Do you ever have those weeks where you seem to be struggling really hard, but there's no obvious reason why? That seems to be my life right now. My calendar is mostly empty of events, so you'd think I'd have lots of time to get everything done... but somehow, that isn't happening.
I've lost some of my buffer, which is what I call my backlogged posts, book reviews, etc. I'm not really clear on what's slowing me down, but I do, at least, still have a few things stored in case of emergencies. But it's unfortunate, because the decline of my buffer correlates with increased stress level. I've picked up some shorter books to work on, and some friends have sent me interesting bits from around the Internet, so perhaps this is only a temporary setback.
I suppose one of the reasons I feel like I'm losing ground is that I've added updating another blog to the pile of stuff. Right now, of the committee of four that's supposed to be handling the online presence for the Self Advocates of Michigan, I'm the only one working on the blog. That should change at the end of this week, at least, but I'm still on the hook for Tuesdays' posts. So along with this post to my blog, there will be a post to that blog. So far it's mostly informational and "get involved" type stuff, so not so personalized and introspective as this tends to be.
There's also a new challenge in my life, and that is trying to tune out a barking dog. I apparently have a new neighbor, or that neighbor has a new dog. Either way, there's a little fluffy white excuse for a guard dog across the way, and it barks at anything that moves. Including, sometimes, the numerous sparrows that live here. And possibly the leaves on the trees, since those move too. Until I complained to the apartment manager, that dog would quite literally just sit out there for hours and bark. Sharp, high-pitched yapping barks, each of which disrupts whatever thought process I was trying to focus on.
I want to be mad at the dog, and make idle (but temporarily satisfying) threats to shoot it with airsoft gun (plastic BBs do little damage, after all), but really, it's not the dog's fault. Dogs like that are highly anxious, which turns into aggression and territorialness. The issue, then, is the owner. Much as I would like to yell at the person for being an inconsiderate cretin, I somehow doubt that would solve the issue. So I'm resorting to being very polite but definitely not okay with the situation, and contacting the apartment manager.
Can't wait to leave this apartment complex, though... I can't be the only one annoyed by that dog, but I may be the only one actually doing something about it. Chris (my spouse) suggests we try to live in or near a retirement home area, for our next place. In the main, because the elderly tend to prefer their peace and quiet, and so do we.
One slightly more cheerful thing happened this week. I was at church on Sunday, as I usually am. I sing in church, and while my voice has deteriorated from lack of use, I can still sing alto and sometimes tenor. So I was singing alto as I went to communion that day. And unlike most days, where everyone ignores me, a large-ish woman that day... didn't. She started off singing the melody an octave down, but when she heard me quietly singing the alto part, she bent in to hear me better. I'm afraid this startled and disquieted me, but I figured she could only be after being able to hear me. Within two verses, she had picked up the part and was singing it strongly. I was extremely impressed, as that's a feat of memorization I cannot perform, and have rarely seen done. So my startle and disquiet turned into admiration. If I'd been a bit quicker-thinking, I might've invited her to join the choir... but either way, not a bad experience at all.
I've lost some of my buffer, which is what I call my backlogged posts, book reviews, etc. I'm not really clear on what's slowing me down, but I do, at least, still have a few things stored in case of emergencies. But it's unfortunate, because the decline of my buffer correlates with increased stress level. I've picked up some shorter books to work on, and some friends have sent me interesting bits from around the Internet, so perhaps this is only a temporary setback.
I suppose one of the reasons I feel like I'm losing ground is that I've added updating another blog to the pile of stuff. Right now, of the committee of four that's supposed to be handling the online presence for the Self Advocates of Michigan, I'm the only one working on the blog. That should change at the end of this week, at least, but I'm still on the hook for Tuesdays' posts. So along with this post to my blog, there will be a post to that blog. So far it's mostly informational and "get involved" type stuff, so not so personalized and introspective as this tends to be.
There's also a new challenge in my life, and that is trying to tune out a barking dog. I apparently have a new neighbor, or that neighbor has a new dog. Either way, there's a little fluffy white excuse for a guard dog across the way, and it barks at anything that moves. Including, sometimes, the numerous sparrows that live here. And possibly the leaves on the trees, since those move too. Until I complained to the apartment manager, that dog would quite literally just sit out there for hours and bark. Sharp, high-pitched yapping barks, each of which disrupts whatever thought process I was trying to focus on.
I want to be mad at the dog, and make idle (but temporarily satisfying) threats to shoot it with airsoft gun (plastic BBs do little damage, after all), but really, it's not the dog's fault. Dogs like that are highly anxious, which turns into aggression and territorialness. The issue, then, is the owner. Much as I would like to yell at the person for being an inconsiderate cretin, I somehow doubt that would solve the issue. So I'm resorting to being very polite but definitely not okay with the situation, and contacting the apartment manager.
Can't wait to leave this apartment complex, though... I can't be the only one annoyed by that dog, but I may be the only one actually doing something about it. Chris (my spouse) suggests we try to live in or near a retirement home area, for our next place. In the main, because the elderly tend to prefer their peace and quiet, and so do we.
One slightly more cheerful thing happened this week. I was at church on Sunday, as I usually am. I sing in church, and while my voice has deteriorated from lack of use, I can still sing alto and sometimes tenor. So I was singing alto as I went to communion that day. And unlike most days, where everyone ignores me, a large-ish woman that day... didn't. She started off singing the melody an octave down, but when she heard me quietly singing the alto part, she bent in to hear me better. I'm afraid this startled and disquieted me, but I figured she could only be after being able to hear me. Within two verses, she had picked up the part and was singing it strongly. I was extremely impressed, as that's a feat of memorization I cannot perform, and have rarely seen done. So my startle and disquiet turned into admiration. If I'd been a bit quicker-thinking, I might've invited her to join the choir... but either way, not a bad experience at all.
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