Ugh

It is always hard trying to get out the door for a retreat -- and today was no exception.

I woke up later than I meant to, knowing I'd barely make it to Mass, but was still going to try. Until I came down to the kitchen to find doggie diarrhea all over the kitchen floor. I rolled my eyes, sent a sigh heavenward, and cleaned it up. Enter gag reflex. Repeatedly. Gross. Too late for Mass now, I blow dried my hair. Shuddered a few times. And then set up my computer and got to work by 7 am at the kitchen table, trying to take advantage of an uninterrupted hour or two before heading into the office.

The day at the office was fine. Average even. Busy. Meetings. Logistics. Phone calls. Scheduling. Oversharing. Laughing. Beating head against wall. Just your average fine day at the office. Except that I ended an accounting meeting just before 5, and then had a buttload of stuff to do to prep for the managers meeting tomorrow and the tax meeting Monday. Sigh. The long and short of it is that it was long. 14.5 hours without a break long. And never done long. But I finally leave, deciding I have done enough and just need to get out. I had to Meijer to get rawhides, snack food for the car, and something else I forgot. I stumble in the door exhausted, starving, thinking about whether or not I need to do any laundry before my trip, and am greeted by a bad smell. Oh yeah. Round 2 covering the kitchen floor. Ewww. Somehow I was exhausted enough to not even realize how bad it smelled and didn't even have the gag reflex. It felt like par for the course today somehow.

But I am going. Tomorrow morning. Early. I am walking away, leaving work at work, leaving the dogs with Jenny (and many prayers for a complete recovery so she doesn't have to deal with the sickness), and I'm going on retreat. A silent retreat. Every year, as this weekend approaches, I realize just how much I crave silence in my life. So I'm going, leaving it all behind. Running to the One, the Source, for refreshment and peace. For calm in the midst of the storm. For grace to carry on and live the life He calls me to. Come Lord Jesus.