This may be a theme here for the next while… it’s kind of the theme in my life right now. My annual February Funk stayed away longer than usual because I was so busy working I didn't realize it was February. But then it hit with a vengence. And it feels particularly bad on the heels of job adjustment and being overworked in general... so suddenly it hits me that I have no life... I have no balance... I never see my friends... AND I also haven't seen the sun in weeks.
Once I realized I was headed into the February Funk, I began making lists of activities to do to survive the next stretch, the longest part of winter. Even making lists makes it sound more acheivable.
And here's the progress so far... Actually, I’m giving myself a gold star for last night. I left work after 7 pm, having been there since 7 am, with a short break for Mass at noon. I finally leave and head for home; it is cold, dark, and I strongly suspect that I hate my life. But even I know it has a lot to do with February and not so much to do with actually hating my life. I walked in the door, trying to ignore the half of the driveway I still haven’t gotten back out to shovel. The boots are overflowing in the entryway. I slide on my slippers, greet the mutts, feed them, and consider turning on a movie, laying on the floor and giving up on life (aka falling asleep as soon I hit the floor). I sat there pondering it for a few minutes and realized I couldn’t afford to fester in the funk. Don’t give in!!! I put my boots back on, bundled up, and headed for the library. Book club awaits (and I am trying really hard to finish the book before we meet). I found that book. Checked out several gardening books (a girl can dream right?) and a few DVDs that I won’t have time to watch. Then I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things and stopped by a local sick house to deliver the items, which turned into me coming in and visiting with said sick friends for a bit. And that’s all it took. Festering in the Funk avoided!! Thanks to the library and Busch's and most of all for the Mitzels for taking me in and saving me from a fate worse than death, the Funk. And a gold star for Reenie for putting the boots on and walking out the door.
And then today, after working hard, getting a lot together for accounting meeting, having the meeting, getting more assignments, scheduling follow up meetings, I walked out the door at 5:20!! Incredible! Look at me leaving the office while it’s still light out! And the sun was even shining!! And to make the day even better, I talked to my sister the whole way home and through a game of ball in the yard and dinner preparation. I got a phone call from my other (adopted) sister (also far away). And then a couple of my friends came by to chat and catch up. And my sister in law was here visiting with one of the homies. Talk about a one two punch for February!! Funk avoided two days in a row!! Hurray!!
Other things that make me really happy: That I haven’t experienced the Flumageddon that is plaguing so many of my friends and their offspring. I may be speaking too soon since I visited said Flumageddon zone yesterday and hung out with two recovering victims tonight… and got sneezed on a lot this weekend. But still… I am grateful. And to those of you still in the war zone, my prayers and deepest sympathies are with you!! Take heart, it can't last forever!!
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Stories from CrazyLark
I know, you're excited, right? Where does this Favorite Aunt go during the day? What are the people like? Why have we not heard stories about huge staplers or the score on who wants to be her friend more? Well, tonight is your lucky night. And I am going to attempt to do this story justice, although lately my blogging is flat and my storytelling abilities may be ... well... uh... tired, like the rest of me.
Thursday morning started like most others. I groaned when the alarm went off. I slept 10 minutes longer than I intended to. I made it out the door and to Mass (praise God!). I got to the office around 7:30 am, where B and C were already there. (I know, I desperately need code names for my new work peeps). B is an auditor, a couple years younger than me, hilarious, kindred spirit, and good fun to work with. C is mid-forties, the main estimator for the insulation side of the world. He's also a lot of fun, quieter, but fun. Anyway, the three of us typically arrive and try to get some work done before all the interruptions begin. And then, just before 8 am, Boss2 enters, beaming, with a toolbox in hand. We do these tests called CAZ (Combustion Appliance Zone) that require a smoke puffer or smoke stick. When we got some equipment stolen a few weeks back, one of the smoke puffers was also stolen. And then R was gone with the smoke devices we did have. So there was a scramble for a smoke making device the day before, which apparently got Boss2 thinking...
