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Update on my interview, I got the fucking job! I'll be back in VR QA as a QA Analyst contracted at 20 hours a week with potential to go full time later in development, they're paying about £18 ($22.72) - £20 ($25.24) an hour which is amazing as well, I can't wait to actually have money again... I start in Mid April once I sign the contract (once they have actually written it up fully) and the NDA as well since the game is currently in development. Company seems very well managed too, I am working with two of my best friends from my old job who were absolutely lovely to work with (they actually got me the interview to begin with), so I am super excited to start mid April and to get an eye on the project we are gonna be making.

I am so fucking happy.

Been a rough week. Friend is going through a crisis and pushing everyone away. I'm simultaneously worried and mad. He kept giving reasons for being mad at us that contradicted his previous reasons, before going no contact with all of us.

I've checked his socials here and there to make sure he's alive. I'm sure he'll be back but I don't think I can keep doing this.

My siblings have both already done the thing where they threaten to kill themselves then get mad when I take it seriously. I can't have a third person doing that.

Sorry if that was heavy. It's just hard because I love him but I carry all this grief from people who keep telling me they'll die if I make a wrong move...

Last weekend I finally had my hormones in order after more than two decades of dissociation and discomfort.

It was like I woke up and the descriptions suddenly had a vividness, like someone upped the gain on my qualia. It's hard to believe that this is what most of you feel every day. It's such a privilege.

I just kept smelling my spices and enjoying the view outside, and the feeling of cold air on my lungs was amazing. And I could finally just feel OK and relax. The creepiest sensation was being deeply connected to my body and the fear of death it gave me. It's visceral. How do you guys even deal with this?

Welp. I got into my design program. It was roughly a 50% chance of getting in so I'm glad. It's just bittersweet since half of my class isn't in the BFA.

Honestly thought I'd feel more happy about it, but I guess it's hard when you've exhausted yourself... So now that spring break is happening, I'm giving myself a couple days to unwind and then I'll start moving ahead with work.

Also trying a dating app. Which sucks. We'll see if it ends up being a good or bad thing. But for now... I don't think I'm going to engage in it that much. Feels weird.

Work has been going okay. I'm (unfortunately) getting back into Runescape, so that's been my main method of passing the time both in the slower parts of my shift plus my weekends. I'm getting coffee with my big sister this coming weekend and, barring any last-minute hesitation, I intend to come out to her. I don't know how she'll respond, but she's always been the one person I can go to with stuff that I don't feel comfortable talking to my parents about, so I have my fingers crossed.

Work on Beehaw is inspirational and exciting. So, happy to be(e) a part of this project!

Too much responsibility, too many expectations. Even when I'm not working I feel it. I need a long vacation.

It's going okay. Tuesday was very difficult for me due to some sad dreams that just set the course for the rest of my morning. I'm very lucky to work a job where I'm able to take off if I need a mental health day, so I took advantage of that at wife's insistence. Yesterday was better, and today is "fine" so I'm just looking forward to the weekend now. Haven't worked out this week so I'm going to make sure to do something today, but the after-work walks with wife help get us moving and transition into a calmer evening, so it's not a total wash, exercise-wise. The plan for today is listen to music that makes me happy, drink more water, no alcohol, and carry on.

Struggling to get over a lingering cold this week, but pretty much good other than that!

Have a good week everyone!

Power's been out since Saturday evening, and we're one of three houses on our street that don't have a whole-house hookup for our generator (my whole life is currently genny whine). Spent the last few days admiring and appreciating how our little neighborhood (19 houses) in the woods comes together for mutual aid so seamlessly. Our next door neighbor and I went out the night of the storm to clear debris from the road so folks could get out for any emergency supplies and so the crews could get in quicker, as well as to report any hazards on the lines. Everybody's been checking on everybody to make sure needs are met.

