Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022 - 10:23 am.
Lord, December is almost here. I travel to my home country by mid-December so now I'm starting to run around in circles in my head, thinking about gifts (keeping it simple this week), packing, my stay there, and whether I'll get in trouble because I'll be out for a work week and I should've looked into asking for a leave and whatever. Most likely I'll be fine, but it sucks not being informed about procedures for uni employees until after you need them.
Yesterday I attended a talk and I got a certificate! Earlier this year, a university unit offered an online course on LGBT+ human rights, dictated by a brilliant lawyer and trans and political activist. I signed right up. She's based in the metropolitan area of the country, so it was a huge surprise when I learned last week that she was coming to our city, that she'd give a talk in campus and that there we'd receive our certificates from that course.
She also signed my copy of her book on trans issues in the country. She wrote a long, thoughtful message, I was so honored. I don't have the best social skills, so I'm afraid I lost my opportunity to strike a conversation with her during the cocktail after the ceremony. But I was truly happy yesterday afternoon, having attended the talk and with my certificate of completion and my signed book.
Yesterday I also had an ecotomography to check if all was ok with my breasts and my thyroid, just out of curiousity. There's a unit for employees' well-being in uni and they were offering all kinds of health-related tests and screenings and trainings this month.
I couldn't attend most of them, but this general physical test I did (all good with my blood pressure and the like). They had like a promo to schedule tests without doctor's orders at a clinic, and I asked for a mammogram. I didn't quality for one yet, so they penciled me in for some scans.
Everything looks OK, but now I will need a mammogram next year because I have some cysts. They're made of water or something(?), and it isn't serious, but it's worth a follow-up.
On the adoption front, Andrew is between therapists now. I'm glad he's searching for a better fit for his mental health and personal growth. I appreciate that he takes that very seriously. The bummer part is that this will probably set us back another year in the adoption process.
I want a kid, we both do, but I for one I'm starting to consider that it will never happen. But not yet. I guess I'm still in that hopeful phase of "waiting for a miracle", like this new therapy for Andrew will be quicker, and we'll get on the fast track once he's met his therapy goals. It comes and goes.
Grief also comes and goes. One of these days I came across my colleague/boss' name on that project application of mine that she sponsored and I almost started crying. I was deeply, quietly sad throughout the day. It's still tough to think she's not coming back.
Oh, and Helen got her gallbladder out. She was able to do it quickly in our home country before anything happened. Blessed be. It's a huge relief and she's now recovering.
My mind is all over the place right now. I went out with Andrew and his best friend/closest colleague last night for sushi and drinks. Tonight a couple of professors (married to each other) from the Psych Department invited us over for dinner; they're on their way to retirement, and they've always been nice to us. And tomorrow we're going out of the city to visit our vet friends who now live in a town in front of a lake and near a snowy volcano.
I was goinna say, though, my mind is all over the place because I had one(1) drink last night and it fucked me up. I'm sleepy, dammit.