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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Hi, I'm Elle. I'm based in Auckland, New Zealand. I'm the mother of two young adults, the wife of an entrepreneurial gamer and the Queen of Unfinished Projects. This blog will contain poems, short stories, possibly photos and book reviews if you're lucky, and my thoughts on a variety of topics. Hope you enjoy it. |
| It rained all day on Friday, which isn't a great precursor to a long weekend, but it didn't matter much. Steve and I were going to go up north after work and spend the wet long weekend snuggled up indoors without kids. Yes, it's the middle of summer and yes, it's humid as fuck, but so what? Three days without kids! The plan was for me to catch the train home after work and then we'd head north. I left work at about 5:15pm and had to walk down Queen St to the train station. It was so wet the drains had overflowed. Water was just streaming over the roads and footpaths. Where Queen St met Customs St, right before the station, there was basically a small lake I had to wade through to cross the road. Ugh. My shoes were soaking wet, my socks soaked. My feet literally couldn't have been wetter if I'd taken my shoes and socks off and just jumped barefoot in the puddle. I got on the train, but it didn't go anywhere. Eventually the people got off, so I got off too, wondering what was happening. Eventually everyone got back on. A train employee came near me and I asked what was happening. She said they were looking for a driver, and when they found one, the train would leave. So I sat on the train and waited. Eventually the train left the station and we arrived at the next one. Then we waited again. And waited. Then we eventually left that station and went to the next one. It had taken us an hour and a half to move from station A (Britomart) to station C (Newmarket). The entire ride home, all nine stops, usually takes half that time. When we arrived at Newmarket, we were told the service was terminating there. We were not given any advice about buses or what else we were supposed to do. I wasn't familiar with the station, so I just followed people moving towards an exit. When we got to the exit, there was a sign that made it clear that this was where we were supposed to wait for buses that replaced the trains when the trains weren't running. Great, I was in the right place. Except there were no buses running. I asked Steve to come and collect me. It was 7pm when I got to Newmarket, and I stood under an overhang watching the rain fall. It was just bucketing down, streaming off buildings and sheeting across the road in front of us. As cars pulled up to collect stranded passengers, they parked in a river that had formed down the side of the road, ankle deep. While I was waiting for Steve, I heard a woman trying to organise car pooling, and I thought that was a good idea. I rang Steve back and asked him if he thought we could take some extra passengers back. He said yes, he could fit five more people in. He told me the flooding was worse than he'd thought. He'd seen some on the news, but had thought it was localised, but he was finding the drive to me more hazardous than he'd expected. He told me to be patient. When I hung up with Steve, I walked out to where all the people were waiting and said loudly "Does anyone need a ride to New Lynn?" I was immediately surrounded by people. "Yes please!" I told them I could only take five people. A few drifted away, disappointed, but I was still concerned there would be too many people to fit in the car and I wasn't sure how I was going to choose who got a ride home and who remained stranded. One of the people who had said yes to a ride was the lady who had been trying to organise a car pool. I asked her about that, and she said she'd been hoping to share the cost of an Uber drive home, which was quoted at NZ$80 (US$52) but the Uber driver had cancelled. We later figured out that no Ubers were running because the roads were too dangerous for small Prius-style cars. By the time Steve reached us, my group of passengers had dwindled to four people - a lady whose name I can't remember who was desperate to get home to her baby, Megan who had originally given me the idea of sharing a ride, an older guy named Peter, and a young guy named Cyrus. Steve pulled up just a bit further up the road out of the way of traffic, and we trudged through the rain to get to him. We squished everyone in, but the car has 7 seats and we only had six people in it. Should I go back and find one more stranded person to rescue? I asked the question aloud but no one answered. I decided it was worth seeing if one