This past summer and fall have been exciting, tumultuous, disappointing, ecstatic, revelatory, and a hundred other things.

I remember a chart on Connon's fridge when he lived in Ballard. His roommate had made a chart of high and low points over recent months. It was both artistic (graphically interesting, hand-lettered), and roller-coasterish. I loved the idea and have at very least thought of making a similar chart at various times.

Written Chart of Elsa's Last Year Or So:

Oct 2008 - abruptly left Vashon for Arlington at parental request. Both good and bad.

Dec 2008 - hired at SVRS, a great job. Good.

March 2009 - passed the National Interpreter Certification exam at the Master Level. Very good.

April 2009 - big raise at work due to NIC-M certification. Super good.

June 2009 - started NW Out and About Meetup Group as a personal motivation to get outdoors more. Neutral - good people, but still personally low motivation.

July 2009 - hiked more, went to Wreck Beach, met a couple of nice folks through the Meetup group. Good.

August 2009 - Waterfall accident. Both good and bad. Good because I saved someone's life; bad because it shook me up emotionally and left me a bit askew.

Sept 2009 - signed purchase and sale agreement for a big farmhouse. Good.
- had breast-reduction surgery. Overall good with some minor inconveniences.

Oct 2009 - hours severely down at work, can't make the bills if it continues - bad.
- had to give up the farmhouse. Timing good, as I found out about work hours prior to closing on the house. Bad, as I will owe some money for things that were going to be rolled into closing.
- while I was recuperating at my parents' house, my dad fell and was tremoring and unresponsive. Bad. Scared the shit out of me and my mom; dad was fine after paramedics took him to the local hospital. Diagnosis later of carotid arterial stenosis. Bad. Very bad.
- had subsequent severe panic attacks. Very bad.
- got the right meds. Very good.
- some meds make me tired. Not so good.
- still recuperating from surgery, very tired often. Neutral - this is how healing sometimes is. But it's torture for the squirrel. The dishes are undone, the apartment generally unkempt, fresh foods spurned in favor of whatever I can pour into a bowl and eat immediately.
- have a cold. Bad. Can't miss work, because I'm already below the hours I need to pay The Man.
- family just up the hill. A mom and dad who love me and take care of me. Very, very good.
- cats enjoying that I'm sleeping all the time and we can snuggle on the bed and watch nature programs narrated by David Attenborough. Very good.

December 2009 - will accept my Red Cross Real Heroes award - very, very, very good.