Month: July 2023

Getting back into it

I dropped off the cousin with another fourth cousin (this one twice removed!) today at midday, and have been working on getting back into it all since then. I got some studies done (though very little), picked up some, rested some, and ran some errands (specifically buying some hooks for the chickens’ fence to connect and disconnect easily to our yard’s fence and a wheelbarrow – woohoo!).

Then, I picked up my aunt and uncle at the airport as they returned from El Salvador. Unfortunately, they never looked outside to the pickup area, so they had no idea they would have to spend several minutes fighting their way out to me once I finally made it through the terrible traffic trying to pick up those hoards of people waiting in the heat, all caused by terrible construction at that terminal of the airport – construction that has been going on for over a year, at least, and is only getting worse. Nonetheless, they made it out just in time for me not to have to spend another half hour barely moving after circling the airport.

There were hundreds of people crammed into nowhere near enough space for them, let alone for their luggage, too. It was dreadful, and even freaked me out a bit. It was at least 200 meters long, the pickup area, plus the walkway to get there, and that was all packed just like in these photos, even more packed on the walkways and ramps at the start. It was frightening. What was more frightening was that the airport folks didn’t seem to be bothered by it one bit, as though it weren’t a major problem. Why was I not going to pull away when I was clearly parked at the end, the officer is asking (though kindly)? Because my family is over there, but they are trapped in the crowd and can’t get out. (I wasn’t even lying, y’all.) Fortunately, the officer then asked what they were wearing. I had no idea, though. Just as I said so, they suddenly popped into view in the roadway a few cars back, shoving their way forward by hugging to the vehicles that clearly weren’t moving very quickly or at all. As soon as they got to the car, they threw in their luggage and told me to get in and drive. I obliged. They were worried I wouldn’t be able to get out, due to the cars all trying to cram out. I’m no India driver, but I am a good Houston driver. Just as I had snuck my way in to be able to pick them up at the curb, I forced my way out, back into the third lane, the one with moving traffic, and got us out of there quite quickly. (They were impressed, and specifically commented on how they’d forgotten that I was a Houston driver and could do stuff like that. 😛 )

Anyway, they’re here and they’ve showered and gone to bed. Now, I’ve showered, and I’m going to bed, too.

Goodnight!

Thank you, God, for the safe travels today. Please, make us all well and healthy, and heal where we could use healing to help us become our best selves. Keep my man safe, please, as well as the dog and all of his stuff and our stuff. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

A decent mix

Today, the whole energy thing was definitely lessened from yesterday. It was still a draining day by the end – technically, the next morning end – but it was much improved as a whole and had much more low energy times for me. I got to go to Church, spend some time in the backyard on my own, and even relax alone and nap on the floor for a little while before dinner. There were, of course other things that happened, too, but these low-energy events made all the difference for me today, and I was and am still very grateful for the gifts of them.

I’m also grateful for the great Tex-Mex dinner and margaritas we had together as a family – siblings and in-law and fourth cousin once removed, as we were – and the time we spent at the country western bar afterward together. I even danced with a few people, and my family danced with each other, too, and we all had an actually great time. Then we discovered the little side room with karaoke, and dove into that for a while before going to stand and talk in the parking lot for another twenty-ish minutes before going home hours after we had planned to end the evening. So, I’m not excited to be going to bed after two AM right now, but I’m grateful for the down time I’d had with myself during the day that helped me to enjoy the other stuff better. And I’m really grateful for the piano my man kept for me, and that I was able to play it for a while after the cousin and I got home around midnight, and I was able to let out what I needed for that pent-up stress of having been around quite so much energy for the past two days. It really helped, and I’m now able to go to sleep for real, instead of just physically. I expect to sleep quite well tonight, though I must be out the door by 10:30 in the morning. Short night, but good sleep, here I am. Let’s do this.

Thank you, God, for this day. Keep my man safe, please.

Oh! I’m also grateful for the exercise I did today, as well as for the wonderful time I had selecting Mexican art stuff with my man through the phone in the middle of the day. The former was just plain good for me, and the latter was a total blast (though, it did make me miss my man all the more, he is just so amazing and loving and caring…).

P.S. Thank you, God, for this beloved man. I love him so much, I am filled with your love and gratitude, having him in my life. Thank you for this immense blessing. As mentioned, please, keep him safe. In your name, I pray. Amen.

P.P.S. I got sunburned on my back from the outside time, so, that’s a little bit of ouch all over right now…

Post-a-day 2023

So much energy…

So much energy today, after so much energy last night and so little sleep… has me worn tf out… seriously. I’m too in the middle to be so surrounded by extroverted stuff for so long in a row. I need that balance of the introverted stuff and low energy breathing room. Too much of either is too much. Balance is where perfection lies for me, and this weekend has been way out of balance so far.

I look forward with gratitude to tomorrow and to having much less stimulation. Still won’t be what I fully need, but it will be less, and I am grateful for that.

God, thank you for this life. Please, help me to find the ease I seem to need right now. Help me to release this pent-up strain from overstimulation. Help me to be myself and at ease, breathing fully again. Also, please, keep my man safe and well, and the dog and vehicle and stuff, too, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Fireworks

I didn’t see any fireworks for July Fourth, though I heard plenty from my bed.

It would have been such hassle even to consider how to go see fireworks, I didn’t even bother looking into it, and I just went to bed that night when I was ready.

Tonight, without having to go anywhere or figure out anything, we got to watch great fireworks to music from the 1980s after the baseball game ended. We didn’t even have to leave our seats, and they had a perfect and central view of the fireworks. It was awesome, and way better of a view than I’d have had for anything on the Fourth, anyway. Plus, it was hassle-free and after a baseball game we enjoyed attending. Great surprise at the end there. Great surprise.

