Where have I been?
As I am sure many of you have noticed, I have been absent quite a bit recently. I feel I need to give everyone an update. These past several months, probably dating back to Thanksgiving time, I have been struggling immensely with back issues once again. In November of 2022, I had back surgery on my L5-S1 vertebra to decompress the Sciatic Nerve. While it was temporarily successful, it has not been long-lasting whatsoever. Pair that with another herniated disc at the L4-L5 region (that wasn't operated on and now giving me issues), to say that I am dealing with a constant uncomfortable lifestyle is an understatement.
I have missed a ton of work lately, and that is on top of going down to part-time status late last year. Thankfully I have a very understanding employer, but I feel terrible because I haven't been able to give them the time and attention they need, or deserve from me. Messaging my boss to tell her "I'm not coming in today" has been a steady event for close to two months now.
As you can probably imagine, this has taxed me financially. I've had to take drastic measures just to survive, but I am also so thankful for my Fiance Kayla who has been so supportive of me. I've tried a few different work-from-home positions, including a seasonal stint with LL Bean, but they couldn't give me the hours I needed, so I had to drop that gig.
Recently, in the absence of being able to go to work, I reached out on "the socials" to see if there were any legit work-from-home gigs I could potentially do, without being scammed. I had a friend reach out and ask me how my writing was. I responded to her, and she pointed me toward a blog-writing service geared toward the auto industry. I was big into the car scene when I was younger, modifying three vehicles over the course of a few decades, so this seemed like it could be a good fit for me. It started with a 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier, then progressed to a 2007 Mazda3, and finally my 2015 Subaru WRX, my first-ever turbocharged vehicle. I traded that WRX in for a more practical and much-needed 2022 Nissan Frontier truck -- my first ever brand NEW vehicle that I had ever purchased. Sorry for the tangent, I just figured this info gave a bit more relevant detail.
The automotive blog writing is going fairly well. I'm paid by the article and paid weekly. I'm doing all of this while awaiting a decision on Maine State Disability, which I applied for back in April of 2024. It is an extremely long process and one that I may not win, but after suffering from back issues for over half of my lifespan, and extensive chats with family members, I decided to apply for it. I believe the statistic for acceptance the first time around is roughly 35% (in the State of Maine), so chances are I will not be accepted, however, I have the option to appeal, and I'll most likely plan on doing so. I had a State medical examination completed for the Disability system on January 30th of this year, and now I am just awaiting a final review, which the Doctor told me could take another 1-2 months before a decision has been made.
Because of all the pain I have been experiencing, it has kept me away from getting behind the lens and producing new material for my fans, and I truly apologize for that. I am happiest behind the lens, out in nature, and my goal is to get back out there as soon as humanly possible, but my body is telling me otherwise right now, and my number one priority is self-care at this point.
If you have made it this far, I thank you. Please know that I appreciate you, and I hope to get back out there sometime in the future and start producing new work for all of you. I hope to get some new content and do some fairs and markets this Spring/Summer, but only time will tell.
PS - The above cover photo was after a rather large snowstorm. I had driven home from work, and there was approximately a 4 ft snowbank at the end of my driveway. I gunned it and plowed through with my WRX, and this was the resulting photograph. I felt it was a fitting image for the context of this blog post.
