Thankful for a Break

I was supposed to go out tonight with my friends Erika and Shannon, but I cancelled at the last minute.  My house is a mess disaster area, and I have a gazillion things to do, and in general felt overwhelmed by it all when I got in from school late this afternoon. I felt that, as much as I would have fun with them (always do), my time would be better spent trying to clean up a little and get a few things done, so that when I get home tomorrow I can say aaahhh, and not ugh.

I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year, and to four glorious days off from work. I don't remember ever feeling so desperate for Thanksgiving weekend--although I'm not sure if it's because my memory escapes me these days or because this year my stress and fatigue is actually at an all time high. Either way, I am ready for a little break from routine (that has nothing to do with a natural disaster or major weather event), some time with family, and some extra rest. I can't wait to kick it all off with a grown-up lunch tomorrow with Amy before fighting the crowds in the supermarket so I can buy what I need to make my appetizer for Thanksgiving.

But I have to get through tomorrow first. One more wake up until I'm there. And a little more housework before I can turn in tonight.

Almost there.

Photo Journal: Quintessential Comfort



grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup



I Love them, I Love them not...My Bangs

That’s exactly it. One day I love them, the next day I hate them.
One day they behave and do what they are supposed to, which means I’m pretty likely to have a good hair day, which in turn means I at least start the day in a good mood.

The next day my chances of taming them are about the same as taming a wild animal—and I don’t even have the experience of training pets. When my bangs misbehave I get aggravated and overheat while I’m getting ready, and that usually makes me run late, and I walk out the door in a bad mood. Then I spend the day wondering if I should cut them myself later (and you know how that turns out—especially if there’s wine involved).

I wish I didn’t have bangs, but I don’t look good without them. Even if I could get past that, I don’t think I’d have the patience to grow them out—unless I was holed up in a cabin in Vermont somewhere finishing my novel, interacting with no one.

You see? It’s a vicious cycle. I want to grow them out, I know I could never do do that…I love them, I hate them...Which means, I suppose, that maybe most of all I hate that they have so much influence on my mood.

Bangs, be damned!

[Heart] Note...to Weekends

Extra sleep and another leisurely cup of coffee--or two--without worrying about getting in the shower; time to experiment in the kitchen after flipping through magazines and cookbooks and going grocery shopping first; back-to-back episodes of Chopped; Shuffled Row on my Kindle; phone calls with Jill and Deanna, and sometimes Tamara; Friday night dinner out; a Saturday visit with my parents; Sunday bacon and eggs breakfast; maybe a stroll through Home Goods and TJMaxx, maybe a trip to Lord and Taylor; the option of not leaving the house at all: these are all things I love about the weekend.

A teacher friend of mine, Mike (whom I affectionately callBr other Love), said to me once that if all he did over a weekend was stare at the paint on the walls, it would still be a good weekend.

True, that, Brother Love. True, that.

Photo Journal: Newfound Comfort


 



new recipe: slow cooker pork burrito bowl




new dishes: C&B and Pier 1

  


new comfort



Breakneck Speed

How is it that we went from Halloween--or The Halloween That Never Was--to Thanksgiving in a heartbeat. Really. For that matter, the whole month of October is a blur...and it's the second week of November already! Only two weeks until Thanksgiving, then one more week until December. And you know what that means. Christmas shopping and (more) snow days!

Is it me or is time flying at breakneck speed?

The snow is mostly gone, and there are still leaves on the trees that haven't fallen or broken in half and I'm feeling confused and hurried and suddenly it's as if I am a kid again at an amusement park and wish I hadn't gotten on this stupid ride. I don't know whether I'll feel better if I open or close my eyes, and I can't seem to take a deep breath, but I have a feeling that if I did, I might enjoy it more.

Because We Could

I know I have lamented here before, as Amy has in her blog, that grown-up lunches for teachers are rare. Well, with an unexpected week off (that we will make up in June or, worse, April) we decided we should treat ourselves to a grown-up lunch and shopping. I got there first and ordered Prosecco.

a split of Prosecco

Amy did the same. I started with a Caesar salad and Amy ordered crab claws. For our entrees, I ordered fried sea scallops and she ordered whole belly clams. We took our time and savored every bite.

fried sea scallops

Dessert would come later in the day, so we decided on a little digestivo before venturing off to shop... Which is to say, I suppose, we decided that when life gives you lemons, finish with some limoncello on the rocks.


limoncello on the rocks