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• I resigned from my job of seven years. No more insurance.
• I terminated my lease six months early.
• I sold all but one of my furnishings and most of my books, movies, and music.
• I planned a move from a city I’d spent the past eleven years.
• My guy and I loaded a U-Haul, an SUV, a kitty gym, and Jasper and drove two days.
• We moved two states away to a  new city, which I had been to once (for one week).

IMG_9431-1, originally uploaded by gina.banina.

• Baking – I have developed an affinity for baking it seems. 2 weekends ago it was chocolate chip banana bread, this weekend it was peanut butter cookies, and next will be blueberry nut bread. I already have plans to make homemade chocolate chip pancakes and homemade soups.
• Communication – I have had little energy to communicate for the past several weeks. It’s been a month since I have had time to reply to an e-mail and about as long since I have called any friends or family, and it’s been awhile since I have texted anyone either.
• Inspiration – As autumn says an awkward goodbye, too quickly, and winter slyly tiptoes in, my crafty side reappears. I am drawn to making new magnets and scrapbooking more of my childhood as well as my father’s life. I want nothing but to spend my evenings creating. I also want to do nothing but hide from the cold, under my electric blanket. This could complicate things.
• Politics – I am finding it difficult to stay informed, with so little energy in the evenings, but still I remain aware of the healthcare reform being discussed and dissected in Congress and aware of the worsening of our economy. I find passion persists within on these issues that impact the us all so deeply.

• Chiggers! The outdoors apparently holds a grudge against me.  Each time I spend time outdoors something reacts to my body – one time poison sumac, which turned into a staph infection; another time poison ivy; that same weekend infection in both of my feet; last time swollen ankles; and now, chigger bites.  I have well over 90 chigger bites on feet, legs, and back.  My body is unbearably itchy right now and only time will cure it, alas.

• Driving… I cannot retain numbers or numeric facts, which according to my doctor is common with ADHD patients and this makes passing the permit exam impossible.  Thus, I am desperately searching for friends who will practice driving with me sans permit right now.  The lack of options and restricted independence have become just too much and I have to find my way out of this situation.  I intend to save funds to purchase a vehicle once I get a license, or during the process too of practicing for the driver’s test.

• Job Insanity. My job continues to be ridiculously busy, with ten-hour straight days becoming more and more common (today I worked 10 ½ hours straight).  In spite of my productivity there is a never ending source of work to be done.  The drama continues on too, which leads to increased frustration and growing negativity within.  It is exhausting.

• Meds. I was put on an ADHD med called Straterra a couple of months back, which stopped being effective rather quickly.  The doctor prescribed a different ADHD med that is a part of the Adderall family of drugs.  It has done incredibly for me, leaving me 100% more productive and focused.  I am so much more efficient at work.  The meds work for about 12 hours a day when in my system.  I only wish the effect of the meds last 15 hours instead so after work, in personal time, I could be less distracted and more focused as well. (Heh).

• Plans Changed. I have decided against purchasing a home right now, for many reasons.  I have considered the implications, the permanence, the limited options (within my price range), and certain things that ought be a higher priority first.  The stress of the buying process too has become more than I had anticipated.  I intend to rent another apartment, elsewhere, for a year instead and see where life takes me from here.

Curiosity did not in fact kill the cat, originally uploaded by gina.banina.

I apparently took an unplanned hiatus from my blog. Winter has left me a wee bit uninspired and wiped out, I’m afraid. To kick off my attempt at a return to blogging, a bullet post:

• Appetite. One of the ways I know when some part of my life is askew is via my appetite. Suddenly I am eating less, hungry less, and determined sometimes too to choose to eat less. Anxiety, emotions, and relationship muck have all resulted in this at one point or another. Tonight I realized I hadn’t eaten since 2. It is ten-thirty. Huh.
• Cold, so cold. This morning it was zero degrees out when I left for work. I wore: a sweater set, a hoodie, a winter coat, a scarf, gloves, a ear warmer, cap, and two pairs of socks. When I got to work, my fingers and toes still hurt from the cold. When I returned from work this evening it was thirteen degrees. I waited for the bus for 20 minutes. Seriously? Winter: suck it.
• Friendship. I am in the midst of one relatively new but incredible friendship right now, one for which I am absolutely grateful. Another friendship is strained and both of us feel helpless to fix it. Other friendships seem to be disappearing and appearing at various speeds. And still other people in my life leave my head spinning and grasping for a wall to hang onto for a minute.
• Literature. I finally finished “Mockingbird,” a biography of Harper Lee author of my favorite book of all kind: “To Kill a Mockingbird.” A review will be up soon, I promise. In the meantime: go, buy it or check it out, and give me your thoughts on it!
• Train Travel. I took the train back and forth to/from Kansas City last weekend. I loved train travel! I had five hours alone to think, nap, and read. I can’t imagine a better mini vacation for me. I can’t wait for another opportunity to use the train to travel solo. Or with a partner in crime, that too could be pretty awesome.

I am one of THOSE cat people., originally uploaded by gina.banina.

• Anheuser-Busch and InBev. About 6% of the Anheuser-Busch U.S. workforce (1,400) is being cut by InBev, 75% of which (1,065 salaried workers) are located here in St. Louis. This is as of 12/8. InBev is cutting jobs at a time when our economy makes it unlikely that these workers will quickly find a new job. Merry Christmas from InBev.
• Holidaze. Cards have been mailed out. Apt is decorated. Gifts are bought – except that I have to return the gift for my grandma because evidently she does not own a DVD player and does not wish to own one in the future. Videotapes are cheaper anyway. Plans for a “Holiday Orphans” gathering have been made.
• Jasper. Puberty seems to be working  its way through his system. He bites but much less. He is now on a senior food diet and is showing some definition. I will weigh him soon to see if he is under 20 lbs. now. According to the vet if he does not lose the weight before 7 years old it will be much more difficult to lose and much more likely he will develop diabetes. He will be 7 in March. Full speed ahead!
• Reconnections. One thing the holiday season is good for is reconnecting. Gatherings fill the calendar during the month of December, allowing me to see and talk with friends I don’t always have opportunity to see much otherwise. This past weekend I had a chance to reconnect with friends who moved last July and who I had not seen since. I am grateful that we had this chance to get together.

Inspired by the Blogography Bullet Sundays, I have put together my own bullet post:

• Turkey-free! No turkeys were harmed in the occurrence of this year’s Thanksgiving festivities – in my little corner of the world anyway.  I was a part of a vegetarian Thanksgiving celebration.  I missed the turkey, but I am pretty sure the turkeys were thrilled that one of them got to live thanks to one veg gathering.
• Veterinarian found. I have found a fantastic veterinarian who comes to your home in St. Louis.  She really is great.  Jasper liked Dr. Lynch even after she prodded his abdomen and gave him a rabies shot – not so much during but he forgave her fast.  Dr. Lynch was full of suggestions pertaining to Jasper’s health.
• Poser.  I attended my first yoga class this past week!  It was hard work, but besides that the poses are much more complex than they appear.  Thank goodness for my new friend Sean who gave me some pointers on one pose to practice this week (the cat-cow pose).  I am a challenge to teach, ask Sean, but he is a trooper.  :)
• Melancholy.  While I now acknowledge that it is (holy cow) the holiday season (Christmas, Solstice, Hanukkah, whatever it is you choose to celebrate) and have sent out nearly all of my holiday cards, I am not sure that I am entirely into the season this time around.  It could be the Black Friday murder/miscarriage drama that unfolded at a Wal-Mart.  It could be that I may be spending Christmas alone this year.  It is weird, though.