Intro to Poetry; Day 6: Screens

Damn You, Covid-19

by Gertie

Staring at a computer screen all day give me a headache

but the headache is well worth it as it is

because I love my new job more than I realize.

A job that is helping me along my career path even though staring at a 

computer screen all day isn’t the most fun thing in the world to do.

I don’t blame my career choice for me staring at the computer

all day; I blame this stupid ass

pandemic known as Covid-19.

If Covid-19 didn’t happen, meeting clients in person;

face to face would be happing and not having to do

virtual appointment would be ideal to not having to stare a stupid computer screen

all day.

Damn you Covid-19, you are causing me to get migraines due to

staring at a computer screen all day;

just to help my clients.

The migraines are well worth it though as

helping my clients is the best feeling in the world.

Lunch Time Ramblings

Good Afternoon, World!!! Part of me wishes I took today off as I have strep throat. I thought I had Covid-19 and it turns out that I most like don’t as it is strep throat that I have and am waiting on the test results of the Covid-19. I know this as I went to the emergency room yesterday afternoon at the urging of my supervisor.

The two main reasons, I went at the urging of my supervisor is because I am going out of town for my birthday this weekend to visit my mom and I left work three hours into my shift. Yes, I have been working from home and I would have called out sick if I was going into the office.

I’m still waiting on the results of the Covid-19 test and am pretty hopeful it will be negative. I am hopeful that it will be negative because of what the doctor said to me in the emergency room yesterday evening. I am also hopeful as they tested me for strep throat and it came out positive.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. 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, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Before Work Ramblings

Good Morning, World!!! It is eleven thirty-three in the morning in my corner in the world. Today, I don’t start work till twelve noon and am grateful that I am able to sleep in on Mondays. I have a challenging time getting in work mode on Mondays and starting at twelve noon on Mondays helps me get into work mode.

Speaking of work a couple of my colleagues and I will be getting together later today via Zoom. We will be having a late dinner with each other. It is cool that my colleagues invited me to dinner over Zoom tonight. I am thrilled that I am starting to sort of fit in at work. I am loving my new job. I am beyond grateful for my new job.

Billie Dean, my cat is currently sitting my lap as I type this blog post. I love Billie so much and I love the fact that he is such a lap cat. He is so lovey dovey. I am grateful the Billie chose me to adopt him.

I do not have much more to say in the particular blog post. I want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from 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. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Clean apartment
  • Mindfulness workbook
  • Continuing education class on Stress Management

 Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Continuing education class on Stress Management
  • Mindfulness workbook
  • Work

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Continuing education class on Stress Management
  • Mindfulness workbook
  • Work

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Work
  • Continuing Education on Stress Management
  • Mindfulness workbook

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Work
  • Continuing education on Stress Management
  • Mindfulness workbook

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Work
  • Celebrate my birthday two days early with dad’s side of family

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Travel to Olympia via train
  • Celebrate my birthday a day early with mom and uncle

Weekly Check-In

Good Evening, World!!! This past week has been another good week. I am beyond grateful that most area’s in my life are exceeding expectations. Yes, I realize some areas in my live needs improving upon and working on them however my life is going well at the moment.

I am still loving my new job. From what I am told from my supervisor, the clinical director and my colleagues, I am doing “an amazing job especially with folks who are in crisis.” I’m not sure if what I am doing is “amazing” as I am just doing my job. It is not the challenging to deal with people in crisis especially if you have been in crisis yourself way too many times to count. I am so grateful for my new job.

I think I mentioned it before that I am taking a continuing education class on stress management. I am learning so much about stress as well what happens to the body due to stress. I am glad to be blown away with what I am learning as it has me thinking how it effects not just me but others. I also like the idea that it will help me be better at my job.

Something that has been helping me with my own stress is attending a twelve step meeting I didn’t realize existed till last week. Not only does the twelve step meeting have the twelve step principles but it has peer principles as well. I don’t think people in this twelve step program that there is peer principles and that is okay.

Of course my cat, Billie Dean is doing well. He has some kidney issues and is on a special kidney diet. It is nothing to worry about as it was caught early enough that the special diet should help his kidney’s for him to live a good long life. His special diet food is expensive as hell but I’m just grateful that Billie is doing well.

I don’t have much more to say in this particular blog post. 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 great rest of your weekend and that you take time to enjoy what life has given you. Peace Out, World!!!

Good Morning & Happy Friday

Good Morning, World!!! I am just writing this particular blog post to say good morning. My cat, Billie Dean, woke me up this morning wanting attention. Usually, Billie wakes me up for food but I am happy to give him the attention he wants even though I wish I could have slept the extra fifteen minutes till my alarm when off.

