One of the best things about the holidays is that after they’re all over, I have a clean house.  Another really great thing about this particular season is that after all of the gatherings are behind us, Mark and I still have some days off, or at minimum days where we can work a bit from home, while we cat nap, stay in our soft pants and sip coffee all day long. We both needed it.

Our Christmas was wonderful. We spent a few days with my family in Arkansas. I was down with a weird stomach thing for a day, and that absolutely sucked, but all in all it was good to see everyone. We gathered with Mark’s tribe on Sunday, ate a meal and opened gifts, laughed and talked. It was a week of abundance and love and it felt really great.

We have a few plans this week, some projects we want to accomplish in the house, (I want to organize my closet) and some wedding details.  I pick up the invites today, with the big mail out on Monday. I also want to take my dress over to Trisha’s and try it on, discuss the final details, I have GOT to get some shoes!

On NYE I get to officiate a wedding between two of my favorite people. Thursday night is grown up card games with friends. Friday night we have tickets to see The Book of Mormon. We have 7 more Harry Potter movies to watch, I’m re-watching Outlander and have started Peaky Blinders on Netflix. There are movies in the theatre that are on our list to to-do’s if we get to them.

So lots of good things in store for us, nothing that brings dread or anxiety.

The next few months are going to be chock full. Work is gearing up for Cookie Sale. I have many deadlines and projects that await, still finding my way and navigating the job. It will be a joy, though, to go back with my own give-a-shit-coffers re-filled.

Listen To Your Mother: OKC is gearing up to accept submissions. We will make our official announcement soon, followed with auditions, cast gatherings/rehearsals on the schedule.

The Wedding is really almost finished. There are a few things to get. Mark’s ring, his clothing for the day, my shoes, final decisions on catering, flowers. It seems like a lot, but really we have the big stuff. I’m super super happy with our music selection, I think we’ll have a fabulous party with our favorite people.

So…yeah. The calendar is fat with fun and joy and work, but you know me. You know I love a brand new year.

Everything is possible on a fresh calendar.

 

It’s the first day of a much needed, much deserved break. Well, for me anyway. Mark is going to work but hopefully won’t have a full day.

I’m sipping coffee, making my list. I’ve got Winnie scheduled for a vet visit at 4:30. Her back legs/hips/something are wonky. It started yesterday or the day before and while it’s not apparent every minute, we have convinced ourselves (thanks to the interwebs) that she has the hip dysplasya  and have gone into helicopter parent mode. Is that a real thing if you don’t have human children? Because I think that’s a real thing.

I’m getting up in a few minutes and heading to our mall for the last bits of shopping and errands and hopefully will be home before noon to start cleaning this house. We are hosting Christmas here with Mark’s family on Sunday. Remember last year when we hauled ass home on Christmas day to come back and host here that evening? I think we all decided that was too much, and during discussions of when where what who for this year, well it was confusing. I haven’t found my voice in terms of navigating holidays with another family. I feel awkward and imposing and I know that all comes with just figuring it out. I know that traveling to see my family puts a kink into what has always been done in previous years but I think we’re working on a fair and balanced way to do this thing. Anyways, I’m going to get some shopping done for our meal on Sunday and hopefully as much of the house cleaning as we can possibly do before we head to Arkansas…just forward thinking and don’t want the few hours when we return to be spent frantically cleaning and shopping and cooking. I want to enjoy the family time and the vacation and I want Mark to enjoy it too.

I also want to be able to cut away for a few hours hopefully Saturday after we get back and see out of towners who are here. So…that’s my plan.

Tonight is Christmas Adam with the Pseudo Family. It is one of my most favorite, treasured traditions. To say that I’m excited to spend some time with this chosen family, is the understatement of the year.

So happy Christmas Adam to you all. I’m up and throwing on clothes and getting ready to hit the ground somewhat running.

Here’s a favorite for you today…I can’t wait to watch this with my family this week.

I was texting with my sis a few weeks ago, asking how things were in her world. Her reply: “Just living for the weekends and they go way too fast.”

I can relate.

We have been doing the exact same thing at this house. And even when the weekend gets here, we are jam packed. Mark has to work Depot shows, I am still working recruitment events through Sunday. It’s just . . . ugh.

I know we are all so ready for some time off. So beyond ready. This time next week I’ll be waking up at my sister’s house, sipping coffee, making plans to go stock up on Christmas stuff, like wrapping, gift bags and other things for cheap. We won’t be rushed. We are staying several days. I couldn’t be more excited if I tried.

We will celebrate with Mark’s family on Sunday here at our house. It will be a week full of family. That in itself will be wonderful, but to know we get another week for just ourselves after that one?

Oh man. I’m so ready. So beyond ready.

Happy Friday ya’ll

So my first official day in the MarComm department was 12 hours long.

Which is fine, because yesterday I did exactly zero things productive. I ate hangover food and slept and watched Gilmore Girls and slept and ate more hangover food. Because apparently it was my duty to drink ALL of the wine at Trisha’s holiday fundraiser on Saturday night.

Doing zero things on Sunday makes one well rested or the First Monday of Hell Week.

Today was a good day.  I have the beginnings of a social media plan, I have future plans and tasks. I had meetings and more meetings. I had lunch with our LTYM 2015 local cause and got super pumped about LTYM:OKC all over again. I helped launch the week of Frozen Friendzey Recruitment events, and while I got home well over 12 hours after I left this morning, It was a good day.

