2007: A Year in My Life Review with Pix & Links! 

January 2007

I finally filed for my disability and obtained positive results, but I was still living in my friend's basement apartment and feeling the sting of loneliness.  Within the first week of the year, a mysterious ex-girlfriend of an old lover of mine contacted me and asked for a lot of personal information about me, of which I was reluctant to give.  My ex-lover was not amused by what his ex did.  The best thing to do was to ignore the messages and move on with my life.  Good thing I couldn't afford having a phone that winter! 
I got a new digital camera and proceeded to make experimental self portraits and then got even more addicted to taking pix of myself but the next batch were more "normal" looking.
I almost had to move out of my basement apartment in the middle of January and it was a source of panic for me, considering I had no money and no where to go!
I ended the month with creating some Firefly/Serenity poster parodies because I'm such a geek and, let it be said, because I sometimes have too much time on my hands in the winter.

February 2007

This month was a groggy, ice-cold one.  I created a little survey to express how I was doing at the moment of the start of the month. I'm only a little surprised that my life hasn't changed much since then, the only difference being I'm in a much more secure and stable environment now.
The sub-zero temps of that February had me layering on clothes since I didn't yet have a decent coat to wear.
The story about Lisa Nowack touched a nerve. I have a soft spot for the lovelorn weirdos out there

The day before  Anna Nicole died; I had a freaky prophetic dream about her.

The HAMSTER SHANTY is built by my silly brother and it keeps us giggling for the rest of the winter.
I give in to turning myself into a Meez person.

Because I tend to spend a lot of time obsessed with the 18th century; I made a list of all  my favorite movies based on true 18th century stories .

Yet another snow storm kept me indoors and here is the photographic proof.

March 2007

March blew in like a lion, as they say, in my neck of the woods.  For some reason we got all our nasty winter weather in March.  It was annoying, but that's Wisconsin for ya.
My brother, Mark, had to move out of his old apartment and the stress of helping him inspired me to dream that he was trying to be a whore, what a weird dream!
Also at the beginning of March, I found myself thinking of an ex-lover with great affection after he shared with me that he met someone he was falling in love with. He put it in such a way that had me not feeling jealous. Talk about a major accomplishment for me! Maybe it was because he was so sincere in sharing with me the love he felt that, by proxy, I felt like I was in love. It was special and worth noting since I tend to bitch a lot about relationships.
I write a poem about my passion and I find some joy in living my life, despite some stressful times.
I create a watercolor self portrait expressing how I felt in mid-March, if you look closely you can see I added some fuzzy white curls around my eyes -- I was dealing with some eye allergy symptoms.

On his birthday, my brother broke his left hand.  It was not a good day. 

Richard Jeni, my favorite comedian, died. I'm still feeling the loss.  I miss him. 

March 26th, 2007 was the last time blog themes I designed were accepted for Mindsay blogger use.  I've designed many more since, but since it's no longer such a regular thing at Mindsay, I've kinda stopped doing so many themes.

underground1986 and I celebrated our new favorite film, 300, by collaborating on designing a Mindsay wiki page for it!  There were some interesting comments there... 

As I'm packing up my artwork for storage, I get nostalgic and am inspired to take a look back on my life as an artist. 1993 was a testy year for me.  Sometimes my art speaks louder to me than any photograph I've taken.

I end the month with a look back on the decades of my life. 

April 2007

I find out that a former boyfriend of mine has become a psychologist and this not only makes me laugh (because he's so crazy himself) but because he turned his back on me when I was going through an emotional breakdown.  I can't imagine him being the kind of guy who counsels others.  Maybe he learned something from being with me or has become a better human being, you never know, but it still gives me a shiver.

I realize for being a very unconventional person, I'm not open to every possibility out there!

I discover a new favorite movie -- a double feature phenomenon: GRINDHOUSE movies by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. It makes me miss drive-in movies, too. Oh, if only video never happened and we still had midnight movies to go out for!

I am sorely affected by the Virgina Tech tragedy. 

I get the itch to create some self portraits with brush and ink.

On the 28th, I start to develop some health problems with my digestive and reproductive organs again.  I find myself going back and forth from doctor to doctor, taking test after test, and getting poked with needles and swabs to determine what the hell is wrong with me.  I'm told it's just "female trouble" and I should try to relax more.  I'm still frustrated by that.  There's got to be an easier way for a woman to live, you know?  I know I'm getting older, but come on!

