes, right?).
Still having many adventures with Ubuntu. I wish OpenOffice.org would fix their bugs so I could stop using Windoze. The Linux community is friendlier and more helpful, and nearly all Linux software is free (and most is open source — any programmer who can think of a fix can add it, so long as they contribute the amendment to the community).
June
Twenty-five Signs You Have Grown Up
By: Salma Rumman
1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can’t smoke any of them.
One of my many lists that I post. I get more positive feedback from friends on this type of thing than just about anything else I print (including my own articles). Funny, sweet, spiritual, or whatever, this kind of thing adds a spark to our day.
July
I had a date Wednesday night, my first in, well, longer than I can remember (usually the woman just moves in or vice versa). It went so well… got my hopes up… they are not being dashed, but this woman moves so slowly I can’t tell she’s moving. It will be good if it works out… but it has been a stress on me, one more thing to think about when I needed one or two fewer things on my mind.
Life. Don’t talk to me about life. — Marvin. I’m not even sure A. thought of this as a date, and it’s the last one we’ve had so far. She’s afraid her family wouldn’t accept me as I am. Ah well.
August
I got an early jump on my next phase of removing my indebtedness through hard work, with much help and prompting from my mother. At the end of the three years of this loan, barring any other unforeseen developments, I will have reduced my indebtedness from $17k to $6k, and will only have 3 companies I’m in debt to. I will not be so pressed against the wall during this 3 year period either, although until it’s over with I’ll not really be eating well. Will I be out of debt before the End of the World? (re: Mayan Calendar) Who knows? But I’m not going to give up.
Read my lips. No new girlfriends.
So far, so good. Making payments, not paying for love. I *did* spend New Year’s Eve at a strip club… first time I’ve ever been in one in my life… but did not even RENT a woman. Bad food, high priced beer, pretty girls, nice owner… oy. But at least I wasn’t alone for this holiday.
September
Eternal Press Birthday Party
Today starts our week long birthday party at Eternal Press. Head over to
the blog all week for fun or free stuff. Today starts off with a short
trivia contest.
http://eternalpressauthors.blogspot.com/
Yayy, I got a job! OK, so it really isn’t paying much yet, but I love my work and my co-workers. I’m really spending too much time doing this, but I enjoy it so much. Wonder how much time I’ll have after the training I’ll be receiving the next two weeks?
October
Ten Rules for Being Human
by Cherie Carter-Scott
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.
Yep, another list. Another really good list, at that.
November
I walked past my fish’s bowl on Thursday, and it seemed kinda brownish… since I had just changed it on Tuesday, it seemed odd… found him decomposing on the bottom of the bowl, don’t have a clue why he wasn’t floating. Waaaah, I loved that fish.
The fish I replaced him with, Rainbow, is beautiful, and as attentive as any fish I’ve had. I tried to get him a buddy, Whitey, but he died within a week. I got a refund. A few days later I got another fish, Midnight The Sequel, and I’m not sure how he’s doing… he spends most of his time looking like he’s hanging from the surface of the bowl by his mouth… but he does move around sometimes… I think if I lose him I’ll just decide to be happy with Rainbow, he’s such a good fish.
December
The Laws of the Pharmaceutical Industry
<http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/PHARMACEUTICAL_BUSINESS/laws_of_the_pharmaceutical_industry.htm>
The main principles governing the pharmaceutical “business with disease.” It is not in the financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry to prevent common diseases – the maintenance and expansion of diseases is a precondition for the financial growth of this industry.
The battle for Truth, Justice, and what USED to be The American Way. Freedom is being taken from us one drug at a time. The drug companies KNOW most of their products are barely better than a sugar pill (or not as good as) but they get us hooked on them anyhow. I have been drug-free (except for one blood pressure medication) for 5+ years now, and seem to be becoming considered an expert on alternative therapies for bipolar disorders and depression.
Well, that’s one year. Fragments of an online life. Thanks, Irish, for passing the idea along.
Hugs,
Me