more person needed saving. I walked back to the building, where there were still 10 or 15 people waiting. Maybe 10. I dunno. I said "I can take one more person to New Lynn." At first no one moved, then a guy stepped forward, looked at everyone else as if to see if anyone else was going to take up the opportunity, then said "Yes, please?" He followed me back to the car and squished in. David told me later that he thought I must have worked for Auckland Transport and was shocked when he realised I was just a person offering people lifts out of the goodness of my heart. Actually, they were all shocked and grateful for the ride. Peter kept saying "Nobody does this anymore. Nobody does nice things like this anymore." Everyone was super grateful. Steve told us some stories about how bad the roads were, but it's hard to imagine it until you're in it. We crawled along the streets, the rain coming down faster than the wipers could remove it, surface water making it hard to see the lane markings. In low places, water had pooled, created lakes that people nervously drove through, begging their cars not to stall, or forcing people to find another route. In higher places, water rushed downhill, creating fast flowing streams that collected debris and smashed into obstacles. There were broken down or abandoned cars everywhere, generally small ones. Now we understood why the Uber drivers all cancelled. Most of the cars we saw were utes (trucks) and four wheel drive vehicles. Steve's car had four wheel drive, thank god. We gave way to emergency vehicles multiple times. Steve told us that the news had said that every single fire engine in the city was out helping and that the emergency call center had been overloaded with calls. We came across one car that had clearly aquaplaned and smashed into something. Emergency services were on the scene, but no ambulance. Either they weren't hurt (which didn't seem so likely considering the damage to the car) or the ambulance had been and gone. The trip from Newmarket to New Lynn might take 25 minutes in light traffic. It took Steve an hour each way. We dropped off the new mother first, then Megan, then Cyrus, then Peter. Just after we dropped off David, we had a call from Jayden who was in town. "Can you come and pick me up? There aren't any buses working." Fuck me. We had fought our way home and were five minutes from home and now we had to do it all over again? But what was the alternative? We'd rescued five stranded strangers but we weren't going to do the same for our son? So we headed into town. We headed for the motorway, but the on-ramp was blocked by a flood and a submerged bus. I found a photo of the bus later online, but when we saw it had floated further sideways and the water was up to the windows.  We drove through numerous sections of flood water, each time hoping we'd make it through okay and there weren't any hidden dangers beneath the surface. We made it to Jayden and collected him. He had his own horror stories. He'd walked along the road to catch a bus home and the cars going through had splashed him with so much water his phone had stopped working. When no buses came, he realised he'd have to borrow a phone, so he decided to walk to the YMCA where he used to stay. He'd had to help someone push a car out of flood waters, and he was absolutely saturated from head to toe. Some of the roads we'd driven through on the way to get Jayden were blocked on the way back, just ten or fifteen minutes later, so we had to find new routes back. We never knew when the road would be blocked by water, debris, a broken down car or whatever. Every corner was suspenseful. The only good thing is that last hour, when we were picking up Jayden, the rain eased off. Considering it was now dark, it was good that the rain had eased, so Steve could concentrate on the road. By the time we finally got home, it was 10pm. I'd left work at 5:15pm. Steve was exhausted from concentrating so hard on his driving for three hours straight, and I was exhausted from stress, adrenaline and fear. On Saturday we had the time and clarity of mind to realise that we'd made some stupid decisions. I should have either stayed at the office (although I'd had no idea it was bad at that point) or stayed at Newmarket and just slept in a building or curled up in a corner. I shouldn't have made Steve drive out in that weather. And we should never have ventured back out into it to get Jayden, he should have stayed at the YMCA for the night. But you don't think clearly in the middle of it all. And there was no direction from authorities. Auckland Transport sent out an alert on Saturday advising that there were numerous delays and cancellations