Category: busy

Date Night

This was a long and very busy work week. I practically ran to the door at quitting time, sneaking out before anyone else could ask me a question, send me an email, or bring anything to my desk. I was more than ready to get our weekend started!

We have a lot to do this weekend, too, but something we always make time for is our Saturday night date night. It’s been a tradition for as long as I can remember. When the kids were little, it was our family evening out. As they all grew up, it became just me-and-him time. It’s nice to look forward to it all week, talking about where we will go, and whose turn it is to pick.

I was curious, and I am a data person, so I looked it up: less than half of married couples go on regular date nights. The couples that do have date nights enjoy significantly happier marriages, better communication, more commitment, and greater sexual satisfaction. No argument here!

Everything

I had a lot of plans for my blog after the new year: a recap of last year, goals for this year, catching everyone up on my little world. But my workplace has had other plans for me.

I am known at work for being very detail-oriented, thorough, reliable. Great, right? Well, sure, until the number of people who depend on me, ask me questions, and send me documents to review became a bit overwhelming.

Yesterday I stayed late to finish reviewing a 60+ page budget for someone else in my department. I stared at numbers, followed table rows, and corrected adding errors until I was damn near cross-eyed. Meanwhile, my own work sat, untouched, because I was interrupted all day long with questions and requests for help. I am flattered that I am considered so reliable and helpful, but I really need a breather and time to handle my own work, too.

I want to think a bit about how to make this blog serve me best this year: how to use it more for accountability, for just getting thoughts out of my head, for recording snippets of my life. I haven’t had much time to ponder that since coming back to work, but it’s churning in the back of my head.

Today is officially one full week into the new year already. I know I can’t make time slow down, but I want to take some time each day to really focus on what is happening around me, from the scattering of clouds in the sky to the feel of the breeze as I sit outside at night, to a new bud on one of our roses, to the sound of my husband laughing at something I said, the way his eyes shine when he is happy, all of it…the small things that are actually everything to me.

Six Days to Go

Less than a week to go to Christmas! I spent a few hours the other evening drowning in wrapping paper, ribbon, bows, and tape, but all of my gifts are now wrapped and dressed up in their colorful decorations, except for the few stragglers that haven’t been delivered by Amazon or UPS yet.

Last night, my husband and I scattered my glitter glue tubes onto the kitchen counter and got to work, painting names onto Christmas stockings. One of them is for our youngest grandson, and I had to smile to myself as I watched my husband lean over that stocking, slowly and carefully placing the letters of our grandson’s name, making sure it was just right. We are excited about many things this year, and being a part of this little fellow’s very first Christmas is a huge one.

We did some shopping last night, too, and I picked up the ingredients for some baking over the weekend and next week. I keep running down my long, ever-growing mental checklist, making sure I am not missing anything before Christmas Day.

It’s been a busy holiday season, with a few more events still on the calendar. When I feel overwhelmed or aggravated, I stop and remind myself that there are certainly worse things in the world than Christmas parties, holiday celebrations, or preparing for loved ones to stop by. I like things orderly, organized, planned out to the tiniest detail, but if things don’t line up perfectly, guess what? It’s going to be just fine. It’s supposed to be about celebrating, having fun, enjoying each other, sharing time together. Loving each other. Making memories.

Birthday Surprise

When we went to bed last night, I pretended I forgot something so I could get back up while my husband was in bed. I sneaked out to the kitchen, where I had stashed some birthday decorations, and I hung a birthday banner on our fireplace mantel, slipped birthday covers over the chairs at the dining room table, and moved his wrapped presents from the guest bedroom closet to the table.

If he noticed all this activity, he was a good sport and pretended he didn’t. This morning, as soon as the alarm went off, I sang “Happy birthday” to him. Given my questionable singing skills, that was possibly not much of a gift, but he smiled and kissed me and said “Thank you” anyway.

I baked caramel-filled cupcakes with salted caramel frosting over the weekend, but for this evening’s celebration, I will stop after work and pick up a cake and some ice cream. I wish we had both taken the day off. Definitely something to consider for next year!

My husband always says that his birthday is not a big deal, and that it’s just another day. I don’t agree. He loves to make me feel special on my birthday, and I want him to feel the same way. I hope all the moving parts come together this evening to celebrate him, make him smile, and help him feel as loved and treasured as he truly is.

Skin Care

I have a co-worker who is in her 30s and who spends a lot of time at my desk, regaling me with tales of her many male suitors, seeking love life advice or just filling me in on her latest adventures. Sometimes I have to ask her to refresh my memory on which fellow she is talking about, and she giggles like I’m senile and have issues remembering, instead of her just having too many gentlemen callers for me to keep up with.

A few days ago, she was at my desk, chattering away, when she suddenly huffed and interrupted her own story to say, “I am almost 20 years younger than you, and I have more wrinkles on my face than you do.” She said it in an accusatory tone, like I was doing something deliberately to affront her.

She ended up asking what I use on my skin, and we got into a whole conversation about skin care. It’s something my mother, from whom I inherited my very fair and easily-sunburned skin, taught me at a young age, and I’m glad I listened. Sunscreen. Sunscreen. Moisturizer. And more sunscreen.

After a long and draining work week, it was a wonderful compliment to hear. I feel tired and worn out, and I know it’s showing on my face, but after her comment, I guess it’s not nearly as bad as I thought.

Still, I will be grateful to leave work today and head home. My husband and I have a busy weekend ahead of us, but it’s still a welcome break from the demands and stressors at work, which have been non-stop this week.

No matter what the weekend brings, I will make time to sit back with a face mask and just relax. Gotta keep impressing these younger co-workers, after all!

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