Trying Tuesday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

There is no doubt about it, this will be a trying day for many in the SHE village.

So rather than skirt around it, let's dive head-long into the process. We can either become lethargic, depressed and paralyzed, watching the news and sitting and worrying...

or

we can try and put that 'worry energy' into something positive.

I'd recommend turning off the tv, keeping only the SHE village website open in one's browser and getting moving.

Try new things today - a new routine, a new store, a new book, a new method of cleaning. Turn 'trying' from the negative definition into the positive definition.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm up uncharacteristically early. Thought I slept better but the fitbit disagrees.

I heard ds get home safe. He's sleeping in the basement so I only hear the garage door, and a bit of stepping about and then it gets very quiet since I can't hear him moving around in the basement. Don't know when he'll be up. I'll try and stay quiet here for as long as possible (the kitchen is on top of his bedroom.)

If I go upstairs to workout, that will be easier, so I might do that. So far I've made the bed, mending my broken purse strap and made my tea.

[DeeClutter]

Good morning, Kathryn. Good title -I was thinking along the same lines. I can't even read the news this morning. I have lots to do, before we take off for MD. Worst part is waiting long enough for them to get the parts in and be sure it will be fixed today. They and the car rental close at 6. Figure it will take us close to 6.5 hours to get there. So we need to leave by 10ish -but need to wait for that ok that it actually will be done today. I just can't do 13 hours again. I'm just beginning to recover from the long trip home as it is. Was very trembly yesterday and I can't function well with that feeling. Think my bs was all out of whack and just plain exhausted.

Our home looks pretty bad to me right now. Have decided to simply clean up 1 little space at a time. Did get some boxes and a suitcase unloaded yesterday. It's a matter of "I can't put this there, until I clean out that". Slow going.

DD flies back to FL today. A friend is taking her to the airport so we can get on the road.

Kathryn, please excuse my fuzzy head, but where is Ken going? I know you have said, I just can't get the jumble out of my brain yet. I do know that 'worry'. Thankfully I was a little bit oblivious when dh went to San Salvador! But the tales since have given me great shivers -especially the flack jacket and always being between automatic carrying guards. Even now, it scares me!

Have to get moving. I made coffee for dh, tested my bs and ate breakfast. That's all I've done so far.

Trying though the day will be, I know I have to bury my head in the sand for a while and get something done. Okay, so glad you're safe. All those who have been affected by this horrible weather are heavy on my heart and will be in my thoughts & prayers.

[OKay]

Good Morning!

I'm up and going. I'm off track with following my morning tiny habits but have managed to complete about 75% of them.

DGS16 txt me late last night needing to talk. DGS16 was sweet in the way he asked. He isn't trying to exclude LO, but he wants time alone with me. We have set up a weekly time to get together one-on-one.

I need to step back and evaluate my schedule and commitments. With school out, we have some freedom to change bedtime/wake up requirements. I'm going to start helping with MPB evening chores. DH has been doing them alone. He deserves a break.

I have a new level of awareness for storms. About 30 minutes after I got up this morning we got hit by a storm and I was instantly more focused. Today's storm was small and quick moving but it got my attention. I stepped away from the windows as the winds (77mph) hit, then the hail, then rain.

DMIL called and gave the report on her damage from this morning storm. She hasn't gone outside yet (waiting for sunrise) to assess the damage. She knows it did tear her front storm door off and toss/toppled outdoor items. I talked with DMom this morning and heard her take on the local situation.

Time to wake LO up. Let the excitement begin!

[DeeClutter]

I have now s2s, made the bed and did up the dishes. The kitchen/dining counter almost looks presentable now. Trying to get the areas seen as 1 comes to the door at least tidy and wiped up. There's probably enough dust in here to put in a garden.

I'm putting things on our bed to pack for overnight, as I use them. Hoping to get on the road in a little less than 2 hours. Trying to remember where we had the electric fireplace last year. We have to move just about everything in the fall in order to bring in all the slides. There's 3 in this room alone (1 short living room slide, 1 long living/dining rm slide & the kitchen slide. Then there's 1 more in our bedroom.) I know I had some tote bags beside the recliners -unfortunately they're a bear to move & I can't do it alone. My recliner is too close to the wall & I can't budge it an inch.

