Tuesday, January 11, 2011

So far this year

So far it's been a very busy first month of the new year. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day I spent among friends--eating, drinking, laughing. Then I caught a cold that lasted just about a week. I had to isolate myself from the world. I sneezed; I coughed every time I tried to speak; my nose alternated between clogging up or running snot. I blew my nose so often that I actually had skin peeling off my nose by the 3rd day, like I had gotten a sunburn. Luckily, some lotion took care of the dry, irritated skin and the antihistamines and cold medicine took care of that cold.

Work is busy as always. And I find myself unable to say no when people ask me to come in and help out on my days off from work. I must work harder on saying no. Even the organizations I volunteer for are taking up a lot of my time. I really should start saying no to people. In fact, I'm going to start saying no this week. Of course, I do have a few commitments I agreed to honor in the next two weeks. So, for sure, by the end of the month, I should have more time off to myself.

It's getting really cold down here--down to the 40s. That's right; 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It's so cold that I had to close my windows and start wearing my hoodie every time I venture outside. It might not seem as cold as up north where it snows, but it's plenty enough cold for me! I find myself eating a lot oatmeal and soups and stews--perfect food for this chilly weather. Chilly, hmmm. That reminds me; some chili would be good eats for this weather, too!

One of my best friends is burying her mother today. And I wish I could be there for her, just as she was there for me when I went to see my mother in her last days. Alas, I cannot attend, because they're an ocean and several countries away. The best I could do was call my friend and tell her how sorry and sad I am to learn that her mother has passed on. And it was a very hard thing to do, because it reminded me of my mother passing away. But that's life. We never get over the loss of a loved one; we just learn to live with it.

I find it hard to believe that all of these events took place and it's only the second week of the new year! A lot happens in a short space of time. And it's a really hard reminder that life is short, and that time keeps on moving with or without us. So, I have to make the most of the time that I have. Which means, I really do need to say no to working overtime; no to overextending myself; and spend more time with the people that are important to me, doing the things that I love-eating, drinking, laughing with friends, including the ones I keep on line. In case I haven't said it lately, thank you for being a friend and for all your support. It gives me hope that there are still some good people left in this world, and I'm glad to count you among my friends.

24 comments:

  1. thank you, sugar! we'll all get through this together! we're pals, darlin! ;~D xxoxoxo

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  2. Awww thanks :-) Crikey you have been busy.
    Now practice saying NO

    Mr Eros will you wash my car as I am too lazy

    NO
    NO
    NO
    see its easy

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  3. Life's too short to spend extra time at work!

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  4. And thank you, Mr Swings.
    Please don't say no to any nekkid phot-shoots...
    Sx

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  5. Savannah, Hear! Hear! Cheers to good friends!

    Beast, Funnily enough, I had a friend ask me if I could help them wash their car this weekend! I told to just park the car outside; it's supposed to rain!

    XL, Amen! One thing we can never have enough of is time to do the things we enjoy!

    Scarlet, Ha! I will keep that in mind. But in this weather, I may have to wear a beanie in any foto shots just to keep warm ;)

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  6. Roses, I've already started saying No at work. I hate spending what little time I have off sleeping or rushing to do errands and nothing fun anymore. It's funny, because as social as I can be sometimes, I miss solitude!

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  7. And thank you too, Eros. You're the best!
    Just be better at saying 'no'. As everyone else has given you some help with it, I feel I should too. I quite like this refusal:

    "How thoughtful of you to ask, but I just plain don't want to!"

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  8. you never have any problem saying no to me, so just imagine whoever asks for something is actually me. problem solved - that will be twenty bucks

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  9. How're you doing with your 'just say no' campaign?

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  10. I usually quote Lisa Kudrow on Friends;

    I wish I could, but I don't want to

    Works every time. Although I seem to be getting swamped at work too. Saying no is not an option unless I want to be unemployed because our cases must be assigned to someone and we are only the number of people there. We've also given up a colleague for another team that too is swamped.

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  11. Mistress MJ wants to know what you and kabuki have been up to.

    I could give you "No" lessons if you're interested.

    @Roses: The fact that he hasn't responded yet to your question should be our first hint.