So he opens this tool box, where he's cut foam to hold all the specific tools. Grinning from ear to ear, he goes through them one by one. "Here's your pen, and your mini flashlight, and your maglight..." He pulls out the large maglight, turns it on, points it around the room. "And then..." He unscrews the lid on the large maglight, removes the bulb, and starts screwing in two wires, that are connected and have some kind of connectors on the ends. Hmmm.
Boss2 goes on, "What flavor smoke would you like? Sage? Rosemary? Cedar?" I'm already too amused to be trusted to speak. B calls for sage. Boss2 takes a piece of this sage chip he's got, sticks it between the contactors on top of the wire that are now sticking out of the top of the maglight. "Ehh???" More grinning. He turns it on. Seconds later, the sage begins to smoke and makes a perfect smoke stream that smells kind of like thanksgiving dinner. He was so excited, and the others of us couldn't help our amusement. Boss2 admitted he started the project at midnight. Oh boy.
A few minutes later, another coworker comes in... and he repeats the show. Starting again with the large maglight used as a flashlight. And then impressed the next guy with his brilliant invention. This time I couldn't help giggling. By the third show, B and I sat at our desks, laughing so hard we had tears streaming down our faces. Seriously? Boss2 didn't mind our amusement, but clearly didn't understand why it was so funny.
To be honest, the regular smoke puffers have all kinds of warning about cancer and the dangers of the smoke. And his puffer smoke does smell better. Is it a little far fetched? Absolutely. Will we use it? Sure. Did it provide a highly entertaining Thursday? No doubt about it.
Thursday morning started like most others. I groaned when the alarm went off. I slept 10 minutes longer than I intended to. I made it out the door and to Mass (praise God!). I got to the office around 7:30 am, where B and C were already there. (I know, I desperately need code names for my new work peeps). B is an auditor, a couple years younger than me, hilarious, kindred spirit, and good fun to work with. C is mid-forties, the main estimator for the insulation side of the world. He's also a lot of fun, quieter, but fun. Anyway, the three of us typically arrive and try to get some work done before all the interruptions begin. And then, just before 8 am, Boss2 enters, beaming, with a toolbox in hand. We do these tests called CAZ (Combustion Appliance Zone) that require a smoke puffer or smoke stick. When we got some equipment stolen a few weeks back, one of the smoke puffers was also stolen. And then R was gone with the smoke devices we did have. So there was a scramble for a smoke making device the day before, which apparently got Boss2 thinking...
So he opens this tool box, where he's cut foam to hold all the specific tools. Grinning from ear to ear, he goes through them one by one. "Here's your pen, and your mini flashlight, and your maglight..." He pulls out the large maglight, turns it on, points it around the room. "And then..." He unscrews the lid on the large maglight, removes the bulb, and starts screwing in two wires, that are connected and have some kind of connectors on the ends. Hmmm.
Boss2 goes on, "What flavor smoke would you like? Sage? Rosemary? Cedar?" I'm already too amused to be trusted to speak. B calls for sage. Boss2 takes a piece of this sage chip he's got, sticks it between the contactors on top of the wire that are now sticking out of the top of the maglight. "Ehh???" More grinning. He turns it on. Seconds later, the sage begins to smoke and makes a perfect smoke stream that smells kind of like thanksgiving dinner. He was so excited, and the others of us couldn't help our amusement. Boss2 admitted he started the project at midnight. Oh boy.
A few minutes later, another coworker comes in... and he repeats the show. Starting again with the large maglight used as a flashlight. And then impressed the next guy with his brilliant invention. This time I couldn't help giggling. By the third show, B and I sat at our desks, laughing so hard we had tears streaming down our faces. Seriously? Boss2 didn't mind our amusement, but clearly didn't understand why it was so funny.
