This year has been an absolute dumpster fire.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been burnt out a little bit here. One of my guinea pigs has been basically ICU-level sick since the week of Halloween. He’s finally on the mend (I hope), but it’s been a really rough few months.

Goods, Services, and Experiences

Playground Conference
I had such a blast in Toronto in February at the Playground Conference. I’m bummed that the hotel we were at was shitty with pumping scents through their HVAC, and even more bummed that they’re refusing to allow the conference back there due to us being upset about the lack of accessibility. Samantha has shared a number of threads about this on Twitter, including this one.

Gaelynn Lea’s ‘Learning to Stay’
I reviewed Gaelynn’s newest album back in September along with writing a feature on her in She Shreds. Having found Gaelynn on Twitter, I’m grateful that we’ve gotten to know more about each other. She’s really an amazing artist, sex-positive person, and general badass. On top of that, her continued dedication to disability activism keeps me fueled and ready to fight.

Benepod
Earlier this year, I reviewed the Benepod over on my other site, Not Standing Still’s Disease. This handy little tool uses the contrast between hot and cold to confuse our brains into relieving pain. That’s called the Thermal Grill Illusion, and it’s why stars like Lady Gaga get pain relief from going from freezing temps to hot ones. I’m just glad that I don’t have to pay steep prices like Gaga does to get similar relief!

I wrote a piece in a book
I really did! It’s called Biocitizenship: The Politics of Bodies, Governance, and Power. You can check out a piece I wrote about it along with how to snag a copy here.

Dating again
I tend to be pretty quiet about it, but I am dating again. I’ve written about it over on The Tempest a bit. I’ll keep my new partner’s identity secret and give her privacy, but she’s wonderful. I’m really grateful that she’s been supportive of me, my work, and my health crud.

Interviews in pretty cool spaces
I’ve gotten lucky enough to be interviewed in the following pieces:

• 8 Things You Should Never Say To Someone With A Chronic Health Condition – Bustle
• Marriage Institutions Aren’t Just Sexist — They’re Ableist And Disrespectful To People With Disabilities – Everyday Feminism
• My Spouse Struggles With Mental Illness – Women’s Health Mag
• Has Your Doctor Told You About Skipping Your Period for Good? – Rewire
• Painful Sex Isn’t Normal—Let’s Put This Damaging Myth to Bed – Self

Writing more for pay
Y’all, 2019 is set to be a year where my freelancing career takes off. Losing my part-time start-up job earlier this year was a major setback, especially paired with losing a writing contract because I talk about sex. Thankfully, I’ve already been working on pieces for sites like The Billfold, Ministry of Hemp, and The Tempest. Some of my next clients are even bigger, and I can’t wait until I can fully share them with you.

Affiliates

My affiliates help me pay the bills, but there will always be ones I hold closer to my heart. These are my three for this year:

Smitten Kitten
I love Smitten Kitten. It’s one of the stores I trust the most, both as a shopper and someone who speaks there from time to time. JP and the rest of the team works incredibly hard to bring great speakers, information, and products to consumers, and I love them all to death.

CrashPad Series
It’s taken me a long time to find porn that I like. Frankly, there is little to no disability representation anywhere… except CrashPad! Thank you for making porn that helps me feel seen, worthy, and sexy.