Hello Friends. It has been a minute since we sat down over a cup of coffee to catch up. Feel like there is quite a bit to catch up on, so let’s chat.

Well, I started a new job within my unit. It has been bittersweet. Twelve hour shifts on the weekends absolutely sucks, but you can’t beat having days off during the week. I do love my Sunday’s being at home though so I am taking it with grace and appreciating that although I have such a hectic work week, I have weekends at home with my kids.

Taking over a job when the person who is leaving has mentally said screw it, is tough. The guy I am taking over the position for is retiring next year and has basically wiped his hands way before I even got the job, with the job. It is frustrating, but I tell myself, part of figuring it out for myself is going out there, sitting down with people, having face to face contact and building those connections. So far, I haven’t completely messed anything up, which is good. My main challenge, is staying on top of so many things at once, and supervising so many people. I have about 40 people under me; who all have their own stuff going on. There have been days where I literally sit and stare at my computer screen because I have no idea out of all the priorities, which is the most important and what direction I need to head first. I come home some days drained. I physically and mentally feel that I have given all I have to give.

This is where I want to send a huge middle finger to those who think audiobooks aren’t considered reading. One day when I was extremely stressed out, I got in my car at the end of the day and the audiobook I had been listening to picked up where I left off. The power of storytelling. Within a matter of minutes, I felt all the stress on my shoulders begin to lift. I was so absorbed in the book I was listening to, I began to forget all about my crappy day. It almost bought me to tears. I was overwhelmed with gratefulness that something as simple as a story coming through my car speakers was even possible, and that everything was working as it should at that moment for me to listen, because it completely changed the course for the rest of my day.

Although my physical book reading has slowed down a bit, I have been listening to audiobooks as much as I can. They are so convenient and really come through for me, when I want to read but just don’t have the time or energy to read a physical book.

After almost five years of being glasses free, I have become a glasses wearer again. I had eye surgery back in the summer of 2014. I knew eventually, I would need reading glasses. That is something we were actually briefed before getting the surgery, but I don’t remember being told that the surgery wears off. I have felt myself squinting but for some reason never took it serious. I kept going back to, “I’ve had eye surgery.” Well, it is time for me to get a new driver’s license and after two exhausting trips to the DMV, I finally go with everything I need and make it to the end of the process. I have swiped my card, get my receipt, and am told it is time for the vision test. I’m not worried. “I’ve had eye surgery,” right? I am told to read the fifth line and let me tell you, it looked like a bunch of scribbles and upside down shapes. I had no idea what the letters were. So, $50 for an exam and $100 for glasses later and I am back to wearing glasses. I can already tell the difference. I have been taking the glasses off and putting them back on as I look at certain things, completely amazed at the difference they are making. I wish I wouldn’t have been so naïve and went months ago to get my eyes checked. I haven’t went back to the DMV but I am at ease knowing that this time, for real this time, when I go back, I have everything I need for my drivers license. Lesson learned: read read read the websites these places have to be better prepared.

I have been trying to disconnect more.  I think I spend too much time on my phone. I want to get to a point where I don’t wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is scroll on Instagram and Twitter first thing in the morning because let me tell you this Friends, if you haven’t already figured it out for yourself: social media can be way too depressing first thing in the morning. I remember about a week ago, there was a discussion on twitter that I just so happened to login before bed and catch some of the back end of. Well,  I wake up the next day, get on Twitter, and see more comments. It was on my mind all day. I am all for discussion and growth but sometimes, the subject matter, the how it came about and all that, is just not the way I want to start my day. So I removed the Twitter App from my phone. I understand having the app. The app makes it quicker to access the site. I think taking away the convenience of it, is helping with my limiting how much I am on there. Now, I have to get on the internet explorer to get on. Just a few more seconds of work, but still, not as convenient as having the app.  I have also been limiting how much time I watch Youtube. I fall down rabbit holes where I spend hours watching videos. That is time I could be reading, watching movies I’ve recorded or might have missed something amazing one of my kid’s did. There are just not enough hours in the day and I want to be mindful of where I am dedicating my time.

So, here we are, it is November. I will be 32 in 7 days. I am so excited. I am loving my 30s so far. There is something so chill about them. It feels like okay, I survived the hot mess and chaos that was my 20s and now I look at things truly through the lens of “it is what it is.” The Queen, Michelle Obama has a memoir coming out in a few days that I am counting down the hours for. My daughter turns 10 this month, and I am planning a cozy, yet wonderful Thanksgiving. I really wanted to go home to be surrounded by family, but I also want to make memories for my kids where they remember it just being us, doing out best and things turning out just fine. So I really want to make a wonderful dinner at home.

So share with me, what is new with you?