checkyourbaggage-blog1

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Hmm. Ahem hmm.

...I have not touched this blog in over 6 years. I've been gone so long, tumbls added some sort of "blog1" modifier to my name.

Sometime after my MSW graduation, life just...happened and I never came back and said - you all are great, and amazing and hard working parents. Thanks for being a fun and informative corner of the internet. I'm still social workin' but in a different capacity. I logged back into Tumblr to see some things related to some hobby stuff and now I'm deciding if I should resurrect this thing or recreate a different one to follow along some other stuff separately.

Have a great evening, all. ✌️

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forgot to ask

I have Amazon Prime, is it worth it to add a subscription to Starz to watch American Gods?

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Self care Sunday

I slept in, ran, sat out in the sun with breaks inside to change out loads of laundry. It seems like it takes me at least once to learn each summer that I MUST WEAR SUNSCREEN :/ Currently sitting around with some aloe vera on my shoulders.

Pizza and beer tonight, yessss. Setting out clothes and gym bag in hopes I can get up and moving early in the morning.

This week is going to be crazy at work, it’s a week of community-wide cooperative planning and event hosting for awareness and education on certain topics, including foster care. We work on it for about ten months out of the year. If I don’t blow my budget on food this week, I’m going to reward myself with a mani/pedi on Friday.

Speaking of food, I got my first CSA of the summer! Already froze the kale, bc I hate kale and can only eat it if it’s cooked in something else (had an omletette today, meh). Putting together salads with the other mixed greens (I feel like I’m in Into the Woods, “greens greens nothing but greens!”), and also bought an entire flat of local strawberries, so washed and divided those for snacks and froze some too.

Still working on job applications for MSW positions. One I really really like has forwarded my resume “for review” whatever that means, HR or the supervisor maybe. Here’s hoping I might get an interview out of it!

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Taurus, wipe eye goopies off their pets, find the pet hairbrush, generally groom their animals bc I’m appalled no one’s cats ever seem as clean as mine.

please reblog with your sign and the weird invasive shit you do at your friends’ houses

Virgo, clean their makeup brushes

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So credentialized.

I received my diploma and my social work license in the mail. I’M A LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. Whaaaat. Reapplying/responding to some job apps now that I have extra letters after my name that are a necessary evil for many of these positions.

Sort of fell off the face of the tumbls for a bit. Catching up with a few people. Missed #choppedtumblr D: but I’ll make it anyway and post soon for funsies.

HOW Y’ALL DOIN.

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OMG GUYS I WAS GOING TO MAKE COWBOY QUICHE AND I TOTALLY RAN OUT OF TIME

I’ll still make it anyway because I need to use the ingredients. Definitely looking forward to the next challenge, though!

Chopped Tumblr Appetizer Round Voting!

Ok amigos it’s time to vote. The following link will take you to a google doc. If you’re so inclined you may share this post so as many people as possible can vote. Only one vote per person please. Voting will be open till Friday evening at 5pm EST.

Falafel Bites by greenmountainfoster

Arancini by bujnik

Spinach Gnocchi by amandamaea

Pan Fried Gnocchi by itonlylookslikeimincharge

Sirloin and Spinach Salad by nrainvil

Potato Blinis by bushytailednest

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lemon Crema by nottoorichorthin

Vegetarian Sliders by fosterjunky

Mini Tacos with Refried Beans by mommylovesmunchkin

Pink Bean and Spinach Pierogi by tempmom

Please take a moment to look at the various dishes and pick your winner.

VOTING FORM

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Insomniaaaaa

So I’m blogging. At 5am I might give up and go for a sunrise walk. Unintentional adult all-nighter, yeah! (oh god this is going to suck tomorrow)

Real thoughts:

I saw this HuffPo article making the rounds on Facebook. I usually don’t click on cutesy-self-care-self-help things, but I took a look.

and BAM

“The conception of self-care as a radical act has roots in the civil rights movement, when women of color created spaces and ceremonies to put their health and bodies first. Self-care was, as Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, an assistant professor at the New School, explained to Slate, “a claiming [of] autonomy over the body as a political act against institutional, technocratic, very racist, and sexist medicine.”

