Stacy Horn

I am so stressed out today. I’m dealing with lots of financial issues at the same time that I’m coordinating an Echo move which always freaks me out and also involves financial issues, AND I have a root canal tomorrow.

Hopefully I will be feeling a lot better after choir, when I come home to this guy and Bleeck. We’ll all curl up with the tv and not give our money issues another thought.

I did this 30 day mental challenge last month, only positive thoughts for 30 days (the challenge came from author and editor Mitch Horowitz). I know some people hate this sort of thing, and I have learned it’s better to acknowledge your bad feelings. But sometimes they become a habit that is not useful.

I couldn’t stop negative thoughts from occurring of course, but I was able to do something—at times when I noticed I was thinking negatively I was able to stop from dwelling on whatever thought I was having. At the best of times I’d see how the negative thought was wrong. I’d argue with myself for a second about whatever thought it was, ie, “What’s so hate-able about you??” And I’d think of a few things about myself that didn’t suck, and by the time I was done I was thinking about my book, or tv, or something else.

It didn’t make my month momentously different, but it was an improvement, and improvements don’t suck. In fact, they seem rarer as I get older, so yay!

I took this picture because I liked the colors.

My apartment building from across the street. My apartment is the lit-up one on the top left. I can see my amoire in the window on the left. That is also where I sit at my desk and write every day. That’s a hanging plant in the window on the right. I like that my windows are the brightest. Oh wow, I’m also the one who doesn’t draw their shades. There’s only one other window without the shades drawn! I would hate to have the shades drawn all the time.

I figure since I’m on the top floor I have some privacy, no one can really see me. At most they’d seem my tiny head as I work at my desk.

I’m kicking myself for not looking at what was in his tip cup.

Here he is in context, in front of a barbershop.

I never learned to ski. So many people I knew growing up on Long Island were skiers. The one time I signed up for a ski trip to learn how I over-slept and missed the bus. My heart wasn’t really in it. Plus, at that age I hated getting up early with a passion that knew no bounds. Now I love it. The very early morning is my favorite time of day.