Middle of the Night Ramblings at Work

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! Right now I am at work bored out of my mind. This the time in my work shift where I get bored. There isn’t much to do on an overnight shift for twelve and a half hours or at least at my current job there is much to do. In all honesty, I am not a big fan of working night shifts and am looking for another job that I don’t have to work a night shift. I do enjoy my job for the most part.

By now the world is well aware that Ruth Bader Ginsburg past away on Friday, September 18th due to cancer. She served on the United States Supreme Court which is the highest court in the United States. Justice Ginsburg is an iconic figure in the United States and will forever be missed. Her death comes at a time in the United States when the political divide is at its worst. In my opinion I don’t think the Senate should approve anyone Trump nominates till the new President is sworn in. I know I am not the only one who feel like this but I also know many will disagree with my opinion and that is okay.

On a more positive note and something I never thought would happen is that I am so happy that it is raining here in Seattle. I am so happy that it is raining because the air quality was extremely horrid and it was effecting many people including myself. My asthma acted up on several occasions during the week of hazardous air quality. In fact I think many people are beyond thrilled to see the rain in Seattle. When I say rain, I mean rain and not the Seattle rain people are use to. Seattle rain is just mist or drizzle.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do 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 week ahead of them. Peace Out, World!!!

Just a Post About Dealing with Depression

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! For some reason my depression has decided to rear its ugly head. Yes, I have been feeling a little meh lately but part of that is due to the isolation this stupid pandemic put us in. The depression I am experiencing is not the meh feeling have been dealing with. The depression I am feeling, feels like the typical depression I experience which sucks but at least it is something I am aware of. Being aware of it is helpful as I know what I can do to help fight it off or least not make it worse.

Honestly, the weather sort of fits my mood but at least I know its not the weather causing my depression or at least not adding to it. Right now it is raining in Seattle. Actually it is the normal Seattle mist type of rain. I have been wanting this weather due to the poor air quality due to all the wild fires that are happening. Plus this weather is letting me wear my flannels and I love my flannels.

I am hoping the weather last as I love to be able to have an excuse to stay home with my cat, Billie Dean. I am so grateful for the unconditional love that Billie gives me. He has helped a great deal with my depression.

Billie not only helps with my depression, he also tries to help me with my art work. Tonight the genre of art work I have been doing is coloring. Billie has been laying on the picture I have been coloring or trying to bite the colored pencil I would use. I take it he just wants to help.

As I colored to help with the depression, I also listened to a podcast. A podcast about philosophy. The philosophy podcast I am listening to is called Philosophize This. In fact, Steven West, the podcaster of Philosophize This is from Seattle which I personally think is cool since I live in Seattle. Anyway, I really enjoy Philosophize This and learning about philosophy.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank each one of you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Happy Monday

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! I will be heading out to my volunteer job at PAWS Cat City within the next forty minutes. I love being able to volunteer my time with helping PAWS. I enjoy doing whatever is needed for me to do including the deep cleaning. I do have to say the best part of volunteering at PAWS Cat City is when the cats get adopted to their furrever home.

Speaking of cats, my cat Billie, loves doing mindfulness and meditation practices with me. Every time I do a mindfulness exercise on The Calm App, Billie gets in my lap as I do the exercise. It appears that the he does the practice with me. I love the fact that my cat, Billie, does the mindfulness practice with me through The Calm App. Doing a mindfulness and/or meditation practice helps me a great deal and is one of the best ways for me to start my day.

On a not so good not is that the air quality here in Seattle is considered hazardous. It is considered hazardous due to the wild fires around Washington as well as the rest of the west coast. Seattle isn’t the only place with hazardous air quality. California and Oregon are dealing with worse air quality that Washington is.

I do not have much more to say. I do want to thank you all for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great Monday. I also hope everyone has an awesome work week ahead of you. Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses (or coffee). What I mean is don’t forget to take the time to just breathe. Peace Out, World!!!

