2018 was a roller coaster of a year if I ever had one. A few bits of the randomness, as my year in review…
– Ever fired a contractor for harassment? I did. And ended up having to do a ton of work on my house alone. But I also had help from friends: friends in tech, friends from church, friends from family, friends in my neighborhood, old friends, new friends, a friend I have a big fat crush on, and even a friend I first met in Russia! I’ve got a few projects to go still, but we’ve come a long way.
– Physical therapy! And veganism. Just aiming to feel healthier, so I’ve been well over 99% plant based since March. The physical therapy made a big difference too. Hoping to get back into more regular exercise again in 2019.
– I got a degree, finally! Just an associate’s degree, and only in general studies, but I did it and graduated with honors.
– I went to Scotland! But immediately after that I found out my dad was dying. My siblings and I did what we could to help care for him during the weeks he had left. I sang and spoke at his funeral. I kept meaning to polish up my talk and post it here, but haven’t yet.
– I led my team. Just while my lead was on sabbatical. I’m perfectly happy being a non-lead again. Also I did not lead a project at the Grand Meetup, but I participated in one. I love working with smart, kind people.
– I got EVEN MORE involved in politics, to the point that I organized a town hall about Net Neutrality and was invited to an exclusive roundtable with my congress rep. Everyone else there introduced themselves with their job titles as CTO of this or director of that. I introduced myself as a local loudmouth on the internet. 😉 Also, I was asked to run for public office. I declined. Single mom gig is pretty heavy work, even with teenagers.
– Went through several weeks of severe PTSD (from past stuff) before deciding to go get some help again. Trying EMDR now, with my fingers crossed.
– I started dating someone! Technically we’d been on dates before, and as I’d mentioned earlier, I’d had a fat crush on him for some time. We did some interesting exploring, ate lots of yummy vegan food, saw a whale, broke up for a while, and then started seeing each other again. Hoping that will continue to go in a good direction through 2019.
I think that’s all the major news from me. And while I’ll respect the privacy of my kids and others closest to me, suffice it to say I think we’re all growing and becoming a little better with time.
Looking forward? I hope to take a cue from Undertale this year and STAY DETERMINED. And diligent. I’m hoping to strengthen some good habits. Hoping this time to focus on one habit at a time, truly adopting it, then shift focus to another. I want to keep going and finish more things, more often.
And with that I’ll finish this post. Here’s to all the good that 2019 will bring!
Legend of Velda 