Thinking about the past...

I just saw in my "On This Day" feed on Facebook that today marks two years since my autism journey began! It was then that I had my first part of my assessment. Boy, does time fly.

I still remember the morning of my appointment. To make the day interesting, I discovered that I somehow had gotten a flat tire between the previous day and the current one! Luckily, my appointment want for a few hours. I went to the nearby auto shop and was able to get it plugged. Then, it was off to the doctor's office!

It seems like yesterday I was meeting with my psychologist as he asked me questions. Why I would like to be assessed for Asperger's? What was life lie for me growing up? He also provided me with a couple questionnaires to turn in on my next appointment: two for me to fill out and one for my parents to complete.

I had come prepared; I had brought along a document I had typed, which explained all of the reasons why I had concluded I was on the spectrum. I explained to him how it all started with finding a blog by an Aspie and then doing research. I talked about how this really hit home for me. I told him about how I was always a little different, how I didn't seem to connect with the other kids in early elementary school, and how I wasn't into the same things that "typical" girls were in middle and high school.

He then asked me about my special interests, and of course, we got into talking about Sonic the Hedgehog. Funny moment: he said, "Sonic, that's the groundhog, right?" Lol XD! "Hedgehog," I replied, and then proceeded to show him my Sonic keychain and wallet.

Shortly after, it came time for the appointment to end. I was sent on my way, and told when my next appointment would be. I then checked my tire, which still looked intact, and headed home. I excitedly told my family about my appointment, and how I was anxious to find answers.

I was grateful to have finally begun my quest for the missing piece: the reasons why I did some of the things I did and why I had some of the hurdles I did. It was in part a search for my identity; what made me ME. While always happy with who I was, I wanted to learn more about myself. I guess it's my passion for analyzing everything that had driven that :) Looking back, I'm glad everything fell into place the way it did!

I can do this.

Well, I've reached a decision. With how lethargic I've been feeling, added to the fact that my parents have been on me about my weight (they NEED to be), I've decided to set a goal for myself: I'm going to lose 20 pounds by my birthday. This gives me two months and 4 days. I plan to cut out fast food for a while, as it has been the bulk of my intake for a long time now, and instead, eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I'm going to do what I did the last time I lost weight before I fell off the horse: look at it as not a diet, but rather a lifestyle change. I need to go on the treadmill every day, and focus on eating the right foods. I can still have a treat here and there, and I'm not going to go overboard with counting calories or anything, but rather be MINDFUL of what I'm putting into my body. If I'm hungry, I'll reach for some carrots and dip rather than chips. I tried this a few years ago and it was really working for me. Follow-through has always been an issue for me, and it's something I need to push for and work on. I need to focus on ONE DAY AT A TIME, as small goals are far more tangible for me than long-term ones, which tend to overwhelm me and make me give up altogether. I can do this. I need to in order to maintain my health, while I still have youth on my side. I'm roughly 315lbs at the moment, so by March 30, I intend to be 295lbs. Wish me luck! :)

Yesterday was the 19th...you know what that means! :)

It's Wednesday, January 20th, which only means one thing: yesterday was the 19th! Yes, my one year and 10 month Aspieversary! Two months and it will be TWO YEARS since my diagnosis. Boy, does time fly!

What have I been doing in the autism community lately? I've submitted a story to NAMI and answered a few questions for NPR. A few months ago, I did an interview via Skype, telling a little bit about my experiences. I still continue to be active in my Facebook groups and My Autism Team. It's so regarding to connect to other autistics and parents alike.

What do I hope to achieve this year? I'd like to maybe do some more videos and submit more pieces of writing to The Mighty. I'd like to take things a step up and be a more active advocate. I want this to be a meaningful year.

As I think about all I've learned about myself and autism itself in the past almost two years, I reflect with a sense of enrichment. I've come a long way. I've met many, many wonderful people in the autism community. I hope this year brings many good things to come! :)

Once again, it's Christmas Eve Eve! :)

One year after posting a blog about it being Christmas Eve Eve, it has returned once again! Boy does times fly....this time I'd like to talk about my family's holiday traditions. Christmas time is always an exciting one!