Middle of the Night Ramblings from Work

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! It is the middle of the night in my corner of the world. In fact, I am currently at work. I work an overnight shift for twelve plus hours every Saturday night. I am not a big fan of night shifts nor am I fan of having a twelve plus hour work shift. Even though I am not a fan of a couple of things regarding my job, I am glad that I have a job. Many people are out of work due to the pandemic which is why I am grateful for my job.

As many people are aware of if they live in the United States, is that the West Coast of the United States is having some really bad wild fires. Due to the fires California, Oregon and Washington all have very hazardous air quality. As someone who was born in California and spent the first sixteen years of their life there, I remember horrific air quality. Nothing like it is now. I currently reside in Seattle and have never seen Seattle’s air quality this bad. Hell, I never seen California’s air quality as bad as it is there right now. Something that the mayor of Seattle is shut down all the parks and beaches from Friday till Sunday due to the air quality. I understand why she did it but I think people realize how bad the air is by just looking out their windows. But then again people lack common sense, now a days.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do, however want to thank you all for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you do read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great Sunday a head of them. Peace Out, World!!!

Not So Random Post About Serious Topics

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! Nineteen years ago today, America experienced a terrorist attack the world would never forget. The terrorist attack didn’t just affect the United State but the entire world as many people from around the world worked in the Twin Towers in New York. Nineteen years ago was not just a challenging time for the world but it was uncertain time as well.

Uncertain times just like now with Covid-19. Sadly, the difference between 9/11 and Covid-19 is it appears that the world isn’t working together or maybe I should say America isn’t working with the rest of the world to stop Covid-19. This makes me sad and I wish there was something to make America be on the same page as the rest of the world when it comes to Covid-19.

Speaking of Covid-19, I have realized that the media is talking more about September being suicide awareness month than in previous years. I think the reason why it is being brought up nearly everyday in September thus far is because of people being more isolated due to Covid-19. The isolation that Covid-19 has brought has even “normal” people showing signs of anxiety and depression which makes people more aware of how challenging it is for people who do have a mental health challenge. As grateful as I am as that media is bringing attention to suicide awareness and mental health challenges due to Covid-19, I wish the media would discuss import topics like suicide and mental health more on the regular basis then maybe the stigma wouldn’t be so prevalent.

Now on to a totally different topic. The topic of how bad the air quality is here in Seattle. The air quality is horrific due to the wild fires across Washington and the west coast. The wild fire smoke is so bad in Seattle that you can smell the smoke in the air and it appears that the fires are closer than they really are. The west coast of the United States is pretty much dealing with major wild fires in an already uncertain time which doesn’t make it any easier. The air quality in Seattle is probably the worst I have experienced in the last 25 years of living in the Seattle area. Only time I have experienced it worse than it is now is when I grew up in Southern California. California’s air quality was bad when I grew up. Sometimes from all the cars. Sometimes due to fires. Sometimes both. Oh how I wish the air quality was better in Seattle at the moment.

I think I am done talking about all the sad things in the world or at least for today. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great day ahead of them. I also hope everyone has a great weekend ahead of them. Please take care of yourselves and try to stay healthy. Peace Out, World!!!

Much Needed Time Away

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! It is ten fifteen at night in my corner of the world. Currently, I am in Bremerton, Washington. I decided to take a ferry here from Seattle and stay the night. As much as I love living in Seattle, sometimes city life can get a bit overwhelming so I am staying the night in a hotel on Bremerton’s waterfront.

Even though I am only going to be gone tonight, I am having a neighbor who has become a good friend look in on my cat, Billie Dean. Yes, I realize Billie will be okay with me just being gone overnight, I just wanted to make sure nothing happens. Plus my neighbor really likes Billie. I know from becoming friends with my neighbor that he really loves cats and it always brightens his day when I take Billie to say hi to him. So, having my neighbor check on Billie not only eases my mind but helps this good friend.

I know what I have done here in Bremerton is something I could do at home however just getting a break from the everyday things is helpful. One of the things I have done is read. I am reading a Star Wars book. A book that has me very engrossed and engaged. I read the Star Wars book outside for about an hour on Bremerton’s waterfront and enjoyed every minute of it.