To be honest, the regular smoke puffers have all kinds of warning about cancer and the dangers of the smoke. And his puffer smoke does smell better. Is it a little far fetched? Absolutely. Will we use it? Sure. Did it provide a highly entertaining Thursday? No doubt about it.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Things that make me happy today
1. Daily Mass (even if the only one I can make it to is way early in the day).
2. A new swear word we made up at work (that isn't a swear word). And my seamless use use of it. Point for Reenie. And the fact that the actual swear words are being used less.
3. The homies.
4. The puppies. The one that likes to nest. And the one that climbed her whole heavy self onto my lap (can we say neglected?) I need to be home more.
5. A home to go home to at the end of a long day at work. (Is it only Monday?)
6. Slippers and sweatpants.
7. The new ice rink a couple blocks away -- I need to go buy ice skates and get out there!!
8. That January is half over...which means it is closer to spring... and it's flying by.
9. Drinking water.
10. The Christmas tree... that really needs to come down...but in the meantime, it's still really pretty and has tons of pretty lights on it. =
2. A new swear word we made up at work (that isn't a swear word). And my seamless use use of it. Point for Reenie. And the fact that the actual swear words are being used less.
3. The homies.
4. The puppies. The one that likes to nest. And the one that climbed her whole heavy self onto my lap (can we say neglected?) I need to be home more.
5. A home to go home to at the end of a long day at work. (Is it only Monday?)
6. Slippers and sweatpants.
7. The new ice rink a couple blocks away -- I need to go buy ice skates and get out there!!
8. That January is half over...which means it is closer to spring... and it's flying by.
9. Drinking water.
10. The Christmas tree... that really needs to come down...but in the meantime, it's still really pretty and has tons of pretty lights on it. =
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Middle of January already???
I love Sundays!!! As I sit here, by the light of my Christmas tree (still up), drinking my coffee and reveling in a few moments to just be before I get ready for Mass and the rest of the day, I find myself breathing deeply and profoundly grateful for so many blessings in my life.
Yesterday I spent the day at a wedding for two of my young friends (how on earth did they get old enough to get married?) Lauren M. married Mark S. Talk about a small town kind of wedding! As I looked out over the people at the wedding Mass, it was really fun to see all the connections, the intermarrying, the community connections. I was struck repeatedly at the wedding and reception at just how blessed I am to be part of such a unique and wonderful community of people. It was also exciting because I am FINALLY related to Cora, one of my closest friends for many years. Related? you ask. Why of course, it's simple. My brother (a Cous) married a Mishler, whose sister married a Sauter, whose brothers married Wagners. See? Related. So exciting. Even if it is 4 marriages removed :) ... pretty quickly you realize nearly everyone in that crowd is somehow related. Awesome. Oh small town CTK / community circles.
In other news, taking my life back week one was mildly successful. I still managed to work over 50 hours. But at least it wasn't 60! And in the past week, we finished out Christmas celebrations with my fam on Sunday. Monday I worked a long day and collapsed at home. Tuesday was the snowstorm, evening at home with homie and her boyfriend. Wednesday I managed to get my laptop repaired and have coffee with my girlfriends. Thursday was dinner and catching up with another friend. Friday I went shopping and then chilling with yet another friend. Saturday was the wedding. So... I was uber-social and felt much more connected to my people and my world than I have in the past couple months. But I am not quite to that spot of achieving balance. But I'm still applauding any progress, and have to consider this past week a success.
And finally, halfway through the month, I've finalized my January goals:
1. Work on getting my life back
2. Drink more water
We'll see what I can do with that. :)
Yesterday I spent the day at a wedding for two of my young friends (how on earth did they get old enough to get married?) Lauren M. married Mark S. Talk about a small town kind of wedding! As I looked out over the people at the wedding Mass, it was really fun to see all the connections, the intermarrying, the community connections. I was struck repeatedly at the wedding and reception at just how blessed I am to be part of such a unique and wonderful community of people. It was also exciting because I am FINALLY related to Cora, one of my closest friends for many years. Related? you ask. Why of course, it's simple. My brother (a Cous) married a Mishler, whose sister married a Sauter, whose brothers married Wagners. See? Related. So exciting. Even if it is 4 marriages removed :) ... pretty quickly you realize nearly everyone in that crowd is somehow related. Awesome. Oh small town CTK / community circles.
