I think the iPad has helped me rengage. Well, and the fact my life fell apart and I needed you guys. I was always reading, it just seemed like a lot of effort to post.

So, as you all probably know, I recently had a big crisis where my apartment was declared "uninhabitable". I finally confessed to you guys, and you helped with both encouragement and a to me enormous generosity with some donations, to pay people to come in, and clean the biggest part of it for me. I am now in a clean, but somewhat cluttered (still a porch full of books to take care of) and my therapist, that I saw because this was such a crisis, says I am probably not going need/want to be better than that (I tend to go overboard trying to be perfect)

It also really made me admit that I had to do something about my desperate unhappiness and anxiety and inability to cope with a) not really liking my new promotion at work but being unsure if it is because I can't cope with my new boss's style (He is a big idea person like me, but not a realist like me), I can't cope with the fact that I was still doing or training most of my old job for close to 1 1/2 years, or I actually don't like the work. B) The stress of my Father's family reaching out to me and my ambivalence about seeing them as well as my terror at talking to my mother about it. C) I was unhappy at the theatre because it wasn't even a creative outlet anymore, all I do is buy things on Amazon and ship them back! D) My uncle died. E) My cat died F) I was diagnosed with diabetes and "cured" myself by reinventing Keto on my own by eating to my meter and lost close to 100 pound (but lost all my favorite foods). And everyone I ran into just talked about how happy I must be to be thin and have a promotion, and a new family! So I tried to be, and how I felt got reflected in my house, because all I did when not at work was read romance novels (my big accomplishment- I did read over 200 books so far this year)

So hopefully onwards and upwards from here

Good things: Work has finally started to do something about my job situation I like my new therapist, although I only get her for 6 visits, and then we decide if I need to move on to someone not supplied for free by work The Employee Assistance Program was really good, and I am glad I have that I did get The Cutest Kitten in the World, Petunia Paloma Pancake! You guys My BFFs Maria and Katie The cleaning people, who were so nice and kind even though I was terrified

Today, because I finally have a key to my apartment (I had just been leaving it open for 2 years) and the landlord inspection went well, and I have been given the blessing at work to just DO my old job while they are looking for TWO PEOPLE to fill it (and I still have 1/3 of it, expanded of it) I feel like myself again!

Also, I took a leave from the theatre for the rest of this semester!

Sophia, every bit of this update makes me so so so very happy!

Sophia, every bit of this update makes me so so so very happy!

Me too! I'm glad they're making changes at work for you. That's overdue.

I hope you can continue therapy and find a good balance of creative work and less-stress work.

Making a happy home for you and Petunia.

Oh Sophia I'm so glad.

Me too! I'm glad they're making changes at work for you. That's overdue.

Thanks.

The promotion was a thing that started because my good old boss wanted to get me more money and help for basically running our program both educationally and administratively. It turned into a clusterfuck because HR was like- those things can't go together. One is low level and one is high level, so I ended up with just the education/IT stuff. But my actual expertise is in customer service/recruitment. But the title was Assistant to the Director, and the candidates we have gotten do not seem to be able to make good independent decisions without supervision, which my boss needs because she, too, has too much job. I still wish I could have just got more money and an assistant! I started with the education and IT stuff because I can't talk people into taking a course that is going to be shitty. But I do like the education and IT stuff, I just need to be assured that someone is taking care of the customers and telling them correct information and actually doing things in a timely fashion.

Am I sneaking in under the line? I can't remember when this thread is supposed to close.

Anyway, I'm not a lurker, but I don't post as often as I'd like. Things that have happened this year:

- The Gothic Charm School book celebrated its TENTH YEAR IN PRINT!!

- I launched my Patreon. I have patrons, even! But even a nice Twitter mention from Neil Gaiman didn't send a massive wave of patrons my way, soooo...

- I got a day job again. I'm back in the tech writer salt mines, but for a company that seems to mean it when they talk about work/life balance and taking care of their employees. I think I've found the unicorn of tech employers, and four months in it still weirds me out a little.

- Other stuff: The Adorable Loomy One is good, Vlad and Miss Erzabet No Biting are full of chaos, and Dad is doing well.

Hi, friends! I keep up with lots of you via FB and/or Twitter, but I do miss the board. Love seeing the updates every year.

My babies are now 6 and almost 10. My youngest has his Mama's anxiety issues, so he's in therapy and I'm also now in therapy - with his play therapist! LOL. I love her and am looking forward to a healthier mental outlook. DW is still a SAHM and a bad-ass bass player in a local band.

My dad had a heart scare earlier this year, but is on meds and doing really well. My brother got remarried last October and I'm about to have a new nephew in January. My mom has completed her transformation from a Republican to a Democrat, which began when she voted for HRC in 2016.

I am in a new job (my third since moving to NC 5 years ago). Still haven't quite found my place, but at least there's lots of opportunity.

Love y'all and with you all a happy, healthy 2020 - hopefully ending the year with a brand new Dem POTUS.

Did we open this this year? Are we supposed to be delurking?

Goodbye and Good Riddance (2019) is open, too. I was wondering if the board upgrade opened the threads, but (mercifully), Lightbulb (the voting thread) is still locked, so I don't know what happened.

I don't think we ever closed either one.