I'm just sitting here, late at night as usual, and pondering how things are going. As the title of this post shows, things are pretty good, alright! I have just finished the last of my pending homework, for the time being, and I had a decent night prior to doing so. Went to class, planned out my upcoming presentation, and had some fun. A friend and I went to grab some dinner, then spent some quality time at the bookstore. I am reading a book there (which I do not plan to currently buy, but might when it comes out in paperback), so we occasionally go and just sit in the quiet atmosphere to relax. Not a bad, cheap, activity. :)
Now I am free to turn on my most recent Netflix selection and crochet for a bit until I fall asleep. I am working on a project, but can't include details here in case the recipient(s) decide to take a look. ;) It's an enjoyable endeavor, though.
So, nothing too exciting, but nothing too down and depressing, either. Can't complain, and I might even be able to boast....just a little, but that's enough for me. This is the way I would love to feel at the end of everyday. I might not have conquered the world, but I accomplished what needed to be done, and I can go to bed without unduly stressing over tomorrow. Good for me! :D
Now that the traditional "season" has passed, here are what I consider to be some of the things traditionally following that time of year....perhaps it can be said "'Tis the post-season":
1. The official disaster zone left behind by Santa and his Reindeer
2. The sniffles, sneezes, and other ailment that follow a return to the germ-ridden place we often call "school"
3. The undeniable urge to quickly dispose of all holiday goodies, generally by means of consumption in the late-night hours while trying to regain a normal sleeping schedule
4. The circles growing deeper and darker under the eyes as a result of the above mentioned abnormal sleep schedule
5. The sudden realization that the beautiful white snow of December magically turns into a menace during the cold icy mornings of January...particularly as you are madly trying to scrape off your car in an effort to make it to work in two minutes
6. The inability to find anything in the house (mainly due to the events mentioned in number 1)
7. Daily "resolutions" to improve the state mentioned in all above items - resolutions that become daily due to their inevitable state of being unfulfilled at the end of yet another day
So, these pretty much all apply to me these days. My house, if it can be called such at this point, is in such a state that I am primarily grateful for a door with a lock and windows with blinds that help to conceal the piles of holiday cheer strewn throughout the place. (And just for the record, it's loads easier to lock a door ad lower the blinds than it is to pick up those cheery piles).
Secondly, I have been taking this blessedly long weekend (Human Rights Day - Sometimes I wonder if it isn't really a day for us to have a Human Right to one extra day along the route to post-holiday recovery) to deal with the unpleasantness of a cold that came my way. I'm sure it was inevitable, considering the innumerable germs that abide in my place of work and education. Still, I did all I could to prevent it: multi-vitamins, hand-washing, airborne, etc. All was in vain, though...I did manage to eek out my work responsibilities through Friday afternoon, whereupon I retreated to my bed (the one semi-sane place in my house) and did not leave for a significant chunk of time. Ah, the joys of sleep - see number 4 for the unpleasant, but also unavoidable side effects.
Holiday goodies - enough said in number 3.
Sleep - ah sleep. Just as I was beginning to have a normal sleep routine again, I got sick, slept for HOURS, and subsequently was awake until 4am Sunday morning. Three and a half hours later, I was up and at 'em, finishing preparations for the Relief Society lesson I was teaching. We'll see if tonight fares any more normally...
And the snow - There's been this January thaw going on, but only enough to melt the snow sufficiently during the day to form a nice thick layer of ice the next morning. The ice is particularly located on my windshield, making my morning trip to work a lot more complicated. I've started going out and turning the car on about 10 minutes before I have to leave, but even then I end up scraping off the layers. Honestly, if it's going to be this cold, I'd rather the pretty white snow, thank you very much. :)
Yeah, can't really find anything in my house these days. Keep meaning to clean it (see number 7), but between school, work, and this cold I've been recovering from (and a good deal of procrastination), it hasn't happened. That's really all I can say about it at this point, too.
So, I'm working on those "resolutions". In truth, I'm making great strides in the traditional resolutions. I'm up to 30 lbs that I've lost since August. Go me!! :) And I'll hopefully be finishing off my degree this summer, if things work out well, so I'm definitely making progress there, too. Now, if I can just address these "seasonal" issues, I should be on my way to a great new year. Hope you are all having one of your own!
So, since I'm sitting here not sleeping (regular occurrence lately), thought I'd jot down a few of my recent ups and downs. It's been an interesting holiday - quite a roller coaster (both literally - at Disneyland - and figuratively w/my emotions). Crazy stuff.
So, I had so much fun in Disneyland! Really, I did, but it also made me think a lot about how much fun my husband would have had there with me. And being around several couples didn't help that. Not that it makes me angry - I love all my great friends I was with, but it did raise my awareness of my current social status. I struggled a bit at nights, but still had a fabulous time all in all. Then I got home...
Being at home alone after being with so many people for a week, it really struck hard. I had a harder time than I've had in a long while. Almost in a full panic one night....not so fun. And it didn't help that I was coming up on the holidays. I have kind of a love-hate relationship with this time of year. Lots of milestones, lots of joy, lots of tears.
Christmas ended up going well, though. After a lot of love, support, and help from friends and family, I was feeling much better. I got to spend some quality time with my in-laws, which was so nice. It really helped to be able to discuss things with them, and my nieces and nephews are so great, I can't help but cheer up around them. We had a great Christmas!
Today I celebrated (sort of) what would have been my 5th wedding anniversary. I worked most of the day, then my siblings took me out for dinner. So nice of them! We had a great time as we ate and talked, and then we played games at my sister's place. All in all, a pretty good day, considering. It's getting tougher as I prepare for bed - alone again. But I think I'll be alright. There are good, if painful, memories I have of this time. And, as a good friend has reminded me recently, it's important to remember the important and eternal things that this day really does symbolize. Alone or not, this day signifies good things, past and future.
Now I get to prepare for New Year's, also a tough time, as it would have been Gentry's 31st birthday on Jan 1st. I'll be thinking of him (which I do every day, but probably more at these times). I'll also be taking care to surround myself with people who help me feel happy. I'm very lucky to have good friends and family all around me. Couldn't get through life without them!!
Here are just a few pictures from my recent (first) trip to Disneyland!
Just in time for winter to start making an appearance, I am getting around to posting some of my summer pictures. I'll start with the ones from our camping trip up to Idaho, since I know Jenny has been waiting for me to put up these great pictures.
Marshmallow stuffing contest
Fun eating squeezy cheese
At an old pioneer museum
So, I probably won't take too long right now, but I had to share a little about my excitement. I am typing this little post on my new laptop!! It's a MacBook, and I got an amazing deal on it. If you recall from past posts, I was pretty much ready to throw my old Dell laptop out the window - so frustrating!! So, when I heard about this deal, I decided it was happy birthday to me. So far, I am really liking it. I am hoping that with this I can finally post some of my summer fun pictures here. Yay!