My story of extreme cold and suffering [a violin plays in the background], and all the things I've gotten done and have still to do
It's late, yes. After midnight, and I so should be sleeping. But I just showered so I won't have to do that in the morning! So I'm writing now because 1) that way my hair can dry a little before bed and 2) if I don't blog now, I won't have time until at the earliest tomorrow afternoon and I'll be thinking about the fact that I feel compelled to write and it will stress me out. And I'm having stress issues as it is. There - I've justified my staying up even later!!!
I woke up late today. Sometimes I want to just KICK myself! I had promised my mom that she didn't need to call me for the rest of the week so she could sleep in and heal better. When she called at 7:30 just to make sure I was awake I told her a fib and said yes, cause otherwise she'd get up to call me tomorrow and Friday. I took a cab the four miles west to my volunteer metting and got there just in time for the meeting to start at 9:45. I know...I'm reeeeeaaalllly slow in the morning. And was out $13 for the cab. Fuck! And kicking myself!
Today was the day that we were supposed to bring the bags with gifts for our adopted needy families. I was supposed to go to Target last night and didn't have time and so planned to go this morning and that didn't happen. So I told the lady I left it at work (I know, I'm TERRIBLE) and would bring it later.
I left the clinic at 11:30. My plan was to get a cab to Target, get the gift cards, take a cab to work and I'd get there in time for the planned lunch with Florida, The Meat, The Queen, and TIC. I walked and walked and no cabs and I thought about getting the bus and waited briefly but no bus so walked more and no cabs. After eight blocks and waiting on a corner with no luck, I headed north on what I thought was a semi-busy street with the possibility of cabs, but of course no cabs. Four blocks later I stopped and waited for ten minutes for a bus going east. I asked the lady waiting with me if I could walk to Target from there, cause I knew it was nearby, but she said it was a ways. But after the ten minutes and no bus in sight I had to walk so I started out. I walked under the highway which was interesting. Luckily there were no homeless guys sleeping there, but I admit that I kept looking around and behind me cause I really don't know too much about the area. And by the way, a bus passed me soon after, of course.
I called into work and reported that I probably wouldn't make it in time for lunch, since it was 12:20. And then I trudged through some sidewalks that hadn't been shoveled and started wimpering from feeling sorry for myself. When Target was finally in sight I was wiping a few tears from my face. I'm becoming quite a crybaby.
I went in and thought about buying a gift for the 8-year-old of the family so I looked around the boy's toys, but there were so many to choose from and anyway, I'd have to carry it, and I figured with a gift card he could get what he liked. So I bought 5 gift cards with $40 on each, for the four boys in the family and one for the parents to share. And then went outside to get a cab cause I thought MAYBE I could make it to lunch. But once again, no fucking cabs anywhere in sight, or else all taken. It wasn't so surprising I know, since I was still pretty far west, west for cabs and me at least.
After some waiting and no luck, I walked to Diversey cause with it being a busier street, I thought I'd have more luck. Right when I got there a bus was just passing. I waited at the bus stop for whatever came first, a bus or cab. Florida called after the first fifteen minutes to find out where we were, and I got all boohoo-y again for a bit until she and The Queen made me laugh. And then I waited for a total of over FORTY MINUTES, not a single fucking open cab or bus that ENTIRE TIME. I was too cold to be pissed, too cold to cry, the cold had been seeping into me until it was in my bone marrow, and then I saw an open cab and on principle, since I'd been waiting for so long, I wanted to wait for a bus, but I was hurting and I was so cold, so I took the cab and shelled out $17 to get downtown. And I didn't fully warm up until just a bit ago, I think. Cold SUCKS!!!!!!! My Uggs which are usually so warm were wet so my feet were cold. My butt was like an icecube. My lips couldn't move normally until I'd been at work for awhile. And when I looked in the mirror after I got in the cab (to make sure I was presentable) my skin was PUCKERED!!! The skin on my face! It was terrible and awful to look at! And so scary for me!
Alright, I'll stop all the crying now. But I didn't get to work until after 2:30, so that should tell how long I was outside for.
Then I got really stressed about volunteer group stuff, presents to buy, and so many more things in my head. My mom told me this morning that my brother called her and was so excited cause he finally figured out what to get me, and that it's a really nice gift and he's so excited cause I'll really like it. That's so wonderful, but now I feel so much pressure to get him and the bitch something that he'll like a lot, too!! Ahhh!
Tonight I worked on picking my Christmas picture (check!), I wrote up my report for tomorrow's volunteer meeting (check!), I wrote up the meeting agenda (check!), I analzyed the bank statements from the past few months and figured out our exact final profit on our wine party benefit (check!), I went through all the Treasurer's stuff and familiarized myself and wrote up the Treasurer's report for this month (our Treasurer is in Florida for the next four months, so I've taken over that job as well) (check!), I emailed myself reminders for all the little things I need to do before the meeting tomorrow (check!), I found the checkbooks in the Treasurer's bags and have those set aside so I can write myself a check tomorrow for the money I spent on the Target gift cards and get the other Board member to sign it(check!), I organized all my other volunteer group shit that's sitting around (check!) - but of course, I have stuff sitting around in many places, all unorganized, and this was only one pile of it. Oh, and I'm blogging now (check!). So I feel much less stressed right now!
But tomorrow I really, really, REALLY have to get up super early so I can take the bus to the clinic to drop off the gift cards for our family, then take the L to work and get there by 9 so I can update my boss on a big matter we have up at 10:30, and I'd really like to go watch an oral argument at 10, but I can only do that if I get to work on time and get my boss up to speed.
