Best posts made by Auspice

Been out of work a week and a half.
Got an interview lined up for tomorrow.
Some of the tightness in my chest has eased up a little.

Through the Lady Geeks of Austin, I met a gal and her husband and get along with them great (I've mentioned them here before). One reason why I enjoy hanging out with them is that the husband has fibro and his symptoms are very similar to mine. Which means that their house is a bit warmer than average (he actually prefers things warmer than I do, but they cool it down a bit from what they keep it at when it's just them for company) and if I need to take things slow/easy, they have a total understanding.

Heck, she had a major surgery that means she has an understanding of the abdominal issues I have (not an exact understanding, but enough of one). It's just nice. It's nice to not only have made friends who I have so much in common with (from board games to hobbies to movies), but ones that get the limitations.

Last night I went to a game night at their house and it was, other than a grocery run, the first time I've left my apartment in three weeks. (yay agoraphobia flare ups!) I had a really great time, their friends (I'd met all but one previously which helped, mind!) are lovely, and I look forward to the next time. I've already mentally picked out a few of my games (that I verified they don't have) to bring along.

Watching other pro gamers start voicing support for Hong Kong and more canceling their Blizzard subscriptions is pretty great.

I'm guessing Blizzard did not expect such an immediate response on this scale.

The answer to freedom of speech is not 'sorry we prefer foreign money'. Americans are pretty vocal about that sort of thing.

Because if ever we needed it, it's now.

I need luck. All the luck. Billions of luck.

Interviewed for a job this week and it'd be really, really good. It'd be technical writing for a renewable energy company (they build wind farms but they also empower the landowners vs. retaining control/ownership/most of the money like most of the companies building them rn) with a team of writers who are all big geeks (one of the questions in my interview yesterday was 'Who is your favorite fantasy author?' and we went off talking books for a good ten minutes).

The bossman seems to honestly, truly care about the well-being of his team and strikes me as someone I'd really want to work for.

I mean, yes, I need a job -- any job -- but this one would be amazing. They're considering 3 people and have 1, MAYBE 2 spots. So my chances are pretty good, but any well-wishes, prayers, sacrifices to the blood god are welcome.

and then you get the depressives with the call of the void

and putting your hand on that hot stove is actually more alluring than getting shit done.

So I've been in a drug study for a medication for fatty liver disease (https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/terns-pharmaceuticals-announces-safety-and-pharmacodynamic-results-of-a-phase-1-clinical-trial-of-tern-101-a-liver-selective-fxr-agonist-in-development-for-the-treatment-of-nash/).

I must be on the medication itself. My liver enzymes were actually almost too high to qualify at the start of the study, but I got accepted in.

The nurse that I see for it told me yesterday that as of my bloodwork two weeks ago, my liver enzymes are normal. So I must be on the actual medication and it is working. Without any side effects (for me at least but overall the drug has limited side effects from what I read in the initial paperwork).

This is super good news, esp for someone who has other complications that lead to struggling with weight-loss (hypothyroid and pcos).

So... White Wolf recently hired Zak S. to write for them.

If you're not familiar with this guy and his "ew girls don't belong in games" style of sexism, here's some reading material (more easily found via Google).

Anyway. A good friend who is in the gaming industry (she's worked for SOE, Green Ronin, is now working for Mayfair Games to be the big marketing / Con person for Catan, runs her own tabletop gamng con) encouraged people to contact White Wolf about this.

I decided I would, because... shit. They've got enough issues. And hiring a guy who is a known problem in the industry is just lame. My argument was that a large part of their fanbase is female and this guy won't be helping. And, hey, there's awesome female (or LGBT, or POCs, etc) writers out there that would probably love to work for them. ...including myself.

...I've been asked to send over my writing portfolio. Which... I just happen to have been working on getting a solid one up and running.

So not a guarantee, but hey. Maybe something awesome will come of this.

I would actually like to share, re: weight...

I lost about 30lbs since last fall. Which isn't a lot for some of you, but for me it is. I have a lot working against me in the weight loss dept. Hypothyroidism and PCOS (both, for women, make losing weight incredibly difficult), along with fibromyalgia and issues in my knees and hips to where I'm basically not supposed to do the 'basic' exercises like... walking extensively.

My body builds muscle too easily. As in... it'll pull ligaments sometimes because muscle growth/tightness.

Anyway! So! Weight loss? Not easy! That 30 pounds was hard won! And pretty awesome for me. And then I spent 2.5 weeks traveling. Where I ate out a lot. And... drank sodas again. So I got back from that and on Monday, at urgent care (since I've been sick), set foot on a scale. Totally feared how much I'd gained back.

...not a pound. Not one. I guess maybe the eating smaller portions in all that eating out + how active I was while I was traveling helped keep the weight off.

Just signed all the paperwork on the apartment! It's confirmed!

Setting up the account for the electric now. And have a query in with my current renter's insurance to see if they can transfer over or if I need to find a new one (let's hope for the former; it's easier).

See title.

Now I work.