As my last post stated, a lot has changed in a very short amount of time in my life. I feel very fortunate that things have panned out this way, but I also know that I worked very hard for these accomplishments. I have a pretty solid routine wearing many hats: wife, mother (although it's just to the two dogs, one of them is only a year old and takes up a LOT of my time), homeowner, professional, etc... This is a part of life, we are never just one person playing a single role. Some of the time these roles we're given aren't through choice. Fortunately, I have chosen each of my roles, but that doesn't mean that I don't get overwhelmed every now and again.
The beginning of this week was one of those overwhelming moments, where everything seemed to get too much for me. Work was busy as usual, there was garden work piling up after having a drain installed last week, my little angel of a one year old Dachshund/Beagle decided on Monday to rip open two throw cushions and Tuesday to feast on the front end of an arm chair, bills were due, and with my usual duties, I felt that I was trapped in the movie "Groundhog Day."
But now, I have clarity and light at the end of the tunnel. Routine was broken yesterday. I got home a little earlier than usual, my soft furnishing-hungry mutt hadn't destroyed a thing, the Texas winter sunshine was still high enough in the sky so that our garden wasn't totally in the shade, and I did some gardening and played fetch with the dogs while blasting some guilty pleasure Kylie Minogue. I could feel my shoulders relax every time I threw the tennis ball, my chest loosen every time I sang to a song. Also with a friend coming over for dinner last minute, where I got to try a very delicious (and healthy!) chicken recipe, it didn't feel like your average Wednesday. Sometimes all it takes is doing something different to make the week feel more exciting or to escape your current stresses.
However, my excitement continues as tonight I'm doing something I haven't done since I was in college - I'm going out on a Thursday night. Now Zak and I have regular Thursday nights out where every other week we meet up with a bunch of friends at a pub or restaurant, but they're more of a happy hour social meeting. Tonight is to see Avicii, and I get the opportunity to get dressed up as if it were a Saturday, and the night won't end until 2.00 in the morning. I know it will hurt tomorrow as I drag into the office at 8 a.m., but it will be my badge of honour. I know a lot of people go out regularly on a Thursday and stay out this late, but I'm not one of those people. Come 9 a.m. tomorrow I'll be asking my coworkers if they want to go on a Starbucks run with me as I look for a severe jolt of caffeine. But that's tomorrow. For now, I can't wait to do the hair and make-up, slip into my party dress, and dance in the car all the way to the club. :)
It was taken last October, shortly after we moved into the house, but here's a picture of me with my two babies (the small one is the baby that's enjoying all the furniture. The other one just sleeps on it).
