Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

SUNDAY

  • Get off work
  • Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Take nap
  • Lunch with friends
  • Do a workbook focused on recovery
  • Take a walk

MONDAY

  • Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Community Meeting for apartment building
  • Group Therapy; Dungeons and Dragons (D and D) Yes it is a group I go to.
  • Work on a workbook focused on recovery
  • Walk with friends
  • Dinner with neighbors

TUESDAY

  • Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Walk alone
  • Breakfast with a friend
  • Work on a recovery focused workbook
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City (I get to help people find the right kitty for them)
  • Dinner with a Friend

WEDNESDAY

  • DSHS office
  • Grocery shopping
  • Make lunch for friends
  • Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Do a recovery focused workbook

THURSDAY

  • Breakfast with friends
  • Mindfulness and Meditation
  • DBT Group (Group Therapy)

FRIDAY

  • Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Do recovery focused workbooks
  • Cook dinner with friends.
  • Read and watch movies all night to help me sleep during the day on Saturday

SATURDAY

  • Sleep all day
  • Work all night

 

 

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! As I stated in a previous post, I am restarting to do my weekly check-ins with you all every Saturday evening. This is help keep you my reader engaged and not bored with my blog. Not only is it my hope to keep you engaged with my blog, it is also my hope for my blog to help me. When I first started my blog I never expected it to be of help for me personally however I quickly realize it was helpful for me.

Well, as many of you know we all celebrated the New Year on Tuesday night. I really didn’t do anything but be in my jammies and watched the New Year come in on the television. I was hoping to bring it in with my cat Lil Gertie but sadly she crossed over the rainbow bridge on Thanksgiving Day evening.

Another thing I did this week was finished up my training to become a volunteer at the animal shelter where I adopted Lil Gertie at. My first shift is this coming Tuesday on the 7th of January. It is something I am looking forward to.

Something else I did this week and was happy inform him of my new volunteer gig was see my new therapist. It was only my third session with him but he appears to be cool. He was happy to hear about my new volunteer job. We discussed a great deal He also was interested in my job as well.

Speaking of jobs, I will be going work in the next half an hour. I enjoy my job for the most part. I just do not like the fact that it is at night. Night shifts aren’t the best for someone with sleep issues. Having insomnia sucks and a night shift doesn’t help much.

Speaking of sleep, I slept okay today. My sleep could have been more restful but at least I got sleep. I just don’t like sleeping during the day.

I do not have much more to say. I just want to thank you all for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope everyone has a great rest of their weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

An Ambien is Starting to Kick In Post

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is just after six o’clock in the morning in my corner of the world. As most of the world slept last night, I was up all night so I can sleep all day today. I will be sleeping all day today due to the fact that I work a twelve and a half hour shift tonight. I like what I do for the most part but do not like the fact that it is a night shift. I am grateful to have a job even though it is extremely part time.

I am hoping to be able to get to sleep soon. Actually, I think I will be able to get to sleep soon because I think the Ambien is finally starting to kick in. I wish I didn’t need Ambien to help me sleep but due insomnia, I do. I highly dislike having insomnia. It sucks shit.

I think I should get going since my sleeping meds are starting to kick in. I want to thank you all for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great Saturday as I sleep the day away. I also hope everyone has a good weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

 

Plans in Regards to My Blog

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! I know I posted about two hours ago regarding my cat, Lil Gertie however I wanted to let you know what plans are for my blog for the next year. In fact it is one of my goals for this coming up year, 2020. One of my goals for the New Year is to blog an average of three times a week. I say average because some weeks, I will most likely only blog once or twice a week and other weeks I probably will blog everyday of the week. One way I plan on accomplishing this goal is to start doing my weekly plans on Sundays and on Saturdays to do weekly check-ins. I realize Saturdays might be challenging due to sleeping all day and working all night but I know if I schedule it in I will be able to do accomplish this. I am planning on doing this in hopes to keep you my reader engaged with continuing to reading and/or following my blog. So starting tomorrow, Saturday I will be doing weekly check-ins and starting on Sunday I will be doing weekly plans.