Anyway, I am sitting here blogging as I wait for my food to be delivered. I ordered breakfast. I ordered a California egg scramble. I have had it before and looking forward to eating it.

Not only am I looking forward to eating my breakfast but going to work even though I am currently working from home. I really love my new job. I feel like I am meant to be working for my current employer as a peer specialist.

I don’t have much more to say in the particular blog post. 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 great Friday and enjoys their weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

It’s Been A Good Day

Good Evening, World!!! I have had a good day today. Work went better than I thought today as I didn’t get very much sleep last night. I really love my new job and I feel like I am excelling at it. My supervisor is highly “impressed” with my de-escalation skills with clients. I don’t think it’s nothing to be impressed by as I think what I am doing is something everyone can do. Anyway, I am glad I “impressed” my supervisor without even trying.

After work, I decided to turn on a podcast about philosophy. The podcast I listen to about philosophy is “Philosophize This.” I enjoy listening to “Philosophize This” immensely and suggest to you, to listen to it. I realize philosophy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The podcaster doing this podcast has a way of drawing me in and I appreciate that.

As I listened to “Philosophize This” I did some artwork. The type of art I did was color. I love to color. Coloring is a type of mindfulness for me as well as a type of meditation. I know it sounds weird that coloring is a mindfulness meditation for me but for some reason it is.

Of course, another form of mindfulness for me is spending time with my cat, Billie Dean. Billie is always a comfort and has a way of bringing me back to reality in a gentle way. I love my cat so very much and don’t know what life would be like without him. Cats are such amazing creatures.

I don’t have much more to say in this particular blog post. 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. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Check-In

Good Evening, World!!! I know it has been a while since I have done a weekly check-in and am going to keep doing it even if I miss a few weeks. This week has been an okay week and considering some worrying news, I am not freaking out about it.

Let’s just start off with worrying news I received. Long story short got blood work done for my cat, Billie Dean and his kidney numbers are not where they need to be. Billie’s vet, Dr. B, informed me by telling me: “Yes, it is concerning however we caught it in time. Nothing to worry about but if I weren’t a vet, I would be worried as well. You are being a great cat parent as many people wait to do bloodwork till the vet requires it. Billie is doing great and is still a lovebug.” Billie is now on a special diet for his kidney’s. I’m glad I decided to get blood work done for him when he got his teeth cleaned and followed up with a second round of bloodwork. Catching it early helps ease my mind as I know Billie is now getting the proper treatment and as stressful as it is, I am not freaking out about it.

Speaking of stress, I am taking a continuing education class in stress management. I’m not only taking to learn more about stress management to handle stress but help with my career as a peer specialist. I am learning so much in this stress management class and it is already benefitting me at work and helping me help the clients I serve.

Speaking of work, I am loving my job. I am now on the training committee and I have only been at my new job for two months. Apparently, I am doing something right even though it feel like I am not half of the time. I have also been informed that I “impressed” the clinical supervisors because of being able to use crisis de-escalation skills. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone and just being myself with getting clients out of crisis.

I don’t have much more to say in this particular blog post. 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. Peace, Out, World!!!

Monday Evening, Ramblings

Good Evening, World!!! Today is a national holiday here in the United States known as President’s Day. Banks, post offices and most doctors offices are closed today including my place of work which is a mental health agency for those who don’t regularly read my blog. It is nice to have a three day weekend.

On that note, the mental health agency I am a client of was open today which meant my appointment with my own therapist happened today but it was done virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions. Anyway, my therapist will be leaving the agency I am a client of to peruse bigger and better things. My last session with him will be next Monday. I’m sad to see him go and have no idea who my new therapist is going to be however at least I am doing relatively well. Doing well with my mental health recovery is always a good thing.

As good as doing well is, I am still apprehensive as one never knows when symptoms of a mental health diagnosis will flare up which is why I have decided to do a continuing education course on stress management. Not only will it help me with my own stress but hopefully will help me with my career as a Peer Counselor. I am actually finding the information quite interesting as well as educational.

As educational as it is, I am grateful that I am taking the course when I am as it helped me stay busy today. It helped me as there is still snow on the ground here in Seattle. Snow like this that stays around is rare and I am not a fan of snow. My cat, Billie Dean isn’t a fan of snow either. I tried taking Billie for walk on his leash and he was not happy with the snow. I assume it was too wet and cold for him as that is the reason, I don’t like snow.

I don’t have much more to talk about in this particular blog post. I want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Grocery shop

Monday

  • Zoom with friends before work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Work

Tuesday

  • Zoom with friends before work
  • Intro Poetry blog post
  • Work

Wednesday

  • Work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Zoom with friends

Thursday

  • Work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Zoom with friends

Friday

  • Work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Dinner with friends over zoom

Saturday

  • Breakfast with friends over Zoom
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Clean apartment