To be honest, I sort of forgot about my website. Life got busy, and updating it wasn't anywhere near the top of my list.
A lot has happened since my last post on October 13, 2021. I moved from my apartment in Norcross to a rental home in Lawrenceville, GA at the beginning of December 2021. It was a great two-story house with plenty of room. I didn't love going up and down stairs, but overall it was a comfortable place with a bit of a country feel despite being in a subdivision. I found several really good restaurants in the area and enjoyed how convenient everything was.
In January, my niece was killed in a car accident, and that set off a chain of events that became one of the hardest experiences of my life. I agreed to return to north Georgia to help take care of my mother. For context, my stepdad had passed away the previous year due to COVID-19, and my half-sisters had been taking care of my mom until she ran them off. That side of the family has been dysfunctional for as long as I can remember. It's the main reason I stayed away from the drama for so many years. That situation finally drove the last nail in the coffin, and I made a vow to never be involved with them again.
In February 2022, I was able to get out of my rental agreement and move back to north Georgia. I moved in with my mom, and the first few weeks went smoothly — everything was going according to plan and as promised. The homestead had been neglected and needed a lot of work. The small lake on the property was overrun by beavers, the water level was spilling over the dam, and the swamp areas above the lake were a mess. I started tearing down beaver dams and removing the beavers. It was challenging but honestly a bit fun. Many days I was up before sunrise, sitting in the cold and rain until after sunset trying to catch them out and about. I also rented equipment to remove trees my mom insisted needed to be taken down, and I worked on other repairs whenever I wasn't working my job — thankfully fully remote, which made the move possible.
By mid-March, things started turning bad. Drama began creeping back in, pulling me into situations I wanted nothing to do with. As time went on, more family members got involved, and with them came full-blown chaos. I packed up everything I could and removed myself from the situation. It was a couple of weeks of absolute hell. I ended up living in a hotel for a week while waiting for an apartment to become available.
I'm extremely thankful for a few friends — and a couple who became friends during that time — who helped me get my belongings out, into storage, and who offered advice and support. They were truly a God-send and answered prayers during a very dark time.
In mid-April, I moved into my new apartment. Even though I was away from the drama, I still lived with the fear of what they might try next — more trouble, more stress, more attempts to disrupt my life. It took a few weeks before I finally began to feel peace again, to feel free from it all, and to start enjoying life.
I settled into the new place, found some great restaurants, and built a list of favorites I visit weekly. Some might say I eat out too much, but I enjoy getting out and exploring. I've found what I believe to be the best BBQ, steak, hibachi, sushi, Mexican, and Italian restaurants within a 20-mile radius. I also spent a Sunday sightseeing and took the Incline Railway again — always a classic experience. I drove down to the Mountain Cove Farms area and enjoyed the scenery along Lookout Mountain. Unfortunately, Mountain Cove Farms itself wasn't in the best condition and looked like it may not be around much longer.
In June, I finally completed what began as a six-month contract that turned into almost four years with a company in Atlanta. I loved every minute of rewriting a 20-year-old application for them — an experience I'll never forget. I found a new fully remote position with a company in Woodstock, GA, and I'm grateful it came without a long period of unemployment.
That catches things up for now. I'll try to get back to posting on a more regular schedule. Have a joyful life, and always walk with God.