Stress: nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness

FRUSTRATED!



David, do you see what I see?

A few times a year, I get into a funk that makes me feel rushed and even more claustrophobic than usual.

But let's start with the good:

1) I never got to blog about my trip to Islands of Adventure with David, but it was perfect. It was really the first time we've taken a spontaneous trip (a large feat for the man who meticulously plans everything). I've decided to keep the trip to myself. Oh, and if you haven't already: GO TO HARRY POTTER WORLD!

2) I bought cute, reasonably-priced running shoes. They're both comfortable and chic.

3) I started making my Valentine's Day cake pops. The heart molds came out great!!

Not mine, but similar!

4) The group's first two days of 5k training were a success. I'm sore. But it's wonderful. Turns out that the C25K app (free!) is perfect.
5) David and I are joining Weight Watchers to help get us in shape and lay a foundation for long-term healthy eating habits.

6) My first graduate class was a success. "A", baybay! (Please laugh.)
7) This upcoming weekend is the hockey game; the details of which have been worked out so that we can head to Tampa after our soccer games.
8) The Tallahassee weather has been absolutely excellent!
9) I've been reading the Hunger Games series, and I'm on the last book. I recently ordered The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy: Shiver, Linger, and Forever. I didn't initially want to read these, but I've heard good things.

And the not-so-good:

1) I had a mini episode (in my mind) when I found out that David didn't want me to make him cake pops for Valentine's Day. I hadn't really come up with any creative, non-cliche back up plans, so I felt like a crummy girlfriend. That and I had spent too much a decent amount of money on all the supplies. Some good came out of it, though. We decided that not making a big deal out of the stupid day will make us both feel less obligated. I felt a little better. And now I can refine my cake pop making skills for Lauren's bridal shower. Here's to thinking positive.

2) Leo (my dog) peed on my mattress yesterday morning (right after my shower, 20 minutes before I had to leave for work). Not just any mattress, mind you. A cashmere, tempurpedic, unwashable mattress. I called in late, tried some oxyclean (which, in turn, bleached it. damn it.), tried some carpet cleaner, and after scrubbing it profusely, put my fan close by to help dry it. I now have new sheets and a waterproof mattress protector.

Not leo, but kind of Leo.

3) The great weather I mentioned is not so great for 5k training and asthma.

4) I worked on the cake pops last night. Turns out that the molds were too thin for even the super skinny lollipop sticks I bought. Thankfully, David was there to reassure me that my crisis had a solution, and I combined two cake pops with the stick and some chocolate in the middle to make one giant pop. The candy melts were a whole other issue. I tried to lower these incredibly heavy pops into the chocolate, and ended up losing some cake. So the frosting job was shotty, at best. I quickly ran out of chocolate for this first batch, and only ended up with four pops. Frustrated and discouraged, I decided that that was enough for one night. I will say, though, that David really did a good job of consoling me about my baking failure (thank you, darling). Truthfully, the cake pops were delicious, and my standards for the aesthetics were too high.

All in all, there's honestly not much I need to be stressed about. I think it's really just the prospect of going out of town a lot in the next few months, and helping create the best (and hopefully only) wedding experience ever for my best friend.

February 17th-19th: Orlando/Tampa for hockey game
March 3rd-4th: Charlotte with David
March 16th-18th: Orlando for Lauren's bachelorette party
March 24th-25th: Camping with the gang
April 13th-22nd: West Palm for Lauren's wedding-ness

Between the trips, I'll still be working (we're losing another person at work...still not hiring new people), training for the 5k, trying to eat healthy, and getting my course work finished. Prayers for strength!

Oh, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!