Catch-Up Fast!

I've been busy!  Here's a (hopefully) quick recap:

1. I'm taking a couple classes this semester to improve my likelihood of catching the job I dream of.  I've done a bad job keeping up with the first one because of other, more exciting stuff (see below).  Second class starts today!  I really need to make sure I keep up with this.  Yay, programming!

2. I've got a personal-professional hybrid website underway.  It's taken me a long time to figure out what I wanted it to be (I bought hosting as a Christmas present to myself).  I'm still not sure I've got it decided, but I have a better idea what I need it to do.  There's a *chance* the new site will override this blog.  I might keep it for a strictly personal, family update blog.  I'm kind of attached to it.  It WILL overthrow the Berry Patch House.  But I'll let you know details when I have them!

3. Writing!  Holy hollyberries, the writing!  I've written about 20,000 words this month.  It's not where I *want* to be, but it's so very much more than I've *been* producing.  This is the hardest time I've ever had on a story, and I keep going.  Some days, like yesterday, I get a whopping 300 words done and I want to throttle the entire thing until it dies a slow, agonizing death.  Other days, I get ten times that.  My self-chosen deadline was the 22nd, and it's still not done.  I've got the climax adventure, the falling action, and the denouement left, and thankfully for me, I'm good at those!  Except I have this one scene leading into the climax sequence that is going to kill me.  The project is a novella, which means I'm squashing my usual length and forcing it to fit a tighter structure without changing the structure enough to make it a short story.  DIFFICULT.  But I'm still tremendously EXCITED about the project.  If you want more consistent updates, make sure you check out my Facebook page and my Twitter feed @HL_Henrikson.

4. Berrykin!  He's doing SO much better, now that we're a month-plus out from our hospital fright.  He still won't use the hand he burned, but we're working on it.  A couple days ago, he decided to start up potty training again all on his own!  He uses the sign for "bath" to indicate he wants to go into the bathroom, regardless of why.  I need to find a sign to mean "potty."  He still doesn't use English to talk much, though we're hearing more words buried in his baby language.  He's very attached to Mickey Mouse and his friends, so we hear their names a lot.  More animal sounds, too.  I think the problem might be that he was like me - he's shy.  He doesn't want to talk if somebody's listening unless he's got the word down pat.  He LOVES reading, and will sit and read to himself (out loud) for half an hour without getting distracted.  Makes his bookish mommy happy!

5. Jobs.  Jeremelon still hasn't found anything.  We decided to try something new, since our expenses are limited.  Used to be, we'd find the job we could find, regardless of pay.  Now, we're trying the pickier, more professional way - to find jobs that fit our needs, plural, rather than hopping on the first job that offers some income.  Need #1: Located NOT in Arizona!  That makes it harder and a longer task, because we're not entirely sure where we want to go.  I think our top choices right now are Orlando and Seattle (with a top secret, undisclosed location in the #1 spot).  Completely opposite sides of the US. ^_^  I'm still writing copy for CaptainKYSO.com, and see #3, above!  #3 (fingers crossed!) is going to provide income by summer, so that will take some of the pressure off.

6. Allergies are up.  Like, WAY up.  We were going to the zoo for exercise, but as of last week that's not a viable option for me anymore.  Gotta find a new way to get the blood pumping!  My veins must be going more varicose, because sitting hurts.  A lot.  And my legs swell pretty fast.  Sometimes, genetics are stupid.  But it really means I need to get up and do...things...when not writing.  (Makes my allergies worse to sit, too, I think because all the goo in my deep sinuses can't drain well.  This time of year, it's not rhinitis that causes sneezing and itching and whatnot; this time of year, I feel like a cement truck filled my head with concrete.  And then backed over my neck and dragged me for several blocks.)  I feel like my thyroid either stopped being hypo or switched and went hyper.  I don't know which setting is my normal.  Regardless, those symptoms that make me feel hypo are gone, replaced by anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, and hot flashes.  If it means my metabolism will finally allow me to shed some pounds, I guess I'll cope!

Okay.  So, not so quick.  But quick for me!  This could be six different blog posts.  Hee.