2023: Taking Back My Health
My biggest focus in 2023 was taking back my health, and I’m proud of the slow progress I made – and want to share my timeline!
TW: some discussion of weight & eating stuff
First, some history – I’ve been a runner since 2006, and even taught small group fitness classes from 2013-2020, but have always had binge eating problems. It’s gotten better this year but I haven’t mastered it yet. And that’s okay, progress isn’t linear. I’ll keep at it.
All that to say, while I’ve been active for many years, since I’ve never had the diet portion of my life figured out, my weight has fluctuated during all that time. At the beginning of 2023 I was at my heaviest weight ever and felt like garbage – because I was eating mostly garbage. I also wasn’t running (I hadn’t since 10/26/22), because running didn’t feel good or bring me joy anymore.
I didn’t feel like myself. I missed feeling healthy, eating nourishing foods, and running. My 2023 goal started out with a focus on wanting to lose weight so it would feel better to run again, but it evolved into a physical and mental health journey.
Note: this timeline is just the highlights and doesn’t include everything in those categories
January – December
Physical: I tried to eat reasonable portions and not binge eat but also not have anything off limits (except when I took a break from sweets). I very much have an “everything in moderation” mindset.
Mental: I continued to read, paint, and take baths for relaxation. I went on some friend dates in the beginning of the year and that trailed off when my summer got nutso busy.
January & February
Physical: I walked every day and did a half assed strength workout at home every few days.
Mental: I took time off work and went to Tucson to spend time with Tiff and Val. I stopped tracking my workouts as intensely as before or being concerned about ending workouts in “.00.”
March
Physical – I started running again – I had lost some weight and had more energy and was excited to try again (after four months off!). I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I took time off (full time) work in LA with Steven (although it was partially a work trip for Fake Meats).
April
Physical – I continued running and got my bike tuned up. I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
May
Physical – I started riding my bike again, and continued running (Steven and I did a deliberately slow and cautious buildup to a 5K in June). I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I started therapy for burnout (I started working for Steven parttime in January and started teaching some rock painting classes but didn’t reprioritize my time and hobbies and was struggling).
June
Physical – Steven and I ran our 5K, I started half marathon training, and I started massage again. I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I continued therapy.
July
Physical – Steven and I ran another 5K, I did lots of long runs and long rides and LOVED THEM, and I did RAGBRAI (56 mile bike ride) with my Dad and snister. I got a standing height desk for home. I continued massage. I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I took time off work for trips to Iowa (trip 2 with Tiff and Val and family, trip 3 with Steven and family), I continued therapy.
August
Physical – I completed half marathon training but didn’t run a half. I started doing group fitness at WWM. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I took some time off work in Denver and hung out with Val and Carrie. I continued therapy. I flew with Steven for the first time and realized it makes me extremely happy and giddy.
September
Physical – I tried acupuncture and liked it! Unfortunately they would not work with my insurance so I haven’t been back. I did a 10K with Rachel. I kept up with group fitness. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I started journaling and stopped sharing my weekend recaps here (which lifted a self-imposed “must document everything!” weight, and helped with some uneasy feelings of all that being public). I took this month off therapy, which was a bad idea.
October
Physical – I got balayage. I ran a half marathon and made two new friends. I kept doing long runs after the half. I kept up with group fitness. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I took time off work for a trip to Maine with Steven, Val and Steve. I dabbled in meditation. I started therapy back up. I set boundaries.
November & December
Physical – I kept up with long runs and group fitness. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I traveled to LA to spend time with Tiff and Val. I kept up with therapy and journaling. I said no to co-hosting a rock painting challenge again to protect my mental health (and am so glad I did – December was nuts with work).
Hopefully the very repetitive nature of this timeline demonstrates how I slowly built all of these things up. That is what has made keeping up with them all possible – I didn’t try to do it all at once. And I think slowly building up my fitness has kept me from getting injured, too (*knock on wood).
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses though – my mental health has gone up and down throughout the year. I felt mentally burned out for most of December. I’ve been struggling to come up with creative ideas for months. My eating has been off since October (but I’m determined to get back on track so I feel my best again). I wanted to try fitting yoga in and still haven’t. Etc, etc. There are always improvements to be made!
But! I’m extremely proud of the progress I’ve made this year and am excited to have this foundation going into 2024. I’m curious to see how consistent strength training transforms (or doesn’t?) me, and if my body will feel healthy enough to run a marathon (I plan to see how I feel in late February/or mid March then decide. Or heck, maybe even April. Ha!).
Random Thoughts Thursday 435
- Tywin update! He is doing well outside since he went back out on the 22nd!
