old blog

october 13 i had a terrible nightmare involving the beatles and mass murder. i woke up so disturbed by what i had witnessed that i googled it to make sure it wasn't real. it took me a while to settle down as i got ready for work.

some days when i don't get to see b i feel very distraught and the minutes pass slowly while i wait to reunite with him. it's because i'm in love; i should brag more about how in love i am. why not?
october 8 our bikepacking trip was so amazing i don't even know where to begin!

the whole trip was 3 days and 2 nights long and we saw so much. i've never ridden a bike that for long or with so much cargo, though b did the heavy lifting. with the help of some padded cycling pants i was able to endure it, though my legs and back were terribly sore for the last 2 out of 5 hours, even with frequent stops and lunch in a fancy town, the kind where moms in expensive clothes berate their children for embarrassing them in public.

we took a trail that went by the train tracks, brick walkways in city plazas, unlit small town dirt roads, expensive looking suburban neighborhoods, and long tree-lined bikepaths. there was so much to see! with my airpods we listened to music (jackson browne - running on empty) and podcasts together and used walkie talkies to talk to one another. the sun set on us and it got quite cold so arriving at the campsite was a huge relief. b taught me how to build a fire and set up a tent. we tried to pack light but managed to bring a cooking pot with us, which we used to boil water for hot coffee, ramen, chili mac, and oatmeal. we made a makeshift campfire skewer by duct taping a serving fork to a long stick and it worked wonderfully to roast weenies and mushrooms marshmallows with.

the temperature dropped quite a bit at night which made sleeping a bit of a struggle- we had one large sleeping bag that we fully unzipped to share as a blanket but it didn't quite cover us both completely, and one of the sleeping pads we slept on refused to inflate all the way. on day 2 we went down to the rocky beach to walk by the lake in the morning (i found a piece of heart shaped sea glass) and stargaze at night (we saw a shooting star together.)
we saw lots of animals!
  1. two blue herons "they're friends"
  2. a family of deer
  3. chipmunks
  4. black squirrels
  5. a stray cat that hopped like a bunny in the grass
  6. a big black dog on the side of the bike path? actually, it's just a statue. someone put sunglasses on it.
  7. coyote (heard, not seen)
other cool and fun things:
  • a couple of older guys crushing beers at sunset.
  • some abandoned beach buildings with anime graffiti on them.
  • a muddy lagoon.
  • a statue of some kids playing leapfrog.
  • friendly neighbors with an RV who gave us a candle when we had no lighting.
  • campsite bathrooms = nightmare smells
  • teaching b how to play blackjack.
  • b playing the harmonica by the campfire.
  • not letting my achey legs stop me and making it back with more stamina than i thought i had.

    • i feel like i went on vacation, albeit quite an active one. it was everything i wanted it to be, even with the soreness and the cargo struggles and the mishaps with our supplies. i just feel really inspired and happy to have been able to go on this trip with b after we've talked about it for so long. i don't wanna shut up about it or stop thinking about it.
    october 4 new job alert: confectioner's assistant. i'll be learning how to make all kinds of chocolates and candies for a new confectionery store. i am not particularly passionate about this work but i hope i'll enjoy the repetitive nature of it and the lack of customer service interactions. plus, i'll probably get to take some stuff home and i'm really looking forward to that.

