Dazed and confused on this, the final day of 2018. It’s how I close out most years really. The state of the world at large is too much so I’m sticking to my personal life for this review.
The ups and downs of 2018
- At the beginning of the year took Continuing Ed classes at the U of M, paying out of pocket and using vacation time. But it was worth it. These Agile Certificate classes reminded me how much I enjoy learning and academia.
- Took Parker to Colorado for his Spring Break and stayed at a cute airbnb. We ate at loads of vegan restaurants in Denver and took a road trip to soak in hot springs in the mountains.
- Participated in a few more Strange Girls art fair/sale type events. The events themselves are great, but I’ve come to the conclusion they are not for me. Too much work and stress for far too little reward. I barely broke even. But now I know. Never again.
- Parker graduated from high school in June and I threw a fun party for him at Minnehaha Park.
- In July we were forced to move unexpectedly (thanks to black mold and a shitty property management company) but we wound up renting from friends who live on the other side of the duplex and that has been lovely. We finally leveled up on landlords.
- Parker started a transition program this school year, for young adults with autism, and it has been great.
- In October I took an incredible solo trip to Ireland and Italy. Lonely at times but worth it.
- Also lonely - took myself to see David Byrne, Janelle Monae and Alice Cooper. All were among the most expensive shows I’ve been to but equally amazing performances. Likewise with the live podcast tapings I’ve attended on my own this year.
- Somehow lost both pairs of my prescription sunglasses. Gutted. Hoping at least one pair makes a miraculous reappearance in 2019.
- I don’t do Black Friday shopping, in person, but online I scored an amazing airfare deal for my son and I to fly to Amsterdam, for his upcoming Spring Break, and I helped him renew his passport. His first adult one. He will now have bright blue hair in his passport photo for the next decade.
- My Dad - who was adopted as an infant - sprung on me that he thinks he found his biological mother. Via a recent obituary. He’d like me to track down her surviving children. No pressure or anything.
- MCTC’s Community Ed program offered me a part-time teaching position. I start in a few weeks.
Goals for 2019
- Remind myself I don’t have to be exceptional. Being okay is okay.
- Working to quit it already with the negative self-talk and self-deprecating remarks. Hannah Gadsby and her Nanette Netflix special have been an inspiration.
- As an extroverted introvert I’d like to make more of an effort to spend time with other people. These days I have so many acquaintances but too few inner circle friends I see regularly.
- Self-care. Continue my weekly therapy sessions. They’ve been helpful for establishing better boundaries. Still untangling feelings versus thoughts. Hoping to figure that shit out.
- Help my son get and keep a part-time job. He’s becoming more and more independent and learning big life lessons but at his age he doesn’t want to learn them from me. If we can get him taking direction from and interacting with more neutral third party adults he’ll grow even more.
This Final Five Good Things is a mixed bag
- In my last post I mentioned the Soap Factory’s financial troubles. On Monday, January 7th they are holding a public town hall meeting at Can Can Wonderland to discuss the situation.
- Good: The Most Wonderful NASA Moments of the Year
- Sad but necessary: Tell Me One More Time What to Do About Grief
- Too late to the party: Found out about an annual festival I would have LOVED, celebrating The Prisoner, just after it’s been shut down for good.
- Random: Surprisingly gorgeous photos of chickens. Malaysian Chicken Beauty Pageants Photographed by Ernest Goh. I admire great photography, pretty much whatever the subject.
Feeling cautiously optimistic about 2019. We have some very concrete things to look forward to. Tickets with my family unit (my son and my father) to see Star Wars: A New Hope with a live orchestra. The previously mentioned part-time teaching gig and the upcoming trip to Amsterdam. And all the unknowns that are bound to pop up along the way. We’ll take them as they come. Happy New Year!
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