Tag: stress

“Give us a brake”

In eighth grade, I submitted a partnered science project about soap and how it interacts with water, in which I had typed all about how the soap “brakes” up the surface of the water, etc., etc. Our teacher had us come look at the display and read through it. It took me a long time to understand what the issue was, though I understood immediately that something was wrong with the typed pages on the display. It took some obvious hinting and and bit of clarifying from the teacher before I truly got it that I was supposed to have used the word “break” instead of “brake”. Every single one was written as “brake”. At least I was consistent.

It took me years to understand and to accept how I had made such a big mistake. How had I, one who pays such close attention to details, messed up something so simple? Quite simply, because I had used the word I understood to be accurate, and I hadn’t really realized there were two different words. Why?

Because of the constant road signs around Houston throughout my childhood that read, “GIVE US A BRAKE” and had a character of a road worker on it. I knew the phrase well enough, and, because I didn’t know the spelling differences at play, I never understood the signs. I genuinely always thought they were some form of protest it workers union’s form of complaining about how people driving needed to chill out and not honk at and be mad at the road construction workers, because they were working hard. I always understood the sign to mean, “Give is a break.” I never knew – not for a while after that project – that the signs were just asking people to use their brakes to slow down as they pass through the construction areas… never knew.

And I got to feel like an idiot in eighth grade science class because of that simple little fact.

So, yeah… wasn’t a fan of signs using misspellings or fake words in the first place. Definitely wasn’t after I figured out that one.

😛

Post-a-day 2023

At the last minute

Talk about last-minute things… I have the test proctoring in the morning, then just a few hours before I must be across town to meet with someone. And, just tonight, I was asked to bring certainty bings with me that are not exactly easy to find in a hurry. Amazon could do it, for sure, in a few days. But not by midday tomorrow. So, as soon as the gets finishes, I’ll be rushing to at least two stores. And I’ll have to figure out and find some other things online to print off before I even go to the stores, too. And then I have to drive across town to meet and do all these things relating to everything I’ll have just picked up… 😛

Just nutso.

But I am grateful to be doing it all and to be going to meet this person.

God, grant me the words to help her heal now. Help me to help her see and feel and know you truly, in all your love and Glory. Help me to heal her and return her to you. Keep us all safe, please. And thank you for these many blessings of this love-filled and blessed life you have granted to me. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Kissen

Specifically, Kopfkissen… I believe now truly that I need a new one. We stayed at my aunt and uncle’s house over the weekend while moving my grandma’s stuff, and the pillow I used for my head was kind of exactly what I think I may need at home. I love the ones we have – Tempur-pedic-like with gel on the front for coolness – but mostly only for when I am awake or am sleeping on my side. But I sleep best and most comfortably on my back… and this pillow resists my head just a little too much. I have to have just the right eye cover in order to keep my head from shifting side-to-side all night, and that seems to be too difficult to manage consistently… If I just had a pillow that would let my head sink in a bit more, but not lots, it could work for sleeping on my back and on my side.

Just have to find that pillow… so, time to ask my aunt what pillow I may have used! Fingers crossed she knows!

Post-a-day 2023

Wow

Three things (I think…)

Firstly, we got everything packed up and in the moving truck (or another vehicle that will go to Houston with us all tomorrow), or it was picked up by this couple who came at the last second and saved them from having to be thrown to the dumpsters, since they weren’t picked up by the donation place. Tomorrow, we go to Houston and unload it all and start unpacking it.

Success(!), Part I.

Secondly, my friends daughter just started ballet classes, and they are stupid cute. She is three years and a month old, as of yesterday. Her whole class is ridiculously adorable, and I can hardly wait to see her learn more. Also, it makes me want to teach such classes – super useful, super adorable, and, very likely, super fulfilling.

Thirdly, I love my man and am super grateful for him.

