Greetings from Houston TX

Yes, I'm back in Houston, TX again for the second time this year.

Why?  Well, remember that trip I told you about in May?  I'm taking it now and it has turned into an extended date.  Overall great experience.

It also means I should discuss something about this blog.  One of the things I decided when I first started this blog is that it would end should I get married again.  Guess what?  That may be in the cards. 

I'm definitely in love and the string of dates I have been is leading me to believe I may have met my next husband.  We see eye to eye on many things and I think I can work with his tragic flaw.

The date will end on Tuesday, but I am looking forward to the next one.

Fingers crossed.

The end of the Octave of Easter (or is that the beginning?)

This week we are reminded that East is East and West is West as our Orthodox brethren start their Octave of Easter as the Western brethren finish it up.

Anyway, dealing with someone who is unhappy that 1) his relationship may have ended and 2) no one wants to join his pity party (or help pay for it.)  Solution?  What else.  A depression nap.

At least I got work done.

And I got my driver license renewed

And life overall is as good as it gets.

And the trip to Texas is coming up.

The only other thing I am doing right now is pondering if I want to go to Florida to unearth the awful truth as to how I was financially screwed.

Stay tuned!

Happy Easter Tuesday

Sooooo, we got through Easter.  HOORAY!

Well, not quite.  We are in the Octave of Easter as we head toward Pentecost Sunday and I was reminded about one of Rick's favorite accusations.  I'm not Catholic but he always said, "Your better at being Catholic than I am."

Maybe but it has changed over the years.  This infidel has been blessed by Catholic priests as a grown up.  Once, this infidel concluded that someone figured out what is going on.  What happened was, I got the word that one of my Uncles was about to die.  I learned of it at 6:00 AM, got cleaned up and dressed, and went to the 7 AM weekday mass at Mission Dolores.  Afterwards, the priest gave me a special blessing as if he knew I was there for a reason.

The other really interesting Catholic experience I had was when Rick was giving the Anointing of the Sick.  It was just me, the priest and him.  I stepped out during confession, and stepped back in.  The interesting part is that although the church does workarounds I was brought up in the era where non Catholics cannot partake of communion in a Catholic church.

Which makes me stick out.

Anyway, enjoy your Octave of Easter.

First Quarter Update.

Well, we are about 3 1/2 months into 2019 and maybe it's time to check up on two things we noted at the end of 2018.

Lets first talk about things  where the jury was out at the end of the last year.

• I found out I cannot get on PreP because I flunked my blood test.  I have some kidney issues.
  
  I learned more about PreP than I ever wanted to when my housemate decided he wanted to go on it.  It seems the way I got evaluated was just not the way to go.  I DARED talk to my regular MD about it and that MD was in National City and not Hillcrest.  The PreP navigator was completely unglued that I would do something like that.  AND he just could not deal with the fact I have flunked my blood tests to take it.  That turned me off from considering it.  Did I mention I found out a 30 day supply retails for $2,000?
  
• I agreed to see if a relationship should be taken to the next level, which means I will be in Houston, TX at the end of January.
  
  The trip in January went well.  I'm going back in May as he will be my dream date to my nephew's graduation.  He's met my relatives, and there will be another round of that.  Should be a fun trip.  We are still dating, but have discussed marriage and what a life together would look like.

Resolutions for 2019

• Bill more hours
  
  Client is growing organically, so I am doing that already.
  
• Lose enough weight to go under the 200 lb barrier.
  
  Lost six pounds this quarter.  Need to lose more.
  
• Clean up my finances.
  
  Got a credit line increase and straightened a problem with the Franchise Tax Board out.

So, here is to the home stretch of Lent.  Have a blessed Holy Week.

Halfway through Lent

During this time of reflection,  I've gotten a more serene about the current situation.

I also realize that I may have been unrealistic immediately after Rick died thinking I would jump right back into the workforce and pick up where I left off.  I should have been more realistic and given myself the room to grieve and heal.  Ultimately that is what I did.

I'm also serene about the fact that it took nine years to wind up in the situation I was in when Rick died.  Now that I realize that getting back to the better position I was in in 2006 is going to take a little while.  What's good about that is I no longer kick myself for taking so long to get back to that point.

Guess the other thing I need to work on is realizing that I probably will wind up at a different point.  Sort of like a lateral move.

I'm going to take it easy this weekend and celebrate with a glass of Processo as I work on the issue of getting badly needed R&R.

Hopefully that will be fun.

Little Victories

After hearing someone I did work for got a withholding notice from the Franchise Tax Board saying I owe them money, I called them to find out what was going on.

It turns out they still believed that I worked in San Francisco and made an estimate that was incorrect by a long shot.  Ultimately, the notice got undone.  They also didn't realize that for several years I was so broke I didn't have to file a tax return (so I didn't)

So that little problem is solved on terms more favorable than expected (I don't have to do any work or submit documentation.)

And, that is some good news that I needed right now.  I'm exhausted and need a little non duty related play time.  And no, I'm not dealing with my housemate who expects me to take him and pay for all the drinks.  Not after his screw ups.

So, here is to more of Lent.

I gotta realize something took nine years.

The timeline between Rick being diagnosed with colon cancer and his death spanned nine years.  During that time I was not assertive in pursuing my career, took a significant amount of time to take care of Rick and took major financial beatings.

During needed Lenten reflection, I realized that I wasn't doing well for seven years after I got out of college and when I finally got a footing, it probably took that long to get back on my feet after being forced to run away from home flat broke.

I then concluded I am going through the same thing now and I didn't instantly snap back to where I was before all hell broke loose.  It'll be a marathon and not a sprint.

Hopefully I can enjoy the process.