I try really, really hard to avoid posting anything about work on here. I rather like being employed, and I prefer to remain with my company.
But since I’m confident this is nothing I wouldn’t share with any co-workers, here goes nothing.
I’m pissed. Work is seriously cramping my holiday cheer. In fact, it’s pretty nonexistent. I normally wouldn’t mind working such long hours (it looks like I’m nearing 70 for this week alone), but during this season? It’s hell.
Christmas is my favorite time of year. We finally decorated tree and the inside of our house on Monday, but it was done from 8-12 at night, and it was done in a rush. Sure, we had Christmas music playing in the background as we worked, but we were on a deadline since it was quite possible it’d be my only good chunk of time to do it.
Other than that, I’ve been getting home close to 10 p.m., too tired to even think about writing Christmas cards, baking/cooking Christmas cookies, watch ABC Family’s 25 days of Christmas, etc. I haven’t even had time to shop. I’m really starting to worry about getting Rob’s gift in time. I already told him he has to shop for all our other gifts, so I just have to worry about his. But I just don’t know when I’ll have the time (and I can’t order it online – that’s all I’m saying).
I’m grumpy because I spend so much time in my cubicle. I’m grumpy because I’m missing out on all the holiday fun I normally enjoy so much. And being grumpy makes it that much more difficult to force Christmas cheer when I finally do get away from work. I look at other people enjoying their Christmases and growl inside because I don’t have time to enjoy mine. Everything looks Christmasy – it just doesn’t feel Christmasy.
I know. Bitch, bitch, bitch. Whine, whine, whine. I really am thankful for having a job in the first place, even more so that it’s so secure that there is extra work (and overtime). But I’d be more grateful if it weren’t the Christmas season.
If you’re one of my friends or family who would normally expect a Christmas card from us, please don’t take it personally if (when) you don’t receive one. Trust me, I hate it more than you do.
I got home at a semi-decent hour Monday night (8:30), so Rob and I ran out to grab a quick bite to eat at Chick-Fil-A, and we FINALLY made it to the grocery store on the way back. It was just a quick visit to grab a few things to give Rob some at-home dinner options (he doesn’t cook) and also get bananas and milk so I could at least make myself breakfast (oatmeal!) in the morning.
I didn’t have the patience or the brain power to figure out other things to buy to make lunches and dinners from (sounds ridiculous, but the grocery store wasn’t where I wanted to be, and thinking is just difficult when your brain is mush). However, my life feels a little more normal with the goods to make my routine oatmeal in the mornings.
And for the record, I hadn’t been to the grocery store since the week before Thanksgiving. I made a quick run Thanksgiving week for a couple things I needed for dinner, but it’s been nearly a month since I made a REAL grocery trip.
Awful.
I haven’t had the time or energy to put up any Christmas decorations around the house (well, I did drag one small thing out, but it doesn’t really count), but look at how I can decorate my blog with very little effort. Nice!
That’s pretty much the opposite of my life right now. We’re back to long hours at work, so a typical day looks something like this:
Wake up.
Wonder if I have to go to work today.
Realize I do.
Grumble to myself, snuggle into my pillow, and pray that I’m sick so I can stay in bed.
Not sick. Just tired. Tired isn’t a reason to stay home from work.
Get up, assess the hair situation. Shower if necessary – always in the dark and with my eyes closed the whole time, staying in long enough to daydream about winning the lottery so I don’t ever have to wake up before I want to. Force myself to turn off the water and get out.
Get back into PJs, wander out to kitchen with wet hair and contemplate breakfast possibilities. I’m out of bananas and running low on milk (still need to get groceries), so oatmeal isn’t an option. Must be creative. Must think. Too tired to do either. Scrambled eggs it is, if I have time, that is. If not, grab an apple to munch on when I get to work.
Let the dog out, careful to shield myself from the pointless (no snow) cold. Pretend the heavy frost is snow. Sigh when that doesn’t work. Grumble at the bright sunshine. Yell to the dog to get back in the house. How can she want to play when she just got out of bed? Jealous of my morning-dog. And irritated.
Stare into pantry and refrigerator, try and come up with a lunch option of some sort. Give up. Still need to get groceries.
Collect phone, purse, keys and whatever Twilight book I’m currently re-reading (like I’ll have a chance to read during the day – but don’t want to have that chance and no book with me). Slip on cold shoes that live in the garage. Get in car, start it ASAP and turn on seat heater.
Drive to work.
Work.
Work.
Work.
Work some more.
Eat lunch while working.
Take a call from Rob saying he’s heading home for the day and try to hide irritation from potentially listening co-workers when I tell him I don’t know when I’ll be leaving, apologize for there being no food and not to worry about waiting for me to eat.
Sigh and wonder how many days of sitting this long it will take for my butt to flatten out.
Finally am told I can leave. Many others are staying, and I feel guilty for about .1 second. Then I run before the guilt can get any stronger. Surely they wouldn’t tell me to leave if they really needed me. But why are they staying? Run before I can answer that question.
Drive home. Grumble at traffic. It’s late. Why is there traffic?
Home. Sweat pants. Food. Stand around till I’m bored with standing and reluctantly sit again. Can feel the butt spreading.
“Watch TV” with Rob – really, I read more Twilight because nothing he watches holds my interest like Twilight. At least I’m spending time with him, right?
Get ready for bed. Go to said bed. Sleep.
Rinse, wash, repeat.
I told you it was the opposite of thrilling.
I realize I’ve all but abandoned this blog. I’ve been preoccupied. In related news, this blog isn’t the only thing I’ve been happily ignoring – I’ve all but given up snacking. *gasp!*
Without further ado, my tip – Find something that consumes your thought more than the urge to snack. For me, it’s the Twilight series. Sure, the series is meant for the Young Adult audience, but I’m still young, right? Certainly 26 can’t be considered old, yet. And I am an adult. So it’s a perfect fit!
Basically, I’ve been reading (well, now I’m re-reading) the books with every spare minute I have. Ask Rob. He’s a Twilight widow. I’d feel guilty if he didn’t also have his occasional obsessions that leave me in the dust. I digress. I’m such a nerd that my books are probably my most prized possessions. I’m even more protective over books I fall in love with. That said, I don’t want to get any food on my beloved bound stacks of paper. So I fill my time with reading and have left behind that nasty habit of snacking All. The. Time.
And you know what? Cutting out all those extra snacks made me drop the extra 4-6 pounds (depending on the day) I packed on since starting my new job. I could get used to this!
So if you’re a habitual snacker like me – fall in love with an activity that doesn’t allow you to snack.
