It’s been about 10 days since the last post and I am not sure who is still reading it but here is an update.  It’s been a very busy two weeks since returning to work. After being away for almost two weeks after Dad’s passing, it’s been a lot of catching up on work related projects.  With my brutal schedule at work and the seeming mountains of paper work to be filed on Mom’s behalf, I am sure I am going to have some serious injuries by a thousand paper cuts.  It is staggering the amount of forms that have to be filled out for the most mindless things. My kitchen table at one point was looking like an office with cords to the fax machine, file folders filled with papers and the numerous pieces of paper that require signatures from mom. 

I’ve tried to find some time in my schedule last week to do the training required for my walk in June but I have to say that it’s hard to find a block of time each day to do that so I am fitting it in at lunch time at work including the 300 stairs for my circuit. After a brutal week of projects, meetings, workshops and the like, I came home on Friday and wanted to think of nothing more than falling into a long sleep.  Mom and I made dinner and by 5pm I said that I was going upstairs to have a nap.  Well that “nap” lasted for 3 1/2 hours.  I got up at 8:30pm – only because I thought I should get up. I had a shower, came downstairs and had a slice of toast and went back to bed to sleep for the rest of the night.  I woke at at 8am feeling like I had been drugged because I could hardly keep my eyes open.  Now I know that  you’ll say that I had too much sleep but I know my body and it was more of a case of trying to catch up on weeks of little sleep.  Sharm was supposed to come over for a haircut at 1:30 and I kept looking at the clock, hoping that 1:30 would arrive at about 10:30am so I could go back to sleep after.  She didn’t come till 2:30 so I slept on the sofa for about 30 minutes.  I looked liked one of those people at airports who are so tired that they will sleep on the floor in front of anyone passing by and don’t care as long as they can shut their eyes. 

Later that afternoon I went to the store to buy a BBQ, and some clothes for Robin’s birthday which was delayed by a week. All in all, it was a successful day – after I had some much  needed sleep.  I decided on Saturday evening that I was going to sleep in till 10am on Sunday but as with all well laid plans, I woke up at 6:45am and decided after 15 minutes of thinking what I should do with my day, I got out of bed, got dressed and went for an 11k walk.  By the time I was done, my foot was falling off (still don’t have the plantar fasciitis fixed).  I soaked in warm water with Epson Salts and put some Tiger Balm on it.  It smelled good but only helped psychologically.  I also broke down and took two Alleve because the pain was getting unbearable so that I was hopping around. 

By the afternoon, I was tired but decided that I would do some gardening.  You’d think that I had a bundle of energy again since I actually had a full night’s sleep on Saturday night and an extra 30 minutes on Sunday. Wow! What a difference a few hours of sleep can make.  I tended to my evergreens and mom pulled out some quack grass.  The yard is going to look very good this summer because she’s going to manage the garden. 

Auntie Maggie gave mom and I two lovely hanging baskets for Mother’s day so I have been enjoying them since last week. Thank you Auntie Maggie.  That’s the kind of gift that keeps on giving because I can enjoy it all summer and way into the Fall.  Usually I give one to Mom for Mother’s Day but I got one this year.  

I am finally caught up this week on most of my projects at work and I can now concentrate on analyzing some data for my next chapter of the dissertation.  It’s interesting to read what teachers have to say and I am looking forward to writing the chapter.  

I am now $1,111 toward my $2,000 goal (yes it is an odd number as of right now).  It’s going a bit slower than I expected but it’ll probably get up there within the next two weeks.  I have to turn in the funds by June 3 but at least I’ve reached the $1,000 minimum so that I can participate in the walk.  I have to have to go to Phoenix the day after the walk to present a paper at a conference.  And wouldn’t you know – the flight leaves at 7am which means that I will have to be at the airport at 5am which means that I have to wake up at 3:45am – that’s after walking 21kilometres the day before.  Someone said (I think that was me) that the universe unfolds how it’s supposed to but this is crazy!  Maybe after my walk, someone will massage my feet and make my a nice dinner.  The walk should take my about 3 hours 10-20 minutes so maybe I’ll even get lunch and a massage!  That would be nice – if any of you are reading this!

By the way, no one has offered to join me in my walk.  You don’t have to actually be walking by my side.  You just have to agree to do the walk that day while I am doing it in my city (assuming that you’re in another city).  Failing that, you can make a contribution to the walk and I’ll walk for you.  The link is below. How is that for a good deal?  Pay someone to exercise for you.  Can’t get better than that.  Can you?