Cooper in the Afternoon Light

For me there is something so Zen-like and peaceful about this picture. Something in it makes me think of an Edward Hooper painting.

Day 38 2010

Sunday I met friends for coffee, came home, and got busy around the house. I made breakfast, then cleaned and mopped the kitchen. I striped both beds, washed, dried, and the linens, and remade the beds. I did a couple of loads of laundry and then folded that and the backlogged of laundry and put all of it away. I cleaned the bathroom toilet, sink, and floor, then vacuumed the rest of the house. I was feeling quite stressed and keeping busy seemed to help.

Around 4pm I went to pick up a friend to go to a Super Bowl party, we ran by Wolf Camera so she could pick up some photos and and stopped by Kroger to pick up some ice for the party.

I ended up watching the game on this brand new 50 inch plasma television. All I can say is wow. If I didn't have other priorities in life I would run out and buy one. It's as big a step up from my 21 inch conventional tube television as my television is from radio. But I don't even have cable at the moment!

It was a good game, hotly contested right up until New Orleans made a key interception late in the second half. Although the real turning point of the game was when New Orleans opened the second half with a dramatic surprise onside kick.

Moments Missed

Taken 2/2/2010. It's a Tuesday and I am walking from the train station to work. It's been raining and is a nippy 40 degrees. On this particularly morning I'm making a diversion down a different street to Starbucks to treat myself. Starbucks. Starbucks is a bit a walk from the office, I would say at least a mile. This is probably a good thing. It means that if I go to Starbucks I am going to be getting my exercise and it means that the degree of difficultly in getting Starbucks helps me stick to my budget, which  does not include much Starbucks. I have about a latte a week budgeted for Starbucks.

In this photo, I love the rain and the way the lights reflect off of every surface. I love walking the streets all bundled up in cold weather. I don't like how I let myself get preoccupied with negative thoughts and emotions which diminishes my enjoyment and I miss moments in time that would otherwise make me profoundly happy.

Day 37 2010

I made it to the weekend. I wish it has been with a great sigh of relief, but it's not that easy to leave the stress of the week behind me. It took most of the day to get myself down off the ledge that I'd climbed on, but eventually I managed to do it.

I started the day with Starbucks and met up for breakfast with friends at West Egg. While waiting to be seated we took a photo in the photo booth in the waiting area. (That is me in the back.) Breakfast was nice, afterwards I headed over to Ikea, not really to buy anything, most just to wander aimlessly, think of how I might want to decorate at some point, and to people watch. I did end up buying a vase, an artificial flower, and a night-light for a grand total was $6.

Post-Ikea I came home, looked up mom's directions for making spinach dip, and for good measure made a grocery list for the week. Then I hit up Trader Joe's and Publix both of which were mad houses on the day before the Super Bowl. It took a couple of hours, but eventually I was home with a full week's worth of groceries.

When I got home, I made the spinach dip for the party I am going to Sunday. I cooked chili and brown rice for dinner. I curled up as best I could in my office chair with my chili and watched Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice on the computer. For some reason I don't get the local ABC affiliate even though I am right smack in the middle of the city, so there are some shows I can only watch on the computer.

Day 36 2010

Friday. Bad day, bit of a blur really. Got a little teary at times.

I finished the day watching Cold Souls which I really, really liked and thought was a strong interesting movie right up to the end, then I thought it sort of fizzled a bit. There was nothing wrong with the story, no plot developments to anger me, it was the way a clear crisp story suddenly jumped out of focus right at the end. The premise, that you can have your soul removed and stored if it is causing you too much inconvenience or discomfort, as it does for Paul as he struggles with emotions brought on by his role in Uncle Vanya.

It's funny, I used to wonder why anyone would watch a movie with Paul Giamatti, but he is growing on me. I like his energy and I really like the performance he turned in for this movie.

Day 35 2010

Not much to be said for this particular Thursday, I took the bus, took the train, ate lunch at chick-fil-a, survived another day in the trenches. My cold took a turn for the worse, when I got home I made some dinner, plopped in front of the TV and went to bed early.

Day 34 2010

TREAT DAY! I drove to work which allowed for coffee with friends. It really got the day started on the right note. I ran into traffic on the way to work and was later than I planned which I made up on the back end of the day. Didn't have time for much when I got home but to make a bagel burger, some white cheddar pasta shells, and to watch some of a movie (Love Happens) and most of Criminal Minds. I ran out of gas before Criminal Minds was over and went to bed. I am kicking myself because I would have loved to have seen the end.

Day 33 2010

It occurs to me that I'm much more comfortable in my house for which I am extremely grateful. When I first moved in and tried to sleep it seemed like every little noise would startle me, even if I was asleep. It felt like I was hearing every little noise in the house or even in the neighborhood. At times I wondered if I had made this horrible mistake buying a house that I would never be able to get comfortable in or be able to get a good night's sleep in. Now my house has turned into this safe comfortable place. I love being home.

The thirty third day of the year was fairly routine. I took MARTA to work, spent the majority of the day attending a virtual class, and got some work done in the afternoon. I have so much to do at work at the moment it's a bit overwhelming. I was down a bit when I got home, but some friends help me hit the reset button. One person in particular said something that turned my evening around. It's odd how we will get this idea in our heads of how we are that can be so completely wrong. I finished the last of the leftovers from dinner at mom's on Sunday. Mom had sent me home with left over mashed potatoes and eye of round...yum. I watched NCIS, managed to stay awake through the entire thing, and slept the sleep of the if not the righteous then just really tired.

Day 32 2010

It's Monday and the work week has begun. So how many hours is it till the weekend starts? It's been awhile since I have started a Monday thinking that way. It's not particularly useful. I need to get focused on today and what I can get accomplished today. If I take care of today, the weekend will get here before I know it.

It's tough to write a blog. I used to write just any old thing and thank goodness there don't seem to be any public copies of that stuff floating around. It was so dark, depressed, and crying for help. I am very aware now when I write of public/private boundaries and the fact that anything I say on a blog basically goes on the public record. It makes me think things through a little more.

Monday was a long day. Successes included: breakfast, MARTA, Chiptole, dinner and surviving another day in the office. After dinner I watched House and went to bed.

An entire month of posts

Really, an entire month? I might not have had much to say, but at least I said it everyday. Breaking out the Blogger sweatshirt to celebrate. Cheers!