- When we got back Tuesday Steven noticed the front right tire of my car was flat and filled it with air for me. I completely forgot about it until I left for class Wednesday morning at 5:34 am and there was a warning it was low. Err…. I didn’t want to drive on it, but if we are late to class we have to do burpees! I reversed down the driveway, rushed upstairs to get the key to Steven’s car, then it took me 5 minutes to back it out without hitting the garage (he has to park really close to the right and I could not recall the maneuver to get out). I sped to class and was three minutes late! But! The first class had gone long and I was safe from burpees. Phew. Steven took it to the tire shop for me and it had a nail in it. All fixed. Thanks, Steven. (Note, we had lots of burpees in class today, womp womp.)
- I got my step increase at work! Woo hoo! Since I work for the federal government, my pay is schedule based (not merit based) and only increases if I move positions into a new grade, get a new (time-based) step in my grade, or get a cost of living increase. I am at steps 4-6 of my current grade and get the increase every two years. So my next one will be in 2025 (but we will hopefully get cost of living increases each January).
- I feel like something changed in Google spell check recently. If I type a word wrong and am one letter off, it won’t offer me the word I was trying to write. So I just retype it. It’s annoying. Like, it could not figure out delicious and schedule below?
- Steven got me Kindle Unlimited! I’m excited to have that, along with my virtual library card (to a library in North Carolina*) for reading and listening options.
*Since we are unincorporated, we have to pay to use the local library, and it’s quite expensive so I use a cheaper out of state library. I wonder if the cost went down since I last checked. Just kidding, I live in Illinois, why would the cost go down on something?
Week in the Life THOUGHTS
Whoa. Writing all those “Week in the Life” posts was intense – they take a lot of time to write and prep photos for, let alone remember all the stuff I did during the day. The smarter move would have been to do a “day in the life,” see if I liked that, then bump up into a week.
Playing with Photoshop AI with our nephews
The other smart move would have been to not pick such a stupid busy week with so much running around and very little downtime. Sigh.
I didn’t love doing it, but I’m glad I tried it out! I actually learned a lot about myself, mostly that:
- I’m doing an incredibly atrocious job of having real downtime. I fill my downtime between activities with tasks and it leaves me exhausted and cranky. I do this because I hope getting more done during the day will leave me time at the end of the day to relax, but it rarely works out like that. I only seem to relax when I leave the house and spend time with other people. When I do this (don’t take real downtime):
- Small unimportant inconveniences set me off.
- I just want to be left alone.
- I don’t feel very talkative.
- I should NOT have scheduled the cats to have to go to the vet every Friday for 5 weeks. That was nuts. I won’t make that mistake again.
- Having Tywin in the house was really stressing me out and I didn’t realize by how much until he went back outside (then the guilt about that set in).
- My Garmin thinks very little of me.
- Posting to my rock Instagram at night instead of in the morning may make me feel less overwhelmed.
And I already knew that:
- I dislike having lots of appointments, or stacked appointments. I stack them thinking it will be more efficient (see above about trying to do more so I can do less later) then end up making myself irate.
- I don’t like logging what I eat.
- Forcing myself to document things takes away the fun.
- It’s not appropriate for me to share much about work (my full time job) on here.
I loved:
- How supportive you all were with reading those long posts, thank you!
- How many people could relate to my rants about certain trivial things. That made me feel better about it. Thank you!
Will I do a whole week again? I am leaning toward no but never say never!
Will I keep working in therapy on trying to be more relaxed and less panicked about my to do list? Yes.
Week in the Life: Sunday, December 24
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
6:30 am – I didn’t sleep well, but I got 8 hours and managed to sleep in until 6:30! Woo hoo! I get up and go to the bathroom and brush my teeth, then give the cats their wet food. I open up the dishwasher to let the dishes dry out (we always run it before we leave), then edit my Saturday post and publish it.
My calves felt a bit tight when I walk down the stairs so I get out the Stick and roll them. Go figure, my watch actually told me to run this morning, but I don’t plan to.
7:05 am – I chase Apollo around the foyer and in the downstairs bathroom, petting him. It’s a game he likes to play where he wants to be petted but is constantly moving. He happily rolls around in the bathtub – something he loves to do but hasn’t for a week since Tywin was in there.
7:15 am – I change, start Mega Maid (our robot vacuum), eat breakfast, and go for a walk on our street, finishing Winter Stroll and then listening to a Fuel for the Sole podcast.
8:07 am – I see Mega Maid came apart while she was cleaning and didn’t vacuum, so I get out the vacuum and do it, then shower, finish packing, and get the house ready to go. Tywin helps Steven pack the car.
9:20 am – We head out and stop to get gas/Dunkin Donuts (for Steven), then drive through Wisconsin to Iowa.
10:40 am – We stop at Starbucks to go to the bathroom and I get a gingerbread oatmilk chai and share it with Steven. I do my rock hide of the day as we head out.
Rock by @happystones_netherlands
10:48 am – We back on the road and I quiz Steven from the Pilot Test Prep book all the way to lunch (with one stop at a rest center for me to use the bathroom).
12:45 pm – We get Taco Bell in Dubuque, Iowa. Their order system is so easy to use, and even has a “switch to veggie” (vegetarian) button. I’m impressed! My taco and crunchwrap are delish.
