Happy Friday!!!

Good Morning and Happy Friday, World!!! It is a beautiful sunny Friday here in Seattle and my morning walk was awesome and helped woke me up a little. I am tired as hell as I sadly have not slept all night. I am assuming I could not sleep last night due to insomnia. As much as I would love to take a nap, I am not able to. I am not able to because I have a volunteer shift with Alley Cat Project. I am really glad that my volunteer job with Alley Cat Project. I am also beyond thrilled that it is sunny in Seattle today as the sun will help keep me awake during my volunteer shift.

I am wondering if I will hear back today from the potential employer that I interviewed with this past Tuesday regarding if I got the job or not. I was informed that I would hear back no later than next Friday which is what I am expecting but one can hope to hear back sooner than later. I really want this job, and I am surprised that I was asked for references the day after my interview because I think I did a really crappy job interviewing. Like I said I really want this job, and I hope I get it. I also hope I am not pulling the cart before the horse or jinxing myself or getting my hopes up too high as I don’t want to be beyond devastated if I don’t get the job.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

The Elusiveness of Sleep

Good Morning, World!!! It is four thirty-two in the morning here in Seattle. I am still wide awake, and this insomnia is just driving me batty but thankfully not batty enough to not end up in the looney bin. I just wish I knew why my insomnia is so bad lately and it is frustrating as hell.

Since I have not been able to sleep, I have been focused on learning new coping skills and building on old coping skills. I have been doing this by working on a couple of workbooks. Workbooks that remind me of what helps and what does not help and what I can try again to see if it helps this time around. Recovery is nonlinear and if certain coping skill didn’t help years ago does not mean they won’t help now and that gives me a lot of hope. Hope goes a long way especially when it comes to coping skills and using them even if they did not help at one point in time.

This just a random thought but I wonder if any of my references has been called yet. I am not sure why I just that of that but all I can think of is that I really want the job. I also hope that I am not getting my hopes up too high or that I am pulling cart before the horse. I also hope I am not jinxing myself. I’m now just rambling on and on and I really should just try to go to bed again.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post except that I really want some sleep. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Finally Got Sleep

Good Morning, World!!! It is 10:09 in the morning here in Seattle and it is a beautiful sunny day outside. I also finally got some much-needed sleep which is something I needed since I will be doing volunteer shift with Alley Cat Project and PAWS Cat City.

Oh, how I love to be able to give of my time to nonprofit organizations especially ones that help cats. I really enjoy giving my time especially when it comes to helping cats as I am a huge cat lover. I also love that my volunteer positions at Alley Cat Project and PAWS Cat City are completely different yet gives me a similar skill set for future volunteer jobs as well as future paid employment.

Speaking of employment, I had a job interview this past Tuesday which I thought did not go so very well. It apparently went better than expected as I received an email yesterday asking for references. I take being asked for references after a job interview as a good sign and I really hope it is a good sign. I really would like this job.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Update on Job Interview

Hello, World!!! I just wanted to update you on my job interview. It went okay. Yes, just okay. I also could have done a lot better job in the interview. In fact, my cat, Billie even attempted to answer a couple of questions for me and one of the interviewers said, “kitty we don’t speak cat, so we need Gertie to answer the question.” I and the other interviewers laughed. This did break the ice a little. I just wish I had more faith in myself especially since I really want this job.

I do not have anything else to discuss or write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Stormy Weather + Anxiety About Job Interview = Doing Diamond Painting

Good Morning, World!!! It is still quite stormy here in Seattle. May people have lost power. Thankfully, I have not lost power, and I hope I have not just jinxed myself. I hope I didn’t just jinx myself because I have a virtual job interview on Zoom. Having a virtual job interview on Zoom, one must have electricity and working internet. So, I am hoping that I don’t lose power because I really want to do this job interview as I really want this job, and this windy weather is causing me anxiety about not being able to do it.

To help combat the anxiety I am having regarding the job interview, I am planning to do some artwork. The type of artwork I am doing is diamond art/painting. The diamond art/painting that I am doing is the one with the tuxedo cat in a tree. I am glad I chose this particular diamond art/painting because it reminds me of my own tuxedo cat, Billie. I am also very happy that a neighbor introduced me to diamond art/painting. I really enjoy doing diamond art/painting.

I do not have anything else to discuss or write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

My 6th Post of the Day

Good Evening, World!!! The weather is still yucky here in Seattle. In fact, the weather is yuckier and worse than it was when I posted my last blog post. So much worse that my lights are flickering. So, let’s hope that my electricity does not go out.

Since I still have electricity, I am going try to write this post as quick as possible especially since my anxiety is high. My anxiety is high due to the fact that I have a job interview tomorrow. It is a peer position and a local level one trauma hospital that has a behavioral health agency. It is part time which is something that I need right now especially regarding my recovery and being able to go to therapy. I need to stay healthy mentally to be able to work in mental health.

Speaking of health, I am still feeling like shit with this stupid cold. It is getting slightly better, but it takes so freaking long to get one hundred percent better. The good news is at least I do not have Covid, and I am so happy about that. Having Covid sucks even more that a cold and I should know as I have had Covid. At least I am feeling somewhat better and that is all I can ask for.

