I’ve been frayed…

I've been frayed recently, or fragile, which is how Kev describes me. Some life-decision and family conflict stresses, plus too many small deadlines, just barely making the critical ones, not quite making the non-critical ones, needing to apologize to people for messing up; I hate that. I haven't had time to write in a month, or call friends and chat -- it seems that when I get too crazed with stress and deadlines and just can't work anymore or I will scream, my sequence of de-stressors goes something like this:

1. Eat something
2. Watch dumb tv
3. Buy something
4. Read something fluffy
5. Call someone
6. If truly desperate, exercise

I am aware that that list should be in reverse order. Working on it. My brain is often not so cooperative in this regard, and I've gained ten pounds since September. Sigh.

But yesterday, when I was just too stressed to even do any of the above, Kev took charge and said we were going to order Thai food and watch a movie. And especially since some of the stress lately hasn't been work-related but has to do with stuff with us (getting better, I think), it was just really nice, having what felt like Friday date night. Our friends Beth and David do that every Friday night; we aren't likely to do that, but once a month might be do-able. Once a month might be really smart. At the end of the evening, I felt a lot better.

Oh, and one more note -- I came home late Thursday night, exhausted by a long day of teaching, to find two dozen orchids waiting for us. A thank-you gift from Pete, who stayed with us for a week while doing math with Kevin. Totally unnecessary and absolutely lovely. Some people, their mamas raised them right. :-)