Desi grew up in the house with the juke box. Didn't we all have a friend like that? Sometimes they had a juke box, other times it was a pinball machine. The only thing that was certain was that they always had a drink fridge stocked with all the best sodas - both the name brands and the generics (what up Mountain Holler Flavored Citrus Soft Drink). I didn't ask if Desi had a drink fridge, but Dad was a moonshiner. I think that counts for something.

Desi's dad died when she was 21. That's not part of her "decade of doom"as she called it, but still an important part of her story. It's a trauma for another day though. The problems she was here to talk about started with her marriage. She lost her job. Her Father-in-Law was sick. She started to notice that her husband was drinking a lot. The drinking was clearly a problem, but she might not have been as quick to recognize it as she'd have liked. She was eventually referred to Al-Anon. The first time she wasn't ready the first time, but she eventually had some luck with it when she was ready.

She finally realized she had to leave. The first time it was a false start - she went back. Eventually she finally left for good, but not before he'd gotten a job at her workplace. I hate to say that parts of it are even close to comical, but parts of it are even close to comical - at least they do when they're not happening to you. From there things started to get...worse. Her mom was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gerhig's Disease). Then her cat died. Then her mom passed as well. She called it a decade of doom, but I'll call it a decade of shit. She

It's not all bad though - Desi does what Decent Fucking Humans do. She got a dog and she began to advocate for herself. Then the pandemic hit...then she lost her job...but even this wasn't all bad. She took time for herself and to heal. Now she realizes that she has choices. She's now chosen to take her talents to the world of coaching. Check out her website if you're interested.