2017 Can DIAF

It was the year I was afraid to look away from the news.

It was the year I bought a house, then Republicans did whatever they did to make sure I received no financial boost from being a homeowner.

It was the year my dog had cancer again. The surgery cost $2000 and the vet said we should follow up with chemo (guesstimates on that go $2500-$5000.) It was the year my 15yo asthmatic cat stopped grooming his back end slowly so at first I didn’t notice, and now I see that’s moved up his body and two days ago (but still in 2017) he stopped eating.

It was the year my boss lost the argument to replace my assistant when she left, so between that and the school growing, my workload doubled. It was also the year (for the same reasons–budget cuts to services for mental health care and for disabled children) that paid time off was decreased agency-wide, and the first year in this job that I didn’t get a raise.

It was the year my daughter aged out of Arizona’s version of Medicaid and I found that the premium to insure her through the marketplace had doubled since the last time budget cuts kicked her off Medicaid.

It was the year my daughter realized she had years of school still ahead if she wanted a diploma, and dropped out.

It was the year I hurt myself in a fitness class and even walking hurt for a long time, and that helped my emotional eating win the day, again and again, and I gained back nearly all of what I’d lost.

It was the year I programmed the numbers for both AZ Senators, the AZ02 House representative, the governor of AZ, and the AZ State Legislature into my phone, and I used them all nearly daily.

It was the year I marched. It was the year we bought backup phone batteries, and looked up remedies to tear gas, and downloaded the ACLU app.

It was the year of #MeToo, and wondering how men didn’t know that #YesAllWomen. And now that they know, why do they still only selectively care?

2017 was the year I found out what writer’s block really can do. It doesn’t always just sit there–sometimes it actively beats the ever-lovin’ sh*t out of you.

Did anything good happen in 2017? Of course. But all of that ↑ is currently overshadowing all the rest.

I’ll probably feel better tomorrow, but this is where I am today.