1:15 pm – We head back out on the road. I drink most of the Dr Pepper Steven got when he left Taco Bell. I work on the Fake Meats reel about the peppermint rice krispies in the car, then quiz Steven more.
2:23 pm – We arrive at my older brother’s for family photo. The whole family shows up and we take the photo then hang out a bit. I give my younger brother the blanket he asked me to make, and I say yes when m sister-in-law asks if I want a bloody mary.
4:03 pm – We drive to my snister’s and I quiz Steven more. We bring all our stuff in, then I get my computer out to write the caption and post the reel I made in the car.
5:00 pm – Hang out time with the fam! We have soup for dinner,
then some cake, and I get out my computer to edit the family photo and use AI to make a ridiculous version that our nephews find hilarious.
We play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, hang out a bit more, then we get ready for bed. I read a bit and am asleep by 10:14 pm!
Week in the Life: Saturday, December 23
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
5:18 am – I wake up to Apollo scratching at the carpet right before his feeder goes off. I get up, make sure everyone gets food (Tywin doesn’t eat at first, and is not very talkative, so I hold him for a bit then he eats), then go back upstairs to go to the bathroom and get ready for the day.
I open Instagram to look at the birthday picture I posted for Steven, then remember to edit my “hiding a rock a day” reel – I haven’t added any videos to the draft in a few days.
Again, my watch tells me to take a rest day. Granted, I got under 6 hours of sleep. UGH. I need more sleep. Maybe tonight.
5:50 am – I reread and edit my Friday post then publish it. I haven’t made time to read blogs lately so I open Feedly to read and comment (and enjoy my breakfast while doing so).
6:23 am – I finish catching up and feed the cats their wet food because Apollo is crying LIKE HE IS DYING.
6:30 am – I wrap a present for a friend who has a December 30th birthday. I try to make it look nice, because the packages she sends are always beautiful.
6:43 am – I remember I have some long DMs on my rock Instagram and try to respond to them quickly before I drive to class.
6:49 am – I drive to class and listen to Winter Stroll.
7:00 am – Upper Body class. I feel lightheaded and have a headache and get Tylenol out of my car during class to take. Eek! Saturday class does not jive with me.
8:03 am – I drive to Walmart and find the perfect birthday card for my friend, and get some candy canes I need to make rice krispies later.
8:22 am – I do my rock hide at Starbucks and get a gift card for my friend then drive home.
8:32 am – I arrive home and make my shake and start a bath. I’ve been wanting to take a bath all week but that’s the room Tywin was in so I didn’t (because his stuff was everywhere). It’s a short bath, and kind of annoying, because Starbuck is scratching at the door to get in and Steven lets her in when he brings me vegan bacon (!!!), and she is fine for a minute then Ned comes in and she growls at him and he won’t leave. Sigh. I’m such a grump this week. I post my rock hiding reel for the week and get out.
9:13 am – I get dressed and package my friend’s gift and buy postage for it.
9:38 am – I make the base for the rice krispies (they use peppermint marshmallows and have peppermint extract in them) and chat with Steven.
10:23 am – I go to the post office to drop off the package and check my PO box, then get gas.
10:53 am – I arrive back home and put on holiday music and start wrapping our remaining gifts. Since Steven is helping we get in done in under 30 mins, woo hoo!
11:27 am – We finish the rice krispies – we melt white chocolate chips and spread it over the top, then put crushed candy canes on top of that.
11:45am – I change and put makeup on.
11:50 am – We eat some of our Thursday night leftovers.
12:00 pm – We clean up lunch and cut up some rice krispies to take with us. We drive to Evanston (arrive at 1:00 pm) to visit Eric & Abbie and their family, and Abbie’s parents and sister, who are in town for Christmas. We have a wonderful time with lots of laughs, catching up, great conversation, and yummy snacks, and drinks (I even have some prosecco!).
Their cat, Iris
5:45 pm – We drive home and arrive around 6:35 pm. I feed the cats and tidy up the kitchen and get some things ready for the cat sitter. Steven makes us leftover sandwiches for dinner.
6:50 pm – We eat and watch The Other Guys – it’s taking us three viewings to complete this movie, a sign of how wacky our nights have been! I work on this post then respond to blog comments, respond to some Fake Meats comments, and delete emails from my spam account.
7:20 pm – We clean up after dinner (Steven cleans the litters while I do this each night), give the cats their nighttime dry food, and go upstairs to get ready for bed and pack for our trip to Iowa. I read Wreck the Halls for a bit, and swear that I fall asleep before 9:00 but my watch says 10:07 pm when I check the next day. That can’t be right!
Week in the Life: Friday, December 22
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
4:58 am – I wake up right before my 5:00 am alarm. I did NOT sleep well. Whoa. I woke up after 1:00 to pee, then went and couldn’t fall back asleep for about an hour, then had bad dreams. Then I fell asleep but woke up and went through the cycle again. Ugh. I feel like garbage.
