This isn’t the first time I’ve used that title for a blog post. Probably won’t be the last.
Tonight was my therapy session. One of the topics is the many changes I’ve undergone, different things I’ve undertaken, etc.
And reflecting on that is so wild. Honestly, I feel like my life is never really stable, never really has been. Though, I also know that is not true, that I’ve had the privilege of having years of quite minor disruptions to my life between the upheavals. Others are not so lucky.
My major changes tend to come in a few varieties:
- death
- careers
- fitness
- careers
All the other changes stem from those. Right now I’m definitely undergoing changes as a result of all the death. In turn, that has prompted changes in my fitness. I did get a new job a little over two months ago but I’m sticking with accounting. I think my career changes are nearing their end (though I’m likely to get at least one more degree but that will be because I just want to learn with structure rather than a means to change.)
This project has really opened my eyes to changes over the years that I forgot about. It’s helped me remember some of the good times with Montey, and similarly it’s dredged up old memories I’d prefer to let go.
One thing I’d like to do is start to revisit old posts, and update about them – maybe add context to what was going on our lives or how something didn’t quite work out as planned.
Let’s start with the other posts titled “ch-ch-ch-changes”
August 4, 2013 – I remember that I kept the weight off until at least the Spring/Summer of 2014. Montey had a stroke in August of 2014 and I think that broke me that time. I did quit smoking though. August 11, 2013! I’ve had two cigarettes that I can remember since then. February 2016 at my Uncle’s birthday party and February 2023, the day Montey died.
January 20, 2007 – Haircut? I was in school at that time, for my masters in education. It was getting longer, around shoulder length and I went back to shorter than chin length. I’m not sure what happened to the before and after pictures for that one – I found the closest example I could but there’s a missing block of data. Perhaps when I dig into the CDs – all labeled “backup” – I might find some of the missing pictures (and perhaps additional posts!)
About the missing posts – I’ve determined that the sites blog sections were running on WordPress – that means that I should be able to find the database backup in my files… I’d be shocked if I didn’t have them on a drive or a CD – hell, I have piles of 3.5″ floppies but I think that would only be the early, early dp.net files, if anything. They’re probably also degraded all to hell.
One overarching theme across the years is always my weight – the chart below spans averages logged over 28 years. There’s 150 pounds difference between the highest point in 2006/2007 and the lowest in 1993. My current goal is right around where I was in the years 2002 / 2014. This time I’m trying Zepbound – expensive as fuck but so was the failed surgery in 2006 that I had to get reversed in 2017. The loss in 2002 and 2004 was prescription speed, that too was expensive. 1993 was weight watchers and youth. 2014 was pure calorie counting and cardio, the dip in 2018 was solid strength training. So much time and energy over the years.