My pubic hair turns white overnight.  Just call me "gray bush" now.  It's weird.

May 2007 

Start the month getting stalked for a short while by a guy who won't stop bugging me about a mutual dead friend.  After I contact the police, he stops asking stupid questions.

We get a thunderstorm for Beltaine!

I become obsessed with finding the perfect GREEN nail polish color -- why was that so important? I had much more serious things to get concerned with, but, hey, it's the little things that distract us from what upsets us that become important sometimes.

A month later, I find out I got a urinary tract infection and it takes a long while to clear up.

I finally move out of the basement apartment.

I move in temporarily with my brother in his new apartment.  It is the start of a very stressful summer.

June 2007

The nephews get new bunk beds and I end up spending more time with them since my brother has them over for several weeks.  The summer is stressful, but we try to have as much fun as we can.

We get a big, bad tornado storm breezing through town.
A secret admirer reveals himself to me but I remain unimpressed with him.  I still feel sorry for his ass, yet he just approached me in so many ways of wrong.  Even if he had been more attractive, it was his attitude that really got me frustrated.  I did what I could to make him feel like I did pay him some attention, but eventually I had to turn him down the hard way.  If only some people in my life would've done that with me... maybe I would have less bad memories about finding love myself.

I may be out of the basement, but not all of my stuff is.  Packing exhausts me.  Isn't there an easier way to move? 

I get the "green light" for my disability claim, but have to jump through a few more hoops to get it.

I spend the Summer Solstice with my family at Schmeeckle Reserve.
On the 29th, I finally finish my month-long move out of the basement apartment.  Everything stays in storage for at least another six months, even well after I find a new apartment.

July 2007

I am thrilled to be asked to be someone's BRIDESMAID! It is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It keeps me smiling all summer long. I go to bed with visions of bridal gowns and flowers in my head. This must mean I really am a girl!

Since I am staying with my brother, he asks me to help out with cooking and cleaning.  I have fun planning meals, but Mark thinks I made too big of a deal about it on Mindsay after I ask folks for some cooking help. Why do some people make a big deal out of the fact that I like to talk about them on my blog?  I didn't think it was that much of something to fuss over.  Mark later changes his attitude as often as he changes his moods.  Living with family is not easy!

I think fondly back on the times I made a supplemental income as a pyschic reader -- but just because I'm a so called "psychic" doesn't mean I can't be skeptical. 

For blog post #666, I post about the number #777! 

While living with my brother is intense, at least I had access to his satellite TV and enjoyed watching many of my favorite artists play at the Live Earth Concerts for a climate in crisis. It got me nostalgic for the Live Aid concerts held during the mid 80's!

When James Gunn ranted over Scott Adams' comments about horror movie fans, I couldn't help but chime in with a rant of my own because us horror fans aren't all psychos, you know.

I have to go to court to defend myself.  It was quite the ordeal because I'm mentally ill and had no one to accompany me.  I end up going to the wrong court in any case.  So, go figure.  I lost.
I flirt with the idea of trying out for the Next Elvira contest, only to find out that FOX is only looking for Elvira clones. Oh, well.

I spend a magical Friday the 13th downtown on my lonesome. 

I have a great time seeing and reviewing Harry Potter movie #5!
The month ends on a creepy, morbid note when I witness a girl get hit by a car. I still don't know if she survived. I'll never forget what I saw that night.
My favorite bra goes missing and is found in a weird place in my brother's bathroom crunched up next to the wall. Funny how things happen like that.

August 2007

I ring in Lughnasadh trying to get over a severe chest cold. My brother ends up sicker than I and thus begins even more stressful times in the apartment. But as long as I have faith in my Gods, I endure.
My aunt Vivian dies just before the Washington Bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I panic over the possible loss of friends there. Everyone contacts me in record time. I worry I may have to travel to Vivian's funeral, but her wishes are to not have one because she didn't want everyone to remember her dead. I recall my last conversation with her at my uncle Orly's funeral the year previous. I'm still a tad stunned.
I spend most of the month frightened about NOT finding an apartment and can't help but feel like a burden to my poor brother who is also stuck in the apartment suffering from a collapsed lung. Me being there soon turns into less of a burden since he's sick and can't get out of the house to do anything.
In my never ending quest to find assistance for my mental illness, I run into a lot of snags. Apparently my disability isn't enough of a disability to warrant Portage County help.
Living with my brother becomes more stressful and unhealthy. I almost have to call the authorities on Mark. It's hard to live with a family member who has the delusion that you're nothing but a bad and selfish person who stands in the way of his happiness. I begin counseling sessions to deal with his and my mood disorders.