But I get up and get dressed and feed the cats and wrap one last birthday present for Steven (today is his birthday!!!!) then post my Thursday post. My watch recommends another rest day. That’s three in a row! What the heck!
5:35 am – I drive to class and listen to Winter Stroll.
5:45 am – Lower Body class. It’s a sneaky one – it looks easy enough but the moves are pretty tough.
6:43 am – I take my challenge photos. I’m doing a December challenge at the gym and we take photos each Friday. Marybel (our instructor) gives us cute hot cocoa cones when we leave.
6:46 am – I drive home and listen to Winter Stroll.
6:56 am – I arrive home and hear Steven cleaning up what I am sure is another cat thing. Sigh. It’s been stressful having Tywin in the office all week. Apollo has been acting out by peeing in the bathroom sink. This time he did a #2. Happy Birthday, Steven.
7:00 am – I bring up Steven’s birthday presents from the basement, make my shake (I try putting some pumpkin pie spice mix in it – it’s so so), then feed the cats their wet food. I wish Steven a happy birthday when he comes downstairs.
7:32 am – I post the Fake Meats Instagram before I forget for the day. It’s disheartening how few views and likes we get for the amount of work I put into it, but at least if someone visits our socials (it goes to Facebook too) there will be content there.
7:47 am – We let Tywin back outside and I take down all the baby gates and start to clean the office and bathroom.
8:10 am – I have second breakfast (PB & banana open face) then Steven opens all his birthday gifts (from me, Mom & Dad, my snis and her family, and Steven’s dad). I got him pajamas, socks, undershirts, a fancy flashlight for flying, a radio for flying, and the test book I wrapped this morning. We make plans to meet for lunch after Ned’s vet appointment.
8:37 am – I leave and forget the dispute form I need to mail and go back in the house for it and Tywin shows up and runs into the garage. Sigh. It’s been nice not having him outside to do that all week (we worry about hitting him in the driveway and him being trapped places).
But really, I have been so freaking off this week, and having him inside has added a lot of stress. I drive to the PO Box and realize I forgot Goodrs and have to wear the dumb sunglasses in my car. Sigh. At least I had any.
8:41 am – I stop at my PO Box on my way to my run and see a cat there! Always exciting to see a cat! It’s not like I see any at home (ha ha). I do my rock hide of the day.
Rock by danny_carpxsb of California
8:49 am – I run 10 miles, listening to Winter Stroll for most of it, then music at the end. I have two GUs and one package of Honey Stingers. I feel decent and wish I had time to run longer! I’m grateful to be wearing shorts in December. And that the rain didn’t start on my run.
11:00 am – I get back home and shower quickly, put some wash in the dryer and workout clothes in the dryer, then grab Ned and head out.
11:20 am – We drive to the vet and I call my aunt to see how she is doing. I eat a protein bar on the way.
11:42 am – I arrive at the vet and text them I am there. I’m a couple minutes late, oops. I respond to texts.
11:50 am – I go in with Ned and he gets his shot (he just needed a booster shot) and I talk to one of the vet techs I have been friends with for years (Brittani).
11:59 am – We head back home. I listen to Val’s Marco, record a response Marco, then listen to my book.
12:22 pm – I arrive home and Tywin runs in the garage again. This dude. Ha. I put on makeup and switch the laundry and set out the dishes to dry (from running the dishwasher this morning).
12:44 pm – I drive to the warehouse and pick up Steven and we go to Chipotle.
1:13 pm – We have lunch at Chipotle. It’s pretty meh, but nice to see Steven for his birthday lunch and hear how his morning is going.
1:50 pm – I drop Steven off and drive back home.
2:06 pm – I arrive back home, move laundry around and change into PJs for reading and a nap!
3:48 pm – I wake up from my wonderful nap right before the cats’ feeders go off (my watch tells me to wake up alert and not groggy, limit naps to 30 mins. LOL.). I get up to make sure Starbuck gets her food (I have to put it on the stairs for her) and am excited to see Tywin and Snow Jr sharing the cat house (especially since it’s been raining since noon)! Yay! It has room for three cats, but we’d only seen them both in there together once. We joke that they have a “credits” system they use to determine who gets to use the house. It’s a mystery how credits or obtained or redeemed.
I feed the outside cats, then straighten my hair (even though it’s raining) and put away laundry.
4:14 pm – I make a decaf chai, bring in a grocery delivery and put it away, cut the ends off that blanket and put it in the basement, put away dishes, vacuum, and clean out the bathroom while listening to Winter Stroll. I have a piece of vegan turkey too. So so good!
5:25 pm – Bobbi and John arrive to go to HuHot in Milwaukee with us for Steven’s birthday! John drives us up (thank you!) and we chat the whole way there, enjoy our HuHot and conversation at dinner, then chat the whole way back, and have cake at home. It’s so nice to spend time with them!!!