due to the severe weather. No shit. Where was that alert on Friday night when the trains and buses were cancelled leaving people stranded? A civil defence emergency was declared at about 9:30pm but no alert was sent to phones. We know they have the capability to send alerts to all phones. They've done it with tsunami warnings (that have turned out to be nothing) and with Covid lockdowns. On Friday night, when people's lives were in immediate danger, nothing. Why didn't they tell people to stay put if they were safe and dry, to stay off the roads? Everyone is demanding answers to those questions. The news tells us now that four people died. One was swept away while assisting other people to evacuate, one was killed when his home was buried in a landslide and I think one person drowned in their car. The fourth was a stupid young man who went kayaking on the flood waters for a laugh and drowned - his death was wholly preventable.  45 roads are closed, and 19 homes have been declared total losses already with 5,000 more to be reviewed.We've had floods before, but they've been localised. Never before have we seen such widespread damage across the whole city. It's actually a miracle only four people were killed. It was not only the wettest January on record by a long shot (remembering that we're in the middle of SUMMER here), but the wettest month on record. Wetter than even our wettest winter month. How crazy is that? On Friday alone, we had 249mm of rain. That's nearly 10 inches of rain in 24 hours, and the worst of it came after I'd finished work, which is why it went from 'Wow, it's wet' to 'It's bloody dangerous' so fast. Saturday wasn't too bad, but it's rained all day today and they're predicting heavy rain tonight and next week. My house isn't in any danger. I spent all of yesterday feeling exhausted, and I assumed it was just a recovery after an adrenaline-filled evening, but I'm shattered again today and I think I've got a migraine since I've had a headache since I woke up yesterday. Yay. But at least I'm safe, my family is safe, my house is dry, and I have food, water and power. I'm okay. Thanks to Lilli ☕  and Wordsmitty ✍️  for checking on me. |
I've signed up to "Rach's Reading Club"  and I need to focus on reading books I already own rather than buying new books. So I'm putting together a list of books I own but haven't read yet under the category headings for the challenge. They are in no particular order. Please note that because I have not yet read these books, these are not recommendations. If you've read any of them, let me know your thoughts! Historical fiction/romance books  Devilfish by Anna Kensing   Wicked Truth by Minette Moreau Never Doubt a Duke by Maggi Andersen The Dragon Lady by Angelique S Anderson Land of the Painted Caves by Jean M AuelBooks that feature crafts, hobbies, or activities The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry (poetry) Rustic Melody by Nic Starr (music) Hold The Door by Vinni George (photography) Squeak by Vera Valentine (art) Sailing With Her Wolf by Ariel Marie (sailing) Limelight by E Davies (poetry)Thriller/crime/mystery books Graceless by N N Britt Gutter Grounds by Inge Mayhem Arresting Behavior by Morticia Knight Haunted Hearts by K Sterling Giorgio by Silvia Violet Enticed by the Enemy by Leighton Greene A Reason To Stay by RJ Scott Anchor by Nicole Blanchard Uncovering Lily by Rene Webb Starlight Web by Yasmine Galenorn You've Got Tail by Renee George Grit by Elle Cross Killing Floor by Lee Child The Life That Mattered by Jewel E Ann Lake Silence by Anne Bishop Wild Country by Anne Bishop Crowbones by Anne Bishop Love in Spades by Charlie Cochet Stacking the Deck by Charlie Cochet Award-winning books The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune The Coven's Secret by Alicia Rades The Dragon of New Orleans by Genevieve Jack The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin Books written over 100 years ago War/military-themed books Resist by TJ Nichols The Dark Fae Princess by Eve Newton Spy Season by Golden AngelBooks featuring folklore/fairy tales/mythology Of Fate and Fire by Amanda Bouchet A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet The Twelfth Knight by Victoria Sue Midnight Ash by Ana Ashley Lust Unleashed by Desiree Holt Rise of the Witch by C Rochelle Peace for Poseidon by Sotia Lazu First Knight by Ines Johnson Blackbird Rising by Keri Arthur From The Deeps by Laura Greenwood and Skye MacKinnon Midlife Muse by Donna McDonaldHorror/supernatural/paranormal/gothic books Earl Hathbury's Vessel by S Rodman Tisak by Michelle Frost and Michele Notaro An Embrace to Hearten Me by Michele Notaro A Ruse to Unchain Us by Michele Notaro Dangerous by Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews The Edinburgh Seer by Alisha Klapheke The Edinburgh Heir by Alisha Klapheke Ravensong by TJ Klune Heartsong by TJ Klune Dark Seers by JC Andrijeski Hell on Earth by Macy Blake Gravity by Kiki Burrelli |
