July Went By So Fast and Hot!

I hate the fact that most of this month I had to deal with a summer cold.  I have been coughing and sneezing.  At least, I don’t feel so feverish like I did at the beginning of the month.  I still have coughing fits and sneezing loudly.  I was able to go to the 4 of July party at the Esplanade in Boston and also go see the Rolling Stones at Gillette Stadium a few weeks back, despite the cold.

I also was able to see Blondie, Elvis Costello, Steve Miller, and Shaun Cassidy in the past week.  Great time!  Just wish I didn’t feel so exhausted afterwards.

Also, I managed to get through 2 heatwaves this month, thanks to my air conditioner.

Alfred’s Day is Today!

Happy 58th Birthday in Heaven, Alfred Preston Christian!

It’s very sad that he’s unable to be here to celebrate his birthday.  He was in a terrible car accident in June 15, 1980 and succumbed to his head injury on June 19, 1980, a few days later.  It devastated us.

I was horrified by his death because I was terrified about getting a driver’s license, despite the fact that prior to his tragic death, I had already enrolled in Driver’s Ed at the high school I was going to.  During those years, no one including me had no clue that I was a person walking around with undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism.  I was afraid that I would die in a car crash if I got my driver’s license while I was still a teenager like him.

I did get my license and my first car in 1996, almost six years before I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Another thing I think about regarding Alfred is that he somehow was good at making friends with just anybody, even the most obnoxious people who were going to school with me.  I always found it amazing that he could do that.  Obviously, he wasn’t autistic like me.

My Busy Offline Life

I have been busy trying to re-organize my life after moving to Roslindale from Jamaica Plain.  I haven’t had the time to blog here.

Happy Belated Birthday to Bob Dylan (5/24) and Clint Eastwood (5/31). Also, Happy Belated Birthday to both Dean Martin and Prince who share a birthday on June 7.

I was sad to hear about the deaths of Peggy Lipton and Tim Conway.  I grew up watching them both on TV: Mod Squad and McHale’s Navy.

I am trying to think of other ideas to use my blog to elevate my platform.  I happen to be an autistic black woman with a talent for writing and art.  Trying my best to promote myself has not been an easy thing because that involves money.  I did get some money from the sale of my condo, but I don’t want to wipe out my checking account by spending tons of money that might not generate income or job opportunities for me.

Should I ask for money on my blog even though it will not be a tax deduction for you because I am not a non-profit organization?  I’m just an autistic individual.  I don’t know how to sell my art or my writing through this blog, except for my book, The Outside In View of Uncommon Bostonian: What an Autistic Black Woman Sees.

There must be an easier way to make extra income. I do have a day job, but I don’t want it just to be the only source of income for me.  Despite my long work experience and talents, I am still considered inexperienced.  I have been part of the work force for more than 30 years.

It’s The End of 2018! I’m Exhausted!

It’s been a busy month.  It started out sad because my uncle Lloyd passed away all of the sudden due to his diabetes back on November 30.  He was the youngest brother of my late mother.  It still hurts.  I tried to go to his funeral in Texas, but my flight to Houston got cancelled at the last minute.

Also, I had to move to a new location.  I didn’t move far.  I just moved from Jamaica Plain to Roslindale.  I am still in Boston though.  Moving was a difficult and frustrating process for me and my cats.  I came down with a cold a few days ago.  My new place still looks a mess.

They all say that now my life can improve since leaving my old home for a new one.  I hope so.

All these things happening in my life in the past month has kept me from blogging on my two blogs.  Outside In (this blog) and Uncommon Bostonian (http://uncommonbostonian.wordpress.com).

Hopefully, starting in 2019, I will get back to blogging more than I did this past year.

Meanwhile, Happy Belated Birthday, Billy Idol (November 30), Keith Richards (December 18), Humphrey Bogart (December 25), Davy Jones (December 30), Mike Nesmith (December 30), and Jeff Lynne (December 30).

 

 

My Brother Would Have Been 57 Today

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Alfred! (July 13, 1961 – June 19, 1980)

I always think about him more so in the summer time.  He never made to 19 years old because of the car accident he was in with his blue Camero.  All we know is that he lost control of the car and it crashed into a tree.  Alfred suffered a severe head injury.  He was unconscious the few days before he died.

I wonder so many times about if he hadn’t been in a terrible car accident.  I was amazed that he was able to make friends with people so easily while I couldn’t because I was an undiagnosed autistic Black girl.  Some of the children we grew up with were very mean to me but extremely friendly with him.  They didn’t give a damn that I was his younger sister while their older siblings were buddies with Alfred.  Such an unfair situation.

Obviously, Alfred wasn’t autistic at all like me.

13 Years Ago…

Happy 13th Birthday, Outside In!

This blog started 13 years ago.  What a long trip it’s been! Still at it after all this time!

True that I don’t post as often of late, but that’s because I sometimes get busy offline with my art and other personal stuff that I don’t have time to get to this blog.

Last week, I had to deal with a heatwave, the 4th of July celebration, work, going to the movies (Head and Ant-Man and The Wasp), and attending to a comic book convention out in Boxborough, Massachusetts.  It was a tough drive because I am not familiar with that part of the state.

I am busy on what changes I want to make in my life and for this blog and the other blog called Uncommon Bostonian.  I also wonder about where I want to go with my art.

Also, last month, my cousin Chloe rom Texas visited me here in Boston and we went to see U2 at the Boston Garden.  I am a big fan of them as well as my cousin.  I am planning to see more concerts this month and next month.  I am heading off to Old Orchard Beach up in Maine next month for my summer vacation.

This is my new piece of art.  Haven’t come up with a name for it yet.

Now, let’s move into year 13 for this blog.

Too Busy to Blog in Early May

Here I am in May just being too busy to blog.  I did go to the annual Watch City Steampunk Festival in the rain today in Waltham, Massachusetts.  It was pouring, but people came for the event.  I sure wish the weather was better, but nobody controls the weather.  When I got home, I fell asleep in front of the TV set for most of the evening.

I have been having issues with my back again.  It really sucks that I have a herniated disk in my lower back.  I’ve been dealing with this type of back pain for more than a decade because I was in a terrible car accident way back in December 2004.  The older I get the worse it bothers me, even after all the physical therapy and regular exercising I’ve done.

I still love to write, but thinking about other things I want to do like using my artwork in fashion design and finding writing jobs as a freelancing has occupied my thoughts lately.  I just haven’t come up with the right business plan to make those things a reality.  Also, I would love to write a murder mystery novel because Agatha Christie always inspired me to be a writer.

Still feel the lingering effects of my last cold.  Just trying to clear my throat of mucus seems like a daily task.  Sinuses are also a problem too, but I don’t think it’s all about allergies.  It’s just the weather.

Some pop culture news: How to Get Away with Murder is coming back for a 5th season, but Scorpion has been cancelled.  I saw Avengers: Infinity War last weekend and enjoyed it immensely.  Can’t wait for the next movie that is coming next year.  First, we have to see Captain Marvel movie before that happens.  2019 is still far away.