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Snapshot 01.04.16

January 4, 2017 by Carrie Anne 1 Comment


snapshot-buttons-2017-what-im-up-to–I realized the Big Reason why I was so ill during Christmas and into New Year’s must be all of Anthony’s traveling. Solo parenting is rough, and extra rough when you have a barely-controlled chronic illness. If you add up all the time he’s been gone in the last three months it’s almost four weeks, total. I’ve been doing this on my own, essentially, for a month. I definitely would not have been able to do this before I started Humira, so that’s a blessing. As hard as it’s been–on both of us, because traveling for work isn’t at all easy for him, either–I don’t regret it, nor do I resent it. We are so grateful he has this job in a field he loves that has allowed us to stay in our area. Like good health days, I don’t take even a second of it for granted.

–Elias calls rain drops “rain pops,” and not just because the words sound similar. He will whisper “pop pop pop” as drops of rain quietly thump against our umbrellas, or lightly tap at our window. When I told Anthony he calls them “rain pops” he replied, “That sounds like an adorable thing you are going to encourage.” Why, yes indeed.

–Today the last day I have my oral Crohn’s medicine (I have to take two expensive meds to retain even a shaky quality of life), so I will probably start the new year with more rounds of steroids. I’m desperately trying to get all the paperwork with our new health insurance underway so I can start the process of Rx paperwork and pre-auths over again. It takes a lot of work to be sick. It takes a lot of work to take care of yourself just to reach a baseline level.

–I just realized that although I’ve always thought of myself as the opposite of high-maintenance, the paragraph above obviously proves otherwise.

–I’m going to participate in an anti-Trump march with my cane. Anthony said I should attach a sign to it. It will be more of a hobble than a march for me, and I’ll only be able to do a portion of length, but it feels good to get back to organizing.

–I wrote a poem about a glacier while I rocked the baby to sleep in the middle of the night. (We both had bad insomnia: he had a late and poorly-timed nap, I had anxiety about our political future).

–Either our scale died or I lost thirty pounds overnight.

–After Bush was re-elected, I slipped into a depression. After this election, I had a full-on emotional breakdown for a month. It hurts, its hard, but despite this we have work to do. And we have to work together with whoever shows up to pitch in. I don’t have to agree with someone on every issue as long as we can work together on specific issues that need protection. I think the opposition is counting on us being destroyed and distracted by infighting. We can be in different political parties and ideals and still cooperate on many issues. In fact, we have to. We have to.

–Next Halloween I’m wearing a fancy dress and five onions around my neck and say I’M THE LADY OF SHALLOTT! Then I expect to get stabbed.

–Sarah & Duck is very weird and very good. I have placed it firmly in the “Children’s shows I gladly let my children watch so I can watch it, too” category.

–We re-purchased Goat Simulator when we got our new Xbox so that Isi and I could play all the different versions as some new ones have come out. Our new favorite is Pay Day, which has missions, or “pranks” you can accomplish for money which can later be spent on masks for your character to wear. It’s perfect for Anthony, who has a hard time playing a game with literally no objective. Isobel and I aren’t experts at game play, but we are experts at making up our own mission objectives when none are provided.

  • Anthony playing Goat Simulator: I need objectives.
  • Me playing Goat Simulator: I’M GOING TO FIND A CAT AND MAKE IT MY BEST FRIEND AND NAME IT DEREK!
  • Isobel playing Goat Simulator: I’M GOING TO TRY TO BLOW UP EVERY CAR!

–Anthony came home several hours early from his trip to Indiana. I knew he was coming home but let the kids think he wasn’t arriving until the evening, as usual. I dropped the kids off at my mom’s house, and after Anthony got home we drove over to get them together as a surprise. I didn’t even tell my parents, so that everyone would be genuinely surprised. I’ll never forget the look on Isobel’s face when she saw the two of us standing there. She paused an extra second, and I could practically see her brain trying to work out that it was, in fact, her Dad standing there before her. She launched herself into his arms and I heard her whisper, “holy shit!”

–While visiting my cousins, Sam put on all of his fancy clip-on ties at once and not only did he positively radiate confidence, but he got five job offers, too.

snapshot-buttons-2017-recent-posts

Snapshot 12.31.16. I own a log and buy groceries online. The excitement never ends!