| Is anyone else in sticker shock? 9.99 for 18 eggs, 6.00 for a gallon of milk., 4.99 for bread ... What are you paying for basic food supplies? ~ "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" The interest rates on my mortgage have just gone up astronomically. My monthly mortgage payment has gone up by more than $1,000 (US$650) per month. Which means I can't be lackadaisical about the budget any longer. To answer the specific question posted by the prompt, we're currently paying these prices: Eggs: $9.50 for 18 (that's US$6.14) Milk: $5.79 for what is approx a gallon (3L) (that's US$3.74) Bread: Probably an average of $3 or $3.50 per loaf but with quite a range (that's about US$2). I'm really surprised that our food prices are lower than what you're experiencing. I thought NZ generally had high food prices. That is very interesting indeed. I've set a grocery budget and last night Steve and I sat the kids down and explained to them that we were on a limited grocery budget. For them, that means less treats, but it also means they need to be more thoughtful about how they eat. Instead of consuming high quantities of 'snack foods' which they tend to do, they need to fill up on cheaper, more filling foods and have snacks less often. I've been doing some googling, as I do, to help make this period of limited financial resources easier to cope with. Some of the tips were really helpful and I'm going to try and utilise them.  Shop from your pantry and freezer first. To this end, I spent the weekend clearing out and restocking my pantry.    It's still a work in progress because I need more labels and more jars, plus we have surplus for some of the jars. For instance, we don't have a large jar for flour, and even if we did, we have way too much flour to fit in the jar. It's a good start though, and now I can see what we have. Doing this helped me see that we have plenty of baking supplies in particular. I still need to empty and sort through the chest freezer, which I might do next weekend.  Make meal plans. This is something that I started doing to help me with my weight loss, and it definitely makes a different to your grocery bill. I'm good at making the meal plan but useless at sticking to it though, which sometimes means I buy ingredients that I don't end up using. But last week we made five of the seven dinners on my meal plan, so that was pretty good. One night we went out for dinner (our 20th wedding anniversary) and one night we ate leftovers. Deviating from the plan isn't going to be an option going forwards really. My hope is that we can be a little bit flexible, in that we don't have to have A on Monday night, B on Tuesday night, etc., but each day can say 'What do we want tonight? We have a choice of A, B, C, etc. That way we're using our meal plan like a menu. A bit of flexibility without the waste. Shop with a list. For sure, and if you've done a meal plan, the list is easy. But I think the real secret is to shop online. That way you aren't tempted by extras, plus you maintain control of the dollars as you go. If you go over your budget, it's easy to take a few unnecessary items out of your cart, as opposed to in real life when you're at the checkout and all flustered about having to put things back that have already been scanned and packed into bags. Don't buy baked goods or ready-to-consume meals that you can make at home. When you're short of time, but not so short on money, convenience becomes hugely valuable. You buy things that are ready-made, rather than making them yourself because you're more worried about saving time rather than money. But right now, money is more scarce than time for me, so I need to go back to basics. I found 3 boxes of white bread mix, 2 packets of mixed grain bread mix, a packet of scone mix and a packet and a half of muffin mix in my pantry... And that doesn't even include all the flour, plus the dried fruits, nuts and seeds. So we could definitely be making our own bread, muffins, cakes, slices, bars, etc. And we need to start doing that. I mentioned that in our meeting with the kids last night, and Caitie's eyes lit up when I mentioned cakes. She was like 'Ooh, if I can make cakes, being on a budget doesn't need to suck so much!' Jayden, on the other hand, went 'Ingredients? Oh god.' He hates cooking. But after his time living on his own, he definitely understands grocery budgets better than he