For those who only read one of my posts each year... or anybody wanting a recap of the past year here at Blogography... this post is for you! As customary, I've jettisoned loads of the usual junk so this entry is "mostly crap" instead of the "total crap" they usually are.
I suppose I should preface this year's entry with a disclaimer that 2016 was, without a doubt, the worst year of my life. The reasons are personal and I can't go into them here, so you'll just have to trust me. Suffice to say that any other year where I thought I was having a bad year only goes to know that I had no clue what a "bad year" really was.
And now I do.
JANUARY
• Had something terrible happen, then went on a blog strike...
FEBRUARY
• Had something terrible happen, then adopted my Jake and Jenny (two feral rescue kittens) in an attempt to cheer myself up. Pretty much the only awesome thing to happen all year...
• Had something even more terrible happen, but having two amazing kitties to care for kept me from killing myself...
MARCH
• Terrible continued to happen, so I bought a new camera and a new lens to distract myself from the shambles my life was quickly becoming...
• Had something terrible happen (I turned 50), but was strangely okay with it because: kittens...
APRIL
• Thought my life was improving, then had something terrible happen, then decided to remodel my guest room so I wouldn't keep dwelling on just how gut-wrenchingly awful things were...
It was a big job, but I had plenty of help...
MAY
• Didn't think things could possibly get worse, but then something terrible happened when an eye infection I got years ago in Costa Rica came back to haunt me...
Don't worry, I had round-the-clock care...
• Things went from terrible to tragic, so I bought another camera lens to distract me from the new level of hell I was consigned to...
• Hit rock bottom, but was able to hang on when my kitten's foster parents paid a visit and shared some early photos of my reason for living...
The third kitty was a brother who was adopted before I arrived or I would have adopted all three of them.
JUNE
• Made it three days into June before my blog broke down. Then something beyond terrible happened and I had to take the rest of the month off from blogging to recover.
JULY
• In an effort to escape from my terrible life while I could still function, I went to New Orleans for a concert.
• The trip to New Orleans was nice, but it didn't make my life any better. Something newly terrible happened when I returned and I decided to take a blogging sabbatical because there was nothing left to say.
AUGUST
• Still on sabbatical. Continuing to explore new levels of terrible.
SEPTEMBER
• Still on sabbatical. What was left of my world fell apart when the worst day of my entire life came and went.
• Found myself longing for the good ol' days when my life was merely "terrible" and spent the second half of September wanting to die.
OCTOBER
• Still on sabbatical. Spent the month of October trying to find a new "normal" that I could cling to so I could escape the demons that returned after a 25 year hiatus.
NOVEMBER
• Returned to blogging as a way of clawing my way out of The Pit of Despair for the second time in my life.
• Caught everybody up on the past five months. Starting with my cats, who were my reason for living while absolutely everything in my universe was going to shit...
• Told everybody about building a catio back in September, which allows my kitties to go outside safely...
• Started rethinking not killing myself when Donald Trump was elected President of the United States of America. Ran through the Worst Case Scenario becoming reality.
• Took a much needed trip to San Francisco so I could hang out with one of my bestest friends, who happens to be a rock star...
• Got Tattoo No. 7...
DECEMBER
• No, seriously, we are totally and completely fucked.
And there you have it, the worst year of my life. I still don't know how I survived it (but I'm guessing it was the cats).
I'd say that I'm hopeful for a better 2017, since things couldn't possibly get worse than this... but we elected a total fucking lunatic to run the country, so there's no such guarantee.
Best of luck, everybody.
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Yes, my 2016 was just about as gut-wrenchingly horrendous. Last day of 2016 my beautiful canary dies – as if i needed another reminder that life is transitory. Went to 3 shelters today to adopt a kitty, but no luck :-(. Can you please send Jenny for a visit? Or Jake? Maybe Fake Jake?? Okay…you??
I, for one, am really glad you had your kitties to help you get through the year. I missed your voice all the months you were gone. Here’s to a better 2017!
Some say, “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” I’m happy you’re here and back to blogging. Your return has been a highlight to my 2016. Here’s to a great 2017.
Cats have such a calming influence. You were wise to adopt. Inspired me to bring another yellow tabby home before the end of 2016. Your resilience is also quite inspiring. I now think we can survive the new year even with Loony Tunes in the WH. BTW, Jake and Jenny should start their own Cat Calendar business.
I’m glad you’re back to blogging and I hope your 2017 is better for you.
I’m glad you have your kitties, during my worst year ever, my dog saved my life. Also, if you need to escape, we have a guest room in Canada.
I’m sorry you had such a terrible year. I truly hope 2017 is a great year for you. Your cats are beautiful and I’m glad they’ve been a blessing to you.
Thank goodness for Jake and Jenny! I wish you a much better 2017!
I truly hope 2017 is a better year for you *hugs*
hi. i’m so thankful for jenny and jake because you make this world a better place and they help you. thank you for not killing yourself. xo
I had forgotten how tiny Jake & Jenny were. It was amazing seeing how big they got through the pictures.
One of the highlights of my year was that I got to see you while I was in Leavenworth in October! It was fantastic sharing a meal. *hugs*
I can honestly tell you that you speak the truth about how cats are the bond that makes us go on. While what I dealt with in 2016 didn’t come close to what you experienced, it was a difficult year and there were a few that helped keep my sanity in check, including my Tabby cat.