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some life updates, and my fav podcast

hi friends.

HAPPY PRIDE!

i’ve been gone for a while! and that’s because I’ve had a lot of life things going on. ALL GOOD THINGS, but a lot of life changes and things that have taken my time.

THE BIGGEST THING: I moved.

that’s right. I moved into a new apartment, in a new city, but still the same area. I’m now like 20 minutes away from milwaukee, which was a HUGE change. i’ve lived in milwaukee since I moved here for school in 2006. Since then I have lived in only 4 neighborhoods, and four places (1 dormroom, 3 apartments). I HATE moving and will avoid it as long as I possibly can.

i LOVED my last apartment. It was a great 1 bedroom, with incredibly high ceilings, a lofty vibe, in a great location, in a well maintained building with lovely staff. I felt safe there, almost never heard my neighbors, had a great view, parking, and everything a girl could want. my mail/packages were never stolen, and they had little carts you could use to haul up your groceries or whatever you wanted. there was plenty within walking distance, AND they magically didn’t raise my rent for two years. it was GREAT. I would have probably stayed there for several more years, unless they raised my rent too much or something crazy happened.

BUT, my boyfriend and I decided to move in together, and he has a kid who is with him 50% of the time. (THATS RIGHT! I now live with a 5, almost 6 year old every other week!) While living in milwaukee’s gayborhood is the perfect place for a woman in her mid to late 30s, APPARENTLY kids need things like parks and places to run around. SO in march, we got the keys to a 3 bedroom apartment (not quite, but after spending my entire life in the city) in BUMFUCK NO WHERE.

i love the location, we are RIGHT on the lake, and have lake views from our living room, the office/craftroom, balcony, and his daugter’s bedroom, which is delightful. he and his kid love to get up early and watch the sunrise over the lake. i aint about that life, so I never see it, but I love watching the lake change colors throughout the day. and there are SO MANY BIRDS.

as an avid birder, i love sitting out, drinking coffee on our balcony with my merlin app on. just the other day, it caught 11 different kinds of birds flyin around in a 30 minute period. DELIGHTFUL. my most frequent sightings include red winged blackbirds, turkey vultures, killdeers, mourning doves, and the housesparrows who are constantly stopping by to grab a snack at our birdfeeder.

ALL THIS TO SAY, a lot of the crafts I’ve done recently, have been with said kid (who is adorable, kind, smart and just the best). AND i am still in the process of getting my craft room set up. WHEN IT IS SET UP, I WILL be crafting more, and also will post a NEW CRAFT ROOM TOUR.

OTHER IMPORTANT UPDATES/ a podcast rec!

I am an AVID podcast listener. not to brag, but ive been on the pod game longer than anyone else I know. i used to download episodes from the itunes store onto my ipod and listen to them in the studio back in art school.

i’ve been a pod fan since AT LEAST 2009, but probably before. (I’m guessing 2009 based on an email i wrote in to an old podcast called SEX IS FUN dated july 2009 to tell them about the horrifying experience i had when i accidentally went to a VERY catholic gyno who told me my birth control worked by giving me “mini abortions” every month, and that i should STRONGLY consider not having sex again ever, unless i get married. which LOLOL WHAT??? i wonder what that bitch is up to now… )

((ope, looks like she is still practicing but in delafield now. WOOF))

ANYWAY. ive listened to MANY MANY podcasts throughout the years, and even had the opportunity to be ON two of them myself (with the fab courtney kocak, who JUST SIGNED HER FIRST BOOK DEAL) and could give you recs of dozens of great pods, but HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME TO TELL YOU ABOUT ONE THATS REAL SPECIAL.

TEXT ME BACK

i first heard about text me back when it’s two hosts, long time best friends, Meagan Hatcher Mays and Lindy West, author of Shrill, a great book turned great TV show on hulu, and a handful of other, equally hilarious and thoughtful books, when they were the guests on ANOTHER great podcast, Normal Gossip. Meagan and Lindy were SO FUNNY on Normal Gossip, that i immediately looked up their pod and started listening.

and YALL? my life has never been the same.

lindy and meagan have been friends since highschool, and are now two fully grown ass adult women. the pod first started on KUOW, (i think) and has since gone independent. they are TWO BBWS (that’s big business women, for those in the know) DOIN IT THEIR WAY.

i cant tell yall how much i enjoy this podcast. it’s so funny. there isn’t really a theme or premise, other than two hilarious best friends, being hilarious best friends and inviting us on the journey. they have repeating segments like whatcha watchin, snake of the week, segment P.U.B.E.S, tidings, and a bunch more.

this podcast is my comfort podcast. i look forward to it EVERY THURSDAY, and am EVEN a PATREON MEMBER. which i feel says a lot now that EVERY PODCAST on the planet has some sort of subscription thing for you because the market is sooo saturated, and honestly? id like to be in charge of issuing licenses to anyone who wants to create a podcast because there are just SOOO MANY PEOPLE who DO NOT DESERVE TO HAVE ONE. but meagan and lindy are NOT those people. i’d gladly grant them a lifetime license to pod.

they’ve issued a call to action to tell your best friend about them. and since all yall areeeee basically my besties, I’M TELLING YOU.

if you like me even a little, you’ll do me a fav and subscribe to TEXT ME BACK on the podcast listening place of your choice.

also they recently launched a text me back substack, which you can follow here!

WHAT’S COMIN UP ON THE STACK

• paintin miniatures - warhammer, and my quest to find horny minis to paint.

• BEADS

• the craft of crying

• fun interviews

• AND MORE.

ok thanks bye love you.