5 Things Friday: 5 Reasons I Haven't Been Posting Much

It's been awhile once again. Life has been busy, probably busier than it should be. Here are some of the things that have been keeping me busy:

1. My mother, sister, and I launched a new fun project and business venture, The Daily Quipple. Each day features a cartoon (a quipple!) drawn by my fabulously talented sister, Traci. Our mission is to share a daily jolt of fun and/or inspiration with the world, so please check it out for some fun and inspiration! We also sell merchandise featuring the quipples. This project is fun and rewarding, but has added plenty of work to my workload. I do all the web stuff. Here are some of my favorite quipples so far:

     

2. The dreaded day of disclosure is done. I've been working up to for a while the idea of disclosing my MS to the two colleagues I work most closely with. It is at the point that they probably should know, and while I knew they would be great about it, I put off the telling for a long time. I put it off mostly because working at this job was like a beautiful haven where MS wasn't a part of the picture. Of course, I knew about it, and was still very much aware of its effect on me and my work, but the fact that no one else knew made me feel like the healthy, young, energetic professional they all saw me as. This was a really wonderful feeling, as the disease occupies far too much space in the majority of areas of my life. Anyway, I told them and they reacted just as I knew they would. I'm glad I told them, even though I cried during the telling. (For those who don't know me personally, this is a HUGE deal. I've gone 6-7 years without crying at all in the recent past, and I haven't cried in front of another person for much longer, and in front of a person outside my very small circle pretty much ever.)

3. Fall is my favorite season (except for its ridiculously short duration, at least here in the tundra) and luckily I have been able to spend some time enjoying the colors and temps.

                            

and luckily my favorite adventure buddy was with me!

4. Remember my 30x30 list? I'm feeling pretty bummed out that it is looking like a truly impossible feat to complete my ridiculously ambitious list by the time of my 30th birthday in around 4 months. I haven't even posted the list here or anywhere else yet, but trust me, it is an ambitious list for anybody to tackle in one year, much less a person with 3+ jobs and MS and other assorted health challenges. But who knows? Maybe I'll rally and fight like crazy to defy MS and life in general and finish the thing. My always wise mother suggests that I just extend the deadline until the end of my 30th year. That feels a little bit like cheating, though, and upsets my perfectionist and overachiever qualities. However, it looks like that might have to be the answer.

5. In addition to neglecting this blog, I'm also woefully behind on chats with friends (Heather and Gwen, I'm talking about you and hopefully will soon talk to you!) and behind on reading the several MS blogs I follow, so that's where I'm headed now!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

                            

Wordless Wednesday: Trying Salmon!

asian glazed salmon at ruby tuesday

my first ever taste of salmon!
(part of my try 30 new foods effort for my 30x30 list)

5 Things Friday: On My Mind

5 things on my mind on this Friday afternoon:


1. I was recently tested for the JC virus again, at the 6th month point. Still negative, baby! So I'll be happily sticking with Tysabri for now. This gives me a lot of peace of mind, despite the concern that I could unknowingly contract JC at any time. I'll continue getting it checked every 6 months.

2. I'm an introvert, so I enjoyed the following video a few minutes ago. Some of my favorite quotes: "Solitude matters!" "Stop the madness for constant groupwork!" "The world needs you and it needs the things you carry."

 

3. I need to get my 30x30 list completely finalized and up on this blog, or maybe a 2nd linked blog. I have most of the list complete, and I've started crossing items off the list, especially on the trying 30 new foods list.

4. I am sooooooo behind on reading MS blogs, but I hope to find some time to catch up with you all soon!

5. It was my birthday last week, and I still have a few free meal/treat/drink coupons to use before they expire in the next day or two. Tonight, I'm thinking it's time to return to Noodles & Company after a long hiatus. I ate there right after getting the MS diagnosis 5-ish years ago, and that negative feeling has been connected with the place ever since. But it's time to move on. So bring on my free Indonesian Peanut Saute! Yum!

The Obligatory Year-in-Review Post: 2011

I am rather fond of this type of post, though there can be something overwhelming about their abundance at this time of year. I also like reading various lists of resolutions, a subject particularly interesting to me this year as I work on developing my 30x30 list.

Like all years I suppose, this one had a mix of good and bad. My health was overall very stable, though I continued the daily battle with my particular challenges. I secured and happily worked the first year of what is essentially my dream job, though that too is not without its challenges. I had lots of good times with family and friends, though also often felt somewhat lonely and isolated. I experienced great joys and great sorrows. Overall 2011 was a decent year, but I am very much looking forward to 2012!

Looking back at my 2011 Resolutions, I did an okay job. I think that overall I have become much better at ignoring my quest for perfection and just doing things the best I can rather than not even attempting due to fearing my inability to achieve perfection. There are areas where this still plagues me, to be sure, but I know that I have made progress. As for the health goals, I guess I've made some progress there as well. In particular, I have become more involved in the MS community with 59 blog posts this year, participating in the HAWMC, and commenting on many more MS blogs. Thanks for having me in this vibrant virtual club, all!

I'm not going to list any particular resolutions for the year here, as my primary focus is on finishing writing and then carrying out my 30x30 list. This project makes me feel energized and excited, but I know that my more ambitious items might feel overwhelming at times. A primary reason for this list is the idea of developing my follow-through skills, a topic I know I will write about in much more detail in the future.

a Glorious Sunset on Christmas Day, 2011

 Best wishes to all for the healthiest, happiest possible you in 2012!

Catching Up & Christmas Wishes

Yikes, I haven't posted in a while again. The last month has pretty much been the busiest ever, at least in my post-MS life. It has been a good month overall, but rather exhausting. I've been trying to rest up the past 2 days because the next several will be filled with festive family fun. I've been adding to my list of topics I want to write about here, though, when I do have time and energy.

One thing I will be writing about a lot more soon but that I want to mention here is a list I'm writing. I will turn 30 in one-year-and-2ish-months and I'm making a 30x30 list - 30 things I want to accomplish by the time I'm 30. I'm trying to do some things I always talk about or think about doing but never do and I also want to push myself outside my comfort zone and do things that are scary. That said, I want this list to be a source of personal growth and enjoyment rather than a stressful obstacle. I have several items that are going on for sure already (try 30 new foods, go ziplining, learn to sing and play this song on ukelele, do 30 hours of volunteer work, get a massage, take my mom on a trip out of the US) but I am trying to get input as I work on finishing the list. For readers of this blog in particular:  I want at least one item to be MS-related, specifically to be some kind of MS fundraising goal. I haven't done any of the walks or other events, so I will probably do one of those, but I would like to create some specific fundraising goals and I'm not sure how to go about this. Tips? I would also love any other suggestions for the list from an MS-informed audience. I'm looking for things that will be fun, easy, scary, hard, good-for-me, rewarding, meaningful, etc. I need some items that will be easy to cross off as I'm already collecting quite a few that have me wondering how I'm going to get it all done in just a little over a year!! Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

I will leave you with my most sincere wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a joyful holiday season. May you have the best health you can, get enough rest and enjoy time with loved ones!