Sunday reveries

 

It's Labor Day weekend

I've already been out to jog my intervals, so I'm high on endorphins as I begin this blog.  Also high on expectations, as the mythical son has mentioned the possibility of a tramp in the dog park with Carl and him.  Not sure when that will happen, so I got the intervals in early.

Then I came home to cook my breakfast and savor both it and a second Spark mug of flavored coffee.

It's Sunday, so there's online church available.  Sunday is also my own "are your bills paid?" check up day.  Sunday for this task is a hangover from the days when I worked Monday to Friday.  Save up the bills and pay them all at once, start the work week with a clean slate.

I was in a frenzied squirrel mood brought on by cooler weather and waning sunlight hours, and went on a shredding spree, clearing out all but the most recently paid bills.  I only do this about once a year, but looking at the volume in the drawer I just cleaned out, looks like I skipped doing it at my normal time this year.  I usually do this when I do the year end taxes.  I had about a year and two thirds of stuff to shred!

The thing about clearing out... it doesn't stay cleared out.  It takes maintenance!  Just like... a healthy lifestyle takes maintenance.  I don't miss Mt. St. Omigawd (© Alicia363) at all!  Remember this?  The photo is a cleaned up / semi-organized version of my own Mt. St. Omigawd East.

November 2018

When I first retired, I was in sad shape as far as being able to just "live" in my house.  The "kids" had moved out in 2007, I think it was, and I had never cleared out the junk they left behind in the basement, where they had lived before and after getting married.

It took several months to get to the point in the photo.  Apparently I didn't publish any photos of it at its worst?  This was very much a "during" the big push to redo the home office and make it functional as an office again (as opposed to a hoarders' storage area).

Things were being donated and given away right and left.  I declared myself in down-sizing and organizing mode.

I burnt out on the project after getting two rooms re-done (and of course, by the time I got the second room done, the pandemic had started, so... not all my fault).  

As I got to the bottom of my stack of things to sort and save or shred today, the phone rang.  Saved by the bell!  It was the mythical son, and he and Carl were on their way over.

Carl: I own the dog park!

Consequently, I did not move on to another pile of paper to deal with, but instead went tramping in the dog park with "the men" (canine and human) who are "on their own" this week.  Son's GF and her mom are off on a girls' trip to visit national parks.  Her dad is home bird-sitting.  Specifically, the ladies are on their way to Montana to see what they can of Glacier National Park.

Awesome!  GF has already posted status from Chimney Rock, in Western Nebraska, then from the Jackalope Capital of the world (in Wyoming)... and I just saw a post from Montana, so they are making good time, as my dad used to say.  

They did post one photo of something "at the hotel", so at least I can tell they are taking some time off the road to sleep.  They left home yesterday morning.  Google maps tells me it's 18 and a half hours of driving from here to GNP.  I feel lucky that I get to peek over their shoulders and see their progress.  I pretty much do the same for my family when I'm on a road trip, mainly because we can!

I had been reading a post from a fellow former Sparker (Valerie) on her blog this morning, and she mentioned the changes in how we travel these days compared to when we were younger, and she got me thinking about all the connectivity that we take so for granted now.  Well said, and she is well prepared for her own upcoming trip!  Travel safe, all of those who are doing so!

It's a little late in the day for a pep talk, but...

Let's finish the day strong!  Whatever your day has been like up until now, pause and take a breath, and treat yourself kindly as you wind down this one and only Sunday, September 5, 2021 we'll ever get.  If you made good decisions, well done!  If you didn't make the best ones, well, tomorrow is a fresh start... no, wait, you can start fresh right now, you don't have to wait for morning!  You're worth taking care of!  We can do this!  👍 Life is good!  Spark on!  ✨💖