Okay, I'm done. I feel better also after writing all this out!!! From my sad story of coldness, to all my little accomplishments tonight!!! Getting the stuff out of my head and onto paper (or screen) is often the best thing I can do for myself to relieve stress and frustration! And my stress isn't all gone, but it's lessened for now cause I actually feel like I've gotten some stuff off my list. And yay, I LOVE checking things off lists!!!!! :)
I woke up late today. Sometimes I want to just KICK myself! I had promised my mom that she didn't need to call me for the rest of the week so she could sleep in and heal better. When she called at 7:30 just to make sure I was awake I told her a fib and said yes, cause otherwise she'd get up to call me tomorrow and Friday. I took a cab the four miles west to my volunteer metting and got there just in time for the meeting to start at 9:45. I know...I'm reeeeeaaalllly slow in the morning. And was out $13 for the cab. Fuck! And kicking myself!
Today was the day that we were supposed to bring the bags with gifts for our adopted needy families. I was supposed to go to Target last night and didn't have time and so planned to go this morning and that didn't happen. So I told the lady I left it at work (I know, I'm TERRIBLE) and would bring it later.
I left the clinic at 11:30. My plan was to get a cab to Target, get the gift cards, take a cab to work and I'd get there in time for the planned lunch with Florida, The Meat, The Queen, and TIC. I walked and walked and no cabs and I thought about getting the bus and waited briefly but no bus so walked more and no cabs. After eight blocks and waiting on a corner with no luck, I headed north on what I thought was a semi-busy street with the possibility of cabs, but of course no cabs. Four blocks later I stopped and waited for ten minutes for a bus going east. I asked the lady waiting with me if I could walk to Target from there, cause I knew it was nearby, but she said it was a ways. But after the ten minutes and no bus in sight I had to walk so I started out. I walked under the highway which was interesting. Luckily there were no homeless guys sleeping there, but I admit that I kept looking around and behind me cause I really don't know too much about the area. And by the way, a bus passed me soon after, of course.
I called into work and reported that I probably wouldn't make it in time for lunch, since it was 12:20. And then I trudged through some sidewalks that hadn't been shoveled and started wimpering from feeling sorry for myself. When Target was finally in sight I was wiping a few tears from my face. I'm becoming quite a crybaby.
I went in and thought about buying a gift for the 8-year-old of the family so I looked around the boy's toys, but there were so many to choose from and anyway, I'd have to carry it, and I figured with a gift card he could get what he liked. So I bought 5 gift cards with $40 on each, for the four boys in the family and one for the parents to share. And then went outside to get a cab cause I thought MAYBE I could make it to lunch. But once again, no fucking cabs anywhere in sight, or else all taken. It wasn't so surprising I know, since I was still pretty far west, west for cabs and me at least.
After some waiting and no luck, I walked to Diversey cause with it being a busier street, I thought I'd have more luck. Right when I got there a bus was just passing. I waited at the bus stop for whatever came first, a bus or cab. Florida called after the first fifteen minutes to find out where we were, and I got all boohoo-y again for a bit until she and The Queen made me laugh. And then I waited for a total of over FORTY MINUTES, not a single fucking open cab or bus that ENTIRE TIME. I was too cold to be pissed, too cold to cry, the cold had been seeping into me until it was in my bone marrow, and then I saw an open cab and on principle, since I'd been waiting for so long, I wanted to wait for a bus, but I was hurting and I was so cold, so I took the cab and shelled out $17 to get downtown. And I didn't fully warm up until just a bit ago, I think. Cold SUCKS!!!!!!! My Uggs which are usually so warm were wet so my feet were cold. My butt was like an icecube. My lips couldn't move normally until I'd been at work for awhile. And when I looked in the mirror after I got in the cab (to make sure I was presentable) my skin was PUCKERED!!! The skin on my face! It was terrible and awful to look at! And so scary for me!
Alright, I'll stop all the crying now. But I didn't get to work until after 2:30, so that should tell how long I was outside for.
Then I got really stressed about volunteer group stuff, presents to buy, and so many more things in my head. My mom told me this morning that my brother called her and was so excited cause he finally figured out what to get me, and that it's a really nice gift and he's so excited cause I'll really like it. That's so wonderful, but now I feel so much pressure to get him and the bitch something that he'll like a lot, too!! Ahhh!
Tonight I worked on picking my Christmas picture (check!), I wrote up my report for tomorrow's volunteer meeting (check!), I wrote up the meeting agenda (check!), I analzyed the bank statements from the past few months and figured out our exact final profit on our wine party benefit (check!), I went through all the Treasurer's stuff and familiarized myself and wrote up the Treasurer's report for this month (our Treasurer is in Florida for the next four months, so I've taken over that job as well) (check!), I emailed myself reminders for all the little things I need to do before the meeting tomorrow (check!), I found the checkbooks in the Treasurer's bags and have those set aside so I can write myself a check tomorrow for the money I spent on the Target gift cards and get the other Board member to sign it(check!), I organized all my other volunteer group shit that's sitting around (check!) - but of course, I have stuff sitting around in many places, all unorganized, and this was only one pile of it. Oh, and I'm blogging now (check!). So I feel much less stressed right now!
But tomorrow I really, really, REALLY have to get up super early so I can take the bus to the clinic to drop off the gift cards for our family, then take the L to work and get there by 9 so I can update my boss on a big matter we have up at 10:30, and I'd really like to go watch an oral argument at 10, but I can only do that if I get to work on time and get my boss up to speed.
Okay, I'm done. I feel better also after writing all this out!!! From my sad story of coldness, to all my little accomplishments tonight!!! Getting the stuff out of my head and onto paper (or screen) is often the best thing I can do for myself to relieve stress and frustration! And my stress isn't all gone, but it's lessened for now cause I actually feel like I've gotten some stuff off my list. And yay, I LOVE checking things off lists!!!!! :)