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  12. IDV, I shall take your advice and try that line. My current excuse of "I have a prior commitment" is starting to sound like a broken record.

    Kabuki, I can only give you 3 bucks, as that is the limit on the number of deer that I can legally bag during the hunting season...How do you feel about ducks or wild hogs? I'd offer you some quail, but I don't want to get by Dick Cheney.

    Roses, The No campaign is starting to bear fruit! This week is my last week to honor some commitments I made, then I'm free next week to do as I please! Just have to survive this rough week, then I'll be okay.

    CP, It is hard to say No at work, esp when it's busy and they need everyone to come in. But I'm starting to say No to all the extra responsibility that middle management is starting to ask me to take up--like doing the work that belonged to a supervisor in another dept! Without any compensation!

    No thank you, I'm all ready swamped as it is in my dept keeping everything going!

    And for some reason, those married bastard coworkers are always trying to volunteer me to come work weekends! As if I don't have a life! Hey, it's not my fault I don't have kids who demand my time and attention! Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I have to give up my weekends off so you can be at home!

    MJ, It would appear that Kabuki and I are exchanging hunting trophies...

    I have been practicing saying No a lot lately, and practice makes perfect!

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  13. The argument that you don't have a family is the foulest I've ever encountered.

    I've had that thrown in my face once or twice but that just makes me cross and difficult. I cannot accept that as a valid argument.

    It totally pisses me off! In my current job it's not like that though. Everyone pitches in, married, single, parent or childless. No discussion. Because everyone needs time off from time to time

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  14. You would be so much fun to have nearby..one of these Winters I should hop on Ma's Motorhome and catch a ride to Texas :)

    I was sick as a dog for 10 days..ended up with strep but I got 'cillin and got better just in time for our January deep freeze...this week with the wind chill it was -40 so count yer blessings. :)

    You're a real people-person and it is hard to say NO but you're making a difference.

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  15. I'm very late in saying this, but I'm so sorry for your friend's loss, Eros. Even though you're an ocean away, you were still able to be there for her the best you could.

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  16. Hello Mr Swings, just checking in to say hello...
    Sx

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  17. Hey hon, have you fallen off the planet?

    Where have you got to? I miss your cheery comments.

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  18. Looking for an angel, for an angel. I am waiting for you..

    Hope things are good on your end

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  19. Hi Eros,

    Guess you have been busy for Valentines Day and All... Just thought I'd pop over to say Hi...
    And to let you know that I'm thinking of you. And I'll let you in on a secret....I think all the other bitches are missing you too...
    Just let us know that you're OK...OK?

    Belated Happy Valentines Day...

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  20. Eros it is now March... where are you darling?

    I hope you are well.... We miss you...

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  21. First of, Thank you all for dropping by and checking up on me. I'm fine. Just been very busy.

    CP, I've recently had someone try to convince me why I should work their weekend shifts, because I didn't have kids! Suffice it to say, I ignored her. This person is a coworker who likes to complain and leaves a lot of their work undone, falling behind and expecting the rest of the team to clean up after her mess. And she wonders why no one wants to help her or hang out with her.

    Donn, I hope you're fine and well and that the weather starts to warm up soon! We just had two weekends of unseasonably freezing weather last month. But now, the sun's out and it's all ready feeling like summer with all the heat! Well, at least I'm not freezing.

    Tara, Thank you. I know it meant a whole to me, when I had my friends support me through my own loss.

    Hello, Scarlet! Hope all is well in your part of the world!

    Roses, I'm still here! Just been busy with unexpected things. I hope all is well with you, too!

    CP, Thank you! I'm doing well. I've just been tied up with a few things from work and life. Hope you are doing great.

    Princess, Thank you, too! Happy B'Ltd Valentine's to you, too! Thank you for the well wishes. I hope things are going great at the Palais! And I've missed y'all, too!

    MJ, I miss y'all, too! I'm still here, just finding life unexpectedly busy and chaotic for the past month...but I'm all right...and I hope you are, too.

    Princess, I'm still here, just been busy, but I'm all right. And I've missed all you wonderful people, too!

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  22. Hello again!!!
    Good to see you.
    SX

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  23. Scarlet, Thank you! Good to see you, too!

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