did before, and he was on the same page. He didn't like it, but he was on the same page, which is great. Buy in bulk. This is an interesting one. Because it doesn't just mean going to Costco or similar and buying the BIG bags of laundry powder, rice, whatever. I mean, yes, I should make use of those options when I can (you can probably see in my photos that I recently bought a pack of 12 boxes of almond milk at Costco because we use almond milk all the time, it doesn't go off, and it was cheaper than buying individual boxes. And yes, bulk meat is often cheaper and we have a chest freezer so that's an option for us. But it's also about not buying individually portioned things. Like, during winter I like to have porridge for breakfast, so I buy a box with individual portions of porridge inside. It would be MUCH cheaper to buy the rolled oats (which I actually already have in the pantry) and portion them out into reusable bags myself. I'd save so much money just doing that. So it's tricks like that too. The more 'bulk' something is, and the less packaging per portion, the cheaper it is. My pantry may look large to you, depending on what your own pantry space looks like, but I don't have the storage room for bulk shelf-stable products. I have a chest freezer and can make use of that, but not for dry goods. You may remember that during lockdown I started squirreling away supplies and I used Jayden's empty bedroom to store them in. Well, he's living back at home now, so that's not an option for me any more. But where it is possible, that's a good tip.I also need to start shopping at our local farmers' market again because while the produce might not be as pretty and perfect as the stuff we find in the supermarket, it's cheaper. And I don't really want to skimp on fresh fruits and vegetables, even though I know that they and fresh meat are where the highest costs are. So farmers' markets are the way to go I think. And I need to buy the fruits and vegetables that are in season. I'm pretty good at that (these days). And yes, I need to think about how we can go meat-free more often. We rarely eat meat-free meals, and if we could do so more often, that would make a different to our grocery costs. I'll have to experiment and find some meat-free meals we like. I know I can do a meat-free risotto and a meat-free fried rice that everyone will eat, so that's a start, but I need to find more options. Steve likes curries and I know there are loads of meat-free curry recipes out there, so I'll experiment until I find something he approves of. Do you have any tips for saving money on groceries? Share them in the comments! |
| I read 169 books in 2022. My goal was 120. Longest book: Heart of the High King by Jessamyn Kingley (530 pages) Shortest book: How Much For The Whole Night by RJ Scott (14 pages) Average book length: 262 pages My average rating for 2022: 3.6 stars (same as 2020 and 2021 – good to see I’m consistent!) Favourite series of 2022: The Magi Accounts by Michele Notaro Tales of the High Court by Megan Derr Wolf Moon Rising by Sam Burns Favourite authors of 2022: Michele Notaro E M Lindsey Megan Derr Nora Phoenix Claire Cullen My five star books from 2022: Worth a Shot by Lyra Evans Fated Hearts by Garrett Leigh Omega Required by Dessa Lux Omega Defiant by Dessa Lux The Purveli by Dianne Duvall Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James Switch-Hitter by E M Lindsey You & Me by Tal Bauer The Shackles That Hold Us by Michele Notaro The High King’s Golden Tongue by Megan Derr The Pirate of Fathoms Deep by Megan Derr The Heart of the Lost Star by Megan Derr The Fallen King’s Penitent Soldier by Megan Derr Safe and Sound by E M Lindsey Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara A Purpose That Restores Us by Michele Notaro Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon Most disappointing books of 2022: Dire Warning by Mary Rundle Hunting His Human by Charlie Richards My Lonely Shifter Match by Skye Alder Collateral Damage by Miski Harris Mending Noel by Charlie Cochet Some of my favourite quotes from 2022: I told myself I’d be ready today. I promised. And yet I’d gotten up early and then become distracted by, well, everything. As I look around the apartment, I can’t put my finger on exactly what I’ve been doing all day. My dirty clothes are sorted, but none of it made it into the washing machine, my dishwasher is full of dirty dishes, but the clean ones are piled on the countertops so I could wipe out the cupboards, and the toilet cleaner and bleach are sitting on the floor by the bathroom door, where I left them before I got an idea I needed to jot down. ~ Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James