I do not have anything else to discuss or write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated on my end of things that you the reader read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Anxiety Over Job Interview Tomorrow

Good Afternoon, World!!! In twenty-four hours from I will be in a job interview. I am having some anxiety over the job interview I am not sure why I am so anxious over it. I do not think I should be so anxious over this job interview as the program manager of the program I am interviewing with knows me. He was a supervisor at a previous employer which is an employer I succeeded at and no he was not my direct supervisor. I also do not think I should be nervous about the interview is because it is a part time job that will suits me great, and the team is only six-member team. Plus, it is at an employer I really would love to work at. Maybe the reason why I am so anxious about the job interview is because I really want the job.

I do not have anything else to discuss or write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Thinking About Self Improvement & Recovery

Good Morning, World!!! It is a few minutes after four o’clock in the morning here in Seattle. I am not sure why I am up so early, but I am and sadly I am not feeling very well. It appears to me that I have a cold as I did a home Covid test last night as well as this morning and both tests came negative. I will be taking another take home Covid test this evening as I want to make sure that I don’t have Covid and if I do then I will self-isolate to make sure I don’t give it to anyone else. I am wearing a mask in public because I don’t even want to give this cold to anyone.

Even though I am not feeling well, I am still planning on doing what I want to accomplish today or at least start what I want to accomplish. There are a couple of continuing education course I want to take through the State of Washington that is for already certified peer support specialist. I am wanting to do this just to learn more as well as needing to take them for future trainings as peer. Plus, I love learning especially when it comes to my career of choice as a peer specialist.

Speaking of my chosen career choice, I have been applying for jobs as a peer support specialist. In fact, I have two job interviews next week for two different teams at the same agency. One is parttime and is not temporary job while the other if fulltime but temporary that last 18 months. In all honesty, I really hope I get the parttime job for various reasons. One of which I think I could succeed in the particular job.

Since I brought up wanting to succeed in a future workplace, I have been setting some goals for my recovery. One of those goals is to continue to work my way through some recovery related workbooks. I enjoy doing workbooks as a form of self-improvement as well as to help me with my recovery especially in between sessions with my therapist. Plus, completing recovery related workbooks allows me to help clients with improving themselves and I can inform them on how the workbook helped me with my own recovery.

Another way that I am focusing on self-improvement, and recovery is by watching TED Talks videos. There are so many TED Talks that I can learn from and not just with self-improvement, but other topics as well including how to deal with grief as I recently lost both of my parents. Hell, there is even a series for cat people like me.

Speaking of cats, I got approved to take the next level of cat behavior training for PAWS Cat City. It is online and I am looking forward to it. I can do it at my own pace, which is a good thing, but my plan is to do it in one sitting later today. I really enjoy working with cats or in this case volunteering with cats and not just with PAWS Cat City but Alley Cat Project (ACP) as well. Even though my volunteer position with Alley Cat Project (ACP) doesn’t have me directly working with cats, I am still helping cats. On that note I am really excited about taking the next level of cat behavior training for PAWS Cat City especially since I do have direct contact with cats at PAWS Cat City.

I do not have anything else to discuss or write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Daily Prompt; How Do You Use Social Media?

Daily writing prompt
How do you use social media?

I primarily use social media via Facebook under my given name. I also use Linkedin under my given name for employment purposes. As far as my pseudo name (and childhood nickname), Gertie, I use Facebook and WordPress as well as LinkedIn. Yes, I consider WordPress as a form of social media.Of course I use WordPress to blog. I use Facebook and LinkedIn for my blog to help spread the awareness I hope regarding mental health. Also, it helps with having more readers and followers. I hope that doesn’t sound selfish.

As far as Facebook and LinkedIn under my given name I seem to use it more often especially Facebook. I use Facebook under my given name to help stay connected with people I might not otherwise be connected with. Also, it is a way for me to maintain friendships with people especially those who do not live in the same area as I do. Like I stated in my last paragraph I use LinkedIn under my given name for employment purposes.

As far as other social media sites, I don’t use it as I don’t have the desire to nor the time to do so. Plus, I don’t need to be that connected to other people. Also, I don’t want to have to remember more passwords which majorly sucks.

Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk (most likely with my partner or friend)
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Diamond art/painting
  • Read
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk (most likely with my partner or friend)
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Work on DVR paperwork
  • Diamond art/painting
  • Read
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk (most likely with a friend)
  • Work on DVR paperwork
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Diamond art/painting
  • Read
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk (most likely with partner or friend)
  • Volunteer at Cat City
  • Work on DVR paperwork
  • Work on recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Diamond art/painting
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk (most likely with partner or friend)
  • Attend appointment with Employment Specialist regarding DVR and jobs
  • Work on recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Diamond art/painting
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk (most likely with a friend)
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Diamond art/painting
  • Read
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk (most likely with partner or a friend)
  • Work on recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Diamond art/painting
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie