30 Till Fifty

On Tuesday this past week I had to fly to Houston and back in one day for work.  I decided to buy some new flat shoes since I would have a long day, leaving the house at 5:30 am and returning at 10:00 p.m.  I decided to buy new shoes (I have stayed out of store since January 1st other than a new coffee cup for me and a new top--both in yellow).  I was busy the day before the trip, otherwise I may have flown the day before and worn sneakers.  My new shoes that felt Really comfortable at the store with memory foam and all, and look how nicely they matched my big bag:

By 6:20 am walking across the Atlanta airport parking lot toward the terminal, my heels were already sore.  By the time I got to my rental car in Houston they were cut.  By the time I landed back in Atlanta that night I am surprised I didn't leave drops of blood behind me.  After my meeting in Houston I went into a Walgreens and bought Band-Aids.  They helped a little.  But I was in agony back in the Atlanta airport and took them off as soon as I got outside and finished the long walk through the parking lot to my car.

When I got home I went straight into a bath but I had to handwash my feet as they were too sore to be in the water.  I took some photos but I don't want to gross anyone out.  Sleeping has been hard but it is getting better.

And I so appreciate working from home except for the once in a while traveling--and I have learned my lesson not to wear new shoes at least without padding in the heel.  So, one day here and there traveling (and now I can add Houston to the list of airports with TSA personnel that have touched me) and otherwise I am home barefoot.  And braless.

It is almost a year since I was laid off from a job that I had for almost 3 years.  I couldn't stand it.  I remind myself weekly how fortunate I am to no longer be there and be here instead.  There was a 70 year old man who had an office next to mine and every day he ate his lunch that he brought and it included a yogurt such as Yoplait that he ate with a plastic spoon.  Every day as he finished his yogurt, he'd scrape the bottom of that yogurt container about 100 times.  Scrape, scrape, scrape.  I wanted to rip my hair out and yell, "There's no yogurt left!"  I would tell the whole family about it at dinner--weekly.  They know that noises sometimes drive me insane.  Just the other day my Oldest son scraped his yogurt container at me with a side-eyed smile.  We laughed and laughed.

This is a monumental year.  Hubs and I celebrated 25 years of marriage.  Our Oldest son turns 16 in a couple of weeks.  Our Youngest son finishes his elementary years and there will be no more sons at school with Hubs.  Our Middle son finishes middle school and I turn 50.  In 30 days.

I have heard that it takes 21 days of doing something to form a habit.  I am going to get some things done in 30 days.  Blog more.  Take the vitamins I bought.  Do the new Shred video I bought.  Do one thing for me every day.  Hmmm, I'm supposed to take a test in a month and I haven't studied for it yet--have to fit that in too. 

I'm cooling my heels today, but tomorrow I start the countdown.