I cringe. “And now that I’ve epically screwed up a nice conversation, I’m going to spend the rest of the night going over and over it in my head, trying to work out what I should have said.” “Really?” His gaze slides over me. “Why?” “I can’t help it.” “But it won’t make a difference.” “I don’t do it because I think it will make a difference, I do it because I like to torture myself with all the ways I could have been better, funnier, sounded smarter or more interesting. I work out everything I would change if I could.” ~ Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James I set my jaw and move to open the front door. And fuck a duck in a pickup truck, Lee looks good. ~ Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James ADHD sounded like the thing you used to explain away a hyper kid in class—not an executive disorder. Not the reason why he was so goddamn good at some things but the rest of his life was a damn mess. ~ Switch-Hitter by E M Lindsey He felt like a disgruntled alley cat who was finally being given attention. He didn’t know how to say thanks other than shoving dead birds under the pillows of people who were kind to him. ~ Switch-Hitter by E M Lindsey The tender moment was broken when a yawn split his face. I echoed him, and we stared at each other like we were snakes unhinging our jaws. ~ You & Me by Tal Bauer Julien stalked from one side of the road to the other as if he’d find some clue as to what to do now. As if the animal might have left a note with a sad face and its insurance information. ~ Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara The right front corner of the car was flattened, as well. A pool of headlight glass was sprinkled like multicolored confetti in the snow. Congratulations! You fucked up big-time! ~ Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara I don’t think anyone could ever see you as inept. Not at anything. You positively ooze…ept. ~ Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara Books I’m looking forward to in 2023: Tisak by Michelle Frost and Michele Notaro Only One Bed by various authors Aisle Be There by Charlie Cochet An Embrace to Hearten Me by Michele Notaro A Ruse to Unchain Us by Michele Notaro Nicked: Nordin by Nora Phoenix Dangerous by Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake |
| I have so many entries I want to write, but they're not being written. And no, it's not writer's block. It's time. I am atrocious as managing time. It's getting worse. I don't know if that's because my brain latched on to the idea of ADHD as an excuse and so I tell myself 'It's okay that you're procrastinating, it's not your fault, it's the ADHD' and so on, or if it's not really getting worse, I'm just noticing it more because I'm aware of the ADHD. Or maybe it's neither of those things and it's just an accumulating of small things over time that have finally reared their heads as big problems because I didn't deal with them earlier. Hmm, that could be it. Rhonda  first suggested to me that Jayden and I might have inattentive ADHD in 2019. Jayden wasn't assessed until mid-2021 and he first started meds in early 2022. He's no longer on the meds, but he seems to be coping for the most part with all the things he was finding so difficult before, so I haven't interfered. Truth is, he did a huge turnaround in 2022, and I'm so proud of him. But this post isn't about Jayden. It's about me. Both Jayden and my nephew have been assessed as ADHD in the last year or so. Now my sister is in the process of being referred for assessment. She says she doesn't want treatment because while her symptoms are annoying and frustrating to those around her, they don't prevent her from succeeding at the things she wants to succeed at (which is primarily being a stay-at-home mother to one child who is on the autism spectrum and has ADHD and another child who has Turner's Syndrome). She's being assessed so that her son will understand that he's not the odd one out, that Mummy has the same issues and that ADHD doesn't mean you can't live a happy, successful life. He thinks she's perfect and he's this hot mess (he's nine years old) and she wants to prove to him that what he sees as perfection is an adult happily living with ADHD. And I got to thinking about my reasons for not being assessed. When it became clear to me that I, like Jayden, had inattentive ADHD, it never occurred to me to have myself assessed. What would be the point? I don't need medication. I'm coping just fine with life. But I'm not coping. I'm really not. ADHD affects every aspect of your life. Here are some of the ways it has affected mine:  I have never managed to finish a degree even though