This was the right move for me. I feel really solid in that.

Now I’m going to continue to glug this water and rehydrate my body from the weekend ridiculous and research printing options for the wedding invites.

Life is good.

Sitting here propped up in my bed, watching the Food Network, sipping coffee I’m thinking about how fierce the past two weeks have been. Not just for me, but for most of the people I work with and connect with. Next week is even worse. I officially start my new job, start the new commute and begin our giant recruitment campaign that has me working Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday and Sunday next week.

Today however, I’m taking a few moments to myself. Sipping coffee, being still and quiet.

I got my wedding dress this week! I had some small anxiety for the delivery, but it arrived and it was as gorgeous as I remember. I haven’t tried it on yet. But will probably do that today. Maybe. Our schedule is batshit crazy. We had Mark’s mom’s birthday gathering on Thursday, his Christmas party with his work friends on Friday, a fundraiser party at Trisha’s tonight.

Yesterday was extra special. I got about 30 minutes of real life face time with Becky. I haven’t seen her face in way too long. She got to see the house, meet Winnie, see the dress. That was when we both burst into tears. Lord I miss her.

I got to spend some time with Bill yesterday too, talking shop, social media/work, talking about life.

Tis the season for gathering with friends and family! In spite of the hectic pace, it fills my soul. Makes me happy for the connections.

So this morning, before we begin the crazy here in a few hours…I sit. I sip. I enjoy.

Cheers to you!

 

First day of the new job today…well not really. First official day is next Monday. But the training and the easing over into the new department started today.

My brain is full. Full of information I need to absorb, full of websites and passwords and platforms to manage. Full of what if’s and different scenarios and absolutes. I’m behind in this job and not quite out of the Recruitment job and working on that major major project that we launched today….gah.

I left the house before 7am today to navigate the commute and traffic. That won’t be the norm but way more likely to happen than before. That blows. But there will come a day when I get to work from my office here, and that refuge makes me happy.

All is well.

I generally pay attention to the moon cycle. I’ve always been drawn more to moon watching than star gazing. I know the world tends to get a little wonky around the full moon and so generally, I’m prepared.

Not the case this week.

Not the case at all.

Between the last week of re-entry after Thanksgiving, which wasn’t a restful weekend break for us at all, the current job became one full of incredible deadlines and a major recruitment project. I also got notification of the new job and working on the transition in real life and in my brain was crazy. One foot in, one foot out, but still in, kind of thing. Mark’s work came with it’s own issues as did his volunteer gig. GAH. We would just make ambient noises at each other in the hallway.

By Thursday we were worn out. Like, unzipped, turned inside out and zipped back up with everything raw on the outside. We just wanted a night at home and I just wanted to watch Peter Pan Live. That wasn’t to be.

By Friday we had both been in and out of meetings, dealing with phones blowing up and questions and trying to appease those around us while wondering how it was we got to this particular place…which was knee deep in WTF.

Here’s the best part of that whole god awful crazy emotionally draining week:

Friday came and we decided it was the perfect night to buy our Christmas tree. We picked the perfect tree and celebrated with some beers and laughed and talked and held hands and decided that everyone was batshit and we were going to continue to forge the path we were on.

It was glorious.

The weekend was a good one. We had some obligations, such as my work holiday party. But we did get the tree decorated and watched some football. We got the house picked up and I bought groceries and toilet paper and coffee.

I report to the new job tomorrow at 8am. Which means I leave here at 7am. I hate early morning call times like this. Hate it. I don’t officially transition until next Monday, but orientation begins this week. I’m excited. I’m excited to make the leap, fully aware that every experience and lesson learned up to date will be in use starting tomorrow. All roads lead to here, right?

Tonight, I’m alone with the animals. Mark is at the Depot for a show. I’m sitting in my living room sipping some mint tea with all the lights off except the tree. I’m waiting for Newsroom to come on and I’m working on enjoying the peace and calm.

Peace. Calm. Working on it.

It’s especially difficult this time of year to snag these moments. It doesn’t come naturally, between the hustle and the bustle.

Truth be told it’s not easy tonight. With nothing nagging me, the laundry is done, the house is fine. But my mind is jumpy and anxious.

So tonight, I’ll be here, working on the peace and the calm. . . and looking to the moon to be a little less crazy.

I got a new job this week.

I’m still with Girl Scouts, but I’m switching departments. Starting Monday, I’ll be kind of partially training, and then fully transferred on the 15th of this month.

I’m the new Communications Specialist in the Marketing/Communication department at GSWESTOK. I’ll be responsible for our social media campaigns, for developing content for each of our media platforms and many many more collaborative efforts that will help our council reach our strategic goals.

This is a good move for me. Something was going to have to happen for me to see myself staying long term and I think this is exactly it. I’ll keep you posted on what rolls out with the new adventure. I can’t wait to dive in!

I think I’ll be working out of the OKC office the majority of the time, but the possibility of keeping the Norman office is strong.  (I don’t mind the drive really…are you listening to the Serial podcast? I’m wholly addicted)We’ve got plans, and what few conversations I’ve had seem to lend themselves to my working a few days a week down here after I get the hang of everything. So that’s pretty awesome.

We are very excited about it in this house. I think it’s going to be more manageable for our lives.

That’s pretty much my news.

It’s rainy here tonight. I have zero groceries in the house so we’ll play spin the take out menu game and go from there.