Just have to keep reminding myself I can't do it all in a day. Throw in dh's blood work & surgery schedule, plus 'fetching' our car & the schedule is gone. Really hoping the car will be truly fixed today as we can ill afford to stay over tomorrow night. DH has to have a fasting blood work done on Thursday morning. No way that schedule would work. So simply trusting for good results today.

Back to work. Hope your day comes together well, Okay.

[Twins' Mom]

I probably would have gone with Tuesday's tasks because I'm focusing on actually writing that stuff down and doing it, but I do like Trying Tuesday also.

I am trying to get my head together for a busy day. I need to get to my dmom's this morning, then have 12:30 lunch today with the outgoing temple VP Admin. He's done a significant amount of work on the website and wants to discuss, and I just need to catch up with him. DD has a dental appointment today at 3 and I need to pick her up and get her home, then rush back to the temple for a 4:30 meeting that was requested by a congregant. She's mad at the cemetery board and the cemetery groundskeeper, and I'm meeting with her and a member of that board. I don't have any control over cemetery issues, and I plan to tell her that! Anyway, that is probably going to be stressful.

Along the way, several other things on my li&t, although I'll be out and about a lot and don't know if I can get to them.

And shes off!

[Harriet]

I feel a little trivial this morning. I mean by that, my thoughts are mundane, of course, in comparison to a lot of the coverage on CNN. After HRH left the LR, I thought to turn the tv off because my ddad is having breakfast in the DR and that takes all his concentration now, but as he finishes he will focus on the tv, so it's best to omit that from his morning. HRH had already spirited away the newspaper with its headlines.

Rainstorms here have been strong enough to wallop my annual flower plantings of the mini-blossom types with which I'm experimenting, and do some damage. Quite a beating for delicate petals that were cheery color yesterday, disappeared into tatters today. So as I look at that - literally a miniature example of storm power - I think what an amazing effect weather can have. Every community is miniature to some size of storm.

helia, I also had on my mind this morning your neighborhood, and especially your dd, realizing she'd driven past just as the wreck happened. Surely the coverage of disaster elsewhere adds another layer of somberness when we have a community tragedy.

There was good news on the scale for me this morning. I had no one to tell but dd, who does her best to commiserate with me from her vantage point of a tiny waist and a dozen pounds lower, lol. We are the same height, and the steady comments of "she looks just like you as a child!" we used to hear from older members at church have now turned to "she's your spitting image!'. So, if I lose 12 more pounds I'll have "our" teenaged waistline, too, right? Um... ... no.

THE DREADED LETTER came for me the other day. Class reunion. It's not a particularly important year, so it's "just the girls" this time. Is that better or worse as far as social pressure and comparison/competitiveness? They'll spend no money as a group. They've signed up for the porch/outdoor area of a local meeting place/restaurant. So I suppose the idea is to frantically shop, primp, engirdle, and try to casually walk across the parking lot as though just then remembering we meant to cross the street to chat.

[Twins' Mom]

Walk with ddogs is done and I set up dMacs appointment for canine PT on Thursday. This means that I have to use Friday for an ATL trip to see dsis as I missed last week on vacation. I try to go every other week. Friday night we are going to a graduation party for a cousin that starts at 6:30 and I am planning to pick up dmom to go also. So Friday will be on the road - if I am there at 1 to visit - beginning of visiting hours, I can be back on road by 2 and home by 4:30. There are evening visiting hours but

This has ended up being a crazy busy week - partly from being away last week and also because next week is a short week.

Now, s2s and make the bed and I'm done with a.m. routine.

Harriet, HS reunion for me also this summer - 40 years? Haven't decided whether to show up or not.

Dh had talked to two of our friends who are GA attorneys yesterday about dd's speeding ticket (96 mph in 70 zone) and their advice was to try a phone call to the GA county clerk office and see if they would reduce the ticket. Not sure how that works but that's what they told him. Also he had talked to our insurance agent who indicates our insurance will probably be cancelled if this stands as is. She suggests we transfer car to dd and get insurance for her alone, which could be extremely expensive. Oy vey. Or we can go to court and reiterate that it's her first ticket and see if they will reduce - that's July 9 which means one of us has to pick her up at camp (close to 3 hours to get there) and then drive to near Macon, which is probably at least two more hours.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I've now s2s. Never did exercise. Am focusing on food for the moment. It is 9 and I'm trying not to eat since I've already had breakfast.