In other news, taking my life back week one was mildly successful. I still managed to work over 50 hours. But at least it wasn't 60! And in the past week, we finished out Christmas celebrations with my fam on Sunday. Monday I worked a long day and collapsed at home. Tuesday was the snowstorm, evening at home with homie and her boyfriend. Wednesday I managed to get my laptop repaired and have coffee with my girlfriends. Thursday was dinner and catching up with another friend. Friday I went shopping and then chilling with yet another friend. Saturday was the wedding. So... I was uber-social and felt much more connected to my people and my world than I have in the past couple months. But I am not quite to that spot of achieving balance. But I'm still applauding any progress, and have to consider this past week a success.
And finally, halfway through the month, I've finalized my January goals:
1. Work on getting my life back
2. Drink more water
We'll see what I can do with that. :)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
baby steps
Right now I am recording my progress for myself more than you... but hey, I made some small progress so far!!
This is the week I decided to take my life back. This is the beginning of my eighth week at my new job. It feels like I've been there forever on the one hand and not long at all on the other hand. And I have got to find some equilibrium and balance in my life again, no matter how much work is dropping on my lap on a minute by minute basis.
Last week was my final involvement with my old job. I am just relieved to be done. I offered to help out in limited ways for about 6 weeks, but it was pretty frying for me because of adjusting to the new job and the holidays!! Anyway, I'm done. And I survived. Whew! Another step toward getting my life back.
Here's what happened so far this week:
Monday - work 12 hours. Get home late. Visit with my dad who stopped by for some paperwork and to deliver my awesome Christmas gift - a portable table saw!!!! So excited!
Tuesday - work 10 hours. Leave work only 45 minutes later than I intended (I was in a meeting). Arrive home, help homie shovel the drive, make dinner, have dinner with homie and her bf. Wait for friend to come fix computer (I blame the snow). Bake like a fiend. Get to bed at a reasonable hours.
See??? Progress!! Hooray! And I've got social plans Weds and Thurs... so I've got to leave work at set times.
Not to mention I had a good talk with my boss last week, just about my need to find some way to get everything done while being interrupted every 2 minutes. I think it sunk in, and though nothing has really changed, he is aware of how much more work people are trying to drop on me / involve me in, and he's better about asking before interrupting. Like I said, progress.
Things are good. I love my job. And look, I'm even making progress towards getting my life back!
This is the week I decided to take my life back. This is the beginning of my eighth week at my new job. It feels like I've been there forever on the one hand and not long at all on the other hand. And I have got to find some equilibrium and balance in my life again, no matter how much work is dropping on my lap on a minute by minute basis.
Last week was my final involvement with my old job. I am just relieved to be done. I offered to help out in limited ways for about 6 weeks, but it was pretty frying for me because of adjusting to the new job and the holidays!! Anyway, I'm done. And I survived. Whew! Another step toward getting my life back.
Here's what happened so far this week:
Monday - work 12 hours. Get home late. Visit with my dad who stopped by for some paperwork and to deliver my awesome Christmas gift - a portable table saw!!!! So excited!
Tuesday - work 10 hours. Leave work only 45 minutes later than I intended (I was in a meeting). Arrive home, help homie shovel the drive, make dinner, have dinner with homie and her bf. Wait for friend to come fix computer (I blame the snow). Bake like a fiend. Get to bed at a reasonable hours.
See??? Progress!! Hooray! And I've got social plans Weds and Thurs... so I've got to leave work at set times.
Not to mention I had a good talk with my boss last week, just about my need to find some way to get everything done while being interrupted every 2 minutes. I think it sunk in, and though nothing has really changed, he is aware of how much more work people are trying to drop on me / involve me in, and he's better about asking before interrupting. Like I said, progress.
Things are good. I love my job. And look, I'm even making progress towards getting my life back!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Since I was last here...