Dear God, thank you for the blessings of today and for the blessings of this life. Keep us happy, healthy, holy, and safe, always pursuing and fulfilling your will. Heal my grandmother, please. Help us all to love more like you each day. Thank you for this life. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Moving day

Tomorrow is moving day for my grandma. There is much to have happen and much to do both tomorrow and throughout the weekend.

Dear God, please, help to heal my grandma. Help her to her appointment with the chiropractor on Tuesday, and allow her to accept the healing offered by the chiropractor. Help my grandma to see that is is wanted here and is fully capable of being here and living a fulfilled life, even and especially now, though she has lived blessed already so many years. Help her to have a few more wonderful and fun and love-filled ones with us here. In your name, I pray in gratitude. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Nerd

So, my man has a sinus infection. Our family nurse told him to go ahead and go to an urgent care place, since he had a fever as of this afternoon, and he still was coughing up all the yellow stuff. (Fun fact: Just before he went, he finally gave in and used the saline rinse nasal pot. He did a very good job, and I am still proud of him for letting go of that fear enough to give it a go again. I hate using them, too, and only do it when I really need to use it.)

Anyway, the doctor said he was fine to be around people and all. Just don’t make out with people, share drinks and utensils, cough on people, etc. So, he stopped at the store on the way home.

While he was there, he was trying to get connected to the wifi at the store, while on the phone with me (because I’d told him that they actually have wifi and it works effectively, and you can actually send and receive photos easily when connected to it). He puts me on speakerphone while he tries to figure it out, and starts kind of cursing up a storm in his ‘I’m already sick and now I’m also stressed and annoyed’ frustration/exhaustion. I tell him, “Chill…” After a short beat, I realize and add, “Although, I guess you can’t, since you have a fever.”

We definitely shared a moment of enjoying that idiocy together. 😛 😀 And it was glorious.

Post-a-day 2023

Tired

Today, I am tired. I was up and at school early for test proctoring, which I didn’t really want to do, but that I kind of needed to do in order to afford life right now. Plus, it was partly a favor for the person in charge, who needed a last-minute replacement for someone else. So, I went. I was grateful for the breakfast tacos we were given. Moving the desks around was more of a hassle than it ever has been, but they turned out to be quite nice eventually. And I had a surprise of the final section of the test just disappearing and not even being on there anymore, which removed about half an hour from the testing time (and I only discovered it when we were about to start the actual last hour of testing). And I ended up not having anymore work to do for Monday, as I’d gotten it all done last night before going home. So, I got to go home way earlier than expected and a lot less tired than expected. And I had a wonderful surprise set of messages from my best friend. And I got to see my man before he was booked for the afternoon and evening.

So, it was a good day and I am grateful for it. But I still am very tired.

Thank you, God. Guide me always to pursue and fulfill your will, please. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Late Start

Whenever the school has events in the evening, they always have a late start the next day. But it is only an hour and a quarter later than usual. And most people still have to drop off their own kids and whatnot, so they still get up at the same time the next morning. Even if they don’t have all those, it is very difficult just to sleep a little bit longer in the morning than what one days every single day consistently. The body usually just wakes us up at the regular time, anyway. What’s more, traffic is worse later in the morning, so we still have to leave at almost the same time in order to get to school on time. And most students have parents with typical jobs, and so they still have to be dropped off at the usual time at school. What’s more, by starting late, the school eliminates the hour of open time we all usually get mid-morning, a time used for office hours, getting things done, eating a late or second breakfast, running around to play, or, even, napping – a valuable time for all each day. But it goes away for late starts.

So, basically, late start is annoying and doesn’t actually help anything. And everyone is tired and ready to go home…

Which leads me to the better idea that many of us mentioned today: Let us go home early instead. We all have to get up and going at the same time already. Sure, we don’t get that hour of free time mid-morning, but we get to go home an extra hour and a quarter sooner than usual. That also means we get to head home before traffic starts up, even the coaches with after-school practice. Then we can have the chance to go to bed early that night, to help make up for the lost sleep the night before.

Anyway, my two cents…

Post-a-day 2023