After reading, I went out to dinner which was nice. The food at the restaurant, I went to was great which is why I went. Every time I come to Bremerton, I try to eat at the restaurant I at tonight. I highly recommend Bremerton Bar and Grill if you are ever in Bremerton, Washington.

Once I got back to my hotel room after eating dinner, I decided to do some art work. Actually, the type of art I did was color. Coloring is more portable than other forms of art or at least for me it is. I love to color and it helps me get into a positive state of mind.

As I was coloring I decided to listen to one of my favorite podcast on the subject of philosophy. The podcast I listened to as I colored was Philosophize This. The way the podcaster, Stephen West discusses philosophy makes the subject interesting and easy to comprehend. Or at least that is my person opinion of Philosophize This.

I do not have much more to talk about in this blog post except that I really needed this time away and miss my cat, Billie. Before, I end the post, I want to thank you for reading my blog. I am greatly appreciative that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday night. I also hope you all get a good night of sleep. Good Night and Peace Out, World. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.

Combating Depression

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! I am feeling slightly depressed. I am not exactly sure why my depression symptoms are acting up but they are. Depression sucks just like any mental health diagnosis. I just wish it didn’t exist but it does.

Right now, the things that appear to be helping seem to be so basic to those who don’t struggle with a mental health challenge. Sometimes its the simple and most basic things in life that are the most helpful. Or at least helpful for me.

For me one of the first basic things I do is take care of my cat, Billie Dean. First, I feed Billie. After feeding Billie, I then do the first of two daily cleanings of his litter box. After Billie is done eating and the litter box gets cleaned out, I then put on Billie’s new harness and leash on him and we go for a walk in the second floor hallway and the first floor common areas such as the lobby and community room. Billie appears to be scared when outside and most likely due to the freeway noise and hoping that with brief outside moments will help but I will not force it unless there is an emergency like the fire alarm going off. Billie really does like to explore and smell everything. Taking care of Billie and his needs helps me take care of myself.

Another basic thing I do for myself is to do art work. Today, the type of art work I have been doing is coloring. Yes, I know it seems quite basic and some might even call it “childish” but I don’t care as it helps me deal with things such as my depression. There is something calming and meditative about coloring. I enjoy coloring a great deal as it is one of the most simplest art forms there is to express yourself.

As I colored, I listened to a podcast. A podcast about philosophy. Specifically, I listened to Philosophize This by Stephen West. In fact Philosophize This is the first podcast I ever started listening to. I started listening to it on Spotify and still listen to it. I enjoy listening to it and how Stephen West presents Philosophy. He makes philosophy to understand and puts it into simple term. Another thing is that he is from Seattle which I find cool especially since I live in Seattle.

I do not have much more to discuss in this particular blog post. I want to thank you all for reading my blog. I am greatly appreciative that you do read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great day. I also hope everyone has a great week ahead of them. Peace Out, World!!!

Excited as Hell

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I realize it has been awhile since I last blogged. A lot has happened and will attempt to catch you up in another blog post as this post is about something I am way excited for.

Every year for the last five years there has been a conference specifically for folks who are Peer Specialist aka Peer Counselors. This year is the fifth annual Peer Pathways Conference in Washington (State). I have been attending since the second annual Peer Pathways Conference. In fact I have been volunteering every year I have attending including this year. The only difference about this conference versus previous years is that it is all virtual due to the pandemic. Anyway, I am looking forward to the conference.

I am looking forward to the conference more so this year as one of the people who has inspired me will be one of the keynote speakers. That person is Elyn Saks the author of The Center Cannot Hold. A friend of mine suggested to me about eight to ten years ago to read the book and I did. Since after reading Elyn Saks memoir she has been an inspiration to me ever since. I am so excited. I am looking forward to it.

I do not have much more to say in this post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you do read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great week ahead of them. Peace Out, World!!!

