October 14, 2025

October 14, 2025

I realized that nearly every week I say that it was “a particularly packed week,” which is ridiculous. Last week was, very simply, hard, and this week continues to be difficult on many levels. Thus the late post. Part of what made last week so challenging was that it started surprisingly well and then 12 hrs later became not awesome.

I’m okay. We’re okay. Disheartened and trying hard to keep perspective. Here’s how I made it through this week:

Monday: I went for a walk at lunchtime and ran into a neighbor I hadn’t met yet, although we both knew of each other. We had a nice chat, and as I headed inside, I thought that I should start to tally these walks to see how frequently I make it through without seeing or meeting someone!

Tuesday (rough day): Before I knew how the day would go, I walked M to the bus stop to get in a morning walk. After the tough stuff, I texted some neighbor friends who work from home to see if anyone could go for a walk in the afternoon so that I could clear my head / get out of my head. One responded, and we took a break together, which was so nice and helped a lot. We talked about music and trivia nights and karaoke and Halloween and basically anything but work / the world.

Still, I felt low for most of the day, and M came home grumpy and wanted “something delicious” for dinner, and I decided to make spätzli because the kid loves it, and it’s been a while. A grilled sausages, and we had a very Swiss meal. M was so happy it cheered me up, too. I don't cook often nowadays, so it was also nice to make something.

Wednesday: It was rainy, and I was grumpy and tired and wired all at once, which is a deeply unpleasant feeling, and I took a nap during my lunch break. Honestly, that was awesome. I don’t do this often, and it’s not like I’m actually skipping out on any work, but there’s something delightful about power napping during the workday, like skipping class on a gorgeous spring day.

It’s getting dark early now, and the chill hits as soon as the sun goes behind the tree line, so I decided not to sit out by the soccer field during practice. Instead, I read in my car, where it was warmer, and the wind couldn’t ruffle the pages of my book. 

Thursday: My parents arrived for a visit. That meant a midday trip to the airport and an evening away from devices.

Friday: I took my dad to M's soccer practice, and we hung out on the field and talked to a neighbor/friend and watched the kids.

Saturday: M had a soccer game, and it was so fun. Both sets of grandparents were there and so vocal. M had a huge cheering section between parents and grandparents, and we all had a blast.