A Lil Bit of Everything Update

So I've been meaning to post a couple of things but every time I finally have a moment the flow of words just isn't coming like I want it to do....so here probably goes a dump of wording! :)

--Monday and Tuesday were my first attempts at normal days. I taught on Monday night but leaned against the podium most the night, and then had a long day on Tuesday. Yesterday I had another 'bout of feeling light headed, total exhaustion, and like I was "tanking" but somehow I was able to hold it together, secure some food ASAP, and then lay down for an hour or so before heading to teach last night. This morning on the other hand started out feeling really tired and cranky, although I slept great last night... and then I felt energized by end of the long day today. Suffice it to say that the days are hit or miss, and that it's feeling like it's going to be a work in progress to recoup totally. A coworker of mine said that she actually had a similar thing happen last year and it took her several months to bounce back...talk about depressing! Here's hoping that it doesn't take that long for me to get back to life!!

--This week did include two extra things however that are things that I've been wanting to do for a long time.
1) On Tuesday night I went to a Women's Bike Maintenance basics course by REI Outdoor School. The course itself was a little slow moving, but it definitely gave me a much better idea how to care for, clean, and fix minor issues with a bike. As a kid I had so much more comfort with a bike, but it's something that I'm hoping to start really getting back into in the next year or two.
2) Yesterday was a meeting of a NorthWest Environmental Institute sustainability based discussion group. When I was really into the sustainability/simplicity movement 5-7 years ago, I had discovered the existence of this resource and thought it sounded neat. How it works is NWEI has workbooks on various topics. You find a group of fellow individuals (coworkers, classmates, etc) and then you spend an hr each week discussing one of the chapters and trying to implement changes in your life over the week, etc. Last year my supervisor and another person organized one on a different topic and this year they decided to do the sustainability one. I missed the first meeting last week but was able to attend this week. Not only is it nice to do something I always intended to do, but it's fun to both get back into this type of mindset/material AND connect with some new people in my work environment.

--On Monday I had a hankering for the veggie lasagna dish I used to make YEARS ago on a regular basis. The dish (& my cooking) was a point of contention in my marriage so I hadn't attempted to really even make it in four years I think, but on Monday I just started imagining how it tasted etc. I had been tired of being cooped up so the dogs and I slowly walked to the grocery store so I could buy tofu and shredded cheese. I used seasoned tofu & cheese layered with premade noodles and my home canned veggie pasta sauce. It came out every bit as good as I remembered AND it fed me dinner and two lunches for school during the week also. Definitely need to do something like that again as it helped make feeding myself this week so much easier.

--Some other great things: The gals and I are talking about potentially re-instating what is left of our old book club. One of my classmates and I talked today about her potentially moving in when housemate M moves out (it's a long shot, but I'm hoping & praying...). I finally had a decent back massage this evening for the first time in a couple weeks and it definitely regulated me back out again. Tomorrow I have a follow-up consult for that first urgent medical issue I had in early March and I'm hopeful that it will lead to another appt to truly get rid of that problem. That coworker I mentioned earlier who had a similar issue is also actually a Registered Dietitian, so I'm hopeful I can tap her brain for some nutritional help. I had a great lunchtime conversation with my classmate who adopted Lady today--the conversation was over a lot of different topics, but it also let me know that she is for sure keeping the cat :) Oh and I got called for an interview....rewarding...again just going through the motions being realistic but it's nice to be continuing farther in the process this year! And this weekend, it's shrimp boil time with my buddy and his gf on Saturday evening and then Easter brunch with my family on Sunday--I'm excited to eat, celebrate, and enjoy in some fun but low key settings!

And I'm sure there's more....but for now that's life in a nutshell. Some good, some not so good, but still trucking and moving forward. (And these days....still happy to be back to praying..)