Been Exposed & Under Self Quarantine

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It has been a few weeks since I last blogged. There are multiple reasons why I have blogged as well as many excuses but neither the reason or excuse really matter at this moment in time. Or at least they don’t matter to me at the moment.

A lot has happened in the last week alone. I found out last Thursday (July 16th) that I was exposed to Covid-19 the last time I worked which was on Saturday, July 11th. A client of the homeless shelter I work at test positive and am grateful that this person is now at a quarantine site here in the Seattle area.

Anyway since I was exposed, I am under self quarantine and am getting tested later on today (Monday). I made the appointment to get tested right after finding out I was exposed. Another good thing regarding all this is that I had already had a virtual appointment with my doctor made for this past Friday (July 17th) which made it easy for me to talk to my doctor about what to expect regarding the test. She also informed me that she didn’t want me to go work on Saturday (July 18th) till I get tested and the results come back as negative. I informed her that my employer was being very insistent with me going into work to do my regular shift. She and I discussed that if I get fired over going against doctors orders in the midst of a pandemic will make my employer “look bad and is grounds for a lawsuit.” I am just grateful that she has my back and wrote me a note for work. She also advised me to self quarantine which is a no brainer.

Since I am under quarantine till I get tested and the results, I will be spending a lot of time at home. At least I will have my cat, Billie Dean with me. I am so happy that I have Billie especially right now. My doctor and I came up with a plan on things I can do to make sure my mental health doesn’t decline while in self quarantine. We discussed a great deal about my cat Billie Dean and how he will be helpful. I told my doctor that I have plenty of art projects I can do especially in the coloring and collaging genres. I also informed her that I have a lot of reading to catch up on. This brought up the topic of our love of reading and the books I am hoping to read. I also mentioned that I have movies I want to watch and she even suggested some that I might be interested in. We discussed music as well. Specifically we discussed me not playing my flute or harmonica just in case I am positive. This will be challenging for me to do as playing one of my musical instruments especially my flute has been a life saver for me when things get challenging for me. We did discuss that listening to music is an option and will be used. We also discussed me keeping in touch with my therapist and that she will reach out to my therapist and I informed her that I already did which she wasn’t surprised about.

Anyway, my therapist to get back to me this past Friday after talking with my doctor. He was grateful that she and I, both reached out to him regarding me being exposed. We basically discussed similar things my doctor and I talked about regarding keeping myself busy. The last thing he and my doctor want is my mental health to decline while in self quarantine and I don’t blame them. I am worried as well. I am also grateful that we will be doing daily check-ins till I get my test results back. If they come back negative then the daily check-ins will discontinue and I hope my test results will come back negative.

Anyway, I don’t have much more to say. Thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. I hope everyone has a great Monday ahead. Peace Out, World!!!

4th of July

Posted on by Gertie

Happy 4th of July, World!!! Yes, I know the 4th of July is an American holiday but I just wanted to wish everyone a happy fourth. I, normally don’t mind the Fourth of July but this year I am slightly irritated by it. I think I am irritated by it because the symptoms of my mental health diagnosis have increased which is why I am not going into work today. I informed my employer that due to my disability I can not go into work today. Thankfully, they appear to be okay with it especially since they were able to get coverage for my shift.

As much as I wish my mental health symptoms weren’t acting up, in a weird way I am glad they are. I am glad they are because my neighbor has been shooting off bottle rockets and other fireworks in front of the building as well as on the community patio which I have windows over looking both. Billie Dean my cat is not a big fan of the fireworks being so close. Billie doesn’t appear to be bothered when the fireworks are farther away but when they are just outside our window then he minds especially since we live on the second floor. It is illegal to set off fireworks in Seattle and my neighbor has been setting them off since Thursday evening. Sadly, the Seattle Police are not doing shit about them. What good does having laws in place when they are not enforce them? I know the police have higher priority calls to take care of but if something happens like a fire or an injury they they will have to respond. All I know is if a bottle rocket hits my window and causes damage, I will not be a happy camper.

I best be going as I am getting angry and don’t want to rant as if I do my anger might increase. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Peace Out, World!!!