I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!

5:00 am – my alarm goes off and Khali immediately starts purring and comes over for cuddles. I slept better – only waking up around 1:00 and at 4:42. As I’m getting ready I remember I started laundry midday yesterday and never dried it, so I start the wash cycle again. Then it’s the same routine as Monday – feed the cats and myself (pb & banana open face) and drive to class. I stop and get the mail as I leave, and listen to “The More You Know” episode on The Popcast.

5:45 am – HIIT class. I feel good for rounds 1 & 2 and start to die a little on 3. I’m drenched in sweat when I’m done and take my shirt off and put my hoodie on so I don’t drive home in a soaking wet shirt.

6:45 am – I drive home and drink my shake and listen to The Popcast.

6:58 am – I start work. Steven tells me one of his employees called in sick and the Fake Meats holiday lunch that was going to be today is postponed. I go into my HR system to cancel the leave I took, then decide to keep it and use it to do a run at the local preserve at lunch break (which is early again today because I have a noon call). I feed the cats and put dishes away while they’re eating, and get ready for the work day (and I remember to hang up my laundry to dry!). Just a couple meetings today, woo hoo!

8:55 am – my work computer needs to restart for updates and that seems like the perfect time to make some oatmeal and put in a load of wash.

Here is a unappetizing photo of what oatmeal looks like 

Tywin cries the whole time I’m working. It seems like he wants constant attention, or maybe he’s trying to tell me he wants back outside. I am already feeling bad about putting him back out (he’ll go out Friday if he is well (he seems like it!) and the weather is good).

10:00 am – I change into running clothes (it’s cold out – 22°F) and give the cats treats, and put Tywin in the bathroom and drive to the forest preserve. I’m in a bad mood so I turn off notifications so my watch won’t buzz while I run (I only have my watch set to buzz for messages when I have an activity going, but sometimes it’s really annoying to feel it buzz under my jacket sleeve and I know today will be one of those days).

10:16 am – I get my tripod out to do my rock hide of the day and cannot find the rock I set aside to bring with me and don’t have any backup rocks in my car. I’m pissed off. I don’t want to go back out again to hide a freaking rock after work. Gawd, I’m so sick of this dumb goal. Maybe I’ll find a rock on the trail to hide.

10:41 am – I decide to check a tree that I hid a rock at last winter and see if it’s still there to re-hide. I looked for it when I was with my dad in November and we didn’t see it, but I feel like maybe it fell. I look behind the tree and I find it! It was stuck in the mud!

11:23 am – I complete my 5.19 m run. It was a slow and steady day – I finished The Popcast episode and listened to the new Ali on the Run episode. I do my stupid rock hide and go home.

11:35 am – I don’t see Snow Jr in the cat house and am concerned because there was a dead animal on the road by our house. I put some food out for him and am happy to see him come down from the mezzanine level of the cathouse – I’m glad he figured out how to use it! But still very sad about the animal I saw.

11:40 am – I shower, post the Fake Meats reel, see the cats being cute and take a photo to send Steven,  make today and tomorrow’s lunch, throw my running clothes in the wash, let out Tywin, then turn on my computer for my 12:00 call.

12:00 pm – I listen to the call while I eat my lunch. I go off mute to shout out a coworker who wasn’t getting credit he very much deserved.

12:34 pm – My call ends and I immediately make a decaf chai. I’m still cold from my run!

1:56 pm – I have an Ocho chocolate then remember we have fruit right after I eat it. Oops. Eh, I can have fruit later if I want something.

2:00 pm – I run a very brief call checking in on a big project between two regions. Not really my job but it needs to be done.

3:00 pm – Virtual therapy appointment. I feel like they’ve just been giant bitch sessions lately, but whatever, I need that. My therapist reminds me how overwhelming December is, and that is exactly how it feels. I’m so ready for a quiet week next week. Thinking about things being a little less busy in the near future, even if for a short period of time, comforts me. And I think about how I need to get over wanting to have a clean slate/empty to do list/feel caught up, because that is NEVER going to happen. NEVER. (At least I tend to forget about my to do list when I travel or spend time with loved ones, so that’s something). I schedule my next appointment for a month out.

4:07 pm –  I lied about the fruit and have some pretzels instead. I send some Marcos to Val & Tiff and get to work on a blanket I am hand knitting (meaning not using needles – just using my hands). Seeing Val’s Marco back cheers me up.

5:24 pm – Steven texts that he is on his way home with dinner from El Famous (that is where we were going to get the work holiday lunch from). I get all the rows on the blanket done except the last one, and I pause to feed the cats and watch the video to see how to finish the blanket.

5:45 pm –  We eat dinner (half a burrito and fries for me) and watch part of Miracle on 34th Street. The classic version is Steven’s favorite holiday movie and we decide to watch the 1994 remake (which is actually kind of cringe?!). Starbuck sits with me for a bit.

6:35 pm – We get up for dessert (ice cream!) and I cast off the blanket. It’s mostly done! I just need to knot and cut the ends. I bring my computer to the couch to work on this post. These posts are a lot of work! Geesh!

7:12 pm –  I work on an image promoting gift cards for FakeMeats.com and email Steven 4 versions to review.

7:36 pm – We clean up after dinner then hang out with Tywin before putting him to bed. I prep as much as I can for the next day – I pack my backpack, get lunch ready, make my protein shake, and get the cats’ wet food all ready.

8:00 pm – I put laundry away and get an outfit ready for tomorrow and prep for bed.

8:17 pm – I get into bed to read (still reading The Nanny).

8:42 pm – I finish The Nanny (three stars) and return it to the library. I’m excited to start a new book on the train ride tomorrow! I fall asleep around 9:00.

11:44 pm – I wake up to pee and am super thirsty.  Ned accompanies me to the bathroom and wants to merge. I drink two glasses of water and go to the bathroom then take him back to bed for cuddles.