January194Please respect copyright.PENANA98ZAYnFuYb
On New Year’s Day, Mary dumped me. She said someone told her I was supposedly badmouthing her in my blog. I wasn’t even surprised anymore, just angry—used for years, then discarded like that. Later in the month, I had to dish out \$175 to fix the hot water tank. Turns out it was the thermocouple. I also won a Canadian rat magazine in a Facebook giveaway. Small win, but it cheered me up.
February194Please respect copyright.PENANA2oqByo3Vcj
Kicked off the month with food poisoning—the first time I puked in nearly 20 years. Discovered a site I love that randomly generates character names. And I finished writing Locked-In—just under 18,000 words!
March194Please respect copyright.PENANADq3IDpC4n0
Tried to get used to sleeping with Sense’s sound machine. Not sure if it’ll work for daytime sleep, though, might need something louder. Ended the month experimenting with pink noise via Alexa—aiming to simplify and rely on fewer devices.
April194Please respect copyright.PENANAETWLUHw0X5
Jumped into CampNaNoWriMo with Rosemarie’s Revenge while also dabbling in Kinky Kathleen and Someone Else’s Lady.
May194Please respect copyright.PENANANBh1FvAVic
Wrapped up The People Project, a personal dive into everyone I’ve ever known. Took just over two months. I also started Clonidine for ADD, sleep, and maybe anxiety too.
June194Please respect copyright.PENANAVDZl9774Cb
Clonidine turned out to be a nightmare—knocked me out but wrecked my sleep. Done with that! My TSH hit 16 from skipped meds, but it was necessary to calm my anxiety. Then came another worry—elevated red and white blood cell counts. Still unsure what’s going on. I also began taking Amberen for menopause symptoms. So far, it seems okay, though it made me drowsy.
July194Please respect copyright.PENANAj6sBc6Effz
Maliheh’s email got hacked—weight loss junk. Surprised I’m still in her contacts. Found a way to block people who’ve blocked me on Facebook. If they ever unblock me, they still won’t see me. Met a neighbor named Mary who asked about all the street digging. Apparently, it’s irrigation work, four years in the making. I also messaged Scot B—he blocked me days later, and I have no clue why.
August194Please respect copyright.PENANADXhoKfYOPJ
Discovered Grammarly and I’m obsessed. Watching my writing improve as I edit is so satisfying.
September194Please respect copyright.PENANA387BkVnttr
TSH is 15. Perimenopause is clearly a major anxiety trigger, though meds don’t help either. Got a mouthguard and two partial crowns for \$600. Expensive but worth it, and great seeing Kathleen at the office.
October194Please respect copyright.PENANAazEpb58oMK
Accidentally pulled out a crown while flossing—dentist fixed it in five minutes. My TSH dropped to 6.75. On the 27th, my very first “real” journal entry turned 30. Wild to think about.
November194Please respect copyright.PENANA0oi46dQ685
Reconnected with Kim on Twitter, though not Aly. Still, it’s fun catching up. Bought a \$25 sound machine to fight traffic noise. Fingers crossed. Finally gave in and decided to get new windows—noise is one thing, but stealing my sleep? Nope. Also finished Stepping into Psycho—just under 24,000 words!
December194Please respect copyright.PENANAcuuRJHK3Fq
Health frustrations hit hard. I’m beyond fed up. My white blood cells are up, cholesterol is crap, and TSH jumped from 6 to 11. Seriously—WTF? My PCP wants me to see a hematologist. On a brighter note, Aly tweeted a birthday wish (not directly, but still nice) and later reached out. Made my day. I also had a talk with Marie’s ex. She didn’t hurt me personally, but she’s clearly messed up. Glad we never met back in 2010.