9:40 pm – I clean up our cake plates, clean the litters, feed the cats their dry food snack, then work on this post while Steven plays with some of this new birthday gifts. We both talk about how nice it is to have the office back and be able to walk through it.
10:23 pm – We go upstairs and get ready for bed. I read more of Wreck the Halls and fall asleep around 11:00.
Week in the Life: Thursday, December 21
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
5:12 am – Thursday is my sometimes sleep-in day, and I’m so excited! But Apollo wakes me up crying – it’s like, 8 minutes before your feeder goes off. Chill, dude.
I get up and use the bathroom and feed Snow Jr and Tywin, make sure all the cats get their food from the feeder, then try to go back to sleep, but my brain wants to do anxiety spiral mode. Lovely.
5:45 am – I look at my watch and am annoyed I’ve been lying there with anxious thoughts for that long, and do a running visualization that puts me to sleep, but then I have anxious dreams – that Steven and I were cycling and we take naps and when we wake up the sky is full of planes, and that Steven is going to Las Vegas Monday-Wednesday with my snister’s husband Will and they didn’t tell either of us. How odd!
6:45 am – I wake up to Steven rubbing my back and asking when I need to get up. Aww. I reluctantly get up at 6:55 and get dressed.
7:00 am – I start work and let Tywin out, then go about feeding them all wet food and feeding me, and putting my clothes in the wash (I only have one pair of long PJs that fit right now so they need to be washed!).
8:00 am – Work call.
8:58 am – I see my Factor X results came in early, and I measured at 22%, which looks like it’s close to the INR range they want me at. I’ll ask the pharmacist when I see them January 8th.
It’s a stressful morning with work stuff, some family stuff, and Tywin crying for most of it. I’m on edge.
11:00 am – I get a shoutout from my supervisor at work – she is on a national call and I got a mention for being so engaged on an internal platform we have for sharing client news and intel. That felt nice!
11:05 am – I post on the Fake Meats insta and change into running gear and make sure I have my rock to hide. I eat a fig bar on the way to the preserve. I turn on DND on my phone so my watch doesn’t buzz during my workout.
11:20 am – I film my hide (it’s not the real hide – I do this often – film with my tripod then leave the tripod in the car and take the rock with me) and my watch buzzes to tell me I should rest or take it easy today. I am not in the mood for that! I plan to run with music and run fast for me! I start my run and feel good, then get 5 minutes into it and realize I forgot to put Tywin in the bathroom and he’s in the office with only the gates between him and the other cats. I cut my run short to 2.33 miles (and hide the rock during the run) and head back.
Rock is from @happystones_netherlands from the Netherlands
11:50 am – I get home and Tywin is just chilling on the office chair. Phew. I take a quick shower, and get back to work at noon.
12:33 pm – I make a decaf chai and give the cats treats. They normally don’t get this many treats, but there is a high level of stress with Tywin in the house.
1:00 pm – I run a difficult call at work. I feel so relieved when it’s over. I review the minutes with the notetaker right after the call.
2:00 pm – I decide I don’t want a salad for lunch and make vegan fish, couscous, and broccoli.
2:15 pm – I get on another call for 30 mins.
4:30 pm – Work is over and I am off though December 26th! I drive to my manicure and listen to Winter Stroll.
4:45 pm – Lorena gives me a beautiful new sparkly manicure, and we chat and wish each other a happy holiday. She has a gift for me!
6:00 pm – I do a Walmart pickup, then go in for bananas and bread. Walmart was out of the one thing I did the pickup for (believe it or not, candy canes).
6:11 pm – I drive home and listen to Winter Stroll.
6:30 pm – Steven has made a delicious vegan turkey (and dressing and broccoli and potatoes) and we sit down to eat and watch The Other Guys. The cats are all on edge. Tywin peed on a towel in the bathroom and we wonder if they can smell it.
6:55 pm – We have a slice of cake!
7:15 pm – We clean up dinner, then go into the office area to hang out with Tywin (and clean up the bathroom and wash all the towels he’s using). Steven paid bills earlier and put a dispute form from my bank on my desk so I fill that out to mail in the morning.
8:10 pm – I get ready for bed, including getting all my pills for the week ready – Warfarin and Wellbutrin for each day. I put my workout clothes in the bathroom. I didn’t make my shake earlier – I’ll make it when I get home Friday.
8:23 pm – I read then fall asleep after 9:00.
Week in the Life: Wednesday, December 20
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
4:00 am – My alarm goes off and I pop right out of bed (and give Khali a few pets while standing up) – I don’t have a lot of time to get ready! I’m going to the office today but from a station in Waukegan that’s farther away (13 miles) and gets me to work earlier and home earlier. The train leaves at 5:05 am and I want to be on the road by 4:30 to make sure I have time to pay for parking and get on the right side of the tracks. Blah blah blah.
