An approximation of normal ...

I can feel myself slipping back into better routines. Yesterday, while mostly spent catching up at work, was much more like it should be with the return of one of my most valuable team members. Even with one of my assistant managers out, the cloud of tension that had been hanging over me pre-vacation seems to have lifted. Granted, I have yet to hear anything about the promotion for which I applied almost a month ago, but I have very little anxiety about that; I've simply resolved that I haven't gotten the job. All I'm really waiting on is the conversation with my boss about why and to vent some of my feelings of isolation and professional disappointment over being kept in the dark for so long.

But, I am content with how yesterday played out for me. I began my day blogging and on the computer. I like that. I feel as though I have the ability to gather my thoughts and mentally prepare myself for the day by focusing on myself for thirty minutes to an hour. It is a good start ... well, that and the huge cup of coffee I sip while doing it. ;)

I went to work looking very sharp in my new light blue Burberry polo shirt. I looked smashing if I do say so myself ... which I do ... often! ;) But, I also looked fat (at no fault of the shirt, mind you). I love having a shirt who's fabric is slightly stretched and tight in all the most flattering places; this shirt does stretch and is tight but not so much in the flattering places as the most unflattering ones.

I led my weekly conference call with senior project coordinators. It went nether well nor poorly, it simply went. I think the routine and pace of the call will have to change next week. We'll go over the required numbers but it will be time to start infusing some of my passion and personality into the call. I was able to leave work at the relatively decent time of 6:45p after arriving at 9:15a. It felt good to have such an abbreviated day after what I had been working during peak. I still have a long to-do list, but I got quite a few things accomplished and started yesterday that I should be able to finish shortly. It's all about breaking the large number of tasks into manageable portions and then delegating said tasks to those who can handle them and will learn from them.

After work I dusted off my bag and went to the gym. I really did feel better doing some cardio again. I realize how much stamina and strength I've lost over the last month by how tired I was from simply doing 25 minutes on the elliptical machines. Driving home was a bit of a challenge and a scare. It was raining horribly last night. People here do not experience rain often enough to know what to do when driving in it. To make matters worse, most of the highway is under construction, so it has no lighting whatsoever. As I age I am plagued more and more by night-blindness. In total darkness, with my headlights on, at night, I see fine. But if I have cars behind me and their lights are reflecting in my mirrors at all, my vision is significantly impaired. Add rain reflecting off the asphalt into that and I'm scared. If you add a torrential downpour into that and I almost wet myself. I think I sweat more in the car on the way home than I did in the gym. *g*

As you can tell by this post, I survived. I took a really hot shower and then, instead of slipping into some vacuous routine of online chatting, I got on our ultra-comfy sofa and started reading again. I have a backlog of six books to get caught up on now with more to come this weekend when Buddy & I go to Barnes & Noble to spend some birthday monies. Anyway, I buried my nose in a book until Buddy got home with dinner an hour later. I ate, spent a few minutes talking to him and went to bed.

I like that routine. There is enough with the gym and reading to keep my mind occupied but not so much to cause me to feel frantic. Plus, it betters my mind, body and spirit. I feel much more recharged after 7.5 hours of sleep and 20 oz of Starbucks coffee. ;)