9 Moons Ago

More and more “thank-yous”, for all the support and love.
I am more than a wee bit excited, shall we say?!

I see the “critical assessment team” today and my Dr. on the 26th again and he’ll be able to see how I’m faring. So far, feeling much much better. Feeling more “myself”, mind isn’t racing, head’s not in the clouds (well anymore than usual), my thoughts are clearer. I’m sleeping better…just starting to, anyway. I’m not so much of a chatterbox space cadet, as has happened in the past. He he.

I’m taking daily walks now, and practicing meditation, when I feel up to it. I may go do a 20 minute session after writing here.

I can tell I am doing well, because I am organized enough to do some cleaning, cooking and some artwork; like creating the new layout for this blog, which takes some brain-power because I do some coding. (I did it all myself. Cameron only helps me with really tech-ie stuff..he’s taught me a lot that I am able do on my own.)

Cameron and I are hanging in there. He HAS been a big support to me, despite the fact that when I am starting to get border-line manic, I tend lash out at him and blame him for EVERYTHING. We are good friends again, even though some people didn’t have a clue that we fight when I’m ill. I wanted to publicly apologize here to him. I hate to hurt anyone, and he’s the last person I’d want to do a hatchet job on. I’m not sure if it is like this with anyone else with bipolar disorder, but plainly put: it SUCKS.

On the good side, I am eagerly awaiting a call about my eTickets, planning a weekend trip with Daniel to see friends in the country and hopefully getting 2 tickets to see R.E.M. in Philly (with my friend Kelly), through the help of Cameron and his band-wrangling ways. I will not be trying to score them for free, mind you. I want to pay for them! I’ll just have to set my my Etsy shop, now, and do some portraits for people who have asked already- won’t I?

I’ll keep you updated yet again. Any comments on the new layout? I may play around with the layout size, or some extra white space in the masthead sometime down the line. Is the pinky-salmon good? Or too pastel, in your opinion? I wanted something warm. But now I kind of want it to be a warm green…Dunno? Calling all artistic minds!

Here are some current photos of me, so you can see that I’m happier and healthier; Amy, the garden and the gazebo:

Things are going well with both Cameron and myself, but since I might not post anything else till November, here’s an early “Halloween Postcard” from me to you! Trick or Treat!

Would have posted this before Thursday, but we’ve got some (some-what) unexpected news and major projects in the works. I won’t expand on anything tonight, because I need some sleep and might otherwise be up editing this for hours. Just wanted to get this important announcement up tonight!

Our friend Adrian often participates in the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
This year he’s chosen to perform a one-man comedy act on a subject which is not traditionally viewed as humorous, but one that he has lived through and coped with over the years. Part of what keeps Adrian going through the years, is ability to find humor in the most unlikely situations. I am really looking forward to this show.

After dinner at Daniel’s place with some other friends, and possibly the star of the show himself (provided he has the time), we’ll head over to see it at the Glitch Bar downtown.

Adrian performed last night and tonight, and we’ll have to ask him how it went.
Probably gave him a good chance to warm-up for the big Saturday night gig! ;-)

The rest of his schedule is as follows:

Sat the 6th of Oct. 10:15 pm

Thurs the 11th of Oct. 10:15 pm

Sat the 13th of Oct. 10:15 pm

and

Sun the 14th of Oct. 7:45 pm

Find out more about it, and the Festival, here: Melbourne Fringe 2007! YAY! Should be a fun night tomorrow. Can’t wait.

I’ll explain more about recent events as soon as I’m able..
xo Amy

So, the ambulance driver next to me in the front seat turns and asks, “Is everyone is your family creative?”.

I reply, “Well, a lot of them are, yes. My brother has always drawn and recently got a job as a marketing director. My sister says she isn’t, but she is a teacher, so I tell her that she is, because you have to be creative to be a good teacher…”

He smiles, “Yes, that’s true..”

“And one of my cousins is a graphic designer for a newspaper…”

The driver laughs, “My family has to be the least creative family ever! Stick figures are about as good as we get.”

“Well, my parents aren’t really involved in making visual art. My mother is an R.N. Right now she’s a manager of a nursing home. Cameron and I gave a talk to the clients there one time and he put on an over-the-top accent on. It was a hit.”

“Ahh! A bit Crocodile Dundee, eh?”

“Yep. He he… And my father is an sports official. Actually, one of the Australian footy players was in a game with his team, The Green Bay Packers. I’m sure he saw it, so I’ll have to tell him that we watched some footage of it last night.”

The “ambo” as they call them here, laughs and says “Now that’s more up my alley!”

As the paramedics get Cameron out, the driver says to Cameron, “Well, I heard you were a hit at the nursing home, with your accent.”

Cam laughs and says, “Well you’ve got to do it, otherwise they all think you’re bloody English!”

I stand beside Cam who is on the gurney, noticing his glazed eyes. He is puffing on a pain relief inhaler that they call a “green stick” and he waves it at me, looking both high, and drunk, at the same time. “HERE.. TRY it.. You’ll LOVE it!”

My eyes smart from the fumes and I politely decline. (The first of 10 or 15 polite declines this morning.)
The rather pretty female paramedic, who Cam was chatting up in the back of the ambulance, tells us that she thinks it smells like a “texta” aka permanent marker.

Cam says it tastes minty.

I agree. It smells VERY minty and VERY MUCH like a permanent marker.

Mixed with 3,000,000,000% proof mint shnapps.

Cam looks over at the driver (not that he could see anything clearly at this point) and says “HEY! That guy was the one who drove the ambulance when you had your manic episode. You should kiss him!”

I raise my eyebrows quite high and respond quietly, “Well, I don’t really remember him.”

“Go on! Kiss him.”

I turn to the medical staff in the E.R. bay and ask , laughing, “What is IN that thing?! I’ve never seen him like this.”

The driver smiles and says with a wide grin. “We call that THE PARTY DRUGS.”