Most people drink matcha with milk and sugar because, let’s be honest, matcha on its own can taste like you’re politely sipping lawn clippings. Alexis, however, was drinking it straight—no milk, no sugar, just pure, unfiltered matcha bravery. I watched this for a bit before finally telling her she could, in fact, make a latte out of it like a normal, joy-seeking human. So she added milk. Revolutionary. A truly pivotal moment in her matcha journey. Speaking of things witnessed at home,
Why does Alex need to be so loud in the living room? I’m sitting here with my noise-cancelling headphones on, and I can still hear him. At this point, I’m not sure if he’s talking, announcing something to the neighborhood, or auditioning to be a town crier.
Does he feel like he isn’t being heard? Is this a cry for help? Or does he simply want to speak at a volume suitable for people in three rooms away and possibly outside? I mean, I’m not even in the same room, Alex. The walls didn’t consent to this conversation either.
I’m not confrontational by any means, but I may have to go in there and politely request that he shut up. Or at least keep it at a volume where I can’t hear him from a few doors down, which, honestly, should not be a difficult task considering that I’m deaf. If I can hear you from across the house while wearing no hearing aids and I have my headphones on, the sound has officially crossed into “emergency siren” territory. At that point, it’s no longer noise; it’s a public service announcement.
I’m reading.
Well… attempting to read my cybersecurity book.
By “reading,” I mean staring at the same three sentences over and over again while my brain politely refuses to absorb any of it. I’ll get halfway through a paragraph, realize I have no idea what I just read, and start again like it’s the first time we’ve ever met. We are not bonding.
I think the problem is that my eyes are doing the work, but my brain has wandered off to think about literally anything else. Snacks. Cats. The concept of time. Alex being loud. Definitely not encryption.
So maybe the solution is to write down some key terms. You know, trick my brain into thinking this is important information worth keeping. If I physically write it down, there’s at least a chance it’ll stick… or at the very least, I’ll have notes proving that I tried.
To top everything off, Sandy and O’Malley have decided that now is the perfect time for full-contact parkour. They’re chasing each other at top speed and, of course, both launched themselves onto my desk. My desk. The broken one. The desk that can barely support a notebook and a mild breeze, let alone two chaotic cats fueled by pure mischief.
The second they landed, the whole desk started shaking as if it were auditioning for a low-budget earthquake documentary. Instant panic. My anxiety didn’t just rise; it took flight, packed a bag, and left the atmosphere entirely.
And yes, I did shut the door in an attempt to contain the chaos. Unfortunately, our office door doesn’t actually believe in being shut. It’s more of a suggestion. One gentle push and the cats are back, the desk is trembling, and I’m just sitting here wondering if today is the day my workspace finally gives up and collapses under feline pressure.
On Saturday, we went over to a friend’s house and played board games. It was fun, even though I wasn’t feeling my best. I’d been anxious and sleepy pretty much all day, which put a bit of a haze over everything. Still, it was nice to get out and spend time with friends.
Sunday morning felt much the same at first, but by the afternoon, I finally started to feel more like myself. Tommy, Chris, and Alex went bowling and then set out on the very important quest of finding a desk for Chris. They returned… with pizza. Priorities. Later on, we attempted to beat the Lord of the Rings board game once again. We did not succeed. Middle-earth remains undefeated, but we’ll get it next time. Probably.
After that, Tommy and I headed out to his hockey game. He played really well.
I turned on some music, which means I can no longer hear anyone outside the room. This also means I am now dancing in my chair and dramatically singing along to Spotify like I’m performing a private concert that absolutely no one asked for.
Sigh. Today isn’t going quite how I wanted it to, but honestly? I’m still enjoying it. If you can sing badly and dance poorly and still feel okay, I think that counts as a win. Lol.
Alright, I’m off to get some lunch, because every emotional reset starts with food, and then I’ll be back to studying, refreshed, re-centered, and possibly still humming whatever song refuses to leave my head.
Ok, I caved and had a slice of leftover pizza. I didn’t feel like making anything fancy, so I chose the path of least resistance. Sometimes, survival food is the correct choice.
Now it’s back to studying. I don’t usually last very long with the door shut (I like knowing what chaos is happening in the rest of the house), but the quiet is very tempting today. So for now, the door stays closed, the world is muted, and I’m pretending I live alone in a peaceful library. Let’s see how long this lasts.
I took a short break from studying and finally put the laundry away. I just wanted it off my mental to-do list so I could stop thinking about it every five minutes. After that, I got back to reading, took some notes, and went down a small research rabbit hole on encryption, because one question always seems to lead to three more.
I made myself some hot tea and kept reading, which helped slow things down a bit and made the studying feel less chaotic. Dinner was a mystery for a while. I thought I knew what it was going to be, but I wasn’t completely sure, until I asked Tommy if we were having pulled pork. Turns out, yes. I had a feeling, mostly because I’d already spotted it lurking in the fridge earlier.
The house also felt unusually quiet, which explained itself pretty quickly: Alex had fallen asleep in the living room. That rare moment of calm makes so much more sense now. I think I’ll make myself another cup of hot tea and just relax for a bit before it’s time to start dinner.
