Hello everyone!
I’m currently surrounded by the comforting aroma of Gain detergent (not my sponsor, just my soap) as I sit amongst laundry that waits to be properly folded.
It’s been over a month since I sent a newsletter. Let me explain with some comics.
So I’ve been a bit down. There wasn’t much funny in my bones and it felt like and I was writing on autopilot for the most part.
But there is good stuff!
If you’ve seen my work over the last few months and thought, “Her typos getting worse,” you were right. My keyboard had been jammed and I could not unjam it (stupid butterfly keys) but at first it was only the “A” key. So I was OK with that.
Then the “E” started behaving badly.
“R” joined the rogue crew.
“T” followed.
Slowly but surely, several faithful letters turned to the dark side and writing/editing became a nightmare. Of course “X” was all smug and like, “Well guess you’ll want to use me more now.”
Finally, I sucked it up and got this baby.
It’s still taking some getting used to and I miss the track pad, but my writing doesn’t feel as cumbersome anymore. Another perk? I can put my computer up higher which means my back and neck are super happy.
I’ve also been putting on the mask and getting out of the apartment more. Smokey sky aside, I needed to just not be confined to the same four walls all the time. Luckily, I’ve found a place worth the risk.
The Vietnamese-owned grocery store
You want greens that don’t break the bank? They got them!
You want sauces that will give your food an amazing taste? They got them!
You want precious longans? Well guess what!!!?
Believe me, it's worth the long commute. My partner and I are actively cooking more food to capture the flavors we miss from Shanghai. We’ve had a delightful time making dumplings and Chinese style eggplant dishes. It’s the food of our first dates and it gives us something new to do.
Another very good development is that the gym reopened this weekend. Besides the bad air quality of late, running outdoors in big groups on the same track makes me feel anxious for a lot of reasons and I mostly can’t make myself do it. They’ve limited the gym capacity to make it safer and going 4-5 times a week again is going to do wonders for my energy and mood.
Now what? I’m working that. 2020 wasn’t what I expected, and I imagine that’s true for many. But my family and friends are safe in Oregon. My relationship remains intact with neither of us murdered by the other. And I feel awake/energized these last few days in a way I haven’t since the beginning of August. Let’s get back to some silliness and goal accomplishing.
But first, I have some laundry to fold.
Kyrie
Good work on knowing yourself and being kind to yourself. The black dog can really suck the funny out of you can't it? Also well done on the not murdering each other, a key to a healthy relationship.