i've been mia - i know. lots been happening.

not sure where i left you, but i had to make a visit home to jamaica. mom and dad are in a bad way - physically, mentally, financially ... and i mean, after 85 and 95 years respectively, one might expect that this would be the case. still it's not that easy to handle. it's really heartwrenching to see your parents decline mentally and physically ... especially so when you are not in a position to help as much as you'd like to.

still, i think i went and got most of the stuff sorted out. the big things are left - finding them somewhere to move to so we can sell that huge house, sorting out their financial situation better, someone to stay with them so they aren't alone at nights and on days when no one is there with them... and so on. i think the finding of a new home is going to be the hardest and i will probably have to go back soon to help with that transition but ... yeah.

other than that, i had a job interview today. it sounds wonderful ... except for the fact that i don't think i am in a place where i can dive right into a full-time demanding job just yet. besides, i am still stuck on finding a work-from-home position. i know, i know ... it's a long shot, but i have hope.

in other news ... good frien' betta dan packet money ... i made a new friend and so far the relationship feels one-sided and i feel like a total heel because they have been so very helpful and supportive and i just feel like i have nothing to offer them. this is new for me since i always have something to offer ... this time ... not so much.

oh! the bff sent me home with an hp server. i had had big plans for it but it turns out it's not anywhere near powerful enough to do what i wanted it to do. still ... effectively paying US$150 (the cost for the overweight checked baggage fee i had to pay to bring it with me) for a server seemed like a damned good idea.

the hubster is well on his way to getting out of the army. i think we're both about had it with the service. things have gotten way too nonsensical to stay in. and at 20 years, it's a good time to leave. he's in his internship phase now - which means he is learning a new job with the hope that they'll hire him as soon as he is done outprocessing. exciting and scary because for 15 years (20 for him) we've been living one way and now things are about to change drastically for us both. one good thing about the military is that furloughs and government shutdowns never really affected us. now it might. also ... health insurance. not sure what that's going to look like when he's out. another reason i need to find some kind of proper employment asap.

finally, i have rediscovered the discworld mud yet again for like the tenth time. this time, i think, it might stick because ... well ... it's just fun. so much so i haven't really played any graphical games in a couple days.

and that's the size of what's been happening with me. there's more but those are the biggest things.

oh ... i have to do some writing ... some tech writing. maybe that might help fuel some tech writing experience to show off. i need to get to it. i just wish i could focus for longer than 10 minutes on stuff. /sigh