Work continues to be good but insanely busy, especially with all the end of the year billing / tax credit / scheduling work craze. It has been difficult to find uninterrupted time to work on some of the clean up I need to do. One day at a time. I love it, but I'm exhausted. And I'm ready to find that balance in life again. I'm just not cut out for working 50-60 hours a week, especially during this very busy time of the year! We got Christmas eve and New Year's eve off, though I still went in to work for half a day on New Year's eve, just to get some of that uninterupted time. Anyway, things are good but I'm still not quite transitioned past the exhaustion just yet. Almost there...
Christmas!! Having a few Scrooges in my family makes me realize just how much I do love Christmas and all that surrounds it. The exhaustion factor this year made me slightly more wary of all the activity, but only because I am tired and have less reserves with which to handle the numerous events with huge crowds - no matter how fun they are. It has been a great Christmas, tiring to be sure, but wonderful. I love the reality of what we are celebrating- God becoming Man. Mmmmm. And I love the traditions, the celebrations, the gifts, the family, all of it.
We are mostly through the Christmas marathon- Christmas eve Mass. Christmas morning I slept late and was home with the dogs and one of the homies for awhile. Christmas dinner with my immediate family (missing the far away siblings and their families). The day after Christmas with the extended Cous crowd - always a blast! The housemates on Tuesday night. And my mom's extended family on Thursday. All that's left is Epiphany (when my parents give us our gifts from them) and we're putting that off a week. And then Owen's and Suzie's birthday (Jan 5th) which we'll also celebrate next weekend most likely.
New Year's eve was a small and fun affair with some friends. I managed to stay awake until 12:30 (greatly helped by the fact that we were playing games until just about midnight). Then we moved to the couches, toasted the new year, then there was a movie on so I snuggled under a blanket and fell asleep, managing to doze for awhile and then listen in on conversations in a tired haze for the next while. Good times. Welcome 2011.
I don't have New Year's resolutions yet. That's just too much on top of everything else. And as of today I'm getting sick-- so I'm drinking copious amounts of fluids, EmergenC, and spent a lot of today just chilling and doing some laundry. Some day I may get around to resolutions, right now I want to survive the rest of this job transition and work on balance in my life. That's all I got so far folks.
Happy 2011!
Christmas!! Having a few Scrooges in my family makes me realize just how much I do love Christmas and all that surrounds it. The exhaustion factor this year made me slightly more wary of all the activity, but only because I am tired and have less reserves with which to handle the numerous events with huge crowds - no matter how fun they are. It has been a great Christmas, tiring to be sure, but wonderful. I love the reality of what we are celebrating- God becoming Man. Mmmmm. And I love the traditions, the celebrations, the gifts, the family, all of it.
We are mostly through the Christmas marathon- Christmas eve Mass. Christmas morning I slept late and was home with the dogs and one of the homies for awhile. Christmas dinner with my immediate family (missing the far away siblings and their families). The day after Christmas with the extended Cous crowd - always a blast! The housemates on Tuesday night. And my mom's extended family on Thursday. All that's left is Epiphany (when my parents give us our gifts from them) and we're putting that off a week. And then Owen's and Suzie's birthday (Jan 5th) which we'll also celebrate next weekend most likely.
New Year's eve was a small and fun affair with some friends. I managed to stay awake until 12:30 (greatly helped by the fact that we were playing games until just about midnight). Then we moved to the couches, toasted the new year, then there was a movie on so I snuggled under a blanket and fell asleep, managing to doze for awhile and then listen in on conversations in a tired haze for the next while. Good times. Welcome 2011.
I don't have New Year's resolutions yet. That's just too much on top of everything else. And as of today I'm getting sick-- so I'm drinking copious amounts of fluids, EmergenC, and spent a lot of today just chilling and doing some laundry. Some day I may get around to resolutions, right now I want to survive the rest of this job transition and work on balance in my life. That's all I got so far folks.
Happy 2011!
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