Category: Daily Ramblings

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

The Solo Parent’s ReadMe File

Essential Documentation for the “Triple Life” OS If you’ve ever downloaded a new piece of software or joined a project on GitHub, the first thing you look for is the README.md. It tells you what the project does, how to install it, and—most importantly—what to do when it inevitably breaks. As a solo parent juggling an IT career, freelance gigs, and a teenager in the province, I realized I’ve never actually published my own documentation. New people enter my life

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

Mama.exe Has Stopped Working

If you’ve ever tried to run a high-end video editing suite on a ten-year-old laptop, you know the sound. That frantic, high-pitched whirring of the fan? That smell of slightly toasted plastic? That’s exactly how I felt this morning at 6:30 AM. In the world of Xavy & Mom, I like to think of my life in two distinct layers: the Hardware (my physical body, my energy levels, and the actual four walls of our home here in the province)

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

The Solo Parent’s Guide to Debugging “Nonsense” Thoughts

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know my life operates on a very specific OS: Happy Pessimism. It’s that internal firmware that tells me, “Yes, the sun is shining today, but you’d better pack three umbrellas and a backup generator just in case.” In the world of IT, we call this “disaster recovery planning.” In the world of solo parenting, we call it “Tuesday.” Lately, however, I’ve been dealing with a different kind of system error.

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

Finding Sunshine in the Shadows: A Single Mom’s Tale of Happy Pessimism

Ah, “happy pessimism.” It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Like sunshine on a rainy day, or maybe more accurately, knowing it will rain but still enjoying the warmth of the sun while it lasts. As an introvert, my mind often runs through all the possible scenarios, and let’s be honest, they aren’t always rainbows and unicorns. Combine that with the daily tightrope walk of being a single mom juggling a full-time job and squeezing in those IT gigs online

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

Flying Solo with Murphy’s Law

You know Murphy’s Law, right? That delightful little nugget of wisdom stating that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong”? In my world, straddling the exhilarating tightrope of solo-parenting Xavy, and the wonderfully predictable unpredictability of the IT world, it feels less like a joke and a fundamental operating principle. You’re spot on. In IT, approaching projects with a healthy dose of “what if” isn’t about being a Debbie Downer; it’s about being prepared. Deploying an update without anticipating

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

The Uneven Farewell: Navigating Endings with a Touch of Happy Pessimism

The past few years, I’ve learned that the way we grapple with endings is as varied and complex as life itself. The question of how to come to terms with the fact that everything, even the good things, comes to an end… my own experience highlights the uneven terrain of acceptance. When Shepherd, our beloved 12-year-old Labrador Retriever, passed two years ago, there was a genuine sadness, but also a sense of peace. He’d lived a full life, and I

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

The Art of the Hilarious Hindsight (and Solo Parent Survival)

Being an introvert navigating the exhilarating (and exhausting) world of solo-parenting, while juggling a full-time job and my trusty IT side hustle, means my life is a carefully constructed series of logical steps… that occasionally trip over their own feet in the most spectacular fashion. Our two canine companions, a dignified Belgian Malinois and a perpetually nonchalant Shih Tzu, are steadfast witnesses to these moments. When asked about a time I failed so hard it was actually funny, my mind

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

Day 7: The Double-Edged Sword: Why Success Can Feel as Scary as Failure (and How to Push Through)

Single Mom Survival: Week of Self-Sabotage Life as a single parent often feels like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle. As an introvert (and a classic INTJ!), my default mode is analysis and planning, trying to make sense of the beautiful chaos that is raising my 12-year-old son, Xavy, working two IT jobs, and managing my furry companions – one very clever Belgian Malinois and one equally adorable Shih Tzu. Amidst this balancing act, someone recently asked me a

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Daily Ramblings
Xavy's Mom

Day 6: The Quiet Before the Next… Well, You Know

Single Mom Survival: Week of Self-Sabotage Life here in sunny Dumaguete has its own rhythm, a mix of the daily grind, the joys (and occasional dramas) of raising my 12-year-old, Xavy, and the delightful chaos brought by my two very opinionated dogs – a sharp Belgian Malinois and a sweet little Shih Tzu. As an INTJ-A introvert also juggling a full-time job and an online IT gig, downtime can feel like a precious, almost mythical creature. So, the question that’s

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