YES!

This week has been FULL of ups and downs. So many things are trying to get me down, sad, and further behind in school. I am committed to not falling behind though...until I hit about 4am that is, then I just seem to give up.

Anyways, let's focus on the positives:
Yesterday my friend Niki gave birth to Praxedis Escobar. It was a natural childbirth! For many reasons I truly admire Niki, even though I do not know her well. She is a talented artist, a vegan, and lives life on her own terms. She is going to be a great mother who gives Prax a beautiful life. Normally I am not all that baby-centric, but when I heard about her giving birth last night, I couldn't stop smiling and getting excited. At a time when I am watching my great grandfather leave this world, Prax's entrance into it served as a powerful reminder of the dualities of life and death, and the "everyday miracle" that we create when children are born.

I was able to get a lot of my anxieties/fears/frustrations out thanks to my friend Annies. I truly appreciate her lending me an ear, especially now that things are not going so great for her.

I have two appointments that I am very much looking forward to this week. One of them is actually not that important but the other one is a SECOND INTERVIEW for a real paying JOB!!!! I totally didn't think that I was still being considered for the position...so I was surprised to get a phone call asking me to come into their office and see what's going on and get all my questions answered. I am trying not to get too excited, but I can't help it. Jobs seem to be really hard to come by in this area, and this one definitely matches my professional interests. It is located in San Francisco's Japantown, which is a double-edged sword since I haven't done my best to impress people there in the past. But it is nice to think that after getting to know the community and devoting a lot of time and energy there, the community is now, in its own way, helping me out when I need it and extending yet another opportunity to me.

It's crazy how much shit can be thrown at you while at the same time so much good is happening too! Let it never be said that April is a boring month!!!