I do not have much more to say in regards this topic. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a good rest of their Friday. I also hope everyone has an awesome weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

Missing My Cat, Lil Gertie

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! Right now, I am really missing my cat, Lil Gertie. Friday evenings as well as Friday nights are quite challenging for me when it comes to missing Lil Gertie. It is challenging for me because I am so use to staying up all night on Fridays and having her snuggle with me as I read or watching something on a streaming site so I could sleep all day on Saturday due to work on Saturday nights. Cuddling with Lil Gertie helped a great me a great deal with my anxiety and PTSD which ultimately helped me with not stressing about work or other daily activities. Another time that is challenging for me is when I come home from work on Sunday mornings and having Lil Gertie greet me at the door. I miss my time with her and I realize that to grieve mean that I loved and loved with all my heart.

I do not have much more to say. I just want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great Friday evening. I also hope everyone has an awesome weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

Goals for 2020

Posted on by Gertie

Happy New Years, World!!! This is the time of year where many people make resolutions for the New Year. I, however don’t make resolutions. I make goals. I make goals as I tend to keep them as well as they can be made at anytime of the year. I just wanted to share with you my goals for the upcoming year. It is my hope to be held accountable to you my reader by posting my goals with you fine folks.

~Attend appointments with mental health treatment team as well as groups on the regular basis. (I already do this however when things get bad I tend to isolate and avoid life like the plague. No, I am not expecting things to start going bad with my mental health symptoms.)

~Blog an average of three times a week. (I have found since I started blogging that it is quite helpful for me. I hope that blogging an average of three times a week will help you my reader stay engaged.)

~Read six books. (Last year it was my goal to read twelve books and I only read one. So I am making the goal a little more reachable.)

~Start and complete two recovery focused workbooks. (It is my hope that starting and completing two workbooks will help me with my recovery.)

~Get a job that is not night shift. (I have realized that working night shift is not for me especially since I have insomnia and need a regular sleep schedule.)

~Start volunteering with cats at a local animal shelter. (Hell, I have already started this process and my first shift is January 7th. In fact it will be where I adopted Lil Gertie and am looking forward to it.)

I have a few more goals but they are a little bit more private. I hope that you all can hold me accountable to the goals I mentioned above. You guys are all amazing and awesome.

I do not have much more to say. Thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope you all have a wonderful New Years. Happy New Years, World!!!

Goodbye, 2019

Posted on by Gertie

Happy New Years Eve, World!!! This year has been a year of ups and downs. Mainly a year of ups and a great deal of growth within my mental health recovery. I owe a lot of my growth to my last therapist and my cat, Lil Gertie. Sadly, my last therapist went on paternity leave and when he comes back his job duties will be changing which means I just got a new therapist. My new therapist seems nice enough but I have only had two sessions with him.

As I mentioned, I also owe some major improvements in my recovery to my cat, Lil Gertie. She helped me a great deal. She helped me learn how to love. Lil Gertie not only helped me to love others but to love myself. I think if it wasn’t for Lil Gertie, there would have been some moments, specifically in 2018, I would have tried to take my own life. Thankfully, my love for her is what helped me. The best part of this year was bringing in the New Year with Lil Gertie. The worst part of this year was having to say goodbye to her on Thanksgiving Day evening. Having to say goodbye to your best friend is never easy. The grief of loosing a pet hurts and hurts like hell. If it wasn’t for the grief I have dealt with loosing Lil Gertie, I don’t think I would have come to the conclusion of what grief is all about. Its about realizing that you loved and loved with all your heart.

Bringing in 2020 and saying goodbye to 2019 is bittersweet. It’s bittersweet that I brought it in with my best friend, my cat, Lil Gertie, and won’t be saying goodbye to 2019 with Lil Gertie in it. However, if it wasn’t for adopting in Lil Gertie in 2018, I don’t think I would have ever even considered volunteering at an animal shelter. In fact I am now officially a volunteer where I adopted Lil Gertie at. My first official shift where I adopted Lil Gertie at is on January 7th. So, in essence I will be honoring Lil Gertie by starting off the New Year helping people and families find their perfect cat for their family.

I do not have much to say except that I am forever grateful for Lil Gertie and the hope she has given me for my future. I want to thank all of you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great New Years Eve and an awesome 2020 ahead of them. Please drive safely and get home to your families in one piece. Happy New Years, World!!!

A Workplace Blog

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! As I type this, I am at work. I have three and hours left of my shift. I enjoy my job for the most part. I am not a big fan of a twelve and a hour night shift but at least it is in the social service field which is something I enjoy. At this point in time I am looking for another job because working the night shift isn’t exactly the best for me or my mental health because of my sleep cycle being out of wack.