I did not know this. Who knows this? Why are we not taught this? WOC saying to The White Man “naw, I’m going to do my hair before I tend to the legal role you imposed on me today” is (in my eyes) just as big as college kids being beaten up on the streets, similarly defying cultural accepted legal norms. I have learned about many advances being made during the civil rights movement because POC were taught to use their bodies as a tool to show “I am not afraid of what you think you can do to me”. I think women taking a stand on “what you think you can do to me” by reclaiming their time and physical actions from a patriarchal Jim Crow culture is beautiful and heroic and damn public school catch up here. (checking my bias, I’m white and in the majority in my community. I do have curly hair that needs some TLC though!)

I am SO SICK of cutesy self-help self-care tricks. That’s pretty much all that was taught to us in BSW school and in foster care/protective services training. No wonder there’s so much burnout in bachelor level positions. In graduate school you could tell many people were catching onto the idea of self-care needing to be an all-day balance-seeking self-reflection (did-I use-enough hyphens-yet?).

Your bodies were not MEANT to tolerate emotional abuse all day long, let along verbal or physical. Your bodies were not MEANT to run for 18 hours a day between activities in a society where if “you’re on time, you’re late”. We SHOULD say hell no, we have come to expect too much of ourselves, and why are Others making unreasonable demands on us? What happened to sitting on the porch after dinner and chatting with family instead of rushing off to yet another 8-year-old kiddos soccer league (again, checking my bias, I’m not a parent, but can’t they play soccer at home in the yard just as well?)

I can feel my train of thought trying to go in two directions, running with this to stick it to the patriarchy or fleshing out this evolving idea of self care in the mental health world. So I’ll stop my 4am thoughts there, and post this as a reminder to myself to do more research on this topic.

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Been home sick the last two days.

Fever dreams are crazy.

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Anne With An E

Spoilers y’all. Proceed only if you are a literary dork or are interested in discussing or getting spoiler-ed the Neflix adaption of Anne of Green Gables

Ok. First. I LOVE ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. I love almost everything about it, minus maybe the last two books because I hoped Anne would turn into more of an independent woman. Oh well. I still enjoy Rilla of Ingleside and The Blythes Are Quoted. Things I love include the nontraditional family development, the nature motifs, friendship, and learning. My absolute favorite moment is when Anne comes home from Queens(?) and Davey busts in - “did you know Gilbert Blythe is dying?” and Rachel Lynde sees Anne’s physical reaction and says “NO Anne, don’t look like that, DON’T LOOK LIKE THAT.” I love seeing this little family come together so well in a moment that no one needs to say anything to see exactly what is happening and immediately step in for Anne. 

But - is it too much to ask for a production to FOLLOW THE ACTUAL PLOT LINE. Didn’t even the amazing video series make up some crazy WW2 plotline after the third one or something?

Backing up. I really liked 95% of the first episode. The conversations were from the book, imagining Anne’s flashbacks was intriguing (probably darker than LMM intended in a children’s story but an interesting and plausible application). I’m sort of so-so about upping Anne’s age to 13 instead of 11, because I think her imaginings are a little less developmentally appropriate, but maybe not with the addition of the PTSD symptoms. I also wish Matthew were a little bit more awkward, I imagined him with more high-functioning autistic or Asperger's characteristics.

Here we go with the buts - BUT. I was down with moving the brooch plotline up to accomplish framing the episode, but I imagined the episode ending by Marilla realizing she wanted Anne to stay, regardless of the brooch outcome, and Matthew reaching the train in time to bring Anne home and Marilla finding the brooch while she obsessively cleans waiting for them to arrive home.

WHY is this so important? This show has an amazing opportunity to portray the developmental needs of Anne AND Marilla AND Matthew (maybe Matthew’s inability to securely bond, Marilla’s old brokenheartedness about her ended courtship with Gilbert’s father, etc). BUT by making Marilla’s decision to keep Anne based on finding the brooch, their relationship becomes based on guilt, instead of being open to love and connection despite doubts and material needs. This could have accomplished Marilla’s change of heart and realization from the book, when Mr. Barry(?) carries Anne home, limp in his arms from a broken ankle, causing Marilla to realize she indeed loved this girl. Other convenient thoughts: by Marilla accepting Anne despite the lost brooch and Matthew catching the train on time by chasing it down on horse, Anne gets a little taste of her romantic imaginings in real life, gets to see what lengths family members will go for each other and that indeed sometimes real life can be as beautiful as your imagination.

