Being "grown-up" can be difficult sometimes

I'm in for a busy weekend after having a tough week all week - again. Last weekend I had rehearsal for The Music Man after being off for 3 weeks. Let's hope I remember all the choreography or can catch up quickly. While I'm excited to get to see everyone in the production, it's a volunteer thing so in the back of my mind is a pull to get to my obligations. I don't think that's an age thing because I have always felt that when it comes to things I need to get done. What's new for me is the fact that I now am actually more laid back than I was when I was younger.

To help put things in perspective, here's a list of what needs to get done in the near future:

- Rehearsals every weekend: Friday (7pm - 9pm), Saturday (11am - 7pm), and/or Sundays (2pm - 7pm). The schedule changes each weekend for call days and times, but usually it's 2 out of the 3 days.
- Buying a "new" car: I had an appointment last Sunday , but they wanted too much per month so I said no and walked out. Back to square one.
- Moving: we are moving in with my dad starting in September to save up for a house and start catching up on finances.
- Scheduling a surgery for my husband: No specifics because it's my husband's stuff, but we need to get the okay from the insurance.
- Hospital visits: before he can get the surgery he has to be well enough to be at home.
- Work: I get distracted with everything going on and I end up doing one thing in the middle of another and it takes 3x as long to accomplish something.
- Nutrition: I'm seeing a nutritionist and trying to eat better, but it's tough when you spend most of your time away from home.
- Auditions for a concert opera role: I have an audition coming up on August 28th for a group I normally only sing chorus in.

So there you go. This is why it's taken a bit for me to get a new blog posted. I originally started writing this last Friday, but had to put it aside to get other things done. This is where I feel there are not enough hours in a day and enough days in a week.

However, back to the beginning where I said I'm more laid back. What is different as I am now "grown up" is the fact that I just know that things will get done. It helps to have someone there with me to go through all the chaos and stress. He's much better at seeing "3 steps ahead" and has been doing it for a lot longer than I have. It's tough when the person you lean on to help with certain aspects is out of commission, but I still run things by him and he still is organizing what he can.

What I know now that I didn't know then is that what has to get done will get done. It might not be pretty and could cause a lot of problems, but the end result will still happen. It doesn't dull the stress I go through, but on the surface not as many people see what's going on. At least that's my theory.

I wear my emotions clearly on my face, from the many years of voice lesson trainings to get me to express with my face, so when people talk with me they can't help but see what's going on. The difference now is that I don't readily spill my life out to anyone who asks me how I'm doing. I have learned that people have a lot going on in their lives and they don't need to hear about all my problems. I also know that I have a lot going on and don't really have time to explain to everyone I talk to what is going on. So it works both ways :).

I try to keep a smile on my face and keep in mind what is good with the world and my life, but it gets difficult. The Five on Friday blogs will help though. And, as my husband and I are fond of saying, it can always be worse.

I turned one of my other blogs into a vent-fest for a bit and this is not what I want to do with this one, so I am working to make what I post on here personal, relevant, and insightful - not pessimistic, spiteful, and overall negative. There are realities to life, but that doesn't mean we have to forget the miracles.

Thanks for keeping up and I hope to have more light-hearted and fun things on here soon.

Health and Wellness

Alright, my last blog was pretty bleak, but I hope that it is clear that I am trying to make things better and work through my circumstances as best I can. I want this to be a more light-hearted and fun place, but we'll see how that goes.

More than anything I want it to be real. It's about my life as it goes along. I'm hoping that it will lead to something, but not exactly sure what. I've thought about sectioning out my hobbies/ideas to different blogs, but I have a tough enough time getting followers on one blog . . . how could I get anyone to read multiple ones?

At any rate, it's fun writing about things. I don't want to copy J on her posts, but I like the ideas she's come up with so far. My brain is pretty scattered these days and focusing on one theme is tough sometimes. I have gotten so used to the 144 character format that writing a longer post will take some time to get back into.

Up next - getting control of some of my issues.

I went to a Zumba class the other day. My neighbor talked about it and I finally decided to go. I have a gym membership that I am currently sitting on until we move, but I used to go to their Zumba class for a little. Unfortunately I don't like the "watch what I do" teaching method they had at my gym so I stopped going. I took ballroom dance lessons for a couple years, so I love dancing as exercise, but Zumba is sort of a bastardization of latin dance moves and exercise moves put together, so it can get difficult for me.

I had fun at the class the other night, but because I'm moving soon I don't know if I will get a chance to go again. Let's hope there's a good Zumba class near where we're moving. Either that or I need to get the Zumba game for the Wii.

Adding to this healthy theme I am trying to get back on is a visit to a nutritionist today after work. She specializes in PCOS nutrition which I have been trying to figure out myself for a couple years now. I had to fill out a questionnaire and wasn't sure if I answered clearly, but since I'm going for an hour-long appointment I will explain if she asks. Here are some of the questions that made me stop and think:
1. What are your favorite foods?
2. Do you currently eat all of these? if not, why?
3. Are there foods you consider "good"?
4. Are there foods you consider "bad"?
5. What is your definition of normal eating?
6. Describe what hunger feels like to you.
7. Describe what fullness feels like to you.

It is a 4-page questionnaire and I'm glad it made me think a little (and make me want to look up definitions online). I'm hoping it will be a good consultation. Luckily my health insurance should cover it, so that definitely helps. Now I just have to make the time to make this a priority in my everyday life.

When it comes to diets or food changes I tend to have commitment issues. Most turn to short-term changes and not continuing life changes. Getting older and having more issues with my PCOS symptoms makes it more of an issue to push for a long-term change.

With rehearsals looming in the next months (which I haven't talked about on here yet) now is the best time for me to get things started. We'll see how much I get in the way of myself this time. I'll definitely keep you updated - if nothing else to help me stay on track and be accountable.

More next time :). I have a lot to talk about, so expect more soon!