Day 436

I hope yesterday it didn't seem like I was complaining about work. I love my job, I'm good at my job, and I'm respected at my job. And I'm ever-so-thankful that I have a job.

Remember, it was just a year ago I wasn't sure I'd ever work again. Didn't think it was in me. Didn't think I could get well enough, didn't think I had the stamina, didn't think I could regain my confidence. But I did in all those departments.

But things are changing at work and it'll be interesting how it all plays out. The only thing I know for sure about next year is that I'll have a job somewhere, doing something, and working more days than I did this year (which then translates into extra dollars).

Other things are changing at home, too. My father-in-law picked up the lift chair yesterday. That piece of furniture was where I slept after one of my shoulder surgeries and where I, even just a few months ago, spent my mornings to help get my back ready for the day. And now I don't need it anymore and it gets to go away. I have new routines in place for making my back make it through the day.

Like taking a shower in the mornings. Just a short couple months ago, I wasn't able to do that. On Day 364 I took a shower in the morning for the first time in years. Now those morning showers have become commonplace. Again, ever-so-thankful.

I even notice a difference with the gambling. Just barely a year ago when I went to the casino with my hubby my body really had a tough time. Not so much now. Granted, I did spend all day in the room catching up on my magazine reading.

Reading and looking out the window ever so often and making sure I chose my "Win-It Wednesday" winner. My magazines are all read up and are being passed along to my mom for her perusing, Paula O. gets a sunflower wall quilt, and I got to snap a picture of a tree loaded with pine cones. I just wish I could say I was loaded with money from the casino, but I can't.

But I can say... Congrats, Paula!

Day 435

I needed to escape. Flee, run away, hide, decompress, de-stress. I needed to clear my head and get my mind off of work. Knowing I had today and tomorrow off probably spurred my interest in escaping.

These last few weeks have been a marathon. Early mornings, late nights. 12-14 hour days. Even my weekends were not immune. My life has been juicing, work, juicing, work. My exercise bike has sat dormant for most of those couple weeks. I haven't even been able to carve out an hour between 5 AM and 11 PM to get on the bike. It's not like I haven't tried, but once I sit down to work after dinner I look up and it's dark and hubby is already snoring away.

When I used to work full time, our place of escape was always Jackpot. Gambling, whether we won or lost, always took our minds off work. And today I was oh-so-tempted to drive down. Distract myself with the pile of magazine reading I have to catch up on, distract myself with the book I started and haven't finished, and distract myself with the slot machines.

And unfortunately I gave into temptation. I figured driving a couple hundred miles from home would give me the distance I needed. Except on the drive down a work phone call happened. Then when I got checked in the room and was digging in my purse, a message that I needed to call school. Again.

It's my own fault. Next year I need to set some guidelines about contacting me on my days off.

I really don't want to feel so desperate that I have to spend my time here instead of my garden.

Day 434

I've got yard sales on my mind. Not going to them, but having one.

It has been probably close to 15 years since we've had a yard sale. Since that time we have accumulated a lot of stuff. A lot. A houseful.

When we bought this house it made sense to fill it up. We were moving from a place of less than 1000 square feet to a place of over 2000 square feet that also had a storage room off the carport plus an additional shed in the backyard. We had empty rooms here that needed furnishings and storage areas that needed to be filled up.

But now it's just the two of us (three if you count the cat) and we both (he's finally on board) are tired of the stuff. With no kids around, no grandkids yet, and hubby's retirement looming in the next few years we need to be thinking ahead.

My dream would be to sell everything (including the house) and move into a tiny little place. While that complete sell-off won't happen for a long time now, we can start working towards it. Maybe a yard sale is looming in our future. But before we even get to that yard sale, there are things I have others who are reading this right now might be interested in.

First up, a small sunflower wall quilt measuring 21.5" by 23". Made by me.

So let's make this a "Win it Wednesday". If you're interested in this being yours, just post here. (If more than one person is interested, I'll randomly pick a winner on Friday.)

Day 433

I can't wait until the May primary gets here. Actually, it's my mailbox that can't wait. Every day we get a couple of campaign fliers in the mail. We've gotten the same ones again and again and again. We've never had this many coming in before and I couldn't figure out why. Until I talked to hubby, Mr. American Government Teacher.

This year Idaho went through reapportionment. So all those folks who have kept their seats over the years and didn't need to campaign because their positions were uncontested in primary elections are trying hard to hold on.

And the stack of fliers we get every day is a testament to their persistence-determination-campaign contributions.

Just today the mailbox today held seven of those fliers, the highest one-day total so far.

Day 432

I had a feeling I might be off on the weight loss. See, hubs only weighs himself once a week and I've followed his lead. So the weight loss numbers I reported yesterday were a few days old. I should have waited and reported the new numbers we both earned today. Better numbers.

Hubs has lost four pounds this week for a total of 21 pounds. I lost three pounds this week for a total of 22 pounds. (And to think what we would have lost if we weren't going out to dinner so much.) But we're more than okay with the numbers. Losing weight and still going out to eat is a great thing - that's a lifestyle change we both can live with. (But don't tell too many people that today was Teacher Appreciation at my school and I had a piece of strawberry cheesecake.)

I also have another feeling. Remember the picture of the squirrel I took last year on Day 89? And the story I told about the squirrel ready to attack on Day 101? Well, I think he still has it out for me. Guess he thinks he needs to keep his eye on me when I'm on the computer. Thank goodness for the window between us.