February Blues are over

I am well aware that my blogging since the first of the year has been less than acceptable. After the January from Hell, work picked up for me and my days are jammed full of projects, sorting information, making decisions on what books to add to our library, creating and modifying endless spreadsheets, and generally running from place to place.

Our evenings usually find us away from computers, since we both spend all day at work staring at a monitor. We watch movies, read, talk, or do various activities for exercise (I like to walk and jog, while Kyle plays intramural basketball and racquetball).

Weekends seem to have been busy, too, though maybe we're just relaxing and trying to catch up on sleep and sanity from our intense weeks.

My health has also been in question for about the entire month of February. Strange things to be sure, but I'm hoping that today's spell in the Library (I nearly fainted in the Reference section) is the last of this bothersome winter blues and illnesses. We've also been under an inordinate amount of job stress for about the last two weeks, and I know that it takes a toll on my body in (predictably) strange ways.

March begins tomorrow and with it, I am praying for some hope of spring, of new life and warm breezes and more sunshine.

Winter Weather is Confusing

Today feels like Spring. Which is depressing because we know it is only late January. We still have February to trudge through, and then March throughout which we hope for Spring, and are yet forced to wait until after Easter.

My soul was able to sing a little today, though, because of the sunshine and relative warmth.

I love that college students decided today is national Coat-is-Optional Day. Just because it feels warmer than usual (which is to say, it's nearly Freezing--32*), they treat it as if it were, truly Spring. Everywhere I turn, students are wearing sweatshirts, sans coats, or t-shirts on the very brave. As if trying to invoke Spring earlier than Nature dictates, their coatlessness is a prayer for relief. It has been very cold this winter.

The Cold Strikes Again

Knowing that last night was to be the coldest night, and feeling the chill, even though our thermostat read somewhere in between 68-70 when I went to bed, I piled on the clothes and blankets and snuggled deep into our huge, comfy bed much earlier than normal.

At 12:40am I received a call from my husband, and I thought for sure it was 4am. So, I mumbled something, hung up, and went back to sleep. Waking up this morning was difficult, you know, because the house was just SO frigid, despite the heat being turned up higher than it has been all year.

I stumbled to the shower and tried to lift the faucet handle. It didn't move. Starting to wake up, I turned to the sink and pushed its handle up. Worked like a charm. Back at the tub, I gave a good yank to the handle and it creaked on. No problem.

It usually takes the water running for about a minute before the water is warm, so I tentatively stuck my finger under the waterfall, only to find my little digit scalded. Being early, it was difficult for me to process the problem underlying the scalded finger. After about five minutes, I realized that the cold water to the shower was frozen.

Abandoning the bathroom drama, I escaped to the kitchen to check the sink there. Its pipes are on the outer wall (unlike the bathroom--or so I thought) and I figured it would be the first to freeze (in fact, this happened last year). Kitchen sink water was hot and cold as indicated by turning the appropriate knobs.

Only the shower, of course, was affected by this frigid night.

Here I am at noon, still in my jammies, and working diligently from my laptop. I called in to work and let them know the issue, in addition to the fact that my Internet was down for two hours this morning (thus emailing them a note earlier had been out of the question).

Around 9am, the Internet began working and I was able to log on to the system and begin my work day. But I am still left with nothing in the bathtub but hot, potentially dangerous water.

A maintenance guy I've never met before has just showed up and, in fact, after he crawled under the apartment to the pipes, he found the frozen pipe joint. I can now hear the cold water rushing in the tub. He fixed it, right at this very minute (12:10pm). Thus, I suppose I'll spend this afternoon at the office and have to shower soon.

It has been an adventure this week. Cold like I've never known it. Internet down. Frozen water pipes, and all of this I'm enduring alone.

Have I slipped back in time? Is it the winter and blizzard of 2007, when I'm alone and not married and have no one to manage the household problems but my own, inexperienced self?

Here it is

It's begun.
The winter rainy, snowy, slushy, slippery-slidy mess of precipitation. The cold. The bone-chilling wind.

My bones hate winter. In nearly every joint, I feel the cold. I woke up yesterday and my big toe was swollen, red, and hurt in a way I have never experienced before. It reminded me of my Dad's arthritic toe, and I kept saying, "no. no. it can't be arthritis." Officially, I've never been diagnosed with arthritis, but I'm fairly certain it is the culprit for my painful joints, my swelling fingers in the winter.

Twice over the holiday, I found myself shaking my hand as if to make the pain go away, and asking, "Is it supposed to rain tomorrow?" Both times, I found out that, indeed, it was to snow. My skill as a human barometer has surely made my husband proud.

I'm blessed this year to have someone who will clear off my windshield when he goes to work at 6am, so that it's much easier for me to get to work on time. To have someone who can shovel the driveway when it gets really bad, someone who loves winter and snow. Someone who will pray for my poor toe, when I'm in too much pain to think of it. A little perspective, you know, can do wonders.

Winter Blend

We've found that our new favorite coffee/creamer blend is this:

Pumpkin spice coffee
Peppermint mocha creamer

Also recommended hot beverages:
Blueberry tea
Blackberry tea
Caramel truffle coffee
Hot cider

Playing catch up

Starting January first, my life began spinning out of control. I cannot explain all of the things that have been going on, but I will say that I've reconnected with several friends I haven't seen in forever (Kate, Leslie), I've had more fun and ended up more random places (skiing in Michigan, vacationing in Florida) in one month than is typical for a January.

But the insanity doesn't end. Every weekend from now until who knows when, I'm sure to be busy, to be driving somewhere. Not that I'm complaining, oh, because I'm most assuredly not. I'm just saying...

I haven't gotten much sleep. I've lost 5 lbs in a week. I can't concentrate at work or at home, and it's starting to throw me completely off kilter. I have an important job situation coming up here in a week, and I need to be at my brightest and most impressive. However, I can't find the motivation to make the necessary preparations. I just don't care about this anymore.

Today I am the most tired I've been in weeks. But I'm on my way home to see Aaron, my military friend, who's on leave. Feels like I haven't seen him in a year and I don't know when I'll get another chance. Tonight's it. I'm going.

Despite my best intentions, I am really not sure if I can make it back to my area for church tomorrow. I really want to, I love this church and being a part of it has changed my life, my perspective, in a number of ways. But, as I'm nearly falling asleep as I type this, I'm not positive I'll be able to drive three hours tonight and spend quality time with my Aaron. (sigh)

I feel like I need three whole days to recover my stabilization, my sleep patterns, and my scheduled life.

But the truth is, I wouldn't change my present situation for anything.
Figure that one out.

Projecty Lana

This semester, in addition to my booming social life, I have a list of projects I want to accomplish.

I don't usually set my sights too high, as I nearly always disappoint myself when I do. But, there are things I want to learn and do this winter, and thus I am determined to make it happen.

• Make an apron for a friend
• Make one for me
• Start and finish my Italy scrapbook
• Learn two new piano pieces (which is to say, play regularly)
• Read at least 4 specific books

Depressing revelation

When I walked outside this morning, I thought to myself, It's warm out! I don't really even need to wear my coat.

It was TWENTY degrees outside, folks.

And I hear we're supposed to get dumped on with 12+ inches of snow within the next 2 1/2 days. Oh my gosh. Could winter be over yet?