Well, it’s been pretty silent around here.  I haven’t really had time to spend on my site, which is a shame because there are so many things going on that I should write about.  There’s a reason things have been hectic for me…I’m starting my own business.  I’m not going to go into details just yet, only a few people know of my plans, and I’m hardly done with any of it, so we’ll just wait till I’m ready before I announce it all.

When I first came to Cleveland I was thinking that I would consider my trip out here to be a visit.  I wasn’t sure how things were going to go and I wasn’t sure where my life was taking me.  And up until recently, that’s what I continued to think.  But the more time I spend with Ness, the more I realize that I want her to continue to be a part of my life and so my trip to Cleveland is turning into a semi-permanent stay.  Ness has another year of school left, plus a semester of student teaching, so that means we’ll be in Cleveland for at least another year and a half.  After that, we might stay in Cleveland, or we might pack it up and start somewhere else.  But at the moment, we’re planning on getting a place of our own here in Cleveland.

For the past two weeks, I haven’t felt well at all.  I have Ulcerative Colitis, on top of having Crohn’s Disease and I haven’t been taking care of myself.  Meaning, I’ve been eating shitty.  Ramen noodles, burgers, fries, fried foods, grease, dairy…these are all things I should avoid, but when it came down to it, I just couldn’t.  And so I caused myself to have a flare up.  I haven’t been able to sleep well and I’ve been out of energy.  I spent my time reading, dabbling with some internet things while I had the strength, and spending time with Ness.

There have been a couple of nights we decided to head to a friend’s house for a party.  What I should have done at these parties is not drink so much beer.  Well, I don’t drink a lot, but I drank enough to make my flare ups worse than they should have been.  I should say that I’m starting to get back to normal now, and I plan on changing my diet so that I won’t have such a bad flare-up next time.  But these parties are also good for making new friends, which I have, and for networking.  I’m horrible at making new friends.  Despite what you see around the internet, I’m shy.  Crowds of people, or not even a crowd but just a few people, make me nervous.  So being with Ness, who’s absolutely crazy and personable, is good for me.  Her friends have become mine, and she has a great group of friends.

So in short, while my life has been busy, and even though I’ve not been feeling well, I’m happy.  Things have been tough, but not the kind that I want to run away from.  As I work to get on my own two feet here in Cleveland, expect to hear some announcements about my work life and personal life that will knock your socks off.

In the meantime, I’m planning a trip to Chicago.  There’s a reason I’m going to Chicago, but at the moment that’s neither here nor there.  So if you’re in the Chicago area, get in touch with me, because I’m going to need some help while I’m there, and you’re just the people I need to talk to.