Things have improved pretty dramatically around here since yesterday. First, I got my dentist appointment done. It turns out that just about everything looks better AFTER a dentist appointment, even if that dentist appointment includes “Listen, we really need to think about getting those crowns put in.”
Second, Paul was taking a day off this week anyway, so he switched that day with the day I had to take all five kids with me to the city, so now I only have to take one kid with me to the city.
Third, Paul and I started going over the inch-thick stack of will/trust drafts from the lawyer. I forgot to mention that yesterday, but it’s been another thing causing me stress: we’ve GOT to go through those papers, but for many reasons (the emotional impact of reading paragraphs about what happens if any of our children predecease us; the pure difficulty of understanding the language of any of it) it’s hard to do so. Paul printed everything out and stapled it by sections, and then cut up the lawyer’s explanatory email and put each piece of email with its appropriate section, so we could easily tackle it in smaller chunks. This made an enormous difference, and we took care of the first section last night.
Fourth, I did some laundry at my parents’ house. It’s funny how even doing two loads can bring things from THIS IS A CRISIS OF UNIMAGINABLE RESOLUTION down to Perhaps This Is Just a Regular Inconvenience Soon To Be Resolved.
Fifth, William and Elizabeth made chocolate-chip cookies, so there were cookies.
Sixth, I had a gin-and-orange-juice while making dinner. I think I will have a drink before dinner EVERY night this week.
I’m glad things are looking up for you. Cookies (made by other people!) would do it for me.
Yay for things looking better! PS–you will LOVE The Wet Brush. Yes, I saw in Temerity Jane’s comments that you’d ordered one. It’s truly unbelievable.
My first inclination yesterday was to suggest ‘medicinal’ drinks but I didn’t want to be inappropriate. Glad you handled that all on your own! ;) GOOD IDEA!
Fantastic! Sectioning the legal paperwork is genius and I can relate to the post-dentist relief. I’m still snickering about the stray cat corral!
YES! The before-dinner drink does wonders.
I have found that a glass (or two) of red wine while fixing dinner makes for a MUCH more manageable evening in my house. Plus, I’m in a pleasant mood when the husband comes home, which, without the two glasses of wine, is a real rarity.
Also, I am in a somewhat similar situation in terms of unnerving legal paperwork that must be completed — and soon. My older son is traveling across the country with grandparents for two weeks in August; the husband and I have to sign some power of attorney documents — in front of a notary — to cover those “just in case” scenarios. I just…..Don’t. Want. To. Each time I open the e-mail with attachments from my Dad, I promptly close it and click on the etsy link in my favorites bar. Mid-century modern Syroco wall hangings are a lot more fun to contemplate.
Once again, you’ve done a perfect job of capturing this universal essence of mother-/wife-/woman-/personhood that so many of us can relate to. Your writing is refreshingly tight, witty, and charming….you somehow make even the most mundane topics thoroughly entertaining. I often laugh out-loud — literally — when reading your work, and I hardly ever laugh out loud while reading someone’s work, even when I find it amusing.
I especially love when you dissect conversations/interractions with other women (think: your monthly wine/appetizer gatherings).
Hands-down you are my favorite blogger. Love, love, love.
I second, third, and fourth this.
Swistle I’ve found that a simple double shot of tequila helps me in many anxiety filled situations. For example: family holiday gatherings. One simple shot before the guests arrive and everyone has a nice time.
*hugs!* Glad things are looking up.
That sounds MUCH better! And I have to say YAY PAUL, because he really seems to be flush with good, helpful ways to reduce the stress!
I like gin and lemonade. There’s this great drink called a Tom Collins that’s gin, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup, topped with like one ounce of club soda and then the rest of your club soda goes flat. I thought, all that is, is gin and lemonade if you don’t mind not having the fizz sometimes. So that’s what I made. Ahhhhh.
You can buy sparkling lemonade in many grocery stores now in the area where they keep sparkling water. It has solved this problem for me.
Brilliant!
Ahhh…we refer to a pre-dinner drink as “the cocktail hour”. We just started doing it this year, and we feel very Mad Men-ish. I even bought a vintage cocktail shaker at a garage sale!
My favorite drink for the summer is tall glass filled with ice, a shot of vodka (or two, depending on how stressful the day), a splash of Tom Collins mix (can be hard to find where I live, I get mine at Fred Meyers) and fill with diet tonic water, add a slice of lemon. Yummmy!
Good idea on the will stuff! And the gin and orange juice! ;)