My sleep already is out of wack due to having insomnia. Actually, my psychiatric nurse practitioner things it would a good idea to have a job that is not a night shift. The reason she says this is because of my “treatment resistant insomnia.” I am great she has my back this but she also agrees that work is good for my mental health and recovery.

Something I do at work to pass the time away when there is nothing to for a few hours is art work. Specifically, I color. In fact when the young adults I work with are unable to sleep they like to color with me. They appear to enjoy it.

Well, I do not have much more to say. I want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great Sunday. Peace Out, World!!!

Missing My Cat, Lil Gertie

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! It has been a week and one day since my cat, Lil Gertie crossed the rainbow bridge. It hasn’t been an eight days but I have received a great deal of support from my friends. I have amazing friends and have received many sympathy cards from them. Speaking of sympathy cards, Lil Gertie’s vet sent one even though she was not the vet who helped Lil Gertie cross over the rainbow bridge. She not only received an email from me but Lil Gertie’s records from the emergency vet.

I just wish it wasn’t so difficult but I am grateful she was in my life. Lil Gertie has helped me a great deal with my recovery and I am forever grateful to her for that. I will never forget her. To honor her in this post I will include one of my favorite pictures of her below. It shows how expressive she was. The picture is below:

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In honor of Lil Gertie. This picture is one of my favorite and is a prime example of her many facial expressions.

Now, that I have honored my beloved cat, Lil Gertie, I am going to finish this post. I want to thank you all for reading my blog. I greatly appreciated each one of you for reading my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. Have a great Friday. Peace Out, World!!!

The Post I’ve Been Dreading to Write

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I have been dreading about writing this post for the last week as it is sad and devastating news or at least it is devastating for me. As many of you may know if you read a post a few months ago that my cat, Lil Gertie, was diagnosed with cancer. I knew there was a chance of helping her cross the rainbow bridge but I didn’t think it would be so soon. See, on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 28th, 2019) evening Lil Gertie crossed the rainbow bridge.

Like most everyone else across the United States I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. I went and spent the day with family. When I arrived back home Thanksgiving Day evening, I noticed Lil Gertie walking funny, with her head tilted and walking into things. I quickly realized I would need to take her to the emergency vet and most likely have to say goodbye. Before taking her to the emergency vet, I decided to feed her some turkey which she gobbled down and that made my heart happy.

The happy heart didn’t last very long as I knew what the reality was so I took her to the emergency vet. The emergency vet did in fact confirm that it was Lil Gertie’s time to cross the rainbow bridge. Sadly, while I was eating Thanksgiving dinner with my family Lil Gertie had a small stroke. Due to the stroke both of Lil Gertie’s retina’s detached which is why she was walking into things. Since she was unable to see, plus the stroke and cancer I knew I couldn’t bear to see Lil Gertie struggle, I knew it was time to let her go and cross the rainbow bridge. I was able to be with Lil Gertie as she crossed over with the help of the vet. I miss my cat so very much.

I did decide that I wanted Lil Gertie’s ashes and will be getting them in a couple of weeks along with a paw print and clump of her fur. The emergency vet also let Lil Gertie’s regular vet know. Lil Gertie’s vet reached out to me the past Monday (December 2nd) when she returned to the office after the holiday weekend. Lil Gertie’s vet was and is extremely empathetic and compassionate. She even sent me a sympathy card which I received yesterday (Tuesday) in the mail. Part of the reason I decided to keep Lil Gertie’s ashes as I know it will help with my healing process.

Speaking of the healing process I think that is why I waited so long to write this post. Yes, I realize tomorrow will mark a week since Lil Gertie crossed the rainbow bridge but it just stung too much. Hell, it still stings like hell.

As people in my life have been finding out about Lil Gertie and many know she was an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), I have been asked if I am going to get another cat. The answer is, YES but I am going to wait till after the holidays for many reasons. One of which is I want to give myself some time to grieve. I wish I had more time with Lil Gertie because I only had her for 1 1/2 years and she was only 7 1/2 years old but I know she accomplished what she needed to accomplish here on earth and it was her time to go.

I do not have much more to say. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things. Again, thank you from the bottom of heart for reading my blog. I hope to post pictures of Lil Gertie in a later post. I hope everyone has a great day. I also hope you all have a great holiday season. Peace Out, World!!!