Medical

Apr. 27th, 2018 08:20 pm
krm: (Tauriel)
I know that it's been a while since I've updated this personal log.  On my book blog, I mentioned having some health issues.  Specifically, I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia called SVT back in January.  I had an ablation surgery to correct it in March and today was my follow up appointment. Everything is a-okay.  No further appointment required unless needed for an unlikely reoccurrence.  The doctor is rather confident of the success rate.  Which is good for my wallet.  Let me tell you, having medical issues can be expensive.

Speaking of medical issues, I decided to have something checked out today.  I was having issues with my menstrual cycle being out of whack so I took the opportunity to go to the urgent care clinic (where I usually go since I haven't been to my primary care physician since I was a kid).  Turns out, I have a REALLY BAD UTI.  Which is strange to me, since I have experience pain of any kind or any other symptom in that department.  So I'm on a rigorous antibiotic for that plus I'm back on birth control to help regulate my period.

Meanwhile, I may or may not have attempted to part on a concrete pillar today, which may or may not have resulted in the damaging of my new car's fender.  I feel like I have been a mess recently.  We just finished my subject's bout of state testing, which was an ordeal that makes it seem as though impaling myself with dull, rusty nails rather enjoyable by comparison.

I've felt tired.  But that may be from the infection.  Goodness knows how long that's been going on.

I'm getting married in less than six months! I'm excited for that!  there's not much for me to do wedding planning wise at this moment but I feel like I've been slacking.

Also, I've been trying to work on my book stuff.  Writing, hiring illustrators.  I've got 2 children's books in the works.  Plus 2 novels, one of which will also have illustrations.  When I get to finishing it.  But I had looked into putting my currently published books into a independent fantasy database.  The organizer of this reached out to me and offered me some suggestions, sprucing up my book descriptions and giving them new covers.  I spent a while pondering on his words and eventually took his advice.  I've been hiring Sarah from Sprinkles on Top Studios to redo my old covers and design my new ones.  I think she has done a fantastic job with them.  As it just so happened, she has a fiance who also specializes in book editing and writing blurbs.  He's already written the first one, which I think is FANTASTIC.  I think this has been the best investment for my books so far.  I've already had one book blogger agree to read and review my book because she thought my new cover was gorgeous.

I'm trying to write, I'm trying to write.  But I've been bombarded with these other responsibilities and urges.  I've recently started playing Overwatch, intrigues as I was watching Jamie play it.  It's really the only game that I've ever really played that uses a PvP and first person shooter style that I've actually gotten into.  I've been playing around with different characters.  I can't really say I have a favorite.  I like Roadhog, Orisa, Mercy, Moira, Brigitte, and Reaper.  And there are others I'm practicing with.  It's hard to just pick one favorite.

Recent films I have seen:
Super Troopers 2 (I never saw the first one.  Jamie says it doesn't live up to the first movie)
A Quiet Place (THIS MOVIE WAS SO AMAZING.  AND I DON'T LIKE HORROR/SUSPENSE)

Films I'm going to see TOMORROW NIGHT OMG YES AVENGERS INFINITY WAR.  Such excite

What gives?

Nov. 24th, 2017 03:17 pm
krm: (Birdbrain)
I'm putting this on my informal, personal blog because this includes details concerning my personal life.  No one has technically asked me this question, though I sense it lingers in the peripheral of some thoughts.  But here is my answer to:

It's been nearly two years since your last book.  What gives?  When will the next one be ready?

Aye, it has been nearly two nears since the release of Prince of the Vale (December 11, 2015).  To preface this rather complicated answer, let me update the status on the projects that are works in progress.  There's two of them:  The Midwinter Fairytale and Queen of the Pyre.  Midwinter is a standalone lyrical novel.  It's nearly completed, pending the remaining last chapters and my editor's progress.  Queen is perhaps the more anticipated of these works (both by my editor and several fans).  My editor has not seen the draft for Queen yet and will not for at least a while.  The draft is about 30% completed.  I have the outline hammered out, it just takes more focus to put it to paper/word document. I want to finish Midwinter first.

