January 2024 – A Well-Lettered Lady

In Which Our Heroine Remembers Something She Forgot To Say

In my last entry, I did a sort of wrap-up of 2023. It was quick and I tried to remember everything important, but I forgot something!

In 2023, I was officially diagnosed with ADHD (Inattentive Type).

No, the irony has not escaped me.

That said, being diagnosed has actually been a relief. I’m not just silly or scatterbrained – my brain literally works in a different way. Not only that, but lots of other people’s brains work in a similar way, and we have so many tools now to help us live in society without driving the people around us (and ourselves) absolutely around the bend.

I already had a lot of coping mechanisms, but I’ve been working on working with my brain instead of being mad at it for not doing what I think it should do. All of this goes along with managing my anxiety (which is often triggered by feelings of lack of control and forgetting) and working on giving myself grace. I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting (hello, Digital Bullet Journal!) and figuring out things that work in general, as well as things that are working right now but could be tweaked. I’m using the “Oooh! Shiny!” part of my brain to play with attractive organizational systems (both digital and physical) and visual cues that make me feel like I can find things and remember things.

Which leads us to my newest hobby: 3D Printing.

My first project: a Phone Stand with a Useful Divot to put my phone’s Pop Socket in!

This ticks all the boxes for me. It’s compact. It’s useful. It keeps my phone up off my desk and very accessible/viewable for me. It’s also quite sparkly and all the different colors of the Bisexual Flag (which also happen to be my favourite colors anyway). When I expressed an interest in 3D printing, Alex bought me this filament. He knew I would love it.

I’m still learning what goes into doing this successfully, but I have so many plans. I love the idea of having a customized physical organizational system that works for me. (Let me be honest – I just love the idea of customizing and organizing and having lots of things in the colors I want.) I love sorting and putting things in just the Right Place, and then knowing that they’ll be there and that they have a Home where I can find them anytime I need them.

This is going to take time, of course. Setting up Digital Systems is easier than setting up Physical Systems. (I’ll show you some of my Digital Systems in a future post.)

This is only the beginning.

In Which Our Heroine Asks, “Is This Thing On?”

So, yeah. Hi. It’s me again, over a year from when I last posted.

“Lemme explain. No, there is too much. Lemme sum up.”
Inigo Montoya

It’s been a busy year! Like most years, there’s been some joy, some sorrow, and some growth. The problem is that I’ve been so busy doing things (and procrastinating) that I keep forgetting to share with all of you. Let me correct at least some of that right now.

We (Alex and I) got to visit Jay Leno’s engine collection in January. That was part of a prize we won at an auction in The Beforetimes at the LeMay Auto Museum Fundraiser. It was so much fun (and such a relief) to actually be able to go. Jay Leno is a delightful person. Sadly, he asked us not to post photos on social media for security reasons, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

We did the Walk of Fame while we were in Hollywood, though, so here’s one of many photos I took of my favourite Stars:

Danny Kaye’s Star in Hollywood, California, along with my feet.

We also saw many, many museums and ate very good food. I took many beautiful photos of art, as one does.

Alex and I celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary in March. I think I’ll keep him.

We went to the VanDusen Botanical Garden in May for their All British Classic Car Show. This was one among many, many car events we went to this year.

All British Classic Car Show, May 20, 2023

Sports Car Market 1000 Mile Tour, June 14, 2023

All British Field Meet, September 9, 2023

Sadly, also in May, we lost our sweetest fuzzy princess after a sudden illness. We hope to remedy our catless state sometime in May 2024.

We went to Universal Studios and Disneyland with friends in June!

Me, posing in front of the Pride Display at Disney Downtown, June 30, 2023

We went to Italy with my parents and another couple of friends (and that could be Its Own Post Entirely).

Castello di Verrazzano, Greve in Chianti, Italy, August 19, 2023

I knitted. A lot. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of most of it, so you get a nice sample photo here:

Matchy-Matchy Dress, Nail Polish, & Shoes with Pretty Knitting, July 29, 2023

I celebrated a year in Therapy in August. My anxiety is way down, I’m happy to report, though it’s still something I get to live with. Therapy is helpful.

And on December 21, Alex and I (with the massive help of our friend, Joel) launched our own YouTube Channel, Everyday To Exotic. Click the link if you feel like watching. It’s for people who like cars, as well as for people who couldn’t care less about cars. You get to see me and Alex being silly and informative, as well as some absolutely gorgeous footage of our cars in the stunning scenery that Oregon provides.

(It’s very cool. We have Official Chairs and Everything.)

Everyday To Exotic Director Chairs, Plus Knitting and a Hat, In The Studio

This year, I’m beginning as I mean to go on. That means more writing, more photos, and more sharing. I hope to spend a lot more time here and to post much more frequent updates. Here’s to 2024!

Month: January 2024

An Amusing Irony

The Best Laid Plans…