Not-Lent Notice

I'm going to *attempt* a hiatus from social media and video gaming this week. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and my non-Catholic self is going to have to figure out what my not-lent resolution will be. It'll probably be something in the line of 1) Twitter and Facebook for professional/activism (not argument) purposes only 2) 10 sun salutes a day (I feel *enormously* better when I achieve this) and 3) no video gaming on weekdays. For six weeks I can handle these for 6 weeks.

If I talk about anything personal during that time, it'll be here.

Accountability Post:

Accountability Post: My test run (not published and won't be) of a phone based short video for talking about social justice and mental health was a success. Both my body language and voice were relaxed and conversational, and with a few tweaks to ensure I've prepared my material, I should be able to do one pretty much every day. Because I don't plan to tie them directly to current events, at least not usually, I can even make and "stack" them for daily release on slow days. The selfie stick should arrive from Amazon today and I'll work over the weekend to get a few ready for release next week.

I *thought* I would get one done this morning, but between errands and a very full schedule today, that's unlikely to happen. Possibly this evening when I get home and have the selfie stick to play with.

My heart goes out not only to the folks who lost their lives while at Jumma prayers in Christchurch but to their friends and families and to Muslims all over the world in Christian-dominated countries who are feeling frightened and targeted right now. Stochastic terrorism toward Muslims has been a huge problem for years now, and its past time

Gratitudes: I am grateful that my ear (infected) is feeling better this morning than it did at bedtime last night. I am grateful that my income this week exceeds my bills. I am grateful that I've found a way to possibly increase my reach.

Accountability Post:

This weekend I shook the weeds out of my brain by focusing on *finally* setting up the websites I've been meaning to. In the process, I borked my main business website so ended up completely redesigning it as well. I still have a couple of website pages to write, and I have to get some content up, but the bones are done. Was it the task that most needed doing? No. But it might have been the task that needed to be done to give me the confidence to do that task.

In any case, today's plan is to finish as many notes as possible, *possibly* (depending on cancellations) recording the second video. (This one will be on societal/community implications of "4 ways to deal with any problem") This time I promise I'll get the phone vid set in the right direction and not lose so much of the video. I also have a pretty full therapy day, so there's that.

Gratitudes: I am grateful for a really cool (and cheap) selfie stick with a flexible arm that works *beautifully* to allow me to do a variety of videos with my phone. I am grateful for my husband and sons and daughter who all make me feel incredibly loved every day. I am grateful for a little company called Cryout Creations that makes beautiful and easily customizable Wordpress themes that power each of my websites.

The web addresses are:
https://www.responsivellc.com
https://www.outofmymind.responsivellc.com
https://www.forkathysheart.responsivellc.com

Let me know what you think.

Accountability Post:

Got the first video recorded. Saving the rotation, then uploading and doing the second video, which is ready to go. It'll be up on my site later today (the first one). Will also do the first "Purely Political" Out of My Mind video to talk about self care when the political news is awful, probably as soon as I'm done the 2nd video.

Weekend was a partial success. Got laundry done, and didn't punch the television. Created a Sims 4 family I'm enjoying playing. *Didn't* get the Impossible Task done, but in my defense, the Mueller Report Report that hides the Mueller Report came out, and no mayhem was done. Let's just say the cruelty was palpable, and I am enormously triggered by the behavior of narcissists who think they are getting away with things and leave it at that.

Anyhoo.

Gratitudes: I am grateful for clean clothes that are *put away*. I am grateful for the older generation phone I have that allows me to record videos. I am grateful that a dedicated video recorder adequate to my needs that will do better costs under $100.

Accountability Post:

Got up early this morning and (re) read a bit of Pride and Prejudice, did some webpage work, "freed up" the third video for views who aren't Patrons", grabbed the audio file and posted it on Soundcloud, and did some miscellaneous editing of social media sites. "Only" have (max) seven appointments today including an intake, and am almost caught up on this week's notes, which is notable. (have two to finish).

Tomorrow I have three appointments and a small crafting group scheduled before I go grocery shopping, then spend the afternoon on some paperwork tasks. Sunday will probably be my "day of rest" though I will probably at least outline the next video, and possibly try to write a bit of microfiction and/or a poem.

Gratitudes: I am grateful for pistachios. They help my executive function when I eat a handful between meals. I am grateful for "enough" of the things. I am grateful for a relatively good night's sleep.

Accountability Post:

I have a video to go up, my first "Purely Political" video. It's simply the "everything is political" discussion. Gonna edit it today to post tomorrow. Also, have my second #microfiction to go up. I think the #microfiction is *always* going to touch on something political because that makes it fun and challenging for me. Also, the thid of my OOMM videos, the first ot the Executive Function series, will go up on my website with the info from the video (minus ramble and color) as part of the article.

I have my folders with the data I need to enter for my bankruptcy sitting next to me and they're not nearly as huge as I thought they were. So I might get one done today and the other done tomorrow, and then taxes next weekend, and *that should be it*.

Lest you think that I'm working too hard, this is, right now, *fun* for me (except the bankruptcy stuff). I will *also* read a bit further in the Blender documentation, but I am *very* afraid I won't know enough to create a leading animation and end credits for a while yet. So I'm going to keep plugging away and doing the basic editing on the phone app I found to rotate and on Microsoft's native app for a bit longer. If I learn Blender, I will have *accomplished* something. It's both amazing and terrifying.

Gratitudes: Coffee adulterated with cocoa and cinnamon with lots of cream and sugar. People who tell me my videos, despite their terrible production values, are helping them. Sushi for lunch.

Accountability Post:

Accountability Post: Weird how on productive days I actually write my accountability post *after* I have finished a bunch of stuff, right?

Anyhow, I wrote an article on preparing for a first therapy appointment this morning (link below). I plan to use it for all new clients *and* as a reference for people looking for therapists who are not local to me. (And as an advertisement, since the acknowledgments and links direct people to my "other stuff".

Next up, lightly edit and upload my first "purely political" video, which has me talking about "what topics are political" (h/t L.M. Kate JohnsTon) while knitting. Recorded it the other day so it shouldn't take too long.

Also, laundry and data entry, after running to the store for laundry soap and cat litter. So roughly around 5 pm I'll stop and game for the rest of the evening.

Gratitudes: Again, I'm doing this stuff for *fun*, so it's not work. Looks like pleasant weather for the week. So far, no one has pranked me.

https://www.responsivellc.com/your-first-therapy-visit/