When It Snows in Seattle

 

The air was noticeably crisp by December, but not cold enough that I felt the need to bundle up into a scarf and mittens. The few treks to and from the grocery store barely warranted my fluffy parka, but I wore it anyway. Habit, I suppose.

It doesn't really snow in Seattle - or so I was told - and that was true until yesterday. In February, it finally snowed.

I kind of missed the snow. Much like I've missed this blog and have regretting abandoning it in favor of my shiny new Wordpress site. The Wordpress serves a function, yes, but I can't vent and wax poetic about the stranger things in life over there. And I missed all of you.

Do you still check in on me from time to time?

Here's a Quick Recap:

~ In my last post, I talked a little bit about my experience with depression and it's current hold on me. The gloomy skies seem to have that effect on my mental state now and I'm holding out for warmer and sunnier days to see if it lets up at all. I may be dealing with SAD on top of the regularly scheduled low moods.  

~ Fortunately, I now have health insurance and can start looking at options for therapy or medication. Last month, I had my first doctor's appointment in years. It was startling to learn that my blood pressure is really high and my cholesterol levels aren't what they should be. 

And I FINALLY got that thyroid lump looked at. 

Did I ever mention that in this blog? I honestly can't remember. (I'll probably do a more detailed write-up of that experience.) The good news is that it's not a cancerous lump and there are avenues I can look into for having it removed - since it does interfere with my ability to breathe and swallow sometimes.

~ I'm also mostly caught up on vaccinations now, too. No idea when the COVID vaccine will be available for low-risk adults in Seattle though, so I'm continuing to stay home as much as possible. This has been easy because my job is 100% virtual and so few places are open - though Seattle did just move into Phase 2 and they've begun allowing people into restaurants and bars again. 

~ I do enjoy getting outside when the weather is decent and those brief adventures have led me to discover two really impressive Korean grocers within walking distance. Having easy access to things like kimchi, banana milk, good tea, and affordable cuts of pork belly have made cooking more interesting and enjoyable. 

~ Very slowly, my Youtube channel and podcast are coming back to life. Being stuck in a depressive rut makes it very difficult to be creative and even when I have the odd idea or two, I rarely have the energy to follow through... But I did put together a channel preview video (see above!) using a new video editing software that is completely free called Video Pad. 

It's easier to use than Windows Movie Maker 10, but also has a lot more features and I don't need to pay a monthly subscription to access them. 

~ Things are going well between D and I - we've settled in a comfortable routine and celebrated our first Christmas together here in Seattle. He works long hours and often gets up early in the morning, but that's been really good at preventing me from sleeping halfway through the day.

Most of the events that I moderate for work are scheduled for 5 am or 6 am so I need to be awake (and caffeinated!) pretty early during the week. It was a struggle at first, since I'm not an early bird by nature, but we're making it work. 

(And it's better than moderating five hour sessions overnight. Gods forbid I ever have to do that again...)

~ Also, my hair is finally starting to grow out. I think the last time I shared a photo of myself on the internet, I had recently buzzed it all down to an inch. Either that, or it was in fluffy mohawk status. Right now, it's shaggy and often hangs in my eyes so I clip it back (to accommodate the headset seen here) and rarely style it. 

~ Lastly - new blog theme. What do we think? I'm really liking how classic and simplified this layout is so I'll probably roll with it until I get bored again. :)

In Conclusion

Life has been full of ups and downs, but I'm still alive and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. I hope that all of you are doing well and staying safe.