Work Work Work Monday

So we start off the new week with some meditation and introspection. It is Tech Council Meeting week and of course I'm going to spend the next couple of days putting my presentation together. Not to mention doing the HRSA survey today. Not to mention getting my timesheets approved. Not to mention trying to get a handle on the FOM/IT conference next month where I am supposed to speak. That one is bugging me only because I am in full procrastination mode and I thought I had more time. I think I do since it is still more than a month away. Still I can sense myself worrying about it like some old program stuck within me trying to fill me with dread and worry. But I think I'm in good shape really. I mean why wouldn't I be? So I got lots of centering done and even put down my TO-Dos for the next couple of days. And then of course I start this morning like most Monday mornings this year, which is to get going with my power walk regimen and make sure I have 5000 steps in before mid-day. That ensures that I have chunked that activity enough to actually get to 15000+ steps for the day no matter what happens the rest of the day. I do expect myself to put my head down and get a large chunk of work in. So I walked to Primo's donuts, and got myself a ham-and-cheese croissant for breakfast and then walked and walked and walked until I did get to 5000 steps. AFter which I consumed said breakfast with some Earl Grey tea. THEN I took a shower. And so I felt good enough to put my head down after that and work work work away. I was so spot-on automatic that almost on cue around 1 pm, I headed out, walked to Ralphs, got myself some fried chicken for lunch, and got another 5000 steps in. And so by early afternoon I was already at 10,000+ steps and 90+ active minutes. AND by 2 PM I even got my HRSA survey done already. I was in a really good rhythm. For sure I don't think I could be this productive if I was working at the office. There would be the same amount of distractions. But they're not productive distractions. I mean I could snip off a little time and get in front of the TV, but that's just to get some frequency exercises in. And it actually does help focus me even more. I even managed to close my eyes for about 10-15 minutes to give myself a break.

But really the next big to-do is to pick up Johnnie for the week. I was well aware of Lisa's emotional/mental state when I left him with her on Saturday. I could only hope the social activities she planned would help diffuse whatever negativity was welling inside of her. I could only hope that she has recovered by now and act like nothing was ever wrong. I did some meditation while out doing my steps and centered on the same calm state that I got myself in last Saturday. I think for sure that will always be the best defense. It will at least keep me from reacting lashing out myself. And so it was that when I called Lisa she would respond by telling me that she and Johnnie were in the middle of making a casserole of apple crisp And that it wouldn't get done until 7 PM. Why she would choose to get started on that as late as she did is just Lisa being Lisa. I told her it's ok and I could go ahead and eat dinner before picking him up. But then she picked up on that and asked if I could just go ahead and come so we could all eat dinner. And of course I would have to bring that since Lisa is not in the mood to cook anything. That would be her thought all along was that we hang out and have dinner tonight. Of course THAT was not in my agenda at all. My thing was to pick up Johnnie and the dog and be gone until THursday night. But knowing Lisa is in a particularly vulnerable state too, I decided to go ahead AND include her in the dinner plans. My dinner plans. I made some penne pasta for Johnnie and while that was going I went to El Pollo Loco and picked up 2 chicken tostada salads. And THEN i went on over and we all had dinner together. Lisa gets what she wants. And that's ok. I'll do it to keep the peace. We had to wait until the apple crisp was done but that's ok. We still managed to get home before 8 PM. The win for me was that I didn't say what I felt like saying... which was "just let us go Lisa, it's my turn already". I let Johnnie hang out just a little bit longer. I let the dog hang out with Lisa just a little bit longer. I'll give her the extra hour or so. I laughed at that thought. How magnanimous was I right? In the end, we went home... MY home, and did the Monday night routine. walk Claire, Johnnie shower. It was all good. And since I had gotten a lot of my work done, no need to stay up tonight. I'll finish everything off by tomorrow.