Hello, Mortals.

Hello to anyone watching, or reading this journal entry. I've been away for quite a while, quite so, that I forgot my password, haha. I do know that it was some time before FWA '22, so around April or May before I went ghost. Over the past year and months, I have experienced a lot of things, some of them were positive, and some were negative. Regardless, I'll be sharing it with everyone.

1. New Job(s). So several years ago, I had made a journal labeled "NEW JOB, NEW LIFE, NEW ME", talking about me leaving my old retail job to work another job related to my career field. Even though this is true, and the experience and knowledge that I gain from it got me to where I am now, it was a rough journey, especially my previous job. I started off working at a company-owned tire shop for about two years, then left due to terrible management issues and being short staff. Afterwards, I went to another tire shop for about six months, and ended up quitting due to a lot of stress and issues it was giving me. Fortunately for me, I manage to bump into a technician from a dealership that was looking to hire, and even though I didn't feel prepared or qualified for the position, I ended up applying for it, and got hired shortly afterwards. I was really happy and proud at the time. I had finally accomplished a goal, I'm working in the big leagues! But that joyful moment was quickly diminished as I worked there for the next twelve months of my life, and learned that this company is horrible. The quality of the cars are terrible, sales and management was dishonest and shady, job training was frustrating and very limited, and the pay was humiliating. (I can go on all day talking about it, but I'm going to move on). So, twelve months later, it's 2023, and I applied and got hired at another dealership. I put in my two weeks, I got begged to stay by management, and eventually left to go to my next dealership, the one I am currently at now. It's been a few months, but I am enjoying my new job. It's still a lot of hard work, and can be overwhelming at times, but it's something that I enjoy and want to improve on.

2. FWA, 2022 & 2023. FWA was my first furry convention to go to, a goal that I have had since I was a teenager. Words cannot describe the amount of emotions that I went through during my time there, especially after all the drama and covid lockdowns that we've been through. The room parties, the board games, the video games area, making new friends, meeting fursuiters, the SFW/NSFW room panels, the dance competition, and exploring the city of Atlanta. From the lady at Waffle House calling my sona a DOG (I STILL REMEMBER YOU), to waiting 20+ minutes to use the elevator! Everything, was, AMAZING. FWA 2022 has a special place in my heart, and I'll never forget it! FWA '23 was a blast too, and it also inspired me to start saving up for a fursuit one day. I had to make some sacrifices, but the results will pay off soon.

3. Housing Situation. My grandmother passed away in recent years, and because of this, my grandfather hasn't been taking good care of himself. It started to affect him mentally so much that he wouldn't eat, and got very depressed. We've made a decision to put him into a senior care center, and me and another relative will move into the house, and take ownership of it until we can decide what to do with it. This was a big learning curve for us because; we are both young, we both have new responsibilities to adapt to, and we didn't have well-paying jobs. Eventually, my relative ended up going back to their family house, and so, I remained in the house by myself. It's been a struggle, especially when I was working my last job. I was losing more than money than what I was earning. My new job has helped me with this burden a good bit though. House ownership is tough, if only they had taught me this in school, haha. Anyway, my grandfather has recovered a while ago, and is back to his old self again. He comes and visits every now and then to check up and make sure I'm not suffering.

4. Car Maintenances. Oh Lord, this one was a doozy. If you're going to get a German car, make sure you know what you're getting yourself into, cause those cars can really break your wallet. I was able to fix my car by myself, but it costed me an arm and a leg. Last year, the coolant inlet hose on my car was leaking coolant and needed to be replaced. Simple, right? And it was, until it wasn't. BMWs are known for their overuse of bio-degradable plastic in their cars, and I ended up being too rough on my coolant hose due it being seized onto my radiator inlet, causing it to crack, tear, and brittle. What was suppose to be a 60$ job, turned into me spending over 800$ for a factory radiator, coolant hoses, and coolant. OUCH. I felt that, my wallet felt that, and my FWA spending allowance felt that too. Yeah, it happened a few months before FWA '22, not fun.

So, with all of this and that happening, it was difficult for me to get back onto this platform. I was being very stingy with my finances, and I couldn't spare any money aside to buy art commissions as it would go into bills and groceries and such. But things are starting to change for the better now, and I have a healthy and positive mindset for the future times to come. I'll be getting back into commissions soon. :)