BUT NOOOO. Instead we have to change it just a little bit more, causing the ENTIRE SECOND EPISODE to be COMPLETELY MADE UP and NOT CANON AT ALL. Resulting in EVEN MORE plot-messed-up-ed-ness. I’m only a few minutes into the 3rd episode, but I could foresee the major plotline being Anne Marilla trying to overcome Marilla’s guilt, shame, and anger about the brooch incident (this is even evidence-based y’all, lots of therapy models are based in trauma etc being rooted in guilt/shame/anger). INSTEAD of Anne and Marilla securely bonding, and Green Gables being the secure base from which Anne flourishes.

I will see how this plotline plays out and maybe we’ll get back on track. Other important things that need to happen: The pastor and his wife, Anne’s teachers (the grumpy guy and then Ms. Stacey),and obvs Gilbert.

...ok for real though, can I just email this whole thing to Netflix.

Thoughts? Why do I not have anyone IRL I can discuss this with?

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Adulting accomplishments

Did I ever post officially and say my divorce was final? Because it is. Done-zo.

Changed my name with Social Security and the State, so now I am legally me and just need to change it (back) on every account and piece of mail ever. Ugh. Fucking patriarchy. Never changing my name again.

Yesterday I bought flowers and yard supplies. I figured out how to put a bike rack on my car by myself, and took my bike to meet some friends for a ride. Today I mowed the lawn and started planting flowers. At some point, I looked around and realized that previously I would have had my ex do half of those things. Camouflaged under the noise of the mower, I marched around the yard pushing that stupid thing (srsly fuck the patriarchy can’t I just let my yard grow into a natural ecosystem) telling myself “ You are awesome! Look at that shit you did! Do the work! Smell the flowers!” (apparently I only curse when I am really upset or giving myself a pep talk).

No news on any MSW jobs yet, waiting till I get my registration with the state so I can pester my internship and send a polite hello to some places I previously applied. Still rockin my BSW job for now - which I am grateful for, salary, benefits, etc - but hopeful about what might be next.

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That’s pretty much why Star Trek exists. After First Contact they we all like wow we are dumb self-centered Earthlings. Fuck money and country barriers, everyone bring your best Science so we can figure out how we can get there!

...this is basically my social justice dream. Minus space. Though that would be cool too.

we’re literally floating on a tiny planet in fucking space why are we surrounded by hatred and misery. why can’t everyone just calm the fuck down and lay on some grass. the sun is a GIANT BURNING ORB why does money exist. fuck everything

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I want “hellish socialist dead” on my tombstone.

does no one realize that robin hood was a terrible role model for young kids? i mean you are stealing from people (illegal) and those people (usually) worked hard to get their wealth. it really demotivates people to succeed when they know they can get something someone else worked for.

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MSW in the house

Graduation - CHECK.

Hope you are having a good weekend too, fumblrs :)

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Sometimes my pastor uses the phrase "lean in" during sermons and I about lose my mind.

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Does anyone else follow NASA just waiting for the day they post “WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO TERRAFORM ONE OF THESE FUCKERS PEACE OOOOUT”

Solar System: Things to Know This Week

Our solar system is a jewel box filled with a glittering variety of beautiful worlds–and not all of them are planets. This week, we present our solar system’s most marvelous moons.

1. Weird Weather: Titan

Saturn’s hazy moon Titan is larger than Mercury, but its size is not the only way it’s like a planet. Titan has a thick atmosphere, complete with its own “water cycle” – except that it’s way too cold on Titan for liquid water. Instead, rains of liquid hydrocarbons like ethane and methane fall onto icy mountains, run into rivers, and gather into great seas. Our Cassini spacecraft mapped the methane seas with radar, and its cameras even caught a glimpse of sunlight reflecting off the seas’ surface. Learn more about Titan: saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/titan/

2. Icy Giant: Ganymede

Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest in the solar system. It’s bigger than Mercury and Pluto, and three-quarters the size of Mars. It’s also the only moon known to have its own magnetic field. Details: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/ganymede/indepth

3. Retrograde Rebel: Triton

Triton is Neptune’s largest moon, and the only one in the solar system to orbit in the opposite direction of its planet’s rotation, a retrograde orbit. It may have been captured from the Kuiper Belt, where Pluto orbits. Despite the frigid temperatures there, Triton has cryovolcanic activity – frozen nitrogen sometimes sublimates directly to gas and erupts from geysers on the surface. More on Triton: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/triton/indepth

