Am I Winning?

I am writing my Monday blog post in the middle of Monday instead of my usual Sunday morning blog writing festival. Technically, this could be considered my Friday post since I didn’t write one Friday. So I am feeling woefully behind and very much like I’m winning (but-really-losing) – to paraphrase a megalomaniac celebrity’s catch phrase.

This past week has been crazy. The kind of week that makes you question yourself. The bad thing is I can’t blame the Super Moon. Dang it.

Last Sunday, I helped my little friend Kimberly start packing for her move at the beginning of April. On Monday and Tuesday, I spent most of those two days driving up to the Navasota/Magnolia, Texas area to speak to a department’s retreat at a camp in the middle of nowhere.

The rest of the week included visiting a friend in the hospital where she had surgery, finding out my oldest niece quit college to pursue her dream of becoming a tattoo artist (not making that up), getting calls from my friend and brother about why I keep calling them (my iPhone likes to call people even when I’m sure I locked it), trying to get to the gym five days last week, and discovering that the Houston Historical Association’s salvage warehouse is about to close just as I discovered its existence.

That is all on top of the usual work week and the life stuff, such as writing for the blog, Savvy Auntie and a guest blog post or two; going grocery shopping; paying bills; doing my taxes and laundry. I have been so tired that all I want to do is sit on the couch with my laptop and Facebook to play Cityville.

Yes, I’m winning. Not. But this morning driving to work, I realized how much I was really winning.

Yes, last week has been crazy, and today is being a typical, chaotic Monday. But I realized that there were successes in all of the chaos:

• Spending the last two Sundays helping Kimberly pack up her apartment means she is ready for her move from The Woodlands into Houston proper. She’s moving because she has a job – a real full-time job with insurance and everything – after spending a year being laid off and doing freelance work.
• My niece, unlike me at the age of 18, has spent some time thinking and planning out her new life venture. Before leaving college, she got a full-time job, found an apartment, bought a used car and new cell phone, and lined up a summer apprenticeship. She is truly independent, and I can say, that at her age, I couldn’t have done that.
• I went to the gym three days instead of five, but that was two more than last week. It’s all progress. Plus packing boxes should count as a workout. Maybe two.
• Because I invented in a special excel spreadsheet, I was able to download Turbo Tax and do my taxes in one night. Bonus win: I’m getting money back!
• My friend Carol and I went to the final weekend (but hopefully they can stay open) sale for the Historic Houston salvage warehouse and found some great finds for our respective home improvement projects. What a cool place!
• I benefited from Carol’s bulk cooking for relatives and came home with soup, pasta and chicken and rice. Triple win! Plus I was able to delay the grocery store for a couple of days.
• I even got a load of laundry done. Okay, it’s still in the dryer, but I was able to pull out some clean pants to wear to work today.

I’ve learned that no matter how crazy you feel or actually are, there are some wins. You may have to squint to see them, but they’re usually staring you in the face.