Friday, 8:32 AM: Feeling off-kilter, sad, anxious. I am in desperate need of a break, some kind of recovery. Work is not busy but I am here all day. They are long days filled with my own online work plus studying bills to understand why we edit as we do. It’s quiet, which I like, but can be isolating. I am an introvert but it can be sad too. I think of my boys at home – Elliot recovering from a concussion and Isaac staying with him to help him – while Ash runs into work for a little bit. I think of all the cleaning I could get done if I were there. I think of how right now is a time of building. I have to build up a pool of leave; it’s a new job and I knew this was going to be the case. But in the meantime, it includes long hours and this heavy weight atop me. I’d like to cry or talk to someone or something but I have to, you know, be an adult and hang in there.

Friday, 12:40 PM: Feeling better now. Elliot is doing much better after his head injury last night. He and his brother went with Ash to Walmart this morning and, as I can see from the multitude of camera notifications, they are putting the Christmas lights up. Personally, it’s a bit early to do that but it is something on our to-do list and since the next couple weeks will be BUSY, this is not a bad use of their time today. I chatted with a few co-workers this morning and that got me out of my funk. Maybe even I, as an introvert, need to talk to folks now and then. Admittedly, I am better about that than I used to be. I actually like being around people…sometimes anyway.

Monday, 7:45 AM: I got in early, since I’m the only one working at all this week. Ash took all the days off and DeSantis gave us Wednesday in addition to the normal Thursday/Friday. I am working nine hour days though so I can earn a measly 2 extra hours, but they work towards the time I had to take to teach so it’s ok. I can do anything for a short amount of time. Let us reflect, now, on the weekend. I high-tailed it out of here Friday around 4:10 because my parents were coming through. While I only got to see them for about 10 minutes, they dropped off beer from their Asheville trip and they took home the ham I’d gotten them. Since my sister works retail and can never travel for Thanksgiving, they’re having their get-together today.

Anyway, Ash acquired some FSU basketball tickets so that was part of the plan for Friday evening. When I was driving home, our friend asked if we wanted to meet them at a brewery around 6. So timing all worked out well: parents left, I made spaghetti for the kids, we went to the brewery for a little bit, then left to watch FSU get destroyed by Florida. Oh well, it was a nice night out.

Saturday morning I was a little worse for wear; tired, a little headachey because OMG, can we get a sunny day please? It was overcast and gray but I got myself going and did some cleaning. I made breakfast for the kids, then I ran a two miler with my daughter. When we got back, the menfolk were cutting the overgrowth from the side yard. We helped a bit but she had soccer practice. We got back from that and I had told everyone I’d take us out for lunch, since they worked hard. So we had a nice lunch at Texas Roadhouse then came home to run other errands: Target, Shoe Station, Publix. Elliot, however, wanted a ride to the high school to play soccer with friends. I don’t know why it made me mad; I told him I’d do it so long as he had a ride home. So I picked up two other boys, took them to the school, but then he ended up just spending the night at one of their places. I was only mad because I’d tried to make time in my busy schedule for a haircut. I ended up only napping for about 20 mins. I did get my hair cut (it’s a bit too short but it will grow) and when I got home the kids and Ash had made a fire in the fireplace. That made me happy. They’d been toying with an outdoor one but the rain picked up. It was such a cold gray rainy day! The fire was just what I needed.

Sunday morning was still cool but not rainy so Ash and I ran six miles each, different routes though. Got back and started thinking about lunch. Ran to Books-a-million in hopes of finding novelty Thanksgiving socks to wear at the race Thursday but I cannot seem to find any! Got Elliot then came home to make burgers. We then proceeded to just watch football (and do laundry) all day. All in all, quite an enjoyable weekend, though there were times when I was not happy that I had to work. But can I really complain? I mean, I have a reliable job and I am going to get five days off so yeah, I’ll shut up now!

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While I like to keep Thanksgiving entirely separate until it is over, I will admit I started listening to Christmas music already. XM makes it so easy because their online extra channels offer so many options. So here are a few I am enjoying already. Winter/Christmas themed.