I make an antique photo look brand new! This makes me want to do more photos like that, but am dismayed when my friend Miya makes the observation that the woman I "made over" in the photo looks too much like a female version of our old friend, Andrew!
I finally recieve my first disability check.  Yay.
On the 28th, I discover I can now eat a Peanut Butter Cup like the King.

September 2007

I stand up at Damien and Jenn's wedding -- it was killer!!! This was such a wonderful weekend. Like it happened just yesterday. I can close my eyes and still see them in front of me looking so pretty and deliriously happy. Of course I wept!

I get really upset at Miya for leaving Mindsay only because I enjoyed her character Sebastiana so much and that Mindsay does seem to be the one favorite forum of mine to be in contact with her. Sure, I got over it, but then I started to think about other people who have quit Mindsay... and I just got really emotional, bad emotional. I still wish there was a way to just have one blog for everyone I know to let read and respond to, you know? Oh, well.
I FINALLY FIND A NEW PLACE TO LIVE! It was like a miracle happening just when I most needed it and was about to lose hope. My brother, of all people, predicted it. He kept threatening me with "just a few more days, Val, and you'll be out of here..." Then when I got the apartment, he had to be the one to say "I told you so."
My new home comes with some quirks because I live right next to a nature reserve and don't have a bed.
A quick tour of my new apartment!

October 2007

I start the month off right by getting some new furniture for my home. Yay! No more sore back from sleeping on a hard cement floor.
During Harvest Fest in downtown Stevens Point, I volunteered at Dala's store only to somehow have made some girl cry after I told her to turn off her cell phone. I've never made anyone cry over something so ridiculous before!
I take pride in decorating my bedroom the way I've always wanted to.
Out of boredom, or out of extreme loneliness, I experiment with my digital camera again and do a study of my face with a sheer veil. My obsession with my own image never seems to end.
I take a stand up for people who need emotional assistance animals.
Trick or Treat was a blast with the brother figure and nephews! Now that I was no longer living with Mark, we got our brother-sister relationship back on track.
A look back at my Samhain divination makes me happy because not much has changed in regards to my fortune. I am still re-developing my confidence. It's there hidden under the bad memories of loves lost, but I'm gaining momentum.

November 2007

I begin this month suffering from acute seasonal depression and my medication is increased.  I also attempt to start getting up more often in the early morning!

With the purchase of TWIN PEAKS I finally break my almost year long artist block.  I still have to pop in the dvds just to get myself pumped up to draw and paint... I can now say I'm finishing the comic book I was supposed to publish this year and mean it.
I finally finish a painting I started five years ago. It is met with some nice comments from friends and browsers.
I shamelessly respond to a sour puss guy's lament over a girl he couldn't date. This is how I sometimes begin stories. I start to read in between the lines of someone else's bad poetry.
I create more FAIRY GODMOTHERS and hope that my agent helps me get the things published as a silly card deck. *FINGERS CROSSED*  I may need another writer to help me with it... I begin to search for collaborators only to realize maybe I should just rely on myself for a while longer. 

December 2007

My artist block is further destroyed when I finally finish my Mlle. Lenormand Fortune Cards. I expect to recieve lots of nicely written rejection letters from publishers. My playing cards not typical. I'm now hard at work on an accompanying book.
I reveal my love affair with an Argus Monitor lizard and try to visit the creature at least once a week. It really is my favorite dragon.
The first in a series of BIG ASS SNOW STORMS hits north central Wisconsin and that means I'm developing cabin fever early this winter.

I attempt to answer every horror fan's favorite mystery: Do the Undead Poo?
For some stupid reason I start to remember ONLY the bad experiences of my comic strip editor past after I encounter a face from that past. Will I ever grow out of that? It wasn't all bad, but I had to vent about it now ten years later.
I later realize I am to blame for opening old wounds.
Near month's end I discover a waist-high snow drift outside my door. You know it's bad out when you can't even get out of the house, let alone get back in after a deep snowfall!