Monday, June 10, 2013

Time For a Me Day

I got up at 7:30 this morning.  Not because anyone woke me up, not because I had to... but because I know everyone else in the house is still sleeping - and it's been so long that I could just sit and enjoy my morning peace and quiet.

I'm sitting on my patio, with my iPad and coffee, listening to the birds sing and the earth wake up.  I've waited for so long to enjoy moments like this one.  Not another soul out here with me... just me and my thoughts, and the little humming bird that occasionally stops by to say hi.  No kids asking for stuff, no Hubby rambling on about stuff he wants to buy, no chance of my phone ringing from someone who just wants a quick chat.  Just ME.

While I'd much rather blog from my computer, where all of my tools and formats are at my fingertips.. using my iPad so that I can enjoy times like this are OK.  I have a fancy keyboard thing, so it's like typing on a laptop... and even though it doesn't format the same way as it does on my computer - it gets the job done.  I have a feeling that most of my summer blogs will come from this very spot, and I have no plans of permanently moving my inside computer outside.

So, in case you were wondering, my mouth is healing up nicely.  Still a little swollen, but I haven't taken any pain pills in two days so that's a good sign.  I've had no pain, really.  Even when I have to sneeze or cough.  My sneezing is very dramatic, because I don't want to risk holding in any pressure... so I end up sneezing all over myself.  It's gross.  But, not painful.  I'll take gross over painful any day.

One amazing benefit I've had since having my teeth pulled is that I've lost a few pounds.  Which is not surprising being that I spent two days eating nothing but yogurt, and when I did start eating regular food it's very small, slow bites.  Last night, it took me almost 30 minutes to finish my dinner because I ate so slowly and made sure to chew my food up very well.  It's also caused me to drink a lot more water.

I discovered while taking my medicine on the first day that the water in my house actually tastes good. I mean the water from the tap.  Regular tap water.  Do you know that last time I've been able to drink water from the tap?  At my old house, a glass of water tasted like I'd just stuck my glass in a lake and took a big drink.  It was gross.  But here?  It's not that much different from the bottled water Hubby bought for me on the first day.  No dirt taste or chemical taste.  So, I've been adding tall glasses of water to my daily routine... several of them actually.  

Just this morning, the first thing I did when I got up was drink a big ol' glass of water.  Of course, I'm on to coffee now.. but a glass of water to start my day was a good feeling.

Anywho, there's a reason for my blog title and what I planned on blogging about today:  ME day.

Like I first started out explaining, it's been a while since I could enjoy my morning me time.  In a few days, I won't have to worry about that because I go back to work to teach summer school for two weeks.  For two weeks, I'll have my morning blog time back.  But, since school got out, it's been a totally different experience.

I've been getting up, and doing Mommy things.  Cleaning, washing dishes, laundry, supervising the kids while they play or swim, more laundry, some cooking, more dishes.  I've turned in to Susie Homemaker.  Don't get me wrong, I've loved every minute of it.  In the old house, I had absolutely no part in household duties.  Hubby did all of the cooking, the kids did the dishes, OK I did laundry and stuff... but only because I needed clothes to wear.  Regular cleaning was a wasted chore in my opinion.. no matter how much I dusted and vacuumed and straightened up, I could never get it to look the way I wanted it to.  But now?  It's a whole different story.  It's almost like I've done a complete 360.  I have to be pottering around constantly putting something away or cleaning something.  And it's just fine with me.

Except for the fact that I've been doing it for two weeks straight, and I'm starting to feel little pangs of needing some me time.  Just me.  No kids.  No Hubby.  Just me.  So, yesterday, I decided that today would be that day.  I'm going to go out today, all by myself, and enjoy some alone time.  OK, so I'm only going to get out and do some grocery shopping and run a few errands... but I can do so with the radio blasting my music, taking my sweet time, and not feeling pressured by anyone or anything.

I'm also doing something I haven't done in a very long time:  I'm going grocery shopping without a grocery list.  Now, grocery shopping by memory and sight used to be the norm for me.  In the days before Hubby when my life revolved around filling my cabinets and freezer with the easiest of meal ideas.  I'd aimlessly walk around the grocery store deciding on the stuff that looked or sounded good and loading up.  Then, Hubby and his OCD and my desire to eat more healthily, caused me to start meal planning and grocery shopping from a strict list.  Despite my weight loss plans falling to the wayside, the meal planning and structured grocery list stayed.  Up until the point where it didn't and we started buying groceries day by day... and Hubby or I would wander to the grocery store every day with our list to purchase the ingredients needed for that specific meal.  That's been going on for the past month or so, and it's finally gotten to the point where it's driving me nuts!

Being that I'm now morphing in to Susie Homemaker, I've decided to try something totally different today.  I'm heading out with one purpose in mind:  Fill our freezers and cabinets with an array of meats, veggies, and sides so that we can get creative in the kitchen and start preparing fabulous meals without the daily chore of deciding what we want to eat.  I want to be able to walk in to my kitchen, open up the freezer, and just get inspired to create a great home cooked meal right there with what I have to work with.

I know... doesn't sound like me, does it?

Being that I'm totally digging the fact that the scale is going down, I'm keeping that in mind while I go out for my grocery treasure hunt.  Lots of chicken and fish and lean pork will make it's way in to the cart, I'm thinking.  Along with rice and couscous and steamable veggies.  I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote this much.  See what a few minutes alone does for me?  I can't believe anyone is still reading... but if you are THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME!

In all honesty, I'm really starting to get lots of pangs.  The Susie Homemaker pangs.  The alone time pangs.  And, surprisingly enough, pangs similar to what I had a few years ago when I really jumped in with my weight loss efforts and had great success.  While working in my bedroom yesterday finishing up the unpacking of the last few boxes of stuff that were waiting to be unpacked, I came across all of my workout clothes.  I looked at how small some of them were and it made me realize how far I got, and how far I've derailed since then.  Luckily, I kept all of my workout clothes:  The beginning ones and the end ones.  My hope is that I can start out, once again, in the larger ones and get down to those smaller ones again.

And before I hear any comments of "here we go again", let me say that I'm not making any promises. I'm not committing to anything.  I'm just sharing the fact that it's been on my mind.  A lot.  I don't know what I'll do with these pangs... but the best thing to do would be to start going with them and seeing what it gets me.  If I get the desire to go for an evening walk, well then I'm going to go.  If I get the desire to jump in the pool and swim for a while, I'm going to (when my pool gets above freezing..HA).  I know that as long as I just sit and think about it, nothing is going to happen.  There's a strong possibility that the thoughts and desires will pass.. but I should take advantage of them while I have them, right?

Take the gardening.  I haven't started that yet.  Something else I need to get to doing.. before it's much too hot and dry to get anything done out there.  Maybe something to do when I get back from my grocery shopping?  We'll see.  

I know I've said all of this stuff a few times since moving in, and I still haven't followed up on it.  I'm going to throw in the fact that I had three teeth pulled just a couple of days ago that had dampened my desire to do much physical activity... but it's healing nicely, and I think I've past the restriction time.  Now it's time to put my thoughts and desires in to reality.  Don't you think?

Well, we'll see.  But right now, I better go before I end up writing an entire book.  My Me Day won't start it's self.  I have to jump in the shower and prepare for some fun in the sun.  Or grocery stores.. whatevs.

Have a great Monday!

Jo 


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