I need a game plan

I always have a plan. I love making lists. Not quite to the point where I make lists of lists, but I usually have multiple lists going. You can’t pile everything in to one big list. They don’t work as well that way.

But for almost the last three months, I’ve been living very day to day. Well, not at work, although I will admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed at everything that has to be done right now at work, now that I’m back and fully focused on all of my projects. From the moment we knew Nora was sick, it felt like there was always someone doing something to disrupt any plans that John or I tried to make, looking for ways to create drama in a situation where we really didn’t need any more drama, and generally making life more difficult than it needed to be. My sister-in-law seems to be quite determined to continue being disruptive, and I am just as determined to find a way to put an end to it. John and I deserve our lives back. So, today, in honor of the 4th of July, I’m declaring our independence from family bullshit. My sister-in-law can try to make as many problems as she can think up in her pretty little head; we will not play her game. Instead, we will:

• Stop living in crisis mode and instead proceed with our lives as normally as possible. Recover our old routines. Remember what it’s like to not run around all the time.

• Get back on track with our fitness goals. I have gained six pounds since Easter, which pisses me off more than you can possibly imagine. Now instead of being seven pounds away from my next (not final) weight loss goal, I am 13 pounds away from it. I wish I could be one of those people who loses weight when they get stressed out instead of strapping on the comfort food feedbag. Yes, part of it was that I was spending my evenings with Nora instead of going to the gym, but that’s not all of it.

• Come up with a new fertility treatment plan. It seems like every time I think we’re getting ready, some other new obstacle raises its head. Hopefully that’s just the universe trying to teach me patience and our time will come.

• Schedule a nice vacation somewhere. I think we’ve earned it. Our big trip to Europe will be re-scheduled for next spring or summer, but I’m not waiting that long for a big chunk of relaxation time.

• And a whole lot more…just as soon as I get to make a proper list!