Dee (and others.) Dh is on a trip to Machu Picchu in Peru. He should be in Lima now, and a car has been sent to take him to the home of an industry friend. After that friend is finished work for the day, they'll drive to the office when the friend consults in the hopes of getting a training session to happen after June 1. Dh will have a day to himself in Lima (although I think the friend is showing him around) and then on Thursday morning dd's godfather will have arrived along with the rest of the tour group and they'll fly to Cuzco and start acclimatizing to the altitude (about 12,000' there.)

On Saturday he starts a four day hike along the Inca Trail arriving in Machu Picchu on Tuesday morning at sunrise. He'll be camping along the trail.

My worries are: 1) dh has a leaky heart valve and although the doctor's say he's good to go, I still worry. 2) dh has an overly optimistic attitude to his health so for minor things he's not prepared (only 1.5 days of diarrhea meds and he's purposely taken ibuprofen that is 9 months expired.) 3) altitude sickness can hit anyone (he does have meds for that and knows to drink the coca tea even though he hates anything along that line so I worry he won't.) 4) he's a 55 year old male who works out for 2 hours a day almost daily but does the exact same exercises every day (and has for 2 years.) That means that his muscles are fit for the exercise bike (even the regular bike left him a bit winded and sore when we biked 2 miles earlier this month) and he can do chin ups and wussy pushups (he doesn't put his nose to the ground and does them super quick) but he isn't really in great shape.

Plus he hates to camp.

On the plus side, he's always wanted to go to Machu Picchu (although I think he wanted to go with me, who would insist on super luxury the whole way and no hiking - but I have no interest due to my fear of heights.)

When Machu Picchu is done he's spend another day in Cuzco, then back to Lima and then on to some other ruins that his friend will take him to (in Caral). If the government office decides to take advantage of dh being there, he'll change his ticket and stay on for another few days and train them. Otherwise, he'll be home on June 1. Because it was uncertain whether or not he'd be working, he has taken all his computer gear and dress clothes and plans on leaving all that in Lima with his friend.

I just have concerns about all of it, the only comfort is that he's with friends the whole time since I'm not there to look out for him.

Oh, and earthquakes. Peru is a country that gets hit by earthquakes and the ground seems shaky these days.

[helia]

I have finally seen some of the OK tornado damage. The school children are OMM. . . . . .

That is so sad about the man and his ds both dying in separate traffic accidents, OK. I'll pray for them. ((HUGS))

Thanks for thinking of us, Harriet. Yes, all these tragedies can make one feel more vulnerable. Dd14 is not as likely as some to feel that; dd17 is more likely than many to feel that. . . . We don't watch TV so we have some control over images and news that come into our home. I finally read up about the tornado online. I saw some amazing videos and photos too. Just incredible. Those people are definitely OMM. It makes my own "problems" seem so trivial, as you mentioned. Though per that article that someone posted here earlier, our own trials are no less real to us. But maybe we can put them into a larger perspective when we see what others are going through. --Sorry for the stream of consciousness ramblings. Not all aimed at you, dHarriet, clearly. Happy for good news from the scale!!

Dh is in Peru already, kathryn?

I went for a jog with dh first thing today, so the exercise card is done. I'd like to make a groc. store run before I need to be back at the school at 11:45-ish to finish the band concert uniform returns. I had some very helpful parents working with me yesterday. We got the bulk of them back so today should be lighter.

Later today, there is the daily drivers ed run this afternoon, and then dh and I are going to a concert tonight, Shawn Colvin.

Evenings are busy this week. Dh and I went out for coffee last night. tonight is the concert. We are going to a local restaurant Thursday night b/c dd14 and other band members are performing in order to raise $$ for the band trip to France next spring. Dd14 is now thinking she may want to go after all. Friday night, we're celebrating ds' birthday, 2 months late. Fortunately, the weekend is looking pretty low-key.

I hope to get the crock pot going with pulled pork this morning. There isn't much time for dinner prep between picking up dd14 and friend at 6:00 and then needing to leave for the concert around 7:15 - unless it starts at 8, in which case we'll have another 30 minutes at home.

We are in the midst of a hot spell right now, at least hot for us. HIghs have been in the 80s for quite a while. Yesterday, it got to the low 90s. Tomorrow, we're supposed to cool down, with highs in the upper 70s. That sounds perfect! I think we may get some rain this week, which would also be good. As long as it is not on Thursday, which is the moms group picnic.

The puppy is outside and quiet so I'm going to s2s and get the a.m. routine going so I can head to the groc. store soon. . .