    also, b is taking me camping for the first time this week! we're gonna bike for a few hours up to a state park and camp for a couple of days. i'm so unbelievably excited!! we're gonna roast weenies and play cards and hike and go to the beach and take pics with a polaroid he found at a garage sale. i haven't taken a trip or gone on a vacation for a very long time. for this trip to happen right now as the leaves are starting to change feels really special. i haven't been this excited in a while.
    september 28 sitting at a cafe, eating a not-so-good cinnamon roll with too much frosting before i go donate some plasma to make ends meet. it's sickeningly sweet, but the coffee is good. i take my coffee black, like agent dale cooper (i started watching twin peaks); it's just cheaper that way. a slice of cherry pie would be much nicer right now. a few years ago when i struggled financially i'd donate plasma regularly until i inevitably fainted in a parking lot for not eating beforehand. i'm left with a discolored mark on my face and a scar under my chin from where i crashed into the pavement. this time i've got a terrible cinnamon roll in me to carry me through. it's the first rainy day of a sure to be rainy week. i can't wait to get home and take a nap.
    goals:
    1. keep reading Crime and Punishment
    2. journal
    3. make enough money for rent, and a little more to get around
    september 25
    some of the prints i made last week.
    september 23 things i did this week:
    1. got stung by a wasp.
    2. made lino/eraser prints. i made a lot, maybe 15 or so.
    3. went to a liz phair + sleater kinney show.
    4. learned how to solve a rubik's cube.
    5. cross stitched a bunny onto my journal.
    6. participated in a research study and had an eeg put on my head.
    7. applied for jobs, went to interviews, felt hopeless.
    8. ran out birth control, got my period.
    9. watched into the wild.
    10. helped friends get into coding for neocities, reignited the urge to work on my site.
    11. switched my sim card from my flip phone into an old iphone so i could listen to music cause my headphones broke. well i hate it.
    12. ate pasta for dinner most nights.
    september 23 i am furniture that is old and worn and smelly and covered in stains.
    september 10 elmo doesn't let me cut her nails often. she has a real problem with it, and i hate doing it. i'm covered in scratches all over just from her cuddling or playing. i'm allergic to her too so each scratch swells up and becomes red and itchy for a while. some have turned to scars. i managed to cut most of her nails today while she was napping, but by the last paw she woke up and now she's not very happy with me. i wish it was easier to do. she gets up very early sometimes with the zoomies since she's still quite young. she is very vocal, she meows often and quite loud. i wish it didn't stress me out so much, especially when my partner sleeps over. she's very sweet and clingy and cuddly and i love her so much so i feel guilty when i think that she's too hard for me to take care of, or that i'm a bad parent because i'm exhausted all the time. i just want her to be older already so she'll mellow out.
    september 2 what will it take for me to develop some strength?

    i quit my job again. i worked there for two weeks this time before my anxiety overwhelmed me.

    i joked while i was there that i have a weak, feeble mind. they laughed quite a lot at that, and while i was trying to get a laugh i really did mean it. i am feeble minded. why would a part time barista job overwhelm me so much? even when every mistake i made was met with kindness and patience. lately i feel really, truly stupid.

    everyone in my life is so nice to me even though i feel like a huge disappointment. how hard is it to just work a job like anyone else? i'm 29 years old and i feel like a petulent child. i'm not mature enough to endure, even just to hold out until i get a new job before quitting the one i have.

    i've been applying to other positions, finding other sources of income, recieving lovely, patient advice from my friends and partner.

    when i make impulsive decisions like this, i apologize to the people around me because i feel like a failure, or i feel like they should be disappointed in me, or i feel like they should berate me. why is no one berating me? why is no one telling me how stupid and useless i am?
    august 11 a girl wearing rave goth gear sits on the train platform crying. she says she just got mugged. i give her a cat sticker while tornado warnings blare on everyone's phones.

    thanks for checking on me. i just wanna go home.

     this morning i put on ben's shirt for some good luck and confidence. i leave for work on time and pay for a train ticket that no one checks for. my test shift at cafe K starts to a warm welcome and quick introduction to the enthusiastic owner.

    your're a good man, john.

    he laughs brightly at the man who's been coming here for 20 years, he tells me. he jokes and smiles and shows me the ropes while asking all about my life. when i interviewed at cafe Q i was asked if i can handle being berated by the manager, because it would likely happen.

    for example, if the owner said "what, are you slow?" ...do you think you could handle that?

    i walked out of my second shift at cafe T last week when the manager said i was an idiot if i didn't have the recipes memorized already. so, no.

    the owner at cafe K tells me i can get away with not paying train fare for a commute as short as mine and offers to introduce me to a printmaking artist he knows. i make mistakes and fumble some things and i'm offered the job.

    my train back home is cancelled- there's a fallen tree on the tracks. i ride two buses and make my way back just in time to get the worst of the rain.

    I AM A DOG WEARING RAINBOOTS.
    august 9 i can hold so many things in my hands. i give myself terrible haircuts and grow them out again and again and it really is not a big deal. i'll make use of my pretty barettes for now.