I had reached out to some friends last week, looking for some pretty specific plants and offering some of our plants in trade, and were able to find a few of what we were looking for. One source surprised us, and hit me right in the feels. Apparently a friend of a friend does maintenance in Ganny's Garden, part of the Kennebunkport conservation trust and Barbara Bush's memorial garden, and she's offered us plants from when they do their early season thinnings. The punk in me is excited to knick some plants from the Bush's, but the quiet bookworm in me remembers a childhood trip to the Wells library with my grandmother where Barbara showed up unexpectedly, read to us, and handed out books left and right. It feels incredible to have the opportunity to literally plant that memory with my grandmother in the garden this year.

I think my stomach might be getting better so that's cool. We get Friday off work so thats also cool. Otherwise not much is going on, for better or for worse lol

Work still sucks. Still applying elsewhere. Still studying for the A+ cert. It feels hopeless. Even if I get the cert I'm still in competition with all these highly technical people who worked at like Google and Facebook.

Really annoyed to find out that Google Play credit must entirely cover an app purchase or else it doesn't get used at all. Oh, well. There are innumerable worse injustices out there.

Went to a bunch of shows last weekend. Of note, Saturday night was amazing, I got to see 2 good friends DJ at one venue and then when they finished we made our way out to the forest rave to see another friend spin. A recent first date (three days prior) mentioned they didn't get out enough so I invited them to come, and despite having never been to a rave they showed up! We ended up staying at the forest all night long. It's the first time in years I've truly pulled an all nighter on purpose and not due to bad insomnia and it was wonderful and magical in all the right ways. I'm not certain whether it left me sick (I was feeling worse yesterday) or my body is just still recovering, but it was completely worth it.

Family are all sick with viruses and one with tonsillitis. There are also other health related issues with certain family members which have been dragging on for a while now. I'm the sort of person who rarely gets sick, so I have to be the nurse while working my 5 days a week. It's hard and I'm not the best nurse if the truth be told, so I'm getting sick of the attitudes from people I'm trying to help. People aren't really themselves when they're sick so I'm just trying to be patient and tell myself that it won't always be like this.

4 day weekend! Company is closed today for Good Friday (Easter is on Sunday). And then I'm taking Monday off because why not?

My work is doing an NCAA college basketball bracket tournament. I'm currently No. 2, but there's a good chance I can reclaim that top spot again. As long as I'm top 3, I get a little bit of prize money. All off of 10min of picking my bracket! ...and admittedly knowing a little bit about college basketball.

With my job offer -- that I received 9 months ago -- they finally got around to scheduling my drug test, which I did on Wednesday. Still waiting to hear back about my background check stuff. It's with the government and requires a clearance, so it's taking forever. I did check in with my contacts last week; all they said was that things are still under review. I will say it's very hard at times to keep motivated in my current job for this long. At least my current employer is aware of this job offer and also understanding and supportive, so that takes some pressure off of me. Not everyone knows, but I'm not having to hide it from the people who need to know (which I did for almost 6mo). Still, it's still a weird limbo to be in.

Otherwise, it's still pretty chill.

Tired week, but a good week. Spending a lot of time on my 3d printer and having fun with it and printing stuff as gifts and upgrades.

Plus I got an interview for a potential QA position at a new VR company tomorrow!

Having a great time in New Orleans. Every time I visit a place, I gauge it on whether or not it's a place I could live, and based on my time here so far I could definitely live here.

Been taking a ton of notes about information systems. Trying to make my work do information systems better

I know I answered last week but I just need to vent: my sibling and their boyfriend invited me on vacation and it's actually kind of depressing. I forgot they both have sleep apnea, not their faults, but we're up for less than 12 hours every day and keep shooting down my suggestions because they're tired. We're late for everything because they always need 2-3 more hours of sleep than they told me.

Our hotel room's door is broken so if I leave on my own I can't get back in. I lived with my sibling long enough to know that if they lock me out, I'll be banging on the door shouting for ages to get back in.

I wanted to see the sights... We're on day two out of three and we've done a little shopping. We leave early tomorrow.

I've been so frugal and overworked to cover these costs, why can't we at least grab a local coffee instead of a national chain? I'm in a new place, I want to act like it!

UPDATE finally dragged their sleepy asses to one of the wonders of the world 🥺 it's everything I imagined. Sorry for griping

I'm gonna scream