Almost December

I was in ohio with the family from Tuesday through Sunday. Phew. It was fun---lots happening with the eldridge and the eldridge offspring---my favorite quote of the week---I was playing touch football with Kitty and her boys, and apparently, you can't through forward if you've received the football, and your nephews will call a flag on the play. So Simon, the youngest, took a look at the play, took a look at the t-shirt I was wearing, and yelled "Flag on....flag on....St. Patrick". It just killed me.

Other highlights---Geo Caching in Cascade was amazing. We only found 1 of 3, but it was very rewarding.

Cutting down a christmas tree with the recently expanded Eldridge, Mark family and hanging out with the baby twins. THey are super-chill and sweet. Mom and dad are doing a great job.

And of course, hanging with my parents. My plans fell through for Saturday night, so we played scrabble and hearts and had a fire. It was a delight.

And my favorite? Coming HOME to a decorated for Christmas house!

I also made an appointment for a procedure that I'm having on Dec 23. It's medically necessary by some definitions, elective by others but for me, a long time coming. Going from H to C/D and very excited.

Back in the routine today---boot camp in the am, and then writing with Abby.

And, then--exciting Monday activities such as LAUNDRY! WW meeting! Defrosting soup! And then, tomorrow, back to work and job that I'm very grateful for and eager to get back to.

Happy Thanksgiving!

well hello internet! I took a BIG break from onlining while on my road trip. I didn't really chose to do this--but it worked out because I was in the car a ton or just not near home and didn't want to spend my time in NYC online. It was a lovely, unintended lesson in the power of not being digital and i liked it.

Big update here--started a new maternity gig today. It's great, the gal I'm covering is great and it has me working almost through New Years. So, overall, yay.

Also started a "boot camp" at the gym on Monday (day 2 is tmw) at freaking 630 am.

And, just went to the grocery store to stock up on food for the WW program.

Last night was schadenfreude happy hour. Bourbon and Gingerales count as a lot of points! But, so does visiting with old old friends.

Off to make shrimp stir fry with fresh ginger!

Yay rainy chicago.

ok everyone it's not whooping cough. Do NOT self-diagnose on the internet! Even when the website seems as legit as this one:

http://whoopingcough.net/

He's a doctor and he BARELY charges for his diagnosis!

O H I O tmw!

I got my hair colored darker and cut...but I am growing it out to the clavicle!

whoopers?

Hmmm...this is a boring blog post about how am I feeling. I'm heading to OHIO today to visit family and the main enticement are the baby twin girls. BUT...i've had this super-annoying lingering cough and am suspicious that it's whooping cough. Which is like super unlikely but a little tiny part of me is thinking...what if I get these babies sick? Or the others sick? And that would like TOTALLY blow. And what if I've gotten everyone sick? So, I called my doctor and guess what modern fancy northwestern---have not gotten a return call. So I'm waiting, in trip purgatory and reading about whooping cough online. And it mostly says it's horrible.

I'm not typically an alarmist about health---I have pretty bad allergies but I try to suck it up and not bitch and just take the medicine.

But this thing, man, it's knocked me on my ass.

So, I'm twiddling my germ-filled thumbs deciding what to do. Please call doctor so I can at least get in!

ok day one, and midnight in paris

one of the purported reasons I quit my job was to improve my creative life. So, let's take an inventory of goals and progress, on this day one.

1) Lose weight and stay healthy. Biked to yoga, did yoga, biked to Lis, biked home. Joined weight watchers and biked to meeting. Secretly gave thanks that center is moving up by sparkle target so I can walk there (or drive). No shame in my game--I like things up by me when I'm not working.

2) Save money. Packed a sack lunch and ate it at the beach. Read magazines and went for the last dip of the year (I imagine) in lady lake michigan. Thought a lot about schemes and dreams of how i can make a ton of $. Emailed some people about things.

3) Write more. Got up and did morning pages (artist's way, YO!), wrote a blog entry and thought about what class to take this fall.

4) Relax more. Had lunch with lis on her little deck. Sat on beach for at least 45 minutes until the flies bothered me too much to continue. Went and saw a movie after ww meeting.

5) Be in touch with your intimates. I talked to sister Beth, texted with brother Paul and spoke this weekend with sister Kitty. I owe mom and a few others a call (hello Kristin!) but am working on being able to chat more instead of running out the door.

6) Not obsess over laundry. But man, it PILES up so fast! Did a quick load today. Breathe.

Also, saw Midnight in Paris. My go-to critic who tells me how I should feel is Roger ebert. But, before I read him I'll say this---the movie seems to hate women. Rachel McAdams had NOTHING redeeming about her and i didn't buy owen wilson as the woody allen. Marion Cotillard was essentially a prostitute and we all knew he'd end up with the muriel hemingway look-alike in modern paris. And for real---Faulkner, too? But, what a charming idea, even if it was executed with little charm and humor I enjoyed the idea. Just not the final product.

Now's the fun part----I go see if Ebert agreed!

Yay Day one!

ps--would you read a blog about quitting a job? Or saving $? Or about Trackers that look like my tracker?

phew! So, to my many fans, I have some big news! I wish it was "I'm engaged" or "I'm knocked up" or "I've become successful as a writer" but it is a step in the right direction---I've quit my day job. Long-time fans will note I haven't written in this blog about the same amount of time that I've been working. But, now, here I am, day one of operation personal freedom. I've submitted my headshots to two potential auditions, I've cleaned up my acting resume, I've reached out on a few potential leads for a more flexible day job option and I've had some yogurt and done my morning pages. Off to Yoga and then a beach day (have to have some breathing room/fun on the first day off).

Fall looks like it'll be full of family visiting, time in NYC, time to journal and feel my feelings and think about the next step.

But mostly---YAY! That day job was great for a while but then it was time to move on.

PERSONAL FREEDOM!