Randomness

Its been rainy and gross here lately, so I'm glad we took advantage of the glorious weather while it lasted. 

I don't know why but I'm feeling good today---in terms of wanting to get things done AND actually making that happen. I exercised, meditated, had a really productive "coaching session", updated a talk, planned out the rest of today/tomorrow, and am writing this!

My friend had a "Silk + Sonder" planner subscription, and she was sent 2 planners for November so I'm trying it out. I actually really like it, but hate the idea of having 12 different little notebooks for the year, so I'll pass. Its got pages for monthly goals, gratitude, habit tracking, weekly meal & exercise planning, plus weekly layouts for the actual to-dos, plus blank grid pages between weeks for writing. If they did a yearly one, I'd buy it!

I'm doing a leadership training program through my hospital, and I met with my "coach" today which was EXTREMELY helpful. I realize that I need to block off weekly time for program management that CANNOT be taken over by meetings, and monthly time for big-picture thinking about the program. Its too easy to get sucked into the nitty gritty day to day nonsense and never make real progress.

I'm putting this here for accountability: I am RESTARTING intermittent fasting and the "no drinking on weeknights" rule TODAY.  Good bye 9 pm wine and cheez its. Good bye random halloween candy. Good intentions got completely derailed and I cannot keep this up. 

Back to work, back soonish.

Gritty

So proud of my city. I see so much beauty in this dirty, historic, delicious, uncouth mass of contradictions. And I cried happy tears Saturday afternoon and again, watching our first female VP speak to all the black and brown little girls seeing a new possibility.

Four years ago, I wrote that we were in the "Upside Down"*. Yesterday, the song in my head was "The World Turned Upside Down" from Hamilton. Especially this part:

"Tens of thousands of people flood the streets

There are screams and church bells ringing"

And of course "We won, we won, we won, we won!"

I know there is a lot of work ahead. But I reveled in the relief for a day. 

*Stranger Things reference that was relevant at the time. I'm not linking because I don't want to read it today.  

Yesterday

I worked at a local polling location, directing people to the correct division to cast their vote (the ward is divided into divisions, and multiple divisions may vote at the same building, but at different booths). It was a fantastic way to 1) help and 2) stay busy and off the news.  It was actually pretty low turnout, and I've convinced myself its because most people voted early....

Then I stayed up way too late drinking wine and eating chips & Halloween candy and freaking out. Only to go to bed and wake up and...continue freaking out, but this time with coffee. I'm usually as cynical as the next gen Xer but someone I was optimistic that the VAST majority of the country could look around and see the absolute cluster&*(k we are in and feel compelled to FIRE the "leader" that got us here. The fact that its so close makes me sick to my stomach. No matter the outcome, this has shown me that our country is not what I thought/hoped it was and that is going to take a while to process and come to terms with that reality. 

I am technically "off" today, but I'm doing some work and dare I say? I'm feeling more caught up with things. Its also sunny and much warmer today so I'll go take a walk and take the kids to the park after school is over. We are going camping tomorrow. It'll be nearly 70 degrees and sunny all weekend and I can't think of anything I need more right now than some time by the fire or reading in the hammock.