Less Hustle More Coffee

Busy week this week. The mother/daughter mammograms were conducted on Monday. And I dove into getting the January month end taxes paid this week as well as doing the annual year end returns, reports, and w-2 reporting. I’m still not finished but getting closer every day. I suspect it will take another two weeks as the big plants I have to enter every w-2 by hand manually in their website and it takes forever. I dread it with every passion within me! But I will get it done.

Other than that our week was absolutely boring – work, eat, check on Mom, maybe watch a show if time, and then head to bed. Some days were too busy to watch anything because I either worked late or we had something else going on. One night I got my nails and pedi done. I’ve already somehow ruined the polish on the big toe. I have no idea. It looks like maybe Dexter stepped on it – lol! Or I hit it against a shoe. It’s usually dry when I leave there. But at least that was somewhat relaxing.

The last couple of days have been tough. It’s that time again – low sun, too many hours worked, longing to feel sunlight on my skin, longing to get things done but have less time than I thought I would this month, year end still clinging, my to do lists are hollering “do me, do me”. Every year I think February is going to be a catch up month, but it’s just another little January in continuation.

Not trying to be Debbie Downer here but just reporting it out as the feelings bubble up. The last two days I’ve left somewhat on time because I have just recognized I’m not doing as OK as I was last month. I’m losing me again, I’m not getting enough Vitamin D either with the supplements even though I’m taking them, and I suppose we are just not getting in enough fun, enough sleep, or enough joy. It’s ok. I’m hanging in. Lots of good things have happened to pull me through.

Someone brought me a Crumbl cookie, someone brought me M&M’s. The Girl Scout cookies came in. And because of all that – and my stress -and Valentine’s Day coming, I tossed the “no sugar” challenge out the window. I need to have time to prepare myself for these challenges with some support and set myself up for success. If I’m cutting out sugar, I need an alternative to pop in my mouth instead. Maybe I’ll do no sugar in April, lol. Not next month b/c it’s vacation month. Or maybe I need to do a “tier down” or “step down” option instead of just cold turkey. lol

I’ve been finding that “laughs” are hard to find in my scroll feed. My acts of kindness have been few and far between because I am not around people much, but I cleaned the kitchen up one day ahead of George’s cooking so he wouldn’t have too, I have called Mom to check on her, sent Valentine’s cards, and have tried to do things like refilling the silverware at the break station at work, and things like that. I’ve not had time to plan much for these things. My “movement” has been ok but not perfect. Many times it’s in bed at night trying to do leg lifts, lol. Or perched on “the throne” doing arm lifts, if you can imagine such. lol. I take it where/when I can. It’s come down to that? Exercising on the toilet? Why yes. It has!

Cleaning, oh cleaning. Well, I can’t say I’ve improved there. I’ve had less time than normal and we’ve not been home- so nope. I have been working on the smoothie bar research some while on the go or at lunch or on a break. What kind of collagen to get, what all kinds of powders/ingredients I want (protein powder, cocoa, PB powder, collagen, greens, oats, etc.) and I have picked out my containers on Amazon. I’ve looked into the nutrition stores here – they also have on line shops. I’m a little concerned with one store b/c their products have ZERO following or information on the internet other than the store itself. No reviews on the products, not much on the company either other than the trademark information. I’ve traced back to parent company – also with little information. So I’m still in the research phase. I figured I’d find something on it besides reviews at the very store it’s sold. I want outside reviews! So that is weird. I won’t post the company here. I don’t want to give them a bad rap in case everything happens to be fine. Their prices were more reasonable than Amazon and other places, so I was very interested until I couldn’t find information. I really want US products too if I can.

I also did some more research on some blog additions that I need to make, and info on YouTube growth and changes for 2023 algorithms and trends. I did some of that listening while signing about 200 checks, lol. And on the drive home.

I also called my contact to see if I can be involved in the online Bible Study Helper program. It will take some time to do and I may have to shift some other things around in my life. But It’s something that I need and want to do because it’s helping others that want to learn more about God, to get connected up to Bible study. I had talked with my contact from church back in November I think – or even October – whenever we placed membership. I told her I’d call her back after year end was done. Well it’s close enough. I told her it’d be February. I wanted to answer God’s call. Now I guess it’s up to her if I can do it or not. I’ll let you know. She didn’t answer and there was not a voicemail – it just went dead, so I sent a text. I hope it was a phone I called. If no response I’ll call again later or maybe try to find her at church. It’s in God’s hands too of course. It’s his leading. If it’s not meant to be I will do something else. I just feel the need to do something in sharing God’s word to those that are interested because there is a bad time coming.

This week at night I’ve also worked hard to get this Saturday’s video done. It’s uploaded and ready to go for tomorrow.

So at least SOME of my goals are working out.

But it’s the weekend now and so happy that it is! We have a Valentine’s excursion tomorrow including dinner reservations. We have some shops lined up to visit. It’s gonna be fun. Then of course church and a life group Sunday and getting Mom’s groceries. It’s Super Bowl Sunday so George wants to be home by kick off. So I may have to go another night if we can’t get it Sunday. But we’ll figure it out.

I also have to do some online shopping this weekend:

• Amazon for Dexter’s food – both wet and dry
• Target for my facial wipes and make up and other products.
• And I want to check on Thrivemarket to see about joining that for healthy food items including smoothie ingredients.

Other to do’s include:

• laundry
• cleaning
• grinding coffee beans for next week
• writing in my grandma’s journal
• reading for pleasure
• coming up with my project cleaning list for this year (I’ll blog about it) – You know if I make a list it has more of a chance at getting done that way, lol.
• change our bed sheets
• vacuum/mop floors – Dexter’s hair shredding is taking up life of it’s own, creating little hairball tumbleweeds that come running at you from the corners (Yikes!)
• hem pajamas – well I need to get George to pin them up and maybe I can hem them next weekend

There’s a whole lot more on my To Do list and most of it will have to roll forward. It’s ok. I’ve been a little sad I’ve not had time this month but I can see in some small ways I’m moving a bit forward slowly. I just have to remember it’s all “in the journey” and try to enjoy it instead of push forward so much. But you see, I love to make some progress instead of jogging on the hamster wheel. I can take slow progress as long as it’s forward momentum and I’m not getting lost in the bottom of the barrel with life hovering over me keeping me smothered. I need to be able to breathe and see the horizon, see where I’m going, and see movement.

Ok well over and out. I will pop on here in the morning and give you the link to the video when it goes live.

Gone to do laundry and read for pleasure, after I call Mom.