Sunday, January 1, 2012

A status at the beginning of a