First of all, on Christmas Eve, we go to mass: my parents, grandma, brother and myself. Then we have dinner at my house. My mom cooks a mean roast, with plenty of yummy sides. After that, we have dessert, and then talk and watch Christmas movies.

On Christmas morning, we open presents and then eat a good breakfast. My grandma makes us a coffee cake every year which is always an integral part of breakfast. Then we relax and watch movies until it's time to go to my grandma's house. We feast in a turkey dinner, and then it's round two of presents. We enjoy my grandma's cookies and share memories and stories. Typically, I stay at my grandma's house for the night, however it looks like I'm going to have to work my usual overnight this year.

Well, that's our Christmas in a nutshell! What are some of your traditions?

Christmas time is here!

Well, here we are, only 4 days away from Christmas! I can't wait. I've seen a lot of articles and stories about how to prepare for the holidays with autism. While they are all very insightful and informative, I'd like to talk about how things are from one autistic's point of view.

Even though I'm an Aspie, and we are stereotypically known to be "rigid" and not to like surprises, I'm the total opposite. I LOVE them! The break from routine. The time to relax and spend with family. The anticipation for Christmas morning. These are things I live for!

Many sources will tell you to try to keep things within routine and not to drift too far from the norm, so as to prevent stress and/or meltdowns. Not for me. I'm a very spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment kind of person. While I do like to stick to routines in SOME aspects, such as ordering the same foods at certain restaurants, and doing things the same way each time, if I were to have to do the same thing EVERY DAY, that would bore me! Part of the reason I look forward to the holidays is the break from all the monotony.

Another aspect of the holidays that many autistics will tell you that can be overwhelming is gathering with the family. Now, perhaps I've never experienced this because I come from a rather small family, and am not surrounded by hordes of people on Christmas Day, however I look forward to spending time with them. It's usually just my parents, my aunt and uncle, my cousin who lives in the area, my brother, and myself at my grandma's house. We all fit at the dining room table, and enjoy talking and sharing funny stories. I don't personally see anything overwhelming about that.

Now's the time for a disclaimer: my purpose for writing this was not at all to minimize anyone's experiences who do have a rough time with the holidays, but rather to show the point of view of just one autistic person out of many. It is possible to not have some of the stereotypical difficulties, yet still be autistic! It just goes to show you, that when you've met one autistic person, you've indeed met ONE autistic person! I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)

Happy December....or spring?

Today is December 1st. It's a balmy 45 degrees in Buffalo, NY, and is going to be in the 50s by the afternoon! I'm thankful for this alone :)

My cousin, her husband, and my newest baby cousin are in town from Florida! I finally got to meet the baby on Sunday. She's one of the happiest babies I've ever seen! It's nice to have them here during the holiday season.

In other news, my new LG G Watch came in from eBay. I just set it up, and I'm loving the different watchfaces. I like that it has a color screen, and that it syncs with the apps on my phone. I also installed a new ROM on my phone today, which is running very smoothly!

I'm getting into the Christmas spirit, and still in spring mode at the same time. This weather can keep it up! :)

What I've been up to...and a new phone

Well, I know it's been a while, so time for an update! Let's see...work has been going well for both jobs (and I'm off this week!), and life in general is same old same old. Except for one thing...my beloved, electronic baby has passed on and gone to a better place :'-(

As you probably know, this baby I'm talking about is my LG G4. It was perfectly fine, until on Friday, when I pulled it out of my pocket, and discovered it stuck on the splash screen. I tried booting into recovery (TWRP) to wipe and flash a newly downloaded ROM, however it froze. I kept trying to restart it. Each time, it froze earlier in the process, until it got to the point where it wouldn't boot anymore.

After a trip to T-Mobile, where the rep deemed that the phone was, in fact, toast, I was set up for a replacement. Thank goodness for phone insurance!!! :D I'm now sitting here waiting for my new baby to arrive, as the mail should be coming within the hour!

Anything else that's new...yesterday was Autistics Speaking Day, so that's kind of exciting. It's awesome to know that there is a day dedicated for my fellow spectrumites and myself to represent and speak our minds! That's all I cab think of at this point. Stay tuned for more updates!