Friday, November 29, 2019

I had lunch with Shaun, and then...

I had lunch with Shaun, and then I spent the rest of the day with my plants. I needed that.

I put some of my thirstier aloes in water with no dirt. I'll leave them there until they plump back up, but they might stay indefinitely if they do ok. Since things have been so rough for me lately, I've neglected them a bit. I hate that it happened, but they are getting attention now.

I also potted up some baby leaf propagations, so I have trays of babies maturing. AND (I feel super accomplished about this part) I made a tray for my next batch of leaf propagations. I wanted to try water propagation rather than laying them on top of dirt and misting them, so I used seedling trays to make a container. I cut holes in the clear tray that the leaves are on and I'm hoping they'll reach their roots down into the water below. We'll see.

Ok, so I saved the best part for last: Michelle has the best timing. She sent me a beautiful box of succulents that arrived today. I. AM. SMITTEN. 😍😍😍 These are all new to me and she nailed the colors:  I'd mentioned I didn't have any orange / peach babies, but now I have 3!!! Look at these gorgeous plants! And this green broccoli baby is giving me life! I love a little weirdy, always!

Friends, I know I have messages and comments to respond to. If all goes well, I will get to it tonight. I love you and thank you for the outpouring of love. I really needed it. I'm still not 100%, though, so I'm trying to practice some self - care today. Thank you for your understanding and patience with me. ❤️

Water therapy on thirsty aloes.

Make-shift water propagation tray.

Babies from Michelle!
And Shaun's painted toenail (top left), and Faith, of course. 😂

Michelle, this color is so gorgeous. The photo doesn't do it justice.

I'm in love!

This crazy thing is precious. It is making me so happy!

Michelle, look how chubby! 😍😍😍 Thank you for all of these babies. Your timing is impeccable and I appreciate you so much! 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Since several people feel that my depression (or not) is up for debate today...

Since several people feel that my depression (or not) is up for debate today I'll just leave it at this:

I feel dead inside.

It's after 3 pm and I still haven't made it out of bed.

I'm feeling "down" and it's not a good time.

I could use some help.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

I'm sorry for disappearing.

I'm sorry for disappearing. I received a lot of birthday wishes, which I greatly appreciate and will respond to shortly. I've spent the last few days (birthday included) dealing with another depressive slump, but today feels better.

I spent most of my birthday on the couch being a lump with my dogs. Shaun scraped me up and took me to Olive Garden. We had a big dinner and I got a free piece of Tiramisu, which was delicious. The kids got me a card that they heavily customized and it is perfect. Spending time with my family was the highlight of my day.

I'm not sure why I've felt so down recently. Probably stress. I feel kind of like a failure for doing so poorly in school this semester. I'm just so damn tired. I'll be grateful for the time in my life when I no longer have homework.

Anyway, love to all of my friends. I hope you're all doing well. 🧡

Friday, November 22, 2019

One more day of class next week and that's it before finals.

One more day of class next week and that's it before finals.  I'm 99% sure I'm only going to make it through 2 classes (dropped Abstract Algebra and currently have a 50-something in Networking), but I'm happy about the two classes I'm passing.

Senior Seminar in Mathematics has been fun and interesting, but I will NOT miss writing those 10-page papers, which I'm pretty sure was a large cause of my crippling anxiety this semester.  Disaster Response and Recovery is my online class and it bored me out of my mind.  It is nothing I'm interested in or care about.  So if I don't have to repeat these two classes (and I don't think I will), then I'm happy.

For next semester I've already signed up for Networking again.  I'm also taking Human-Computer Interaction.  Those will be my last two CS classes and I guess I could graduate next semester if I decided to get only one degree.  But I'm also taking Differential Equations next semester and then planning for Abstract Algebra in the summer.  One extra semester for two degrees is ok, but if I can't pass Abstract on the second go around, I'll have to reconsider.

Overall, I'm EXTREMELY ready to put this semester behind me.  I'm looking forward to spring because I don't think it will be bad.  I already know what to expect from Networking and DE so Human-Computer Interaction will be the only new class, but I'm sure it will be fun.