I've started four. Yes, four. Medical Laboratory Science, Arts, Education and Communication. I have the intelligence to get a degree but not the ability to maintain study for that long. I do a job that is well below my intellectual capacity. Which means I'm constantly bored. I significantly underperform at work even though I could do this job with my eyes closed. My house is constantly messy and untidy, and we don't maintain the house to the degree that we should. The latter significantly affects resell value. I can't manage my own money. I have improved somewhat at this over the years thanks to strategies suggested by others, but it's still well below optimum. We should NOT be living pay to pay, but we are. All my friends drift away. It's normal for this to happen to some friendships, of course, but all of them? I am constantly starting new projects and very very rarely finishing any of them. Sometimes this means disappointing others who contributed to the projects I was working on. It affects my eating habits and therefore my weight, which I've struggled with my whole life.My biggest concern is work. My performance at work is sub-par and I feel like it's a snowball rolling down a hill, gathering size and momentum, and soon it's going to smash into everything in a huge avalanche that will see me in big trouble. I get on really well with my boss, but he doesn't know the extent of my issues. He is aware of some of them, but not others. I'm starting to get really stressed about it. Am I doing anything about it? No. It was my sole focus for this first week back at work - get the most important tasks up to date - and it's now Wednesday midday and I've done nothing towards that. I've done some other work, but nothing towards the things that are most urgent and the things that are stressing me out the most. It's ridiculous. It's stupid. It's.... It's fucking ADHD. I hate it. So I have arranged to have myself assessed, and yes, I am 100% open to trying meds. I need help. And if it can also help me with my finances, my friendships, my housework, my weight management and making progress on my various projects, that would be a bonus. I want to be me, but I want to be a more efficient, effective me. But at least I've stopped procrastinating and done something about it, hey? That's a win. I have forms to fill out. Caitie wants to be assessed too, so I arranged for both of us to be done at the same time. We went through the forms together last night. I had to stop before we were done, as I ran out of mental energy, but Caitie got all hers done. We did them in pencil so we can review them and discuss them with other pertinent stakeholders (Steve and my mum) before finalising them and giving them back to the psychologist. Assuming the assessment says what we expect it to - that I have inattentive ADHD and Caitie has classic ADHD - then we have appointments booked for 21 June (so far away, but it's earliest we could get) with a psychiatrist to discuss treatment options. In the meantime, I'm trying not to do nothing. While I was on holiday I created a 'life planner' using a ring binder and paper, because Dr Barkley suggests that paper is better than digital for people with ADHD. My sister found his videos on Tiktok and we both love him. I've bought his book 'Dealing with Adult ADHD'. I haven't started it yet, but I will. I hope it has some helpful strategies I can try. His videos are so good. When I contacted the psychologist about getting assessed, he sent me a Dr Barkley video to watch, which I'll embed below. I told him I'd bought Dr Barkley's book and he replied that I was obviously on the right track then. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] So yeah. That's where I'm at. It'll be interesting to see what 2023 brings, won't it? Right now I need to get cracking on those work issues that I wanted to make progress on this week. Now, Elle, start doing that NOW. |
These are the books I read in December 2022 and the ratings I gave them. Note that when I re-read a book, I retain the original rating I gave it. Precariously Mated by Jessamyn Kingley (re-read) Heart of the High King by Jessamyn Kingley (re-read)  A Box of Wishes by Jackie Keswick Rise of the Lich Sentinel by Jessamyn Kingley (re-read) Fall of the Arch Lich by Jessamyn Kingley (re-read) The First Sentinel by Jessamyn Kingley (re-read) Honorable Convictions by Jessamyn Kingley (re-read) The Fractured Fallen by Jessamyn Kingley (re-read) Election Night by Madalyn George A Holiday to Sustain Us by Michele Notaro Lich Reaper's Lament by Jessamyn Kingley Dragon's Fight by Nora Phoenix Mending Noel by Charlie Cochet |
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