Update and New Beginnings

Wow. I can't believe I've neglected this for so long. But, sometimes life gets in the way.

2022 and 2023 were rough for me. In 2022, after a well fought battle, we lost Bill, who was definitely the best of us three Batman kids. Haz and I did get to Minnesota over Memorial Day weekend that year to visit with everyone. Not sure we were quite expecting to have it be the last time. ❤️

2023 was mostly just dealing with stuff breaking. First, our car died. Then the AC went out over July 4th (thankfully just a new motor and not a whole new unit), and then Cox Internet constantly going out to the point I had to miss work. We switched to Starlink, and while we did lose some speed, the stability is amazing! And the water heater died and needed to be replaced. 😲

To top it all off, Haz messed up his shoulder putting up the Starlink dish, and Dispatch Health sent us to the ER because his BP was so high! That worked out for us in the long run, because we (finally) got a new primary care doctor that we love and is awesome. Got Haz back on his meds, and his BP and diabetes went from through the roof to where they should be in just a couple of months!📣

Also discovered I had a low thyroid, so I got on meds for that. I also finally asked for help in dealing with the depression I'd been stuck in for well over a year at that point. Now, not to knock counseling, but the couple of times I've tried it, it's never really worked for me. Though, I do have some good friends that are always willing to lend an ear, and usually understand what I'm going through. 

Looking back, I've probably had depression issues my entire adult life, if not longer. And, losing Bill definitely ripped open some older wounds. But, after talking to my doctor, I got on a low dose of Zoloft. We noticed a change pretty quickly. 

Now, almost 6 months later, I feel better than I've felt in YEARS!! I do need to call my doctor to get a new RX. After talking with Haz, we both agree I'm doing better on it than off. We did also get Haz back on Cymbalta, too. He seems to be doing better as well. 

On to 2024. I was getting so frustrated and burned out in my old role. Talking to some of my coworkers, the ones that have also been doing this work for a long while, they were feeling the same, and the situation was unlikely to change anytime soon. ☹️

I had been very half-heartedly looking for other work. Then, a remote opening at a locally based law firm showed up in my Indeed feed. In less than a month, I had the job! 📣

Increased pay, better benefits (though the premiums are a little higher at the moment), much better hours. All experienced people. No more nights, weekends, or holidays!

After a recent yard sale, where I got a crochet commission, we started looking at possibly setting up a site through Square Space. Still very much in the thinking and planning stages at this point. But, if I pull that trigger, I'll have to figure out how to migrate this Blog over. 😉

Also looking at going back to school in the fall to get a Paralegal certificate. My firm will reimburse me, and it will open doors I hadn't even considered before. 

As Memorial Day and the start of summer approaches,  the future is looking so much better than it did even after just a few months, and just a month into the new job.

I think this post has gotten long enough! I'm going to work on being better at posting, and hopefully revisit Mom's Afghan to make sure that pattern is working as intended. 

Until next time, Keep on Hooking!