I straighten my hair quickly and get dressed, wearing my new green sweater for the first time. I do my makeup and wonder why I even straightened my hair since I put it in a bun with a cute headband my friend Lauren made me. Hmm. I skip waking up Steven to give him a kiss and say goodbye since it’s so early.
Outfit photo from work
4:24 am – I feed the cats their wet food, and grab my shake and put my lunch in my backpack.
4:31 am – I drive to the train and drink my shake while I listen to the newest Popcast episode – “The Overrated Things of Christmas Snake Draft.” I drive by the airport and see a plane flying the pattern and think of Steven (who has a lesson this morning). I text Stephany to tell her how much I am giggling over the Popcast episode.
4:52 am – I arrive and pay for parking and as I am walking to the train I see a festive engine all lit up for Christmas and feel joyful. I respond to texts and start to send a Marco to Val and Tiff then see the train is coming earlier than I thought (I always forget the 5:05 is the departure time, not the arrival time) and cut it short.
5:05 am – The train takes off and I review my Tuesday post and publish it. The conductor asks to see my ticket right away, which I appreciate – on the train I usually take the conductor waits until we’re almost downtown. I realize my watch thinks I’m still asleep so I tell it I’m not and it advises a rest day because I didn’t get enough sleep – you don’t have to tell me twice! I respond to more texts (with people in Europe and on the east coast) and start reading Wreck the Halls and have a fig bar. There’s hardly anyone on the train and I love that it’s so quiet. That is how I prefer my train ride to be.
5:52 am – I register for next week’s Wednesday 5:45 am WWM even though I don’t need to this early – it won’t sell out – but it’s a habit of mine to book my classes a week out (when they open up). I see the 4:45 am class already has 8 people signed up! That class is almost always full. I like the energy of the full classes best but am trying to prioritize getting enough sleep and regularly waking up at 4:00 am does not fit into that plan.
6:22 am – I walk to the office and listen to more of The Popcast. It’s dark out and I enjoy seeing all the festive lights.
6:41 am – I start work. This is my last day in the office (physically) until January 10th! It looks like a lot of people are going to be in the office today, which is nice – and how I prefer my office days (opposite of what I prefer on the train!). I see a pretty sunrise.
7:22 am – I decide to post to my rock Instagram account. I have very little interest in it these days, but I do have a little bit of art left to post! (I haven’t painted since December 2nd).
8:41 am – Steven texts me that he is on his way to the warehouse. I hope he chats me when he gets there to tell me how his second solo flight went!
8:55 am – For the second time this morning my computer is acting funky and typing 0s and won’t let me type anything else. My 0 key seems fine so I google what to do and it requires something with drivers, which requires IT, so I restart my computer again and call them… then they ask if I am hooked up to an external keyboard and I look over at the one I am not using and see my notebook sitting on the 0 key and feel like an idiot. Sigh. I thank them and hang up, and clean up all the google docs that got messed up with tons of 0s. How embarrassing.
9:19 am – Steven tells me his lesson went well. He did takeoffs and landings again – 3 with Josh and 3 by himself. I still can’t believe he is flying solo. So cool!
10:15 pm – I feel inspired by my coworker submitting his leave for the Tokyo Marathon so I submit mine for Europe – 7 days off! And I’ll have the Friday off before the Saturday we leave, and the Friday off after the Monday we get back (and I took Tuesday off too). Woo hoo! I eat a bruised banana to celebrate.
My morning consists of sending an agenda, meeting prep, creating a spreadsheet, contacting people to fill out said spreadsheet, etc. etc.
11:19 am – I feel hungry early (surprise surprise) and eat lunch (salad and part of last night’s burrito) at my desk and post the Fake Meats post for the day from my phone.
12:09 pm – I remember I need to do my rock hide for the day and leave (making sure the rock is in my pocket) for a short walk. I leave it at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Rock by @jenni.d.rocks from Oregon
1:00 pm – Last staff meeting of the year! We go the full hour, chatting about holiday stuff and telling stories. I tell them about my 00000 problem from the am and we all laugh.
2:00 pm – I pack up and order an Uber to go to Pie, Pie My Darling to pick up Steven’s birthday cake. (I had taken two hours of leave so I could leave early.)
2:30 pm – I pick up Steven’s birthday cake and order another Uber to the train. I have a lovely conversation with my driver about his family, why he and his wife moved here from Morocco decades ago, and his birthday next week
2:54 pm – I wait for my train, which is coming at 3:40. I decide to take the 3:10 train, which doesn’t go all the way to Waukegan but gets me closer. I figure out which platform is going north, then call my mom to talk about a family holiday photo she wants to take Sunday, the day we drive in. I ask if we can push it to Monday when we’re all already together and I won’t be getting right out of a car. I can’t stop yawning while I talk to her!
3:10 pm – I jump on the train and catch up on messages, then get out my Kindle to read.
