This week was a strange mix of frustration, momentum, loneliness, and progress — sometimes all within the same hour.
On the health front, I had my follow-up with my cancer doctor. Overall, things are moving in the right direction, but we decided to add a topical treatment to hopefully speed things up. Unfortunately, the timing with insurance couldn’t have been worse. Between prior authorization delays and my Medicaid coverage ending, I wasn’t able to get the prescription filled in time. It’s frustrating, but I did everything I could and now it’s out of my hands. Sometimes you can fight hard and still lose the round. That doesn’t mean you stop fighting.
On the career front, something interesting happened.
After getting SideQuestDeals (SQD) into what I believe is launch-ready shape, I had a moment of clarity: instead of waiting for someone to hand me a runway, I should build my own.
So I started my second SaaS.
DeadlineGuard is officially underway. The domain is registered, Stripe sandbox is set up, and I spent a good chunk of the week heads-down building. It was one of those days where I looked up and realized it was mid-afternoon and I’d barely moved. Massive progress was made locally, and I’m excited to start pushing it into Azure next week.
It feels good to build again.
Not just tinker.
Not just think.
Build.
That sense of forward momentum has been something I’ve been craving.
On the job search side, I had a recruiter reach out about a 6-month contract. I decided to pursue it and even have a potential meeting with the hiring manager coming up. There were some complications around references (a topic I have strong opinions about), but I handled it professionally and kept things honest. If it works out, great. If not, I’m still moving forward.
Socially, the week had its ups and downs.
There were some lonely evenings — that’s becoming a bit of a theme lately — but I also had a great hour-long call with a friend while running the observatory. I spent one night under the stars, another watching wrestling and playing games, and another just zoning out with comfort food. Not glamorous, but stable.
I even put in an application for a husky puppy.
I’m not getting my hopes up, but it felt good to at least try. The right dog will come along eventually. Timing matters.
There were some small annoyances too — Walmart forgetting part of my groceries, Nerd Dinner plans materializing too late, social media feeds overtaken by world events — but I handled them better than I would have months ago. No spirals. Just adjustments.
Sleep has improved dramatically compared to right after I lost my job. That alone tells me my nervous system is healing, even if everything isn’t perfect.
Overall, I’d call this a week of quiet resilience.
Not a victory parade.
Not a collapse.
Just steady progress.
I’m launching SQD this week.
DeadlineGuard is taking shape.
I’m still applying for jobs.
I’m still showing up for family.
I’m still building.
That counts.
Here’s to building the runway instead of waiting for one.
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