If We Were Having Coffee… 1/28/17

If were were having a coffee date, I would hug you warmly and invite you in from the cold. We would sit and let the stresses of the week melt away over a hot beverage.

It has been a long week… or at least it seemed long. Whether that was due to work, lack of sleep, the shenanigans of our new president, the increasing political unrest, the increasing hostile nature of my social media feeds – or all of the above – I am unsure. I feel like I need a massage or a yoga session. I need some zen. Or a nap. A nap would be great. A vacation would be better.

I am beginning to wonder if I am going to be overextended at work in the coming months. My patient load continues to be heavy. I have a steady stream of residents that need teaching. I have two more fellows coming to observe. I also have two lectures for the OB/GYN fellows coming up. That means I need to plan the lectures, make slide presentations and (maybe worst of all) give the lectures. Since I can’t even get all of my work done in a 40 hour week, I know I will have to work on the lectures at home. I also bring regular work home on the weekends so I am worried about getting it all done. While the recruitment for another counselor has gone poorly, my supervisor is now considering hiring an assistant for me. I really hope that happens.

My older daughter was chosen for Junior National Honor Society this week. She had to fill out an application and she was selected based on grades, extracurricular activities and community service. I am SO proud of her, more than I can even express.

My Cadbury mini-egg detox continues. I have made it another full week Cadbury-free. My body craves them, though. I feel like a backslide is imminent.

This has been another week with little time for reading or writing. While this is typical, it still makes me feel sad. I am always trying to find ways to get more time but I never seem to. I feel discouraged. If you have any tips for fitting writing into a busy schedule, please share!

Catch me up. What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Diana at Part-time monster for hosting this weekly coffee chat! Join in by posting your own coffee post with the tag #weekendcoffeeshare and check out the other coffee share participants here.

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If We Were Having Coffee… 1/21/17

If we were having coffee today we would actually take our beverages outside. Last weekend we hid from the ice storm and today it is almost 70 degrees. Welcome to the Midwest. It is a beautiful, glorious day with sun and warmth. It feels like spring. Of course it is unseasonable and it won’t last. So we need to take advantage while we can.

The kids and I went for walk today. We went to our favorite park and then went to the lake. We also went to the local pond to visit the geese. Vitamin D has been in short supply here lately so today has been such a blessing. It has also helped to lighten the mood.

I have been on a Cadbury mini-egg detox. I have eaten all of my stash (three bags) and now feel guilty. I want to take a break before I buy more but I crave them so. I will probably cave soon.

Work has been extremely busy this week due to the Martin Luther King holiday. I have seen so many patients and come home exhausted every night.

We couldn’t part ways without talking about the inauguration because that’s what everyone is talking about. I would become withdrawn and contemplative, I’m just not ready to process everything yet. I did not watch the coverage yesterday but did try to cheer myself up by binging on Joe Biden memes (it helped a little). Today I have been following the various Women’s Marches around our country and around the world. People are uniting in solidarity everywhere. It gives me hope. I have many  friends around the country at marches and I am loving their videos and photos.

Catch me up. What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Diana at Part-time monster for hosting this weekly coffee chat! Join in by posting your own coffee post with the tag #weekendcoffeeshare and check out the other coffee share participants here.

If We Were Having Coffee on Friday the 13th

It is a great day for coffee as we settle in to ride out the ice storm, enjoying an unexpected four day weekend. I am glad I was able to clear my work schedule today and stay home and off of the slick roads. Funny, just two days ago it was 60 degrees and fabulous. I know, it isn’t supposed to be that warm in the middle of winter but I loved it. Now here we are bundled up in blankets, looking outside at the ice-covered tree branches. Sixty-five days until Spring.

I heard on the radio yesterday that pitchers and catchers report to Jupiter, Florida on February 14th. Valentine’s day. Spring training is just around the corner. The MLB season will be here before we know it. Only 78 days until opening day.

Easter candy is already on the shelves. So it can’t be that far away either, right? I got a wonderful surprise in the mail this week. My lovely friend, Violet, sent me a package. I opened it up to find:

I love Violet! And there’s 92 days until Easter and then my beloved mini eggs disappear for the season.

The freezing rain is supposed to continue through the weekend. All of the ice will melt away next week when the temperatures climb back into the 50s. A few days holed up in the house snuggling and eating and watching a glaze form on everything outside never hurt anyone. One could even argue that it is therapeutic. Today we baked cookies. This weekend I also hope to spend time watching TV, reading and writing. If we get cabin fever, we just need to remember… 65 days until Spring.

Catch me up. What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Diana at Part-time monster for hosting this weekly coffee chat! Join in by posting your own coffee post with the tag #weekendcoffeeshare and check out the other coffee share participants via the linkup linky on Diana’s post.

 

If We Were Having Coffee… 1/8/17

You are such a good friend to meet me for our weekly coffee chat at odd times, on the run between activities. Life has been hectic lately with work and kiddos. 2017 has felt like a blurry mess so far.

Work has been busy not only because of patient volume but also because of my teaching duties. I had a genetics fellow in training the whole month of December. I had a fourth year medical student last week and she is with me again this week. The fellow is coming back for one more week later this month. While I enjoy training them, the extra time I invest in them takes away from my time to do my other work. I always feel like I am trying to catch up.

Sidenote: I am watching the Golden Globes and Meryl Streep… wow. What a speech. She is an amazing woman.

Girl scout cookie season is in full swing. This means that the next couple of months will be busy with orders, cookie arrival day, sorting, distributing, cookie booths, etc. It also means that thin mints are coming!

Speaking of sweets, you won’t believe what I found when I was shopping on New Year’s Eve… Cadbury mini eggs! My longtime readers know about my mini egg obsession. To be able to find my beloved Easter candy already on 12/31 made my heart do joyful cartwheels. With Easter being three full months away, though, I will have to be careful to not gain too much weight. I can eat a lot of mini eggs in three months!

It has been so cold here this past week and we got our first measurable snow of the season. It was only a couple of inches. We have had some rollercoaster weather… unseasonable warm then frigid cold then snow then unseasonable warm then frigid cold, etc. I blame that for the illnesses going around.

Catch me up. What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Diana at Part-time monster for hosting this weekly coffee chat! Join in by posting your own coffee post with the tag #weekendcoffeeshare and check out the other coffee share participants here.

If We Were Having Coffee on the First Day of 2017

A new year, a clean slate. I have no idea what 2017 will bring (though 1/20/17 scares me a bit) but something about January 1st always gives me feelings of hope and promise. It is a bit like opening a crisp, fresh journal with nothing but blank pages.

If we were having coffee on the first day of the year, we would talk about our holidays. Our Christmas was wonderful, small and quiet. I spent it with the people I love the most. We would also talk about how we rang in the new year. Did you stay home or go out? I stayed at home like usual. I also fell asleep before midnight like usual. My daughters woke me up in time to see the countdown. I remember a time (not that long ago) when my kids couldn’t stay awake that late. Now they can stay awake later than me. Overall, it has been a holiday weekend full of food and relaxation.

This year I will become the mother of a teenager. By the end of the year, I will have a daughter in her last year of middle school and a daughter in her last year of elementary school. Both of my parents are now retired. I hope that things will get better for my job this year. I hope that 2017 will be a good year financially for my family. I hope that we enjoy good health. I will work towards progress in personal development and fulfillment. I want to be a better person in twelve months than I am today.

And please, please, please let the Blues beat the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic tomorrow.

What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Diana at Part-time monster for hosting this weekly coffee chat! Join in by posting your own coffee post with the tag #weekendcoffeeshare and check out the other coffee share participants here.