3:30 pm – I remember to check my health provider app for my Factor II results and see that they’re “low” but have been in the past so I’m guessing that’s where they want to keep them. The Factor X results will be in next week.
3:39 pm – The train drops me off in Winnetka (it’s the last stop) and I walk around a bit and enjoy the holiday decorations then head back to wait for the train that’ll take me to Waukegan.
4:04 pm – I get on the train to Waukegan and get my Kindle back out. The train has quite a few delays and stops on the tracks for a really long time. I feel disappointed – I was excited to get home earlier than usual. I stop reading and scroll on my phone. The train gets to Waukegan 37 mins late. I’m not in a great mood.
5:19 pm – I drive home and listen to Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara.
5:46 pm – I finally arrive home! I can tell by the cleaning product smell that something happened and Steven says Tywin peed in his cat bed. Tywin was locked in the bathroom all day and the soap container fell in his litter box and we wonder if that is why he peed the bed. Poor little dude. I feel bad he was in there all day.
I change and go to the bathroom and start to bring garbage down (it’s garbage night), then clean up my lunch dishes, help a bit with dinner, visit with Tywin a bit, open holiday cards, and open a package my friend Matt sent me. It’s a Blue Bell Foundation for Cats hoodie, pin, and sticker. What a nice gift! (We visited there with Matt in March.)
6:17 pm – We sit down to eat the dinner Steven made and finish 1994’s Miracle on 34th St. Meh.
We have another package to open, from Courtney and David, with a holiday card for us, a birthday card for Steven, treats for the cats, and for us. What a great surprise! I text her to thank her.
I give the cats some of the treats.
6:56 pm – We get into Steven’s birthday cake two days early, like we always do. It’s snickerdoodle and delicious! I work on this post and all the photos. I am tired and can’t stop yawning. But we still need to clean up and take out the garbage and I want to spend time with Tywin.
7:13 pm – My snister texts me a barf emoji response we got to the Fake Meats post on Facebook. It’s just a photo of food. I don’t get the trolls. I ask if she was there when I was reading our YouTube comments out loud two Sundays ago when we were at her house. She wasn’t. We were all dying (laughing) at how mean the comments were.
7:39 pm – We clean up after dinner, get all the garbage together, and take the garbage and recycling out, then hang out with Tywin for about 30 minutes while Steven tells me all about his flight lesson and solo landings and talking to the tower.
8:41 pm – I get into bed and read a bit of Wreck the Halls but don’t last long. I’m so tired! I fall asleep at 9:03 pm.
~11:30 pm – I wake up drenched in sweat! Ugh! This hasn’t happened in forever! Ned accompanies me to the bathroom (of course), I bring him back to cuddle, change into shorts and a shirt (I was wearing pants and long sleeves) and go back to bed.
Week in the Life: Tuesday, December 19
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.
Week in the Life: Monday, December 18
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
4:52 am – I slept fitfully and wake up before my 5:00 am alarm. Khali, Starbuck, and Apollo are in bed (on me) and when Khali sees me wake she immediately starts purring and wants to be petted. She does this every morning and I love it. Ned shows up and accompanies me to the bathroom and wants to cuddle (or “merge,” as Steven and I call it, since he wants to be RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR FACE). After I go to the bathroom I take my clothes off and weigh myself, change (I put my workout clothes in the bathroom the night before), brush my teeth, take my anxiety medication, put on deodorant, and am ready to go!
5:14 am – I feed Snow Jr (outside) and Tywin (inside) and cuddle with Tywin a tiny bit.
5:20 am – The indoor cats’ feeders goes off. Almost every morning Starbuck sits there and watches everyone eat until I pick up her bowl and put it somewhere private for her, usually on the stairs. She is such a diva. She has trained us (me?) very well.
5:24 am – I make myself the same first breakfast I have every morning – peanut butter and banana open face sandwich. Surprisingly, it never gets old and I look forward to it every morning.
I will only subject you to this photo once!
5:33 am – I drive to class, and listen to my audiobook, Winter Street.
5:45 am – Upper Body Class at WWM. I just did the Saturday Upper Body Class since I missed Monday last week and wonder if I will be horribly sore and am thankfully not. What’s sore is my butt when I sit on a bench from riding my bike Sunday! Surprise surprise!
I’m pleased that the assisted pullups feel easier. Progress! And I’m pleased to see Bobbi in class!
6:50 am – I drive home, listening to my audiobook, and have my protein shake.
7:00 am – I arrive home and feed the cats their wet food and start work. I had taken Friday off and am pleased to see I only have 27 emails and no surprise 7:30 am meetings (like last Monday). In fact, it’s a magical day with no scheduled meetings, and I have the afternoon off for an appointment with my vascular doctor, so I am feeling pretty good about this Monday! I take a quick shower (upstairs). And I let Tywin out into the office with me, because he was crying in the (downstairs) bathroom. Aww.
8:20 am – Chai time! I basically worked and listened to Tywin meow all morning. I wonder if the wind had him worked up.
