I actually forgot a bunch of things in my last post. I returned to Ottawa on the Friday. Saturday was my monthly Starfinder game night and I didn’t quite feel like myself then or the next day with my weekly Pathfinder game night, but I was happy to see everyone! I also enjoyed the RISE concert my choir performed in. It was good seeing those friends and getting some hugs after all the bad stuff.

I’ve felt out of sorts since the trip to my hometown. There was a lot that felt awful about it for me. Like I was trapped in some alternate version of my life where I didn’t actually escape. Scary and boring. Dad’s TV has only the barest of channels and there were many nights there was little to watch or the same three episodes on repeat multiple times a day. I enjoyed having lunch with friends while I was there. Unfortunately, I couldn’t visit their dojo, since that was the day I fell ill. I did get a 30-minute skate in during the first week and that was excellent. I was able to plan some things while I was there and think seriously about some things in my life, so it wasn’t all bad. Overall though, the trip was terrible for my physical and mental health. I’ve quite likely been going through caregiver burnout since.

Some of my new plans include a living room furniture change. I’ve had no usable space and haven’t been happy. I need to fix it in order to have a respite from my work desk other than my bed. My plan included a narrow bookshelf and a loveseat from IKEA that I have to wait to order until they have stock again and until I have the funds available. The bookshelf arrived on Thursday, so I had time to prepare for that. I felt exhausted all week, so clearing off the daybed was like a mountain to climb.

Happily back in Ottawa, I began the noontime walks I’ve been wanting to do for a while now. I was still sore from the past couple weeks and walking was helpful to loosen some tight muscles. I looked forward to when the snow would be gone and I could rollerblade after work. I eased back into my real life because I couldn’t physically just jump back in. By Thursday evening, I felt like I was much more myself. My back was also feeling a lot better.

Seeing Maschmeyer helped off the ice on Tuesday made me feel like crying. I’m glad Vasko got a second goal that had Ottawa beat Minnesota. Monster Masch was later put on Long Term Injury Reserve and Ottawa picked up an extra goalie from Minnesota. I’m so sad for Masch and I hope she heals well.

Friday morning was a bit rough for me. Something had me running to the washroom frequently. TMI, perhaps. I felt better by day’s end and made a pumpkin pie to celebrate Pi Day. It was just OK. I prefer blueberry, but I didn’t have the stuff for blueberry.

Saturday began with sanding and mudding my kitchen. I wished I had been able to get back to the renovation sooner than this, but I just couldn’t make it happen after all the recent things I’ve had to deal with. I didn’t have the energy for it. I hoped to finish the rest of the sanding on Sunday, though it was unlikely as I knew there were still likely to be some areas that needed a bit more. Mudding, sanding, and painting all need so many coats that it feels endless. I have some vacation left to use up before April, so I know I will make a lot more progress in the rest of the month. The rest of the weekend held an outing to watch some burlesque at Queen Street Fare, which I found to be an odd location for it given how many windows there are in that place. But it worked out well. There were a number of troupes performing and several friends and I had a really good time. The weekend also featured my usual weekly Pathfinder gaming session. We overcame the horde of undead and live to fight another day!

Goal Setting and Tracking

Arts and Crafts: Attach the fox’s nose.❎

Decluttering and Minimalism: Take items to donation.✅

DIY and Projects: Return unneeded items.✅ Get other items.✅ Finish sanding coat 1. ✅

Gaming & Videos: Pathfinder weekly session. ✅

Health and Fitness: Daily movement.✅

Reading and Writing: Catching Feelings – Chapter 3 ❎