Life List Update 2017. We need permission to let go of the past, and we need permission to wipe the slate clean and start again

snapshot-buttons-2017-little-big-links

To the future!

This cat looks like it’s holding a tiny machine gun.

Very disappointed by the Darth Vader button in the lift. It should have a picture of an angry fireman on it instead.

The dog filter on animals makes me happy.

Everyone still posting in-depth recaps of their 2016 and I’m just over here like…

I’m guessing y’all don’t have any bread.

Have you ever seen a headline and somehow knew it was describing your future?

Writing tip:

2017 MOOD.

Here is an actual demonstration of how I just bragged excitedly about my New Year’s Eve. Sounds great tbh

So I walk into the room to find my cat sitting on the bed watching tv by himself.

Just saw this ad on hemingwayslist.

I was going through my videos at work crying today. All is right for these ten seconds.

Are you kidding me

The hero we deserve.

This Vine is so pure.

You can’t unsee Tedlexa, a TeddyRuxpin crossed with Alexa. Via Solar Power Spork

My plus one.

Those who don’t learn are doomed to repeat it.

This Sailor Scouts art is so dreamy.

Know your cephalopods! Adorable and informative!

We’re going where no other spacecraft has gone before! Learn about our two new asteroid science missions. I really hope we don’t blow ourselves up before then!!

Took almost a whole 48 hours of hacking but I managed to find the new Wu Tang Clan album on the deep web.

Squirrel hides his nut in the fur of a Bernese Mountain dog.

Free Coloring Books from World-Class Libraries & Museums! Via Library as Incubator 

snapshot-buttons-2017-recommended-reading

Please turn on your phone in the museums. This is so great to see!

NASA’s favorite photos of the year will remind you there’s still good in the world.

The Rise of Healthy-ish. This is exactly how I strive to cook and eat, though I chuckled at the part about ‘a family-sized wheel of brie.’ Because, um. I’ve done that.

snapshot-buttons-2017-time-machine

Thrifty Giving: Soup for You! Give the gift of soup.

DIY Flower Press. Dave’s Workshop smells like sawdust and Good ‘n Plenty.

snapshot-buttons-2017-weekly-snaps

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Filed Under: Snapshot Tagged With: chronic illness, chronic life, Crohn's Disease, Domesticity, Family, family life, Health, Home Life, Life, Snapshot

Snapshot 12.20.16

December 20, 2016 by Carrie Anne 4 Comments


what i'm up to–It feels like it’s been an age since the election, and my last post. I’m still crying about it. I don’t if I will ever stop. Thanks to everyone who sent me a little note (or even an email!) about my absence. I truly appreciate it. Many times I’ve pulled my chair up to the keyboard but I just couldn’t get very far. In addition to the turmoil and stress in the country, my little world has been rocked further by health problems in myself and my immediate family. This year has been incredibly tough, and I know that many of you feel the same way. Sad stuff aside, let’s talk about what I’ve been up to!

–Anthony has been on two week-long work trips across the country this month, further making any blog updating even more challenging. He’s hadn’t been in an airplane since a trip he took to Guatemala before he met me. It’s been a learning experience for both of us, and I feel pretty battle-hardened in the single parenting-while-ill arena.

–Earlier this month I was unintentionally live for two and a half minutes on Facebook. Join me next week for my unintentional podcast! This isn’t the sort of thing that typically happens to people, unless you are me. This is the sort of ridiculous thing that happens to me all the time. I apologize for anyone watching and wondering when something exciting is going to happen. Spoiler alert! It never does! Though I do sing an improvised rain song to Elias, as it was raining.

–We’ve hosted an annual Christmas party for friends for years now, and I thought that with Anthony’s travelling schedule and my illness and the general terribleness of the year that we might have to skip it. At the eleventh hour, though, after talking to my friend Laurel, I decided that getting together was probably something we all really needed. I’m glad I did it, as this year we had the most epic Thrift Store Gore Gift Exchange ever, plus we somehow found a 7+ minute version of Last Christmas to sing via karaoke.

