Getting Back Into the Routine of My Patterns...

Foreground - tabby cat, sleeping on the lap of the author, a middle-aged, brunette woman who is in the background, smiling.
I woke up this morning at 4am - my regular wake-up time, but I spent two more hours in bed doing social media, time-sucking things before I actually started my day. This is how I am getting back into my routine.

I am pretty successful in setting up and following morning routines. I am less successful in doing the same type of thing in the afternoon/evening. I try and try to figure out an evening routine that allows me to be productive, but the fact is that I really want to just relax in the evenings after work. I rarely find things like cooking or cleaning a priority after work. I just want to play games and be an entertainment consumer and to sleep. I always want to sleep.

I accomplished my five-minute clean yesterday, but today has to be dedicated to a deep clean of the kitchen. That area is a mess, so I need to get it under control. Many of my Christmas gifts this year are things for my kitchen, so I want to get the room cleaned up and organized to put the new pieces in when they arrive via UPS on Monday. My kitchen will be transformed from a Star Wars theme to a sunflower theme pretty soon, thanks to Mom and Sis! (The Star Wars theme will not completely go away, though...maybe I will switch back and forth quarterly...we will see...)

I am not entirely looking forward to going back to work - being on vacation is very nice - but I am resigned to the fact that I need to keep working until I can change my income sources. I had a visit with my financial advisor yesterday. I am focusing on getting through until retirement. I will also have to get a new furnace very soon, so I have to work on getting that money put together. In addition, my return to traveling is costing money as well, so I have set up different funds for different purposes. I have a music therapy fund - where most of my traveling money comes from, at least, for the next two trips. I also take money from that fund for things like CBMT maintenance - that reminds me - and AMTA dues. I have a need for money, so I have to go to work. That's the way it goes, isn't it??

My morning pattern is usually pretty easy to accomplish. I get up, head downstairs for my medications and to blog, and then I go upstairs and head to work. When I get home, I end up going into the bedroom for my evening medication (if I don't keep it there, I forget to take it), and then I get something to eat. When I am up to it, I head downstairs to review my email and to eat. I tend to spend a bit of time thinking about things that I "should" do, but I don't always do those things. I did a bit better the week before break with my five minute clean-up and my five minutes of art, but I will have to establish those routines again now that I am back. My five minutes yesterday involved taking a bunch of paper out of one of the boxes that has just been sitting around my office area. I will clear off a space on my paper shelf for that paper stash and see about using some of what I have. I did very well during our trip and only bought some double sided tape for my crafting needs. Everything else that I used to make my travel journal and to decorate came from my Mom's craft stash. I didn't even have to buy paper!

Since I've been home (about 30 hours now), I have cleared out a box, done one card for my art challenge, unpacked the carry ons, and that's about all. I had a meeting with my financial advisor and spent most of the rest of the day napping. I talked to my Mom last night just as my sister arrived to head out for dinner. Sis and I did not directly speak to each other - I am sure that they were out later than I am usually awake. Since I got up this morning, I have wrestled with the furnace, done some journaling in my new trip book, and will prepare myself for the kitchen cleaning that needs to be done. After the kitchen is clean, I will have to move all the stuff that I put in the living room from the kitchen away. I may even get fancy and do some vacuuming. That is a chore that is sorely needed in my living area right now! It is time to get that started. I will move my tablet into the kitchen so I can consume my favorite cleaning background noise - television - into the kitchen. Maybe it would be a good idea to put a small tv in the kitchen - maybe I would spend more time there?? Maybe not. I have a small tv, but I am not sure if it would connect to my Roku box or not. The tv predates Roku by about a decade or even two...something to think about AFTER the kitchen is clean!

Tomorrow, I head back into my work routine by returning to my church job. I will have Sunday Schoolers to wrangle, choir members to direct, and things to read in conjunction with the pastor. I will have most of the afternoon to myself, so I might go see a movie. We will see. Monday, I have four groups and three individuals back in my regular work life, so it will be back to the grind. Lots to do - two challenges and lots of time to fill. Off I go...

Happy Saturday.

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