4. Cold Faithful: Enceladus

The most famous geysers in our solar system (outside of those on Earth) belong to Saturn’s moon Enceladus. It’s a small, icy body, but Cassini revealed this world to be one of the solar system’s most scientifically interesting destinations. Geyser-like jets spew water vapor and ice particles from an underground ocean beneath the icy crust of Enceladus. With its global ocean, unique chemistry and internal heat, Enceladus has become a promising lead in our search for worlds where life could exist. Get the details: saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/

5. Volcano World: Io

Jupiter’s moon Io is subjected to tremendous gravitational forces that cause its surface to bulge up and down by as much as 330 feet (100 m). The result? Io is the most volcanically active body in the Solar System, with hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting lava fountains dozens of miles high. More on Io’s volcanoes: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/io/indepth

6. Yin and Yang Moon: Iapetus

When Giovanni Cassini discovered Iapetus in 1671, he observed that one side of this moon of Saturn was bright and the other dark. He noted that he could only see Iapetus on the west side of Saturn, and correctly concluded that Iapetus had one side much darker than the other side. Why? Three centuries later, the Cassini spacecraft solved the puzzle. Dark, reddish dust in Iapetus’s orbital path is swept up and lands on the leading face of the moon. The dark areas absorb energy and become warmer, while uncontaminated areas remain cooler. Learn more: saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/2892/cassini-10-years-at-saturn-top-10-discoveries/#nine

7. A Double World: Charon and Pluto

At half the size of Pluto, Charon is the largest of Pluto’s moons and the largest known satellite relative to its parent body. The moon is so big compared to Pluto that Pluto and Charon are sometimes referred to as a double planet system. Charon’s orbit around Pluto takes 6.4 Earth days, and one Pluto rotation (a Pluto day) takes 6.4 Earth days. So from Pluto’s point of view Charon neither rises nor sets, but hovers over the same spot on Pluto’s surface, and the same side of Charon always faces Pluto. Get the details: www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-and-charon-new-horizons-dynamic-duo

8. “Death Star” Moon: Mimas

Saturn’s moon Mimas has one feature that draws more attention than any other: the crater Herschel, which formed in an impact that nearly shattered the little world. Herschel gives Mimas a distinctive look that prompts an oft-repeated joke. But, yes, it’s a moon. More: olarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mimas

9. Don’t Be Afraid, It’s Just Phobos

In mythology, Mars is a the god of war, so it’s fitting that its two small moons are called Phobos, “fear,” and Deimos, “terror.” Our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught this look at Phobos, which is roughly 17 miles (27 km) wide. In recent years, NASA scientists have come to think that Phobos will be torn apart by its host planet’s gravity. Details: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/phobos-is-falling-apart

Learn more about Phobos: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/phobos/indepth

10. The Moon We Know Best

Although decades have passed since astronauts last set foot on its surface, Earth’s moon is far from abandoned. Several robotic missions have continued the exploration. For example, this stunning view of the moon’s famous Tycho crater was captured by our Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which continues to map the surface in fine detail today. More: www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/902

Discover more lists of 10 things to know about our solar system HERE.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

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Self-care Sunday

Stayed up too late last night cleaning and stressing out about upcoming week.

Churched this morning, socialized with some classmates this afternoon before one last cohort meeting. Now we are all DONE and the only things between us and our MSW’s are the ceremonies and the university making our transcripts available.

I made a to-do list for this week. Not work items, personal life items. I'm up to 53 items. A lot of them are really small things and can be accomplished together but I will certainly forget them all or be completely overwhelmed by repeating them in my head, unless I write it down. I think I have to Adult in every way possible this week. D-day hearing is coming up so I have to basically touch every piece of Important Paperwork about my life (taxes, birth and wedding certs, MSW licensure docs, etc). This is all not very self-care-y but the act of list making and looking forward to crossing stuff off sort of is.

There was a lot of extroverting this weekend, especially today, so took a quick bath when I got home. Feel much better now, and going to head to bed and watch a little bit of Masterclass British Bake Off (v. soothing, not sure how I feel about Paul, but I could watch Mary bake all day and I just want to hang out with her and drink tea and learn to make cakes).

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There were even anticipatory memes this year about this meme I LOVE IT