–I’m on a short run of steroids again to deal with a respiratory problem that turned chronic. Being on steroids is like riding on a jerky, out-of-control park swing. Swing goes up, and I love steroids! I have energy to keep up, even when plans change! Swing goes down, and I hate steroids! I’m moody and anxious and sad and sleepless! It’s exhausting without the possibility of rest. Thankfully I’m just on it for the short term this time.

–Isobel told me she wants to give all the cats Christmas presents. Specifically, she wants to get our cats a kitten.

–I knew ordering an inexpensive Christmas tree from China was risky, but I needed a tree I could afford that could get here in time for the last-minute Christmas party. You guys, take a look at our “full size”, “6 foot tall” Christmas tree. Even my cat is underwhelmed. It’s all decorated now and I think it looks lovely, but I still giggle to myself every now and then when I walk past.

–I was playing Goat Simulator with Isobel when she suddenly says “WARNING: this game is extreme amounts of fun”

–Someone found a migrating tarantula at my MIL’s school, if you want to have nightmares forever.

–One night Isobel rolled over and, in her sleep, clearly said, “Toys.”

–Elias’ two favorite phrases are, “No way, pants!” and, “I’m cray cray!” (I guess I may have said he was cray cray once or twice.)

–Isobel: “Kingston, you can call me any time! But not like literally any time.”

–Isobel: I want a job at See’s Candy! //Me: You can’t just eat the candy, you know. //Isobel: *looks offended*.

Recent Posts

Poem: It’s Morning.

Snapshot: November.

Little Big Links

Last night I spotted Dat Boi at a thrift store 

San Bernardino police also said they generally recommend people don’t confront armed robbers, “Unless you have a bunch of dildos,” he added.

THRIFT STORE GORE: I found this in a charity shop. It used to sing a tune, now all it says is “Skin“.

Look, it’s Adam and Eve, not Florence and the machine.

“I do what I want, cat face” is my new burn.

This idiot was trying to make a racist announcement and this guy kept yelling NOOOOO in his face lmao. Plan: Deploy an army of Screaming Goats to every elected official in the land.

They’re young… They’re in love… They eat lard.

Library card wrapping paper.

This is my plan for 2017.

This should have been my patronus if we are being honest

[adam sandler voice] oh yesh das right

At my friend’s church, the church cat has evicted the baby Jesus from the manger.

This is far and away the best Nemesis GIF I’ve made so far.

Fun and silly threads still exist on here, everyone. There’s the twitter I know and love.

Beautiful Ear Muffs

My least favourite superhero.

The littlest nope ever.

He’s still learning about glass.

Just re-arranged my friend’s DVD collection. How long before he notices?

Cannot. Stop. Laughing.

IT STARTED OUT WITH A KISS HOW DID IT END UP LIKE THIS.

When you’re anxious but trying to act cool.

Make donations great again.

found this this garfield comic strip on my phone where jon has a vibrator in his ass.

the greatest parade footage ever, if we’re being honest.

Many stores already carrying 2018 desk globes.

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Peen.

Atlas rolled around in some chalk and now he’s a magical rainbow floofer.

Not all heroes wear capes.

What happens if we got to pick our name and occupation right after elementary school.

I would like to share a yak flip with you.

Just like Tony the Tiger & the Trix Rabbit, Honey Bunches of Oats unveils its new mascot, Your Mom’s Boyfriend Jeff!

Col. John Glenn stained glass, Church of the Good Shepherd. Goodbye, Space Hero.

My new ringtone. Every time the darkness closes in today I’m going to think about that Pokémon kid playing sandstorm on a recorder till it passes

Recommended Reading

INDIVISIBLE: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.

Support Aleppo’s White Helmets.

“I don’t take a good day for granted”, and other powerful statements from people with Crohn’s.

John Glenn’s true hero: Annie Glenn. She worked against a huge disability and then used her platform to help others. What an amazing couple.

Time MachineDIY Terrarium Christmas Ornament Tutorial

12 Creative, Thrifty Ways To Wrap Gifts

Weekly Snaps

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Filed Under: Scrapbook Tagged With: chronic illness, chronic life, Crohn's Disease, Domesticity, Family, family life, Home, Home Life, Snapshot, Weekly, What I'm Up To

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