charlatan psychic

I've decided to reboot this blog as a therapeutic space for myself. Not sharing on social media or anything, just sharing randomly on teh inter webs. because, depression. mild anxiety, but mostly depression. and maybe someone else will stumble onto this and not feel quite so alone. I'm still not super comfortable talking about my depression on social media. I'm going to talk about it here. I'm going to let it all out and maybe even find some answers. background: diagnosed with dysthymia after reaching my lowest point. currently on bupropion and sertraline. I belong to a Crossfit box and try to attend 3 days a week. OH yeah, i also have chronic migraines. my pain levels stay low but i get all the symptoms under the sun for days on end. strength training has become my go-to exercise because even on migraine days I do manage some light weights. I used to run, and i loved running. in my low depression I didn't run and it's much harder for me now. I got into...

A long time ago, in a land far, far away….. I created a cleaningschedule . Seriously. Me. I made a little monthly calendar and had household chores for me to do each weekday. I put that little calendar in a plastic sheet protector on my fridge and marked off the chores as I did them. It actually helped me keep my house a little neater than it was. Then I moved, and moved, and moved again. I need to do that all over. I don’t seem to have saved a copy of that cleaning schedule, but guess what? I blogged it!! So I can take the old schedule, tweak it to fit the needs of my new house and home, and get organized. (ha! Me? Organized?) I gotta make this happen. I will be working here. OH hey! Guess what! I got a job! I haven’t blogged. I know, bad blogger. I am only working part time, which means keeping my house clean shouldn’t be a struggle, right? I mean really, how much mess can 2 people make? I suppose, since it’s been so long since I posted, I owe you all an ...

I have to get something off my chest, and this won’t sit well with quite a few of my acquaintances and even some friends. However, it’s something I’ve thought long and hard about, and I think some of you will agree. I am not a mom.   Having pets does not make me a mom. I admit, I refer to myself as “mommy” and J as “daddy” when talking to my pets. I am willing to call myself a pet-parent, but I cannot equate that to being a mom of human children. So often these days, especially around Mother’s Day, you see everyone sending special well-wishes to pet-moms and saying, “You’re a mom, too, just with four-legged, furry kids!” They try to say that I’m just as much a mom as all those who’ve grown and birthed a human child, that I deserve to celebrate motherhood as well. Well, I disagree. I am not a mom. I did not go through pregnancy (the thought of which scares the shit out of me, honestly), I did not give birth. Yes, I adopted my pets from a shelter, but let’s be hones...

Today was my “Upping Your Metabolism” class, where I got my metabolic test results. The good news – my RMR has increased! I went from 1472 back in September to 1711 this month. I learned today that every pound of muscle could increase your RMR by 35-50 calories. So this means the strength training has been paying off, right? But then there’s my increased weight and body fat. Which probably, in the end, comes down to poor eating habits. Hello. My name is Charla and I’m a carb addict. Bread, pasta, potatoes, and don’t forget the cake and ice cream – I love all the stuff that’s bad for me.   I don’t eat enough fruits and veggies. I don’t drink enough water, lately.   As I type, I’m eating a bowl of pasta for lunch. Let’s focus on the positives. Today’s class felt better than the one I took back in September when I first did all this. The instructor seemed more knowledgeable, and like he actually wanted to be there, teaching us this stuff. He’s a former body ...

If you read my blog, you know I struggle with my weight and fitness. I’m struggling right now. The recent move didn’t go well for me physically speaking. Mentally, I’m doing great. But I put on weight that I had kept off for a while, and now I need to get it back off. To help me accomplish this, I will be using the Army Wellness Center. You might remember that J and I did a bunch of metabolic and fitness testing last year. This is the same thing. But with pictures. I went in for the metabolic and body composition tests. The metabolic is easy – you lie there for 15 minutes with a mask on your face and just breathe.   I don’t understand how it determines your metabolism, but it apparently does. I will get my results next week in the required nutrition class.   sexy, no? Next comes the dreaded BodPod. This thing looks like an escape pod from a spaceship. You have to wear very little – spandex shorts, no top for guys, sports bra for women, and a little nylo...

***warning to my friends with deployed husbands - I'm gonna get mushy about mine. I have been married for 8 years. Today is my 8 year anniversary. It's crazy. It doesn't feel like it's been that long. aw, so sweet So where were we 8 years ago? I was still at my insurance education editor job. J was a substitute teacher, and I don't remember if he was still at the gas station or not. I think I'd made him quit by then. That job made him angry. Anywho, we lived in a small 2 bedroom apartment. We somehow managed to pick what would be the hottest day of the year to get married on. Family and friends came to Kansas to celebrate with us. It was pretty damn cool. We were married July 23, then J left for Basic Training on August 19. I adopted Duke on August 24. That was the start of our family. Then I look at us now. I used to have plans to add some color accents to my simple wedding dress and wear it as a formal for military balls. NOPE! I lost weight a...