Thanksgiving

 I am finding it so hard to find the motivation to sit down and write this entry in its entirety in one fell swoop so I am trying a new strategy. I am going to write this entry over the course of the next 4 nights because I just can't. Anyways, I'm going to start with this last long holiday weekend. I worked M-W then was off for the holiday; Mike texted me suggesting he spend the night due to bad weather in the forecast. You see, normally, this would have been a given but we kinda sorta broke up the previous Friday evening but we had planned to stay friends and keep the same Thanksgiving plans. We ended up talking and deciding that we really didn't break up. We are going to more openly communicate and I am going to get some help processing all the anger I have towards the world and my perception of the people in it. We drove to Killington in a snowstorm (and doing doughnuts along the way) and ended up having a great Thanksgiving in a cozy log cabin with Mike's family. An untraditional tradition at his stepfather's girlfriend's. We made a bangin charcuterie board when we got there then spent the rest of the day hanging out, eating and drinking and watching the snow fall. We started a movie at his sister's apartment then headed back to hang out in the hot tub until bedtime. We listened to music for a while before turning in for the night. We hung out for a bit in the morning but headed back to Leb after breakfast. I dozed for a little bit and found zero motivation to do anything but got up to shower and head to Chris and Brandi's for day after Thanksgiving pizza game night. I felt yucky for most of the evening so I headed home when Mike did and went to bed. Yesterday, I went to Thanksgiving number 2 at Mike's place with Jan and Buzz's family, watched a Christmas movie with M&M then headed home around 7 to start a little decorating. This morning, after coffee time, I got up to do Sunday stuffies and vacuum the house. M&M came over and we put up and decorated my tree and played old school nintendo. We went to Worthy Kitchen for dinner then drove to the Smith lights in SoRo. After I was dropped off, I headed to grab a grocery haul. 

Ok so that strategy failed so I have brought my laptop to Mike's to finish this in its entirety on this cozy Saturday morning after writing the last paragraph Sunday night. I'm in the midst of my schedule long weekend; yesterday was a welcome start as this past week has been tiring. Thursday was a 14 hour day and Kathy was my late mate so I had her stay at my house because she lives an hour away and had to work yesterday. Yesterday, I did some laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, had an EAP telehealth appointment, and did some other tasky things. Mike and I went to Poor Thoms for dinner then had a slumber party. Current status: also listening to Buzz's horrendous cough. I feel so terrible for him.

So truly picking up where I last left off; the second Friday of my October staycation:                           Fri: dental cleaning, laundry, blog, Black Betty AC recharge.                                                                 Sat: laundry, dishes, Foxwoods prep, and girls' potty room cleaning.                                                   Sun: Mike and I headed to Foxwoods, stopping at Cabela's in Hartford on the way. Prior to checking out Tuesday morning, we ate delicious food, drank, gambled, experienced 4 hours worth of bingo, window-shopped, go carted many many times and got amazing massages. It was so fun. When we checked out, we headed to Mystic to be tourists then went to the farm for the night to stay in the ice house. We had dinner with David and Pauline. Wednesday morning, we made the trip home and I stopped to get plant soil before making up for lost snuggles with the girls. I could only muster to do a few stuffies before calling it a day.                                                                                                       Thurs: I made a grocery run and prepped for an evening of trick or treating. I headed to Cornish to finish putting on my costume (day of the dead). Mike's costume didn't last too long and Mason was spiderman. We hit up a few places on Center Rd. but mostly stayed on Cornish flat. It was super fun.   Fri: I made muffins, repotted some plants, finished cutting down my hostas then took a walk.             Sat: Vacuumed the house, made chicken noodle soup, ran some errands then M&M cam for a sleepover.                                                                                                                                                 Sun: laundry, neighborhood potluck casual get together/baby shower, dinner at Susan's for Sherry, sleepover at Mikes.                                                                                                                               Mon: ducati storage, tracker service, grocery shopping, outdoor run! Vacation over :(

The following weekend, Mike and I headed to Killington to visit his sisters. I met Lauren for the first time. We ended up getting sucked into a painting party at the restaurant then we all went out to dinner. After heading home from Mike's Sunday, I vacuumed the house, did some laundry and dishes, grocery shopped and meal prepped. I had Tuesday off that week and made chocolate chip cookies and went for another outdoor run.

The following weekend, M&M and I met the Dickersons in Putney for a couple hour adventure at Santa's Land. It was cute and a lot of fun. From there, we headed to Chester for a dinner/play date with Sam, Jimmy and Lincoln. That was super fun as well. Sunday, I vacuumed the house, did dishes, grocery shopped, made rice and guac for a work potluck, then headed back to Cornish for dinner. That week, I had Wednesday off. I did some laundry, ran some errands, did computer stuffies and took a bubble bath. 

The following day was our EP "retreat." My mental health had been simmering for a while and it finally reached it's boiling point so I was feeling very emotional, antisocial, negative and hopeless. I ended up going home after the retreat to be a couch potato and practice self care for the rest of the day. I ended up falling into a hole of depression and succumbing to the battle between my brain and my heart with regards to my relationship. I had been struggling for a while with our political differences and what that means for our compatibility and ability to survive long term. I knew I wasn't going to be magically all better by Friday morning so I stayed home again and slept in half the day. I managed to clean the girls' food area then was getting ready to head to Cornish for dinner but my struggle could not be ignored and I told Mike I thought we were too different to be successful. We ended up facetiming later that evening to talk some things out and he ultimately understood where I was coming from and we decided we were going to stay friends and keep our Thanksgiving plans. I went to bed that night feeling ok but woke up Saturday and spent most of the day crying while vacuuming the house and doing some laundry and dishes. When we chatted the night before, we decided to go out for some drinks where we met. Chris and Emilee joined us and I ended up having a bit too much rum with not a whole lot in my stomach so I kind of got really drunk. I ended up spending the night and recovering the next morning. I managed to go grocery shopping and buy and install new smoke detectors (while crying) before calling it a day. The break lasted 3 more days then we talked it out a bit the night before Thanksgiving and decided we didn't want to be broken up. 

I really need to start exercising again. I treadmilled after work Wed. but still need to pick up the pace.

Suzy shadowed in the EP lab but untimately took a job in Burlington in their lab.

This fucking country elected Donald Trump to be our next president. I don't have enough words.