So now, for the why part.

Since the initial beginnings for both Midwinter and Queen, I have undergone SEVERAL changes in my personal life.  Namely, I have transitioned from a rather unhealthy romantic relationship to one that is perfectly wholesome and happy.  In light of the recent Hollywood sexual assault allegations coming to light (i.e. the #MeToo movement), one would think that it would be easy for me to freely talk about my experiences.  However, it is not, especially with the certain events still rather fresh on my memory and that unique fear of outing the abuser.  So many conversations, defenses, justifications I do not yet want to share. Simply put, a lot of bad stuff happened in that relationship.  I won't go into details today. 

As far as my writing goes, my current published works were completed and published during a time when I was in that relationship (even so much as when that relationship ended for a brief time and was once again reinstated).  As can be expected from any unhealthy relationship, there was a lot of bad stuff. A lot of negative emotions.  I was in a bad headspace for a long time (8.5 years! Nearly a decade! Particularly during my formative years!).  I was typically angry, sad, upset, and depressed.  When I wrote, I wrote as a form of escapism, although I was not necessarily aware of this method at the time.  It is clear me to now (hindsight is 20/20, eh?).  I wrote to relieve the intense pressure of my emotions, an outlet if you will.  For the most part, it worked.  It produced two novels.

Now, sans unhealthy relationship, I am in a completely different headspace.  I still have my depression, but it flares up much more infrequently now.  I do not feel all those negative emotions as I once did, at least not to the same degree (I'm still human, I still get sad and angry).  It's not a constant state of mind for me.  And, trust me, that is a much welcome change.   

I have still written this past year.  Not as frequently as I'd like, but enough to show me that I still can.  My talent is not exclusive to my pain, be it emotional, mental, psychological, or even, dare I say, physical pain.  But my situation forces me to approach writing from a different angle than I had previously.  Much different things occupy my thoughts now and my responsibilities and priorities have shifted significantly to accommodate the normal expectations of a well-functioning or adapting adult.  I no longer have massive amounts of pain I need to release or avoid.  So now, I need to engineer my methods from this new perspective.  I can do it; I've done it, bit by bit this year.  But, to say the least, it's certainly been an adjustment period.

Adjustment.  That's a nice word for this transition.

There are other things, of course, that require my focus and energy that hadn't previously.  My new job as a teacher.  Wedding preparations, and other adjustments to make with this new life I've established for myself.

Rest assured.  Things are much better now for the authoress.  And I'm working as diligently as I can.  Stay tuned.  <3
 On June the 12, at approximately 10:30 PM (after an evening of partaking of German cuisine and imbibing dark beer), the author took a stroll upon the beach at the behest of her significant other where he summarily descended upon the renowned knee and proposed an offer of marriage. The author accepted. And so now she is engaged.

You may be thinking (along with others I'm sure) how quickly the relationship progressed to an engagement. All I can offer (without getting to personal) is that it felt right. It still feels right. Jamie is like a balm to my soul, a relief in the erratic storm of life. Before I become too poetic on you, I should admit a few things.

My depression has been kept at bay. I credit this to Jamie of course and the effect he has upon my day. But I've also kept myself busy with things that need to get done. (Household chores and the like). It helps that we have the same interests and the same energy levels. However, I must admit of few shortcomings.  Sometimes the day slips from me, especially with it being summer vacation. Now as I am in the midst of professional development and setting up my classroom the weekend before school starts, I feel rushed, more so than ever to get the menial things done, and in the spare minutes that I've had have been, admittedly, spent in idleness. It's not as bad as it's been seven months to a year ago, but I've been pretty good at managing it.

