I like what Alice said about social hangovers in the comment section the other day. That is the best way to describe Monday and Tuesday of this week. I’ve been to conferences before, but they were for healthcare or law. I sat down, took notes, and made sure someone logged my continuing education units. This time was different. I had to mingle.
On Monday and Tuesday I made my bed…and that’s about it. The rest of the house was in the same whirlwind it was when I left. I usually leave the house somewhat neat, maybe have a meal or two ready for when we get home, but not this time. Between getting sick and having a nervous breakdown, the hot zones stayed hot.
Palm Springs hot.
On Wednesday I woke up with resolve. I went to the library and picked up more books. I made chicken stock out of Monday’s leftover roasted chicken. I went to the store (and forgot the two items I went in to buy). Then I made beef stew (but forgot to use the chicken stock I made). I went to Mikey’s final soccer practice (but forgot to bring his water). Looking back, the day was hit and miss. It could be residual post socializing stress disorder or it could be exhaustion, because in between the library, store, stock, dinner, and practice, I managed to tackle those hot zones.
Cool as cucumbers, they are.
I have been reading some great books on simple living, slowing down, and practicing self care. Everything I don’t do well, in other words. Everything most of us don’t do well. I’m waiting for the day we realize we don’t have to do it all, that it’s okay to need a break. The world won’t end if we set our phones down for a minute, maybe two. I don’t need to check my email every 10 seconds and I can let the phone ring. (In theory.)
I should have made Monday and Tuesday recuperative days. No blogging, no cleaning, no school meetings, or soccer projects. I needed two days to rest and unwind, but instead I attempted all four of the above with little success. There is a reason the Mister’s work related trips usually end on Fridays. Come to think of it, my old work conferences did, too. Conference organizers know attendees need a couple of days to decompress.
It’s okay to be human. What’s more, I bet if I had allowed myself the luxury of two days rest I would have done more than make the bed. Sometimes the only rest we need is the permission to do so.
Hey Jules – great post! I’d love to know what books you’re reading on simple living, if you’d care to share! :-)
I second this request! Other people’s bookshelves are my favorite form of voyeurism AND I could use a title or two on slowing down :)
Sure! Those are all my books tucked away in that black demilune table.
PSSD – I love having a term for it! As an introvert working in a world of extroverts (fundraising and alumni professionals) I come home from board weekends incapable of a coherent sentence. My family expects and understands it – they know I will spend at least one day on the couch with a book (possibly a mindless one). I too would love to know what you have been reading on simple living.
I, too, would love to know which books you’re reading now. please dish!
Lance does not believe that Highly Sensitive People exist (mostly because I just pulled this book randomly off the shelf at Barnes and Noble one day and decided it was valid without evaluating my sources), but I strongly suspect I am an HSP and try to alter my expectations for social interactions as such.
Here’s a link! This almost looks like a spam comment, no? http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm
Oooh, I got a 12, two below the required 14. But, honestly, I was probably kidding myself about a couple. I’m probably a 16!
I’m surprised Nicole or Andrea haven’t made a comment about my freak sense of smell. I drove them crazy over the weekend!
I too just started to feel back to normal yesterday. Skipped my Pop Physique routine to get stuff done and I felt mighty to finally be almost caught up. Then Syd went and got himself sick and we were up all night dealing with the pukeys. Now I’m back to square one, although at least there’s food in the house now :)
Yeah, Mikey is home sick right now and I just cleaned up puke because Nico coughs until he everything comes back up.
It’s completely off topic, but saw this and thought of your list. It has some very helpful and practical tips on getting the pie crust right. Good luck!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/a-pastry-chef-shares-her-perfect-pie-crust-recipe/2011/10/04/gIQAauc9ON_story.html
I could just kiss you for these “reality” pictures. Everybody’s home looks like that sometimes, in some spaces, more or less. Good to remember that when we spend so much time looking at beautiful photos of other people’s houses online (I like to tell myself that the towering laundry pile is obviously just off-camera).
There is always a towering pile of something in the background, so good for you in realizing that. I don’t believe for one minute some of the things I see online, and haven’t for some time. I’m lucky that way, because that means I don’t get too hung up on comparisons–at least not on home decor. :)
Oh my gosh, I love this post. I am now going to incorporate “social hangover” and “post socializing stress disorder” into my vocabulary because they are just so spot-on.
Don’t hesitate to rest some more this weekend. The holidays, and more social hangovers, are coming . . . akk!
Oh, I know. All next week: my entire family and their families, one small condo, snow. O_O
Boy, do I hear ya. After every church retreat weekend we chaperone, it seems we need 2 days to rest. They Wear. Us. Out.
Congrats on hitting those hot zones.
Two days seems to be the magic number. I’m really going to make an effort next time I do some sort of party/socializing to give myself two days recovery.
Hey Jules, I loved this post so much. I am just like you in a lot of ways, I’m not particularly happy in my day job, and sometimes I just come home for a couple days in a row and give up doing anything – I just want to watch mindless TV or do something else that wastes time. Ironically, the whole time I am “relaxing” I am stressing over not doing the 1,000 things I planned on…if I had just let go already of the expectations, I would actually DO something (like I did tonight). You’re right, it’s like as soon as I stopped expecting myself to be superwoman (which sometimes turns into superwoman/martyr) I was more than willing to tackle things here and there and even – gasp – kind of enjoyed it! Fancy that! :-)
Exactly.
Totally off topic, but where are those sheets from? I love them!
They are Martha Stewart flannel sheets from when she first released her line at Macy’s. So, that was what…3-4 years ago?
I do not know if you can know how relieved I feel to see your house like that. True. Relief. That is the norm for mine. Now, I know that I have a long way to go for the “simple” philosophy (in other words we have way too much crap) but seriously….I assumed your house was never out of order. Phew.