Anyway, I'm off to paint my nails.  I just finished all of the homework I'm doing for the day, so it's time to treat myself.  🙂

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

8:30 last night: Went to bed

8:30 last night:  Went to bed

Midnight:  Woke up to some pretty serious PMS cramps (never had that happen before)

1 am:  Went back to bed

7:30:  Woke up for appointment and errands

11 am - 12:20 pm:  napped

12:45:  Another appointment

3:30 - 6:45:  napped

I can't seem to get enough sleep the last couple of days. I'm only awake to do some homework and then I'm heading back to bed.

This is wack.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

I didn't sleep well and all I want to do is nap with my doggies, but...

I didn't sleep well and all I want to do is nap with my doggies, but I have class today.  Only one more class day this week after today, then next week off, then finals!  I can survive this day.  Probably.  😂😂😂

Thursday, November 14, 2019

OMG.

OMG. I love being married to Shaun. He's my favorite person. 🖤

I posted a few plant pics...

I posted a few plant pics in early October on my stories when I was hiding from the Internet. I want them in my album so I'm posting them again, plus a couple of new ones. 😊

This is how I drove my cactus home! 😂😂😂

Fat little succy that I grew from the leaf from one of my plants.

FINALLY repotted this Christmas Cactus a few weeks ago.

That wart looks like it's trying to grow a leaf!

Free to a good home. If you would for me to mail you some I just ask for $3.50 for shipping.

My pearls are stringing!

So are my tears drops.

These are little Echeveria Chromas I grew from leaves. They are coloring up nicely.

My Frizzle Sizzle is coming back!

This was taken the day I started water therapy.

After a month of water therapy - with a flower!

This was taken the day I started water therapy.

About a month later. Look how plump!

Blooms on my cactus. This will never not excite me. ❤️

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Tl;dr: I feel better.

Tl;dr:  I feel better.

Yesterday was pretty good. I turned in the big assignment that has been hanging over my head for weeks. That's a relief. I got some appointments scheduled and also found out that there is a relatively easy solution to something that's been bothering me for a while. The worst part of yesterday was going out in the cold repeatedly to show the dogs their house and worrying that they would freeze to death. They didn't, but I know they must be uncomfortable. I really hope they'll start using their house, but at least we're back into 30s°F for now.

I just saw my therapist and he said that I seem a lot better. I definitely feel it. I'm back to fasting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That's not something I've really spoken about publicly, but I don't eat on those days. Counting sleep, it comes out to about a 36-hour fast each time. I do this to keep my psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in check. It works for me. I get tons of energy with this eating pattern. In fact, even though I felt tired last night I had trouble sleeping, so that tells me I need to hit the gym to burn off some excess energy.

I was pretty depressed for most of October and like I said before - I tend to abuse and / or comfort myself with food so I ate every day, often in excess. My bones have been a bit achy and my skin broke out again, but after fasting on Friday and Monday, there's already been a noticeable improvement in my skin and bones. Anyway, this post wasn't meant to be about fasting, but there you go. If you have questions about it, feel free to ask.

Other than that we have classes next week. The week after that, Thanksgiving holiday. Then the week after that, final exams. So I'm thisclose to putting another semester behind me. I may not pass Networking, but if that's the case I'm not mad. I'll take it again next semester. 🤷🏻‍♂️ I will have still gotten through two classes, neither of which I would want to repeat.

Since I'll likely only be part time at school next semester I'm going to try to get a part time job. I will need a certification that I'm planning to try to get next month. I haven't done all of the research yet, but I think it's pricey to do ($1200?) and I don't really know how I'll pay for that, but where there's a will, there's a way. I'll throw myself into researching that over the Thanksgiving holiday. For now I have two exams that I need to put my focus on.

So yeah. I'm feeling a good bit better. I got some major stressors handled and have sort of a game plan for the next few months / next semester. I'm sure my medication has played a large part in that, as well as having supportive friends and family. I'm still on Lexapro for depression and since I started taking half a Buspar for anxiety (instead of a whole), I'm not falling asleep everywhere and I'm not anxious to the point of migraines. That's a definite improvement and I'm grateful.

