No sudden movements, Gorgeouses. Seriously. I’m even typing right now in a VERY awkward position so as NOT TO MOVE THE CORRRRRRRD.

My Macbook cord. It’s dying. Hopefully, it’ll die a really sloooooow death — say, another hour or so till this battery is charged. And, then I can blog BLISSFULLY (heh) and head out to the Apple store clutching BURNT cord in hand FIRST thing in the morning….

For now, I’d like to thank the makers of DUCT TAPE (which, until pretty recently, I admit, I thought was called DUCK tape — but, TELL ME YOU DIDN’T, TOO?).

I should send this photo to stuffonmycat.com, shouldn’t I? Minden would make a great cover cat for their calendar….

You know, even though I’m writing about my frikking macbook cord? It feels SO GOOD to be writing, Gorgeouses. SO GOOD and IMPORTANT to accomplish something for me, ONE THING, in my monkey-centred days. I totally see that now. So, it was a good thing to quit — even if just for a (very) little while. It’s like that Joni Mitchell song: “don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone.” Sigh, I love Joni Mitchell…. Love love love love love love love….

You know, if I were a celebrity, they’d call this a publicity stunt…. Ha! Because I’ve never felt so loved! Thank you, GORGEOUSES! At the same time, I’m not the most outgoing person. I’m feeling a little, erm, shy and slightly, erm, unworthy….

I think part of it is this crystal bracelet I’ve been wearing….

Ever since I started wearing it, my emotions have been on FIYAH (no kidding!). Now, I really want a heart chakra necklace…. Something like this — to remind me to be kinder to myself, my own best friend on days like today when [NOT BLOGGABLE]. Ahem. Check how LOVERLY….

It’s ONLY $864!!??!! I’ll have to sell a lohohot of art to buy it. But, it’s soooooo perty….

Instead of BORING you with talk of macbook cords, I was going to talk to you about my new plan: I’m walking 30-60 minutes a day! LOSING THE PREGNANCY WEIGHT. I am finally committed to losing the weight. Hallelujah…. I’m also desperately TRYING not to eat tonight at night. It’s HARD — cuz apparently I tend to get TRAY anxious at night….

I was going to talk to you about all that, BUT, it’s my bedtime. Yes, fresh after watching the creepiest show on TV, FRINGE, I’m going to bed. So, I can dream of pituitary glands and old babies and blaaaaaaahhhhhrrrrg — although…, dreaming of Joshua Jackson wouldn’t be so bad….

As I said to Josh-O, I should not be watching this I should not be watching this I should not be watching this. There’s even a warning: “May not be suitable for younger audiences and SENSITIVE VIEWERS.” I AM SENSITIVE VIEWER PAR EXCELLENCE!!!

Sigh, oh well. I’ll listen to my ipod and curl up with Minden for awhile. It’ll be aiight.

xo Haley-O!

PS: When I quit the blog, I deleted ALL the categories. I have to now RE-CATEGORIZE circa 800 posts? Yikes. I’ll get to it whenevs (see how laid-back I am now????!!!)

PPS: WHAT WAS I THINKING deleting categories? What was the POINT of that? Blerg. Where’s my rose quartz crystal — need the self-love thing now because ARRRRGH!?

I just got back from SUCH a nice dinner with bff Lolo. Just the girls. She was taking me out to dinner to celebrate my new blog-free life…. But, the occasion changed when I told her — less than 48 hours after taking it all down — that I’m back up and running. Yes, Cheaty Monkey is BACK.

I hear this happens all the time in Blog Land. People “quit,” and then they come back — usually within 24 hours. I lasted a little longer than that, but it was BRUTAL. You can thank YOURSELVES, Gorgeouses, for bringing me back, actually, because your emails were HEART WRENCHING. I felt like I DIED and was at MY OWN FUNERAL. It was terrible.

And, then I woke up this morning, and I was like OMIGOSH I need that blog back, and I need it NOW! I’m DEAD without it. DEAD!

I took it down originally for so many reasons. If you don’t know already, I’m an EXTREME person. I ALWAYS have been. I remember my mother telling me that when I got home WAY LATE one night (when I was in high school). And, it’s so true. Anyway, I felt so overwhelmed by the blogging because I wasn’t doing so well emotionally AT ALL. I was feeling depressed and SAPPED of energy. So, I thought SOMETHING had to change. And, I decided it was the blogging that had to go.

I thought I would feel FREE! NO PRESSURE! Time to paint and do yoga and go out with friends and build the business! But, on my first night of so-called freedom, all I wanted to do was WRITE and share things with the GORGEOUSES! And, the emails. OHHHHHHHHHHH, the emails!!!

Your emails made me realize that this internet thing isn’t a vacuum. There are REAL people here. REAL people relating to me and supporting me from afar and feeling inspired by me (what an honour that is). So, I realize I AM getting SO MUCH from this. I felt like I was giving giving giving…. It took quitting to make me see how VERY much I was getting from this.

A totally APROPOS quote from my yoga class this morning: “COLLAPSE THE STRUCTURE SO YOU CAN REBUILD GRADUALLY.” My teacher was talking about the thoracic spine…. For me, it was about the blog. I have collapsed my blog so I can now rebuild gradually and without PRESSURE. Like a yoga pose….

The biggest change you’ll see to the Cheaty Monkey site is the demise of Cheaty Gossip. I’m sorry to see that go, but my heart wasn’t into it, and something had to go so that I could enjoy life and free myself up to paint and read, sleep more and LIVE more. If I get the old urge to gossip, you’ll see it right here….

I’m not good at this moderation thing. I’m an all-or-nothing, pack-on-the-pressure, kind of girl…. So, this will be a healthy challenge for me.

I won’t always respond to comments, but know that I’m reading and loving them….
I love reading everyone’s blogs, but I won’t get to visit everyone as much as I’d like….
If I’m feeling down, overtired, or like painting, I won’t post, or I’ll post small….

Thank you so much for ALL your support and for bringing me back to life….

Love! xoxo Haley-O

Every now and then I get an impulse to radically change my life. And, without getting into it too much, I need to end Cheaty Monkey here.

I’m really looking forward to putting more energy into living my life, and less into writing about it.

I’ll continue to build my business, Kids Deserve Art, and I’m so looking forward to doing some of my own painting. There will be a newsletter for that site with some info on how my family and I are doing. So, look out for that in about a month’s time.

It was such an honour connecting and sharing with each and every one of you!

I truly love you and wish you all the best in life.

I’m ending this without a SINGLE tear! Because it’s time. Time to REALLY start anew.

Much love and thanks….

Haley-O

UPDATE: If you’d like to sign up for the Kids Deserve Art Newsletter, please email me at haley[at]kidsdeserveart[dot]com. Love!