Shiny New Year, Same Old Me

Four days into the new year and I think I am already starting to react a bit better concerning work-related stresses. Well, I don’t know if “better” is the right word for it since I felt like I was sleepwalking through yesterday, but at least I’m not a bundle of anxiety. My attitude has been “eh, it’ll get done. If not, oh well.” I really hope this is the last one of these particular conferences I have to do . . .

Did you know that next week will be the first time I have spent a night away from Mr. Random since we were married over 7 years ago? Wow! I didn’t know it had been that long. I used to travel extensively for one of my previous jobs, when Mr. Random and I were still “courting,” and I would be gone for a week at a time. I’m actually looking forward to being away, oddly enough, and I feel slightly bad saying that. But it will be fun to have a hotel room all to myself and be totally independent and self-directed. I’m rather jealous that Mr. Random will have the condo all to himself – I guess lots of Cartoon Network and Sci-Fi Channel will be watched while I am away, and not many green vegetables eaten.

Another work-related blessing came my way today – a project which has been hanging over my head a while has been postponed for the end of the month. Yay! I have more time to work on it and I won’t feel horrible about it while I am at the conference. My counterpart at the other organization hasn’t been working on it on her end either, so that is a huge psychic burden taken off of my shoulders for now . . .

The sweater I’m wearing today is shedding like crazy . . . it’s worse than a cat! Plus it is one of those kind of bulky but “form fitting” sweaters that keeps riding up and I feel like I have to constantly pull the bottom of the sweater down, otherwise it will be up to my armpits by the end of the day. I got it at H&M last year for dirt cheap, and it is a nice pastel green to match the flowers at the bottom of my long black skirt. I’m also wearing black dress boots and a black scarf. I’m liking the outfit today: it’s very slimming and comfy (except for the constant tugging.)

After many months of bellyaching about it, today I finally went to the post office and submitted my passport application. In 6 weeks, I will be ready to travel the world! Yahoo!

However, my elation is tempered by highly irritating circumstances in which I submitted my application. Mr. Random and I stood in line at the post office for 45 minutes – it seems there were several families who decided to come out and apply during the lunch hour. Also three people were filling out their forms and were standing off to the side, so when I finally reached the window, the woman said “Oh, these people were here before you, they just had to fill out their forms.” Little tufts of steam rose from my head, because I’d already been waiting about 25 minutes at this point AND I had made sure to have everything already filled out nicely and neatly, documents at the ready, checks written. Then when there was just one person left in front of me, the employee decided she HAD to go to lunch right then. Off to another window and another line! More steam rising from my head! When we finally got to the new lady, she was very, very nice and had quite a lovely smile, which immediately made my grumpiness go away for the moment. My turn only took 5 minutes and then I was all done!

One goal down for 2006 already! So awesome that I can cross something off the list! I hope this bodes well for the rest of the year . . .