Work Week in My Life, Tropical Storm Rains, and a To Do List Crisis

Good morning! The post is up and you can watch it HERE.

Hi everyone! As you know, if you have been here before, I at least like to give a weekly update in real time. Here it is in bullet points:

• Work training is going well. We are two weeks in, in real time. She is learning fast and together as we do things, makes us get through things REALLY FASTER. I thought it would slow things down but instead it has significantly sped things up. We are literally finishing each other’s sentences and dotting each other’s i’s and crossing each other’s t’s.
• I’m not used to having someone by my side every moment all day for 8 hours but I am adjusting to that better than I thought I would too. Although I am exhausted by days end worse than normal, but that is getting better too. This is because I’m an introvert though, among other things. It has nothing to do with anyone else.
• Mom bought a scooter and is riding around in her neighborhood and getting her mail, talking to neighbors, and petting neighborhood dogs.
• Her latest desires, after the scooter are to have a gas fireplace built in, shop for a new China cabinet, close one of her bank accounts. I, of course, have ZERO time to do all these things, especially in the season we are in, so she will have to wait til I retire and have time to run around the city and beyond granting her wishes.
• She has asked George, again, to look into selling her car. I think he’s checking on that today.

• She has had me order a meal plan through Kroger’s meal delivery service and every Sunday we have to go in and make her meal plan selections. It starts Monday of the upcoming week. So 1) Will she like it 2) Can she afford it? It is going to be more than she is used to paying, and it will not cover all of her meals because it’s only going to be 8 meals a week. Meal on Wheels has not come through despite 3 people calling on her behalf. She is outside the daily delivery area of Lebanon but is inside the weekly delivery for frozen meals. She got a call it was starting but it never showed up. When she calls no one knows anything “they have to check and see” and then no one ever calls back. Same with my experiences. I finally quit calling and begging. She said Stouffer Meals were not enough food.
• We are in Christmas shopping mode.
• The videos have taken way too much time lately. My footage has to get shorter. I may also need to take a week off but I’m trying not to.
• We went to World Bible School banquet last night.

• We saw the northern lights in our own neighborhood and that thrilled my soul.
• I am feeling pressured and trying to figure out why. I think I finally figured out that it was because I had not really had much time to think of my own thoughts with someone by my side and with things going on all day and all evening, and in doing whatever project I’m focusing on, whatever task I’m doing, or whatever conversation I’m having. I’ve not had time to check in with myself, not had time to plan, think about what needs to be done, etc.
• Therefore: Once the weekend arrives, I’m in such relief to be able to have a thought and claim it as my own. That means on Sunday nights I am having a deep blue sadness that dives inward to my soul, of dread going in to work. I just know it will be 5 days before I can have another thought of my own accord.
• Every minute is truly packed. My prayers on the way to work are my only thought time I suppose. On the way back I listen to a show or a podcast. Other times I’m working on videos, checking on Mom, talking to George, texting family members or friends checking on them, or working or doing videos, or training or focusing on work. So even bathroom time is sacred because I can have a thought there, lol. This is the best way to describe it.
• In light of my not being able to have a thought, before I realized that was the issue, I kept trying to figure out my “to do list” thinking it needed to change. Well it does, but there’s no way to create more hours in the day and I’m down to doing the most prioritizable things of: God’s Word, Sleep/Rest, Mom’s needs (not all of her wants), time with George, YouTube, and 8 hours of work a day with 2 hours of commute tacked on, and supposedly exercise and I’m having a hard time working it in.
• I’m getting my new glasses ordered today. Went to eye doc yesterday.

So yours truly is always trying to figure things out but honestly – there is only about 51 more actual work days left til retirement, after taking out weekends, holidays and planned PTO time. With the last day being Dec 20th, and a little over two months away, this gal will be ending her 47 years of a career. And it cannot come soon enough. It’s getting close, if I can just hang on. I knew these last few weeks would be tough and they are. But I keep trying.

If you need the link again, for the today’s video, it is HERE. See ya next time.