I hope you all are doing well. If not, hang in there and keep trying. I know that can be exhausting, but it's worth it to come out on the other side. ❤️

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

It's 24°F and...

It's 24°F and neither dog is in their warm comfy doghouse. What are we supposed to do?

Monday, November 11, 2019

I'm almost done with a big assignment...

I'm almost done with a big assignment that's been hanging over my head for weeks. I'm almost relieved! 😂 Hoping to finish tonight!

Since I've gotten a few requests...

Since I've gotten a few requests, here is the doghouse (sorry for the blur, but it's hard taking a photo through a fence, and I'm not trying to play with the dogs right now - I have an exam coming up this week).

We bought the doghouse from Tractor Supply in Anniston. It did not come with the flap on the front - that is a doormat we bought from Roses in Anniston. It's thick, but flappy and heavy enough to flop back down in a mostly closed position. The top of the doghouse opens and there were gaps between the top and the rest of the house, so we used extra thick weather-stripping to fill that in.

Below is a link to the heater we bought. It has a thermostat and we checked - it does warm the house up nicely. It does need power; ours is plugged into the little building behind the dog house. You could also run an extension cord if you needed to.

The hay is from Lowe's. It's recently come to my attention that straw would be better, but I haven't had a minute to research the difference between hay and straw and where you might find straw.
If you have any other questions, feel free to comment and let me know.

https://www.amazon.com/Hound-Heater-Protector-Mounting-Template/dp/B00II71C72/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=dog+house+heaters+for+outside&qid=1572767155&sprefix=Dog+house+&sr=8-3


Sunday, November 10, 2019

The doghouse is finished.

The doghouse is finished. We sealed the cracks, installed the heater, & put a flap on the door. It's noticeably warmer in there.

Until recently, never in my adult life have I had outdoor-only pets.

Until recently, never in my adult life have I had outdoor-only pets. My pets are family and deserve all of the comfort of my house as far as I am concerned. That being said, Cubba and Rose are outside only pets TEMPORARILY because circumstances require it. Shaun and I hate it - especially in this cold.

We built a nice doghouse recently and put a ton of hay out for comfort and warmth. After seeing that it was getting down to the 20s Tuesday, Shaun ordered a heater for the doghouse. Today we're installing it and adding a flap door to keep the heat in. We still feel bad about them being outside, though. Hopefully this will be their only winter outdoors. Sorry, puppies! 🙁

Thursday, November 7, 2019

I took my mom for a Boba last week and she liked it.

I took my mom for a Boba last week and she liked it. I was kind of surprised. 😂😂😂

Isshin Asian Cafe has amazing tea.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

When Shaun got off work...

When Shaun got off work he scraped me off the couch and we took the dogs to the park. I think we all needed that.

Handsome fellas. 😍

Rose is just now 7 months old and pretty much the same size as Cubba.

Sitting pretty. Pardon her face. She plays hard.

😂😂😂 Rose looking wild. Definitely my kid.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Look, I love Shaun like the whole world, but...

Look, I love Shaun like the whole world, but my love for him will never compare to Bastian's.  Bastian is inconsolable at night when Shaun goes to bed and in the morning when he goes to work.  When Shaun comes home he is greeted not first by me, but BASTIAN.  He MUST hold the kitty (who stands up and reaches for him like a toddler) and let the kitty repeatedly punch him in the chin with his forehead while digging claws into his shoulders.  That is the rule and if Shaun doesn't follow it he doesn't get a minute of peace from this meowing cat up under his feet.

I don't know how long Shaun has been in bed, but this cat JUST NOW calmed down and came to sit by me.  FINALLY.  It's hard to get anything done (or any sleep) with him crying.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Little did I know...

Little did I know that the closer I got to achieving my goals, the more frequently I'd fall apart and struggle.  All I can say now is:  IT HAD BETTER BE WORTH IT.

Friday, November 1, 2019

I am SORE.

I am SORE. Today the kids and I put together a doghouse and spread hay for cushion / warmth. Gross story incoming.

😂😂😂💩💩💩

Cubba shitted and Rose ate it before it even hit the ground. I have never seen a dog do that. Eat poop, yes. Straight from the ass, no.