Angels

.
Fairport 64.

That's what I saw on the weather map on TV yesterday morning. "Oh yeah, I remember it was going to be unseasonably warm then drop 30 degrees today." Then I learned that was the miles per hour of the wind in Fairport, not the temperature.

We lost power from 7:20 am until about 6:00 pm. I ate my dinner by the glow of my email on my laptop which worked out fine. It's a good way though, I found, to drop pulled pork pizza on your shirt, eating in the dark like that. You can't see any dangling food parts until they drop! Simon and Steve were both working.

It's still fairly windy this morning and now that the snow as kicked in, I can't see across the street. The wind is so loud, it sounds like a freight train running by. I can't imagine what it would sound like if these windows weren't so nice and tight. In my young adulthood I lived in houses where you could see the curtains move with the rattling windows closed.

~ ~ ~

Work continues to be a bear, more than I care to admit. I want people to think I'm carrying this heavy load with grace & dignity. My body knows differently apparently because I threw my back out in the shower Thursday morning. Just a little. I thought it was a muscle spasm or something and would go away. Thursday night I soaked in the hot tub and had a good night's sleep on our wonderful new bed and it felt marginally better. Friday morning I was leaning on the kitchen counter and felt a pop in my back. Voila! I was cured! I've never been to a chiropractor but I know people who go are big believers. I still feel a tiny bit of pain residue, from my muscles being tight, compensating for whatever it was that happened, I guess. But it's no big deal.

One thing I have definitely become more conscious of in the last couple of years is how important burnout prevention is. Earlier in the week I was at my desk working as early as 5:45 am. Yeah, I know that's crazy. But Thursday and Friday I didn't go in until my normal time of 8:00. So I got to spend a couple of hours crafting and watched Tivoed craft shows. A little Stefani Time goes a long way. It would probably make sense to keep my hours more even, like go in at 7:00 every day instead of such varied hours but I really just do whatever feels right at the time. Sometimes I can't wait to get there and dig in. Other times, not so much.

Someone else in our office spoke with my Accounts Receivable counterpart the other day and it looks like her medical leave will continue indefinitely. Her vision is not better, maybe worse and she may have another surgery coming up. I'll speak with her this week after she sees her doctor on Tuesday to get a better idea of what's going on. Like I said, she covered for me for 3 weeks in December and I've covered for her for two previous eye surgeries so this is just how it goes sometimes.

I've been working on more paper embroidery stuff. The little angels in front are for cards for an order (Stephanie, I swear I'll ship your order this weekend - I mean it!). The large pieces in the background will become cards or framed pieces. (Mom, I can't remember if I answered your email about a pink framed piece - but of course the answer is: sure!) I've been trying to have embroidery pieces ready to pick up at any time so I can work on them while Steve & I watch TV, for example. I'm so loving this variegated thread. I've never seen the colors sold individually, only packaged together but I haven't looked very hard either. I haven't looked online yet and you know there ain't nothin' you can't find online.

~ ~ ~

I'm going out to lunch today with 3 friends which is always such a good time. It's literally: we laugh, we cry. We've always gotten together at each other's homes but decided to go out to a restaurant today. I'm going to order the cheesiest thing offered on the menu! I may not be the healthiest eater for the moment, but I'm loving the gall-bladder-free life, just as everyone told me I would.