Best of Appropriate

After the soundtrack from the ride into work, I cannot get one line from the Bodysnatchers song out of my head.

"...I have no idea what I'm talllllllking about..."

Hmmm. How apt is that?

I feel overwhelmed this week. Like WAY TOO OVERWHELMED, just-give-me-a-break-okay-universe? type of feelings. Just ask my roommates. And anyone who talks to me on IM. Or has happened to call during the past few days.

I'm freaking worried about money. Does anyone else think we are going to end up in a Depression (with a capital D, not just the kind that I experience occasionally?) if our entire country is not careful? Not to sound all gloom and doom, but it freaks me out that I have personal experience with the crises on the news. It wasn't like this 6 months ago. The housing crisis sucked, but no one I know is getting foreclosed.

But now.

I feel the pressure from rising gas prices, from rising food prices, and from unemployment. Which just makes me all that much more worried about the fact that I have debt, not savings. It's a difficult time to have a job in politics or in the non-profit world (and I work for an organization that combines the two), because when the economy gets rough, the first thing people give up is donating to causes. I understand, but I'd also still like to work for something I believe in and also, you know, get a paycheck. Especially to help payoff that debt.

It's summer. Isn't everything supposed to be all sunshine and light?

Best of Things I Used to Do and I Wish I Still Did Them

1) Work out. I need to get back in the habit, and I'm thinking about joining a gym in Sapulpa, because I'm only in Tulsa two days a week. I HATE gym contracts and debited accounts (remember that time I paid $37 a month for two years?). My gym in Tulsa, who I affectionately and creatively call "Jim", is amazing. Ladies only, TVs with every piece of equipment, and NO CONTRACTS. Regardless, I need to find a way to get my aggression out again. I haven't gained any weight that I lost, but I am missing the healthy and happy feeling I get after exercise, both physically and emotionally.

2) New Music Tuesday! I used to ask Jessa and then Micah "What day is it?!?!?" every Tuesday. The obvious answer: "New Music Tuesday" on iTunes. (Gah, who wouldn't want to share an office with me?) I would browse all the new music and load up my iPod (which would then accompany me to see Jim, see #1). Then the real world sunk in, and because it was attached to my credit card, and I bought one too many songs, I went over my credit limit and jumped up my interest. For a 99 cent song. Sometimes I love being a grownup. Anyway, I need to get back to treating myself with one or two songs (and exercising discipline to only buy that amount) each week. I miss the music.

3) Read. Since I've been back from Turkey, where I read 4 books (because what else was I going to do?), I haven't finished a book. I've been playing catch up with my two jobs, one of which is only getting busier, and time at home is spent cooking dinner, cleaning, talking, working, but not reading. Anyone have any suggestions for a book to get me out of this rut? I need one I can't put down.

4) Spend time alone. Whitters thankfully understood how much I needed this today, and got everyone out of the house. I read Real Simple, gave myself a pedicure, and just had some time to think.

My life is FULL. Full of work, full of love, full of puppies & roommates & cooking & family & plants. Life is good, but I want to make some room in the fullness of it for the important (and lately missing) items above.