Thank you, God, for the blessing of today, and for that fun turnout with my getting to see fireworks after all. Thank you. Keep my man safe, please. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Guidance

Thank you, God, for the guidance I received for today. Please, help me to understand my guidance for tomorrow, too. In your name, I pray. Amen.

I woke up just after 4:30 this morning, used the bathroom quickly, and got back into bed, sleepy. But I couldn’t fall back asleep. By 5:30, I had determined to get on up. Shortly after that, I did a full workout, finishing around 6:30, and cooking and eating a bigger-than-usual breakfast around seven. And the day only went on well from there. Even the rainstorm felt beautiful today, somehow, despite the veritable pond that has developed in our backyard where the chickens are supposed to have free roaming.

Anyway, I got bitten horribly by mosquitos when I went outside this evening, but it was still a good day.

I even really started missing my man, in a way I really haven’t since woke first nights of knowing each other… but it was still a good day.

And now, I will go to bed and likely sleep very hard tonight, still missing him.

Thank you, God, for all this beauty and love in my life. We love you. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Happy Fourth of July!

Granted, when The Colonies signed their Declaration of Independence on July 4th of 1776, Texas was still a part of Mexico, which was still owned by Spain. But they did declare the country which Texas eventually joined, so, I guess it makes sense that fifty million fireworks keep going off all around the neighborhood and city tonight. 😛 (Kind of silly to think of it that way, right??) 😛

Nonetheless, I am grateful Texas became part of the nation back when it did and as it did. And I am grateful for the privileges and the rights which this country has offered me in my life. I pray that certain ones that have begun to become lost to us – to us all or to just some of us – be restored in the very near future. We have become a great nation in the past, and I pray we do it again, and even more so.

In gratitude, as I also do for Memorial Day, I did an extremely difficult workout today that is dedicated to a person who served in the U.S. military and have his life for the freedoms he supported in this country. His name was Zachary Tellier, and I am grateful for his service, for his sacrifice, and for the reminder that, though this workout would have been rather easy for him, it was very hard for me – my own difficulty today came from my not joining the military and training and serving as he did; his ease would come from the fact that he chose to serve this country through military service. Thank you, sir. And thank you to all who serve this country so openly.

Dear God, heal us all, please, and help us to create a nation that truly honors you and your children and all creation, as one nation under God. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Dentist says…

I’m all clear. The black spots are just charcoal toothpaste that got into crevices that aren’t dangerous and that they will clear out at my next cleaning, if even needed at that point. Not black mold. The sore tooth is just sensitivity likely exacerbated by that same charcoal toothpaste. Just have to be liberal with sensory r toothpaste for two weeks, and it should be fine again.

Easy peasy, yet still a bit stressful until it is all handled versus just diagnosed. You know what I mean?

Thank you, God, for the easier and safer solutions today! Amen!

Post-a-day 2023

Dentist

I have an appointment in the morning at the dentist. I scheduled it online the other day, because they were already closed. You see, I have a side of a tooth that is acting an awful lot like a cavity. I mentioned that it hurt when the hygienist was cleaning it a few months ago, but she didn’t do anything about it, other than comment that it was clearly sensitive, so I figured it might just be okay. I thought it might have been another case of my guns going below the regular line on a tooth, and exposing a more sensitive area on the tooth. Now, however, I’m not so convinced.

To add to that, I noticed Friday that I had these little black spots on the top of one of my lower molars, and I started to freak a bit. Last year, the sealant on one of my upper molars had cracked, leaving black mildew(?) growing under the edge of the sealant. Since it was up top and not all the way in the back, no one had been able to see it, myself included. So, I had to go back three days later to get that fixed, and I freaked out meanwhile that I had mold or something in my mouth. It was stupidly terrifying. Now, I’m a touch worried it is another version of that. However, I’m also, in a lesser way, worries it is merely my charcoal-based toothpaste that is getting stuck in little ridges of the tooth, and it is really nothing to be worried about.

Whatever the case for both teeth, I am hoping that tomorrow morning will provide a clear answer and solution to the possible problems. I’m just hoping that they’ll do it then and there. I wrote why I was coming in in the booking, so I’m hoping they scheduled enough time for whatever needs to happen to happen tomorrow morning. If I have to hang out there all day just to get it all handled, I likely will. Hoping it doesn’t come to that, though.

Dear God, please, heal my mouth and its contents. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

A great day

Today, I did outdoorsy stuff and spent time with people I love and who love me. I had a great lunch with my dad, a great workout with a friend over FaceTime (and her little sister who was doing a lot of the stuff with us, on and off, which was adorable, including her counting aloud when she was on a way different count than either of us had been at the time :P)), and then I had a great evening playing pickle ball with friends for my friend’s birthday – none of us had ever played before today, and there is definitely an adjustment to be made from tennis – and then having dinner with them afterward. I got home tonight close to 9pm, absolutely exhausted and sun exhausted.

I could barely stay up half an hour to talk with my man before I went to bed. And my skin is only slightly burned, but I definitely spent some time in the sun today, and I can feel it throughout my skin and body.

Dear God, thank you for such love and fun and satisfaction today. Thank you, loads. Please, help us all to sleep very well and effectively tonight, that we awaken tomorrow ready for Church and your word, as well as pursuing and fulfilling your will and our daily goals! In your name, I pray. Amen!

And goodnight!

Post-a-day 2023

P.S. Happy July! Welcome!