Still Alive

Yes...I am still here. 

OK, so I've been a bad blogger. In my defense, and I need one, the spring semester and early summer were crazy. The last time I wrote, I started a part time job at PhD U. With that job, my adjunct gig at HBCU, nine credit hours, and presenting at two conferences kept me beyond busy. It was the most busy I've been since my law school days. 

I am surprised that the RA did not go into full blown flare and completely knock me out of commission. I did a have a day or two where it was a little rough and I had to take a day off to rest. But, of the most part, the RA cooperated with my intense schedule. Part of the reason was that I made exercise a probity, rather than the first thing to go. I ran and walked with Husband and Junior. I got back into regular yoga practice. Additionally, I ate healthy meals. Husband and I cooked on weekends to ensure there was enough leftovers to get us through until Thursday, which is our dine out night. 

Most importantly, I really listened to my body. If I was tired, I slowed down and took care of myself first. Not an easy thing to do, but it had to be done. I have this awful habit of pushing myself to the point of exhaustion. That exhaustion would ultimately lead not only to an RA flare, but the depression and self loathing that comes with burnout. This time, I said  "NO" to that perfectionist, anxiety-driven voice that leads me down that self destructive path. I had to let some things go and redefine what "Good Enough' meant. "Good Enough" does not mean perfection. It doesn't mean half-assed.  It's when I can objectively say that I've done enough. And, that's good. 

Now that most of the heinousness is over and done, I am getting ready for my last year of coursework with the PhD. I resigned my adjunct position at HBCU. I got a research fellowship in my program, which comes with a full tuition wavier. This means that I Iwill be able to focus on research in my field   No more paying out of pocket for my PhD. No more adjuncting. Once my position in my temporary position ends in August, I will roll right into the fellowship. 

So, that's the short version of where I've been fo the tast couple of months. I didn't include the races I've completed or some other stuff, but I'll save that for later. Truth is, I miss writing in this space, any space really. Hopefully, I will be more proactive about that.