Overwhelmed

Remember when I talked about life being made up of the little moments, not necessarily the colossal happenings? Well, it seems that all of my tiny moments have collided to make for one big lump of overwhelming pressure.

And I am not sure where to start explaining, so I'll start with what is pressing most on my heart. Cynical's grandmother is nearing the end of her life and even though this has been a slow and painful process for her and all of those that love her, it's still very difficult; and it's so very sad to watch that family lose someone they cherish so dearly. We'll visit her this weekend and hopefully those moments will be something to hold onto.

Suffice to say that work is probably the most stressful it has been since a day long ago (at a previous position) when I seriously considered the merits of living on the streets.

Next week our bathroom will be torn apart and rendered unrecognizable, which is a good thing in the long run, but in the short term, let's not forget it's our only bathroom. That will make life more complicated and next week I need life to be simple and easy.

You see, next week not only marks Cynical's 34th birthday (fun all around), but also a scheduled date with stress: a meeting that promises to be harrowing at the least.

Mix in several social engagements* that I agreed to long before I knew we'd be sponging off in the living room (only kidding), experiencing what are sure to be the intestinal after effects of said meeting, and preparing for a very, very long working weekend.

Top that off with two very sticky and frustrating family situations and you get what I suspect will be probably a week we'd rather not relive (save the social stuff.)

Whining won't do me any good, but venting did relieve some of the internal pressure. However, I'd advise staying as far away from Chez Ragged and its inhabitants as possible until mid-March, enter at your own risk.

*Including a baby christening with friends living far, far away; the viewing of a play performance by a friend's kids; dinner plans and something else I have already forgotten.

Returning home

After being served stress on a stick for nearly six hours today and getting my fill, I finally made my way home. No messages, no good mail. No cats greeting me at the door. A cold, dark house. No notes in my "in box". Only the electronic voice on the machine. Nothing in the fridge.

Welcome home.

Small pity party going on here. Can you tell?

How to escape stress without the use of narcotics, alcohol or marathon television viewing

The past few days have been, shall we say, "trying" at best. It's all work-related, but that doesn't make it any less harrowing. (Note my use of over-reactive terms, I was trained well.)

I knew that I needed some way to let go of some of it and I had a few options such as:
-Multiple regular margaritas, salt on the rim, on ice. (When I say multiple, I mean 1.5. I can never finish the second one without feeling the need to sing a lovely rendition of "We Didn't Start the Fire".)

-Lots of DVR'd television including every "My Name is Earl" episode, nearly all "Law & Order: SVUs" ever produced and the season finale of "Grey's Anatomy". But that would mean crying all over again when Denny dies and I don't think that's going to be productive, do you?

-Buying 8 bags of Tootsie Roll Pops, digging out the cherry-flavored ones, tossing the rest and eating them as fast as I can unwrap them. (I may still try this one.)

-Cleaning my house from top to bottom with a tooth brush and utility vac. (Still an option as well.)

Instead, I went a different route and:
-Went to the bookstore and perused knitting books for an hour before meeting a friend for dinner and conversation.

-Returned home to knit, knit and knit some more on some Christmas gifts including a hat for my brother. It's amazing what repetitive motion can do for your psyche.

-Stopped by Starbucks on my way in work for a skinny, venti-sized Pumpkin Spice Latte and a piece of coffee cake. (I don't care if they laughed at me when I ordered it with skim milk, but told them to add the whipped cream. It's my drink, my way.)

-Stowed some knitting in my work bag in hopes that during lunch I could further release some stress by clicking the needles through my all too short lunch half hour.

I can be sensible when push comes to shove. Cynical hates it when I shove.

Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same

Ever have a day so stressful that your head pounds and your vision has narrowed to only two feet in front of you.

Ever wish you could just evaporate for just a few hours, just enough time for everything to pass you by.

A moment of peace

Today is hectic and stressful and won't soon be over. However, as a bit of peace in my day, I am posting this photograph taken while hiking over the weekend. I know that many gardeners and yard enthusiasts hate this "weed", but I still love the fact that you can blow these seeds and send them off to start a new life. They look so very dainty, but are so very strong and persistent.