Entry #033 - A Gratuitous Life Update

I'm getting better at timing these out—exactly one month has passed since my previous entry. As always, a lot can happen in a month!

For the entire month of December, I did not have my own reliable transportation which made getting to and from work a huge burden. I ride an electric bike full-time, and I experienced flat tires... three weeks in a row. It's not like swapping out a standard bicycle tire; the tires/tubes on my e-bike are huge and expensive, and overall, much more difficult to install. So that was adding to the stress and exhaustion I've already been facing whilst working 50+ hours per week. I'm so tired! (No pun intended.) And because it's the holiday season, ordering new bike parts online took forever. Amazon took a full week to even ship the damn things.

My job is physically (and sometimes mentally) exhausting for regular people. I am somebody with genetic disorders and an autoimmune disease which causes chronic pain and fatigue. I feel like I'm about ready to pass away lol. I'm not exaggerating. 

Despite working so much, I'm not exactly rolling in money right now either. The bike repairs ate up several hundred dollars. My 11-year-old printer just died, so I had to replace that. (It's a necessity for my small "side hustle" which involves printing shipping labels.) I've been contributing to GoFundMe pages for my friends who are also riding the Struggle Bus. My new medication unexpectedly costs me $80 per month out of pocket. I'm still waiting on my recent medical bills to reach me... and now a catastrophe with the IRS has affected my household. Long story short, my roommate's money got unrightfully garnished from his account. Every last penny. So, I will likely be paying my portion of the rent TWICE this month—and possibly helping him out with living expenses until he gets this shit figured out. All of this right in time for the fucking holidays! 

Speaking of the holidays, this Christmas was pleasantly drama-free with my family. I visited my brother's home this morning and watched the kids open their presents from Santa. It was my first time seeing everyone in probably over three years, so it was awkward, but fortunately not tense. I think I missed their black cat the most. 

I know I've mostly been bitching and complaining so far, but I have been trying to keep a positive attitude when I can. It takes effort to maintain a good outlook when life feels bleak, and the world is burning around me. But good things still happen all around. I am grateful that I have a roof over my head, I have food in my pantry, I have job security, I have a good relationship with my family. Additionally, I received several unexpected Christmas gifts this year which feels like such a blessing. I am also feeling optimistic enough to set goals! One goal I am taking seriously for the upcoming new year is to declutter and downsize my personal belongings. Many items I will give away to folks in my community, but other items will be listed for sale on my Depop shop. 

By the way, here's the link to my shop: https://www.depop.com/zackodevil/

Other notable goals include improving my diet, reading more books, switching departments at work, and becoming more spiritually elevated. I'd like more tattoos, too. Haha. 

Anyhow, I'm tired and I've got work in the morning. I'm ending the gratuitous life updates here for now.