10:30 am – I make lunch and eat it (a little on the early side!) since I have plans for lunch break. I have a salad and leftover taco from Saturday night. Tywin kept jumping on my desk to try to eat my lunch!.9,<– he even added that message for you – “.9,” must be code for something.
11:00 am – I use my lunch break to post a Fake Meats reel, then I put Tywin back in the bathroom, and go on a 3 mile run on our street. It’s so cold and windy but I’m glad to get some miles in – I hadn’t run since Friday. I listen to more of Winter Street.
11:58 am – I drive to Steven’s warehouse to go to my appointment together, and yep, more audiobook time.
12:24 pm – Steven drives us to my appointment. When I checked the time that morning it said it would take 40 minutes but we get there in under 35, so we’re a bit early.
1:00 pm – I check in and they call me back around 1:10. Steven comes with me to the exam room. My blood pressure seems high, again (it was at the dentist last week too). It’s 135/93. I’m usually around 120/80.
1:20 pm – I go to a different room to have my INR tested. 2.8! In range! The pharmacist recommends I test my blood for Factor II and Factor X, explaining that when you test these three together, you get a good picture of how my body is handling blood clotting. I got back to the exam room and hang with Steven until my vascular doctor arrives.
1:50~ pm – The vascular doctor arrives and asks how I’m doing – I feel great! He says I’m doing well and staying stable, and don’t need to see him for another year unless the Factor II and Factor X results look bad (they won’t) or if my INR ranges start to get wonky. We talk about:
- How my left leg (the leg the clots were in) is larger. He says that’s normal in the clotting leg but it’s possible I have May-Thurner Syndrome if I want to do a CT scan to check. I pass. It’s a cosmetic thing.
- I ask if my high blood pressure is related to being on Warfarin. He says no, but he does not want his patients to have high blood pressure, and mine is likely high from situational stress. He says trust what it measures at at home (120/80)
- I ask about traveling to Europe. He says to get my INR tested before and after I go, and to follow whatever medication the pharmacists recommend while I am there. And to wear my compression socks, drink a lot of water, and move as much as possible on the plane.
2:03 pm – I make an appointment with him for December 19th next year. I think, surely I won’t have any work meetings on my calendar for a date in 2024 – yet, there are four.
2:19 pm – They draw my blood to test for Factor II and X. Then Steven and I drive to Starbucks for a treat!
2:33 pm – We order a Peppermint Mocha and Salted Almond Chocolate Bites (him) and Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai (me). We sit and chat for a while, which is a treat and feels so indulgent in the middle of the day!
3:06 pm – We leave and I do my rock hide for the day, then we drive back to the warehouse. We chat and I have a banana at some point.
This rock is by @meka.rox from California
3:46 pm – I drive back home and finish Winter Street. I arrive just after 4:00 and feed Snow Jr (the indoor cats’ feeder went off at 3:50 pm), feed Tywin and let him out, then come over to my computer to work on this post.
4:30 pm – Remembering to write that I had a banana makes me realize I’m hungry so I get some pretzels, then finish my book recap and publish it.
4:48 pm – I do some Fake Meats work – trying to figure out why an Illustrator file is RGB and not CMYK. It’s easy to switch the color profile to CMYK but then I need to re-embed images and make text paths in the file, then organize how the files are on the drive blah blah blah. It takes some time!
5:28 pm – I go over to Meta to see if I have anything I want to respond to on Instagram (comments or DMs).
5:38 pm – Ten minutes was enough of that and I leave the office to play with our cats that have been neglected and shut out of the office most of the day. I bring in a package, feed the cats their wet food (Steven comes home while I am), put away all the clean dishes, cut up a pineapple, and heat up leftovers for dinner (leftover homemade mac n cheese, add broccoli, and vegan chicken nuggets).
6:30 pm – We sit down to eat and finish watching The Family Plan (bad, but entertaining enough). Apollo keeps me company. We have pineapple for dessert.
7:30 pm – Steven and I work on Fake Meats blog post and social media ideas (I have an Ocho mini on the way to the office).
8:40 pm – I clean up after dinner (note, I’m usually in bed by this time, ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!), take out some trash, and make my shake for the morning
9:01 pm – I take my warfarin, go to the bathroom, brush and floss my teeth and wash my face, put my gym clothes in the bathroom, then change into PJs and read a bit of The Nanny while doing KST (Khali Special Time). I fall asleep between 9:45-10:00 pm.
Hi! I’m Kim, a 40-something-year-old living in northeastern Illinois with my husband Steven, and our cats, Khaleesi, Apollo, Starbuck, and Eddard aka Ned. My current main hobbies are running, painting rocks, flying, reading, and eating. I follow a vegan lifestyle and work in an account management role. I write about a variety of topics and consider this a “life” blog – a place I can share anything that’s on my mind. Please visit the “About” page to get a better idea of who I am! 🙂
