adjusting expectations

So… I think I’ve finally accepted the fact that there are just some things that aren’t a part of my life right now, now that I’m back in school and especially because of the on-going chaos in our house right now.

(I realize some of you don’t understand what the chaos is all about… I mean, we’ve moved in, right? Yes, and no. Ninety percent of our stuff is where it should be, but the rest is scattered all over floors and leaning up against walls. Couches are not in their final destinations. NOTHING has been hung or decorated. Piles of candles, albums and other miscellaneous items are all over the floors and half of our downstairs area is essentially empty. The office looks just like it did a day after we moved in…two months ago. Add to that all the accumulated animal hair and house project dust and you’ve got constant craziness.)

So, getting back to the things that AREN’T a part of my life right now:

-clean floors

-decent nails (I say ‘decent’ because mine are bordering on absolutely unacceptable, so ‘nice’ would be a unrealistic–in fact, the polish on my toes might actually GROW OFF before I get a chance to repaint…)

-French-press coffee (who was I kidding to think I could make that on school mornings?)

-sleep

-homemade granola bars

-homemade bread (as in, not using the breadmaker)

-homemade anything, really (although I have sneaked in yogurt and some muffins)

-free time (HA!)

-sitting (you think I kid)

-dried beans (canned ones are so much more convenient)

-dog walks…poor guy 😦

-exercise 😦 😦

-Budgeting–My brain just can’t handle anymore thinking! Sorry Andrew…

And then there are some things that are much MORE a part of my life right now:

-packaged convenience foods, like granola bars from the grocery store

-two and (sometimes) even three cups of coffee per day

-rushing

-stress

-HOMEWORK

-tardiness (except to class–I leave an hour and a half early!)

So, as you can see, things are little rough for me right now.

but i thought i WAS being spontaneous…

So, on Friday Andrew calls to ask if I want to go camping with some of his friends on Saturday night. As in, the-next-day-Saturday night. Less-than-24-hours-later Saturday night.

Of course, I said no.

No, because I wanted to RELAX during my first weekend free from school. I wanted to sleep in my own bed. I didn’t want to worry about organizing and packing (much less locating) all our camping gear up.

What’s that you say? Camping IS relaxing? Yes, camping is relaxing ONCE YOU’RE THERE and unpacked and the weather is perfect and SOMEONE ELSE did all the planning for you.

Well, once Andrew offered a little more information, like that he knew where our camping stuff was, and that the campsite was only a 30-minute drive and that we didn’t have to go until dinnertime on Saturday, and that another female had already taken care of much of the food planning, I started to warm up to the idea.

So we went. And it was fun. The location was actually the giant parcel of land (100 acres, maybe?) belonging to the family of one of Andrew’s co-workers. There was a tiny ‘cabin,’ but it was all but useless. Apparently it’s being remodeled/renovated later this summer…

Disclaimer: it’s looks a little red-neck, and maybe it was. I mean, there were dirt bikes for pete’s sake! At least they were all Moog engineers, (except me–a student–and the friends’ fiancee–a teacher) which really just means that the bikes were NICE and in good shape. I don’t know why, but that fact made me feel a bit better. I mean, we were in the sticks.

Hadrian had a blast. Actually, that would be understatement. He’s never had so much fun in his life. He’s still sleeping it off…

Dead trees were cut down with a chainsaw for firewood…

Bananas were sauteed in butter as appetizers… Amazing! Slice some up and throw them in a skillet with butter–I dare you not to love them.

Dinner: corn, beans x 2 and burgers (note Andrew’s cheese-less patty). Sahlen’s hot dogs and brats were next, as well as some surprisingly good Wegmans pre-made potato salad. I’m not usually into pre-made “tub” salads, but this one wasn’t bad at all. Actually kinda good. Must be the camping talking.

We set our tents up in row on the makeshift driveway. Thank goodness for air mattresses–I don’t care that it’s not hard-core camping; I value my sleep, AND my back!

Plus, there was NO TOILET. It was trees and thank-goodness-I thought-to-bring toilet-paper–tell me that’s not hard-core! I mean, even our boundary-waters trip up in Minnesota and Canada in which we had to CARRY OUR CANOES (wish I’d been blogging then!) came with holes in the ground at each campsite…

Not surprisingly, I was up before 6 a.m. the next morning. Between the birds and other woodland creatures, nature is just deafening at sunrise! I did, however, come prepared:

I paired a banana and some peanut butter with my Bible study and enjoyed some peace and quiet before people started stirring around 7:30.

Also brought running gear in case the opportunity presented itself. (It did, of course.)

I took Hadrian with me for a loop I think was about 2.5 to 3 miles. HUGE downhill one way, HUGE uphill the other. I dropped him off at the campsite and did it again myself, this time in reverse once I got to the bottom so I could run the middle, more shaded, less hilly length twice on the second go-around. Fifty-four minutes later, I was pooped!

We ended our short stay with Andrew giving one of the dirt bikes a try. He had fun, but I don’t think he’s itching to go buy one any time soon… That’s the problem with having lots of single male friends–they all have expensive toys!

Oh well, he has a (hot) wife 🙂 Or at least that’s what I keep telling him.

a list

…because, yet again, it’s that kind of week.

1. I should be studying Micro or starting my Chem homework, but my brain is going a million miles a minute. And it’s only 5:31 a.m.

2. The trouble is, those things (see above) take TIME. Like, more than an hour. If I don’t have more than an hour, I feel like I can’t start them. So I do other things, like blog. Hey, they all gotta get done!

3. I have my first swim practice today. Did I tell you I joined the Master’s team at the Y? I can’t remember… It’s been making me anxious. The old Holly would be sweating bullets by now, worried to death she wouldn’t be able to hack it. The new and improved, best-shape-of-her-life, more mature and self-confident Holly is only the slightest bit anxious (hey, I’m still me) but realizes it might be a rude awakening in the pool, and maybe it won’t be. Either way, I’ll get through.

4. I have a Micro test tomorrow morning. I am not prepared. The teacher is kind enough to allow us to take it with any of her sections throughout the day, the last being at 5 p.m. Seeing as I have her lab directly before the 5 p.m. lecture, (my real section is 10 a.m.), I just might take her up on it. I hate doing that, but I just might need the extra study time.

5. I have my second Chem quiz this weekend.

6. We’re going out of town this week–as in, leaving Thursday night. We’re going to Gore, which is in the Adirondacks, for skiing. Well, I don’t think I’ll be skiing. I just want to get away with my school books and magazines and not be on a schedule and just ready and study and bake. Repeat.

7. Did I mention we’ll be in a cabin with a bunch of other people with no internet and that I have a Chem quiz to do ONLINE? Just a little stressed about this…

8. My next chapter of Chem homework is due Friday, but since I’m leaving Thursday (see #6 above), I have to finish it before. I haven’t started yet. Did I mention the last homework took something in the ballpark of 6+ hours?

9. I’ve been fighting a cold now for a week and a half. Go away already! My poor, red nose can’t take any more!

10. In an email recently to a friend I confessed that if I didn’t love school (and the thought of being an RD) THIS MUCH, I would quit in a heartbeat because the schedule (with only 12.5 credits and a 10-minute commute!) right now is insane. This must be what having children is like…

Say an extra prayer for me this week!