MONDAY

Return to work life.
Held hostage by computer…
Not in a good way.

Ha, not old yet 🙂 Well, to me, anyway. But yeah, back to work today…though the adjustment was made a little easier by working from home. I actually got up on time, after 10 days of sleeping laaaaate. I meant to go to sleep early last night but I was right in the part where the conflict begins (on TWO DIFFERENT SHOWS) and I had to make sure at least ONE of them made it out alright. So I HADDA stay up. Til 3am.

Good News: I found the missing black turtleneck (when I was looking for the also missing black cardigan)!

Bad News: It still needs to be washed.

It was a helluva day at sea, sir.

TUESDAY

Tuesday has come now.
The week’s second day at last.
Just three more to go.

I know this will not be anyone’s everyone’s cup of tea, but this song has been my happy place song this week. Not happy as in perky and uplifting but more as in “gently comforting.” “Happiness,” by Ovan. I just love the sound of it. But it’s all in Korean so never knew what the lyrics were. Today I looked them up and from what I’ve read it’s about how he is tired of pretending to be an adult (#canrelate) but now that he’s no longer a child he can make money and help his family…and he thanks everyone who has helped him during his life. But he still deals with insecurities and…these lines just hit me:

I want to be recognized. I want to be comforted
I want to be happy. I want to be loved

I had to put my face with its tears into my hands.

I’m always amazed at how words and music can pull such emotion.

Anyway, if you’re going to listen, I hope that you’ll read the lyrics first so you know what his heart was saying. It’s sort of “gentle Korean rap” (said the non-music person), and I know that could be an immediate turn-off to some, but…trust me. The piano is lovely and the song is so heartfelt.

WEDNESDAY

Okay, I’ve put in two days of working diligently and feel today should be a rest day (spoiler alert: it’s not). Sigh.

I’m sorry if these are just beyond boring but every day lately is spent In This Apartment. I don’t remember if I even told you that we’re all working remotely this week – just to give everyone a little buffer between Christmas get-togethers and returning to work with All The People.

Have I mentioned I adore my hair-cutter? Last cut I returned to my pre-cancer stylist and was very happy with the cut plus he is such a gentle soul. Anyway, I just called now for an appointment this week (#bangstakingovertheworld) and I was getting all tongue-tied and flustered giving him my number (you know how sometimes people are reading the number back to you as you’re telling it to them and you don’t know what they’re up to and you stop and start several times and it’s so awkward?). I tried three times to get it out and he just gently said, “it’s okay….It’s Okay.” So calmly and quietly. He could have laughed or gotten annoyed or just let me continue in my flusteredness…but he said it so gently like…IT WAS ACTUALLY OKAY. And then it was. Okay.

It was one of those little “nothing” moments in the day that was really sort of “something.” It just really touched me.

And what did I do when I got off the phone? I cried. There’s a lot of crying this week.

THURSDAY

fancy dinner for one

Apparently, the world went to hell in a handbasket yesterday and I missed it.

Missing world destruction is the price you pay for staying on task (for once). I won’t make that mistake again (spoiler alert: I will).

Today was a big day. I made another phone call AND went to the post office (aka Out Into the World).

Got a slice of pizza while I was out…a nice treat considering I’ve only been eating Me Made food for what seems like ages.

FRIDAY

Such a day! Out in the world! With the people! And the adulting!

Went to the ophthalmologist with my cataracty eyes, hoping for new ones…but dr wants to hold off a bit and try some eye drops instead. Uhm, okay? But I don’t really think that’s it?

Went for a covid test for work, negative.

Went to hairland for a cut – good job as always!

SATURDAY

The One Where Accidentally Entering Into Someone’s Personal Space is Now High Drama.

I was at the deli getting a breakfast sandwich, and ready to leave, turned away from the counter and headed towards the door. Apparently, the guy to my left (out of my field of vision as I turned to my right) did the same and we just BARELY brushed against each other heading out…I mean, think my sleeve just touched his jacket – I heard it more than felt it. But I said, “oh, sorry,” and he goes, “no I’m sorry.” I said “no, it’s okay,” and he said, “no, it was really my fault.” By this time we’d reached the door (it’s a small deli), and as he followed me out he says one more time, “really, that was my fault, I’m sorry.”

I feel like a year ago if I’d accidentally touched someone and said sorry they would have been like YEAH!? WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING and stormed off. Ha ha.

So…for all the people whose actions you may see in a negative light after the year we just survived went through, remember that some may have gotten softer and gentler.

I feel like this song would be a good fit as the over-riding background music of my life.  With the chorus of ON slipped in here and there for power “can’t hold me down cuz you know I’m a fighter” – which is what I’ve decided should be my Life Theme. Possibly an improvement over most of my life when my “life theme song/quote” was “Hoping for the Best but Expecting the Worst,” from the song Forever Young by Alphaville in the early 80s.

SUNDAY

Got out of Dodge a bit and went with a friend to walk on a beachy cove…and to climb the big sandhill. Was good to feel the air.

What Book Am I Carrying Around to Read but Never Do

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hirami Kawakami. I feel I deserve a point of reading credit for good intent 🙂

What I’m Watching

Finished What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? And I will repeat my comment of last week when I had just started: it OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD It was SO charming, sweet, funny (sweet funny, not slapstick funny). I experienced laugh-cry for DAYS. The male lead character (Park Seo Joon) was A DELIGHT.

Was so good I haven’t even started a new drama. When they’re SO so good it seems unfair to the next one cuz how could it possibly be as good?! And…somehow they are. Sigh.

And that’s another week. Phew. Another one down.