Wow! In my last blog, I wrote how the world was a madhouse. While the world opens up again, sloowwwllyyy, from Covid, what’s happening now in the US is madness and I worry for my many friends down South. It’s understandable why things are happening as they are now. It’s been a powder-keg waiting to happen. A long history of atrocities have happened, and people didn’t listen, well, the people in power didn’t listen. Sadly, with having the useless (well, useless would mean he’s not doing anything. He’s actually doing the opposite by encouraging racism and violence) current US dictator in place, people feeling cooped up, loss of jobs, and deaths, all due from Covid, then add a horrible, unjustifiable death by a police officer, and I’m not surprised to see and read what’s happening South of the border from me.  

In my last blog, I said I was reading the news hourly. These days I have to admit that I have been avoiding a lot of social media, and news. I am following, but it’s devastating. I am happy to see people rallying for human equality that doesn’t exist. I’m surprised that this hasn’t happened sooner.  

Anyway, I am not trying to make light of the situations currently happening in the world, but as I have already stated, you can get those views and opinions from millions of other sources. I will generally try to stay away from politics. This blog is meant for my mental and physical improvement and growth, and I hope to inspire, entertain, or at least amuse those who choose to follow me. 

Okay, so the reason why this blog is soooo late in coming out. Well, let me explain my blog title, and then it will all make sense. 

Have you ever felt you were on a wild horse that seems to have huffed a bunch of cocaine, along with slugging back few bottles of whiskey, and decided to chase all the moose, deer, or jackalopes it can see, or thinks it sees in its hallucinogenic state. And as much as you yelled, “Whoa there Betsy!!! Slow down…or at least stay in one direction!!!”? No, hmm I think most of you have. I can’t be the only one. So I will assume you know what I’m relating to. And why do people always call made up horses (or cows) “Betsy”????

Sad, super-stoned, and drunken Betsy!

Ok, so let me explain why I was feeling this way. Like many people I’ve talked to, we have been enjoying, or at least taking advantage of, the extra time while we are either not working, or working from home etc. and/or maintaining our social distancing/isolation protocols. I’ve heard many people tell me they are happy to be plowing through their “Covid to-do lists” (some more grudgingly than others!). They are taking care of all of those projects, repairs, crafts, etc. that they have been putting off due the chaos of our normal lives. Or simply procrastinated on all these years, and suddenly you have no excuses to procrastinate anymore. I have read so many of my friends social media posts proudly showing off their new crafts, paintings, backyards, decks, fish ponds (I love koi!), etc.

This is all fantastic! They are keeping busy, learning things, practicing and improving our homes and lives. Sadly, compared to the proactive / motivated slug I wrote about last time, I was suddenly feeling like I was on this crazy, coked-out horse barrelling across the lands without direction. It’s totally my fault, I looked around me and I had 6 books started (it’s normal for me to have a couple of books at once that have different themes), I was doing daily Spanish lesson on Duolingo, had a painting partially started, some short stories in early draft mode, my hand drumming lessons sitting beside my Djembe, and my full electric drum kit dusted off, and my next lessons prepped. Also, while previously cleaning my office/art room (AKA my temporary station for my work from home office), I found some old craft kits that I had never tried. So of course, I asked our friend who’s spending Covid with us, if she would like to try my “Make a Mummy“ educational craft kit with me. It’s an “Amazing Mummies Art & History Kit” from the Educational Design Company, done by Caleb Crowell. It’s for ages 10 and up, so we thought we would get this done in a day or two. Let’s just say that we had craft supplies everywhere as we did it up full on! AND THEN … my first subscription box from the company “Hunt a Killer” subscription arrived, and we had it torn open, with extreme enthusiasm, all over the kitchen table discussing the best way to organize our files, and the soon to be “murder board”. Are you exhausted and maybe a bit stressed reading that, because I am just writing about it. 

So, I did a forced slow down, somewhat. I came to grips that my goal of getting back to daily drum practicing, dog walking, painting, etc., won’t always happen and that I needed to decide what I was going to focus my time on. I still had to walk the new puppy, and my emo husky who has learned so well that she can make me cry with her sad eye expressions. So I only have so much time, and depending on the days, so much energy, both brain and body. I envy some of the projects I’ve seen people doing. But, I have to keep reminding myself that I have to go day by day, and that I’m still healing, and may never be the superwoman I used to be. Ugh, gulp, that’s still never going to be easy to state.

So I’m proud to say we have already figured out what the murder weapon was, while successfully ruling out one suspect in our murder investigation. Our files are organized, and although our murder board is blank, we have the red yarn ready to use when the third package shows up. 

I am also happy to say that we have properly re-mummified our great ancestor Am-hotep. He is newly wrapped, blessed, and has a new sarcophagus. But I have decided that the silly chaos from this craft will be in my next blog. It originally was my goal for this blog, but when I realized how insane I had made things around me, I had to pause, and realize that maybe this is what I was supposed to write about this time instead. 

So enjoy your crafts, your home improvements, and do all the things that make you happy, but just try not doing them all at the same time!

TV/Movies:  Well, I did manage to take some forced downtime to stop and let my brain shut down. I have almost finished watching the latest season of “The Crown,” and I enjoyed the second season of “Altered Carbon”. The only movie I have watched recently was “Victoria and Abdul,” and it was fantastic. Judy Dench as Queen Victoria was wonderful. It’s a semi-true story and a beautiful break from our mundane lives. I highly recommend it. 

Reading: I had to hold off reading “Little Brother” by Cory Doctorow until I finished a few others. I’ve been addicted to a fun series by Stephanie Hudson. I discovered one of her books as a free e-pub on bookbub. I will fully admit, I’m addicted to paranormal romance books, especially with vampires. I went through 5 of her books in the “Transfusion Saga” since my last blog. I then realized that there were lots of other books in a series on characters from the Afterlife Saga that came before this series, so I guess I have some fluffy reading for the near future.  
 Podcasts: I still managed to listen to many of the Risk! podcasts. I started listening to them on the nights while I was making dinner. 

Music: We always have music on in this house, lately it seems that Tool and Puscifer have been playing almost non-stop. And, that’s easy to do as we have Sonos speakers all over the house and they simply keep playing on repeat. I still throw on Pink, or my constant love, David Bowie, when I want some happier dance music. 

As always, please leave me a message / comment. Or feel free to email at drunkenraccoon@icloud.com. 

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