long week – Sweat & Sparkle

When we decided we needed one more beach trip before this summer wraps up, we randomly picked an open weekend and booked our room. Little did I know that we chose the perfect weekend, because I sure needed it!

Work is so hectic right now, insanely busy, and I am in overdrive all day long just to keep my chin above the water. Just when I think I might actually get caught up, I am interrupted, or someone has a question.

I almost brought my laptop home with me. Almost. But I decided I desperately needed a break. My laptop and everything else work-related stayed right on my desk, where it could all wait until I got back.

My husband and I packed up and eagerly headed out. We didn’t even check into the inn first. We went straight to the beach. It looked like something from a postcard, with brilliant blue and emerald water, so clear at the shoreline that you could see shells scattered beneath the breaking waves.

As I floated deeper and deeper into the cool water, my toes barely touching the soft sand, all the stress and tension from the work week evaporated. We had the beach almost to ourselves, which was amazing to me. The weather was perfect. The water was amazing. I thought the beach would be packed. Well, so much the better for us!

Normally I prefer huge, crashing waves to jump around in, but the tranquil, calm water was perfect this past weekend. It was just what I needed. The gentle lull of soothing waves, the dazzling blue sky all around, fluffy clouds, my arms around my husband’s shoulders…I could have just about dozed off peacefully right there in the water.

We went out to dinner then came right back to stroll along the beach, look for shells, and watch the sunset. I love all the magnificent colors that light up the horizon just before the sun melts away. No matter how many times we have watched one, sunsets at the beach are mesmerizing.

I read a joke once that people who unpack as soon as they get home from a trip are serial killers. It made me laugh, because that is exactly what my husband and I do! We unzip our bags, put everything away, start a load of laundry with still-damp swimsuits and towels. We always clean before we head out of town, so we come home to a neat, tidy house and can just relax the rest of the day.

We went out for ice cream last night and just sat and chatted, talked about the beach, our next trip, the kids, anything that popped into our heads. We stayed up a bit too late, because we didn’t want our weekend to end, but alas, Monday mornings always roll around eventually, don’t they?

I fired up my laptop at work this morning but just wasn’t ready to dive in yet. I sorted my beach photos into a folder, scrolling them one more time with a smile. It’s time to get back to work now, but just for the record, my mind and my heart are still floating blissfully under the warm sun, cotton ball clouds, and ocean blue sky.

…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….

What happens when you are a light sleeper, your fiance tosses and turns like fidgeting is an Olympic sport, and the kids are home for Spring Break and don’t want to waste time sleeping? Well, you end up deliriously sleep-deprived, and I am beyond exhausted today.

I weighed in Saturday morning for a 4 pound loss! Yay! It felt great to finally see results on the scale. I don’t want to screw it up this week.

This week will be challenging not only because of the aforementioned sleep deprivation, but also because I have some work events this week, including a board dinner tomorrow evening. My boss believes it is conducive to have us staff members sit in a huge dining room at a fancy restaurant, hear our board members talk about their Alaskan cruises and other trips that we underpaid staff members could only dream about, be served frou-frou food with weird sauces that I don’t like, be expected to order dessert, and not be allowed to leave until about 9 PM, after hours of sitting, bored to tears, at this dinner table and wishing we were anywhere but there. Yeah, really looking forward to it.

I worked really hard to lose those 4 pounds last week. I don’t want to ruin it by just gaining it all back this week. There are at least 2 evenings I won’t be home until well past 9, and I really don’t think I’ll be pumped for a workout after working all day. Working out in the morning is a logical solution, but refer back to the sleep deprivation in paragraph one and three. I don’t predict much success with getting up even earlier to fit in a workout.

I am going to pack a gym bag this evening and take it to work tomorrow. I have about an hour and a half from the time I leave work until the board dinner starts, so I should have time to get to the gym, fit in a quick workout, and get cleaned up for the dinner. The next day, I just need to bite the bullet and work out in the morning, or find the energy to work out when I get home after a long day.

I hate when my routine is interrupted, especially for things I don’t want to do in the first place. In the past, I’ve let it throw me off course, and I end up slacking off and gaining weight. I really don’t want to do that this week. I need to find a way to stay on track this week, no matter what.