Whoa. What happened to the last month?

Okay, yeah, life has been crazy. But I really didn't think that I'd let almost an entire month go by since my last post. Kinda defeats the purpose.

Updates:
1) Getting the new blog(s?) prepped for launch! Been saving domain titles in hopes of being able to use the one I finally decide upon without any trouble and have started to wonder if I should be separating out the different areas of my work into different blogs. I mean, that makes sense right? Like having a portfolio showing what you designed (but someone else built) and a separate portfolio, or subsection, showing what you actually created yourself. Got a list of ideas and names, now I just need to organize photos and articles that accompany and I'll be up and running!

2) Taught my first class last week! Okay, it was more like a private lesson because a system error meant I only had one student, but she's a really sweet and cool person who seems genuinely interested in expanding her sewing skills! This may have been better really because it helped me to understand how the tiny space could potentially work, or be a problem, with a full class. Also, I found out that the classes aren't structured so that students have completed projects by the end of the course which kinda ticks me off. I mean, if I paid good money to take a class to learn to make a single project, I expect that it will be done and awesome when I complete the course. I'm trying to find ways around that problem so my students can get a full project before they leave.

3) Saw two of my classes canceled because of no sign ups. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised as they mentioned before that they were having some trouble getting people in, but it still stings both on an emotional let down and financial loss.

4) I am contemplating using Betterfly or similar site to start generating private course students. Need to do some research on how the system works now that there have been changes and how I would have to handle paying taxes on income generated through such a site. Honestly, I'm not sure if it would be better to use a service listing site or just go old school and start pounding the pavement and posting on community boards and trying to get onto the local noon news during the week.

5) Made myself a promise that before the end of the month I would be securing my own living space. (Yes, that's right, I've been crashing at the parents. Don't judge; things have been tough.) This means finding serious work and fast because what I had to sell to start building up my living savings was stolen. They didn't take the obvious things, just the highest ticket items (like my freaking power tool set!) and thoroughly trashed the place in the process (boxes thrown everywhere, my full length mirror broken, etc.). So this promise may mean taking whatever comes in whatever form of employment I can get. Clean a million dollar home in a day? Yard work? Paint someone's house interiors? Babysitting/Part-time Nanny/Pet-sitter? I'll take what I can get!

Other than those major items I'm working on figuring out how to better manage my insulin resistance and thyroid and adrenal disorders. A major change in diet and a genuine fitness plan are looming in my near future and it's about as terrifying as funnel cloud right now. Of course, being an Illinois River Valley girl (meaning I was raised at the tail end of tornado alley), I know well that sometimes things have to be torn down and rebuilt from the ground up to be something that will last a lifetime. Not necessarily the concept one expects to bring towards changing their current health but I can't find a better description than a complete tear down and rebuild.

With that pretty visual painted, I will say goodnight, or good morning depending on where you are in the world. May today be a better day!

Chicago Layover

So I've been to O'Hare more times than I can count right now (I didn't asleep enough on the last two flights so my brain hurts too much to try and remember) but I've never previously noticed how few outlets there were until about 45 minutes ago when I got to spend 15 minutes wandering trying to find one. And that's all I find: one. The second plug is damaged. In Dallas they had charging stations. Of course they also had more info screens so you didn't have to hoof it to the end of a concourse if you forgot the gate they mentioned on the last flight (or if they didn't mention where you're headed next). In the past I haven't found much to complain about when here, but I'm starting to think that was more a matter of not having such a long layover causing me to spend so much time here. It's great that they have so many security points. But if they had something like the Skyline rail system that Dallas has I think people would have better things to say because the trek between one concourse and the next can be exhausting and frustrating.

Yeah, I'm being a grumpy cat. Lack of sleep can make me far worse. Like I could be complaining about how the guy next to me coming here makes me understand why some airlines charge extremely overweight passengers for two seats; it sucks to have someone dang near sitting on you because they're so big. I know I don't have a ton of room to talk as I'm far from a skinny mini, but I fit in a single seat. Plus this further cements my plans to get in shape.

(Edit: Below is first two publicly announced goals in my journey to get my life under control & back to a generally happy place.)

I decided on Sunday while at the beach that within the next three years I will lose enough weight and increase my endurance to the point of being able to complete a triathlon. Mind you I say complete, not compete. I have no illusions about going from chubby bunny to star athlete. That just doesn't happen for the majority of people and I'd rather not set myself up for failure and disappointment. Instead my focus is on reaching what I think is a more reasonable goal. It's a goal that allows time to train progressively and safely and aims at completing, not being first, so if I finish but come in dead last it's still a win.

This means I'll have to find a drug regimen that can help with the Hashimoto's, adrenal insufficiency, borderline diabetes, and Lyme. Yep, shooting for the stars with this dream. But people conquer each of these diseases every year. True, not a lot (based on what I've researched thus far) have such a full deck stacked against them, but that is no longer an acceptable excuse to not try. I want to be healthy for myself, for my family and friends, for my future children. I want the "normal life" I've never known and I'm willing to fight to get it. No, it won't be entirely normal as I'll always need treatment for some of those ailments, but I believe I can limit how much I have to exist off meds by getting to a version of healthy for me. I'll never get a day without medication. I accept the truth that my body is too damaged too make that happen. But I have faith that a day will come where it won't be handful after handful every day. I'll get there.

In the meantime, I need to catch my final flight for home. Looking forward to home more and more. A true vacation was what I needed for so many reasons. Now I need to take that recharged sense of hope and put it to good use.