The flip side of that coin seems to be a bout of anxiety. I'm engaged now! I get to plan a wedding! And I'm excited and so cliche that I get to make all these decisions for basically a huge party with our loved ones! But I'm indulging. But perhaps, I'm indulging a bit too much. I can't tell you many hours I've spent on Wedding Wire or The Knot looking up every possible venue and vendor. Colors, flowers, and theme. By now of course I have decided on some things, but I cannot deny how much I've been unable to find sleep as my mind's eye plots out every minute detail. It's exhausting.  I've also been hyper-focused on finding a dress. I wanted to find one online (because yay! Online shopping!) But have agonized over not seeing how different styles fit my body. Plus my measurements! 

So I caved. Tomorrow I'm going to a bridal fitting with my grandmother and one of my bridesmaids. And then Sunday I'm attending a bridal show (where vendors come to bid for your money) with the fiance's mom and sisters. I have already booked most majors things--the venue (ceremony and reception), DJ, flowers (from Bloominous.com!), photographer, and a possible officiant (who will do a strictly non-religious ceremony!). I'm still looking into catering options, maybe dress options. I've thought about having a wedding planner, but since I've already decided on most of my vendors, I'm not sure how much useful they will be other than day-of coordination and decorating. Still, it wouldn't hurt to look. I'm undecided on having a videographer. (So expensive!)

My date is October 6, 2018 (which was also my grandparents' anniversary!). My "theme" will be fall/autumn related. Colors--orange flowers (mums, carnations for my dearest mother) with purple and dark red accents, and then blue/green/teal as a secondary color. I've got about 100 planned for my guest count.

I don't know why I'm sharing all of these details on dreamwidth. Well, I do. I need to document my thoughts, share this increasing amount of worry that's taking up so much headspace and energy, relieve the pressure. School is starting back, and while I'm pumped up for it, I need to stay focused too.

Transitions

Apr. 29th, 2017 09:54 pm
krm: (Excited Elephant)
 I must get out of this habit of updating so sluggishly. 

When last I left this blog, I had an approaching interview. I was actually offered that specific job, but it was only part time, and it was a bit of a drive, and a pretty good pay cut from the then-current part time. There was a great opportunity for advancement and opportunity, but I had to decline, especially for other options that opened up for me. Shortly before Christmas, I discovered a neighboring county was in the market for hiring a ninth grade English teacher. I managed to secure a job interview for the day after I contacted the principal, and the VERY next day, I received a phone call offering me that job. Seeing that it was in the middle of the school year and being a VERY recent graduate (because of my student teaching days, my diploma + licensure was delayed) and that this was the job I'd been going to college for, of course I accepted the position.

I started in January, and I left the part-time early February, finally. I've had a lot of compliments from fellow teachers and administration about my performance, very complimentary for being a first year teacher. There are struggles of course, but I know that, for the moment, this is the path for me. I'm almost certain that I've got a place in this school system should I want to continue to work there.

A lot of other changes have been made too, on a more personal level. The turmoil I'd been expressing in previous entries had at last been confronted. The relationship that I had been in for a little over eight years ended by my choice. I'm not going to get into the messy details about it; there are of course somethings I would have changed about that break up. To put it simply, that relationship was unhealthy and toxic, for both parties I'm sure. The break up was overdue. I knew it, the people around us knew it, it just took a while for the Ex to realize and accept this Truth.

There's a lot I could say in regards to this event that stretched out longer than necessary. I could smear names, insist to my own innocence. But I'm not going to dwell on that negativity any more. That chapter of my life has ended. I know what happened; and that's enough for me.

And so begins the new chapter.

His name is Jamie. And he is the soul that puts mine, finally, at peace. He is a spirit recognized by my own, perhaps since we first encountered each other. My draw to him was undeniable, for my end to the very least, and for him as well, I would later discover. I wish I could describe the perfect happiness that is him, but I'm sure that would take a novel, and I should be completing another novel of a different sort.

Things are still in a transition period of sorts. There's so much I have left unsaid. But that's for another time. For now, Au Revoir.

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