Smiling while failing

Technology failed me during these past two weeks. This is how I started the morning:

compfail

If you soften your gaze and back away slowly, the fail whale will appear.

Blue screens lit up my work computer throughout the weekend and the beginning of the week. I also caught some version of the plague Saturday night, but meetings and computer repair issues brought my germy-body to the office on Monday and Tuesday.

At times the sinus pressure was so great that my right eye would start pouring as I talked to coworkers. I’m pretty sure they wanted to swat me away with a Lysol wipe.

Add to this the fact that Tader and I broke up over the weekend. So, I’m sick, newly single, and my work computer is seizing. Sigh. These are my first-world problems.

Tader and I have a three-bedroom apartment, so we had to move the bedroom furniture (which he owns) to one end of the apartment and I dragged myself to Ikea several times to furnish my new bedroom. Putting together Ikea furniture while on cold medicine is slightly amusing…especially after the bed frame falls apart for the fourth time.

I eventually recovered from my sickness, just in time for our RuPaul’s Drag Race watch party!

compfail

RPDR is an amazing show and available on Logotv.com for free. One of the sponsors is Absolut: Cocktails Perfected, so I had to buy some Absolut for the party. Did you know that Absolut is three times more expensive than Bacardi? Bejesus

There is more going on than sickness and drag queens. The dogs took the furniture rearrangement poorly. Gertrude almost broke her kennel in protest and Harley is unamused.

compfail

I’m also volunteering at the IRS VITA program, AccountAbility Minnesota, again!

IRS Vita Program

I basically prepare taxes for low income individuals. I don’t mind preparing taxes – it’s fun, challenging, and a great networking opportunity.

Preparing taxes for underserved communities is also very encouraging. It makes my Ikea furniture woes, dying work computer, and head cold seem like minor annoyances. Many of my clients are single parents making under $20,000 a year. If they can juggle two jobs, kids and still find the resources to donate to charity, then I can spend four hours of my week preparing taxes for free.

I also found time to hang out with the people that matter,

compfail

…and made progress on my album!

compfail

That’s my setup before I moved my studio post-breakup. The new room is green, but the elements are the same.

This weekend is dedicated to catching up on work. After that it is time to bond with Ableton.

Another Year

What a year.

I started the year as a 3L law student living in a mouse infested apartment building in Whittier.

My weeks were hectic. I spent my time jetting between my last few classes, my internship in the suburbs, tax training, and a public defender clerkship in downtown St. Paul.

Things changed quickly when I secured a permanent position at my company and started working full-time in February. There were also drag shows, long nights at Jetset, and blizzards.

blizzards

The snow melted and classes ended quietly. Pride came and went, I turned 25, and I finally moved out of my ghettotastic apartment.

Work got busy once I moved.  Drag shows and dancing were exchanged for Netflix marathons. I was promoted at work and got good at making brownies and mojitos.

By the time of my Miami trip I was 20 pounds heavier than I was at the beginning of the year.

I took the love handles to Miami anyway, which was fairly epic.

The Manor House Fort Lauderdale

mojitos

I started personal training at LA Fitness again upon returning, so I was horribly sore once New Year’s Eve rolled around. I was one of the DDs for New Year’s despite the best attempts of some people in our group.

mojitos

My goals for this year include working harder, spending more time on creative projects, and losing these 20 pounds. Hopefully my grueling morning workouts help me get there.

Ending the year plump and employed isn’t bad, but 2012 will be better.