October: How did that happen?

5 October, 2010 Off By Renée

This is a really weird time of year for me.

There are a few things involved; It starts with my birthday at the beginning of September. I always like to go away as my “present”, plus then I don’t have to deal with the Dutch Birthday Effect (everyone congratulating you in the office, lots of handshaking and “three kisses” with people you wouldn’t normally consider kissing, buying birthday cake for all of your colleagues, even though it’s your birthday…). So every year I take a day or two off on or around my birthday so I can really enjoy it with the one or ones I love.

Then back to reality and so starts the celebrations with local friends. This year was no exception. I was back from my long weekend in Rome and the next week celebrating (again with food and drink) with friends. Not complaining. I finally love my birthday and love celebrating it – how can you complain when your friends want to take you out and celebrate with you?

September is also that time of year at work where it’s busiest. When I was growing up I never said “I want to be an accountant” yet here I am, working in the accounting department experiencing the Year-End Close Stress. All those things that you were going to do throughout the year but never really got around to doing? Now’s the time. And the accounting department is not the only one that feels it. Suddenly every department is being pushed to get their costs in for the year and my whole team is walking around with their head about to explode. So, yeah. No wonder I’ve had a few wrestling matches with the candy jar.

I try to keep my head on straight. I try to use exercise as a way to release the stress. The training that led up to the Dam to Dam and the actual race itself kind of killed me afterwards. I’ve done nothing since the 19th of September. I miss it but I don’t feel physically bad or something (besides this stupid head cold I have now). I miss it mostly because I feel like lately all of my free time has gone to work and traveling to and from work. I’ve had quite some overtime lately and that’s to be expected this time of year but now I’m ready to move on.

Another factor now thrown in: a friend of mine from Seattle is on his first-ever trip to Europe. He was in Amsterdam last weekend (where I was with him, playing tourist/ Tour Manager), he’s in Paris this week until Thursday and then he’s in London where I will be joining him (with hubs) for the weekend. That means another weekend I am outside of my normal schedule.

I feel a real longing to just have my normal boring life back that includes running 20KM per week and going to the gym. I didn’t make it once to the gym in September and that irritates me. But it’s not every day that I have a friend visiting me/ near me and life is too short not to go and experience and travel.

After I get back from London, I will hopefully the weekend after that have the honor of meeting Rebecca from Durch Dick und Duenn in Germany as she will be traveling and staying near enough to where I live that it would be a downright shame if we didn’t get to meet.

September as a busy part of the year is slowly becoming September – October… and I have two races coming up in November that I am totally not prepared for (in my mind, maybe my body is prepared… I don’t know) and this creates a small panic attack if I allow myself to think about it too long.. It’s going to be fine though. The point is to do it, do my best at that moment and finish, right?

We will return to our regularly scheduled life sometime in the near future. We just don’t know when yet. That will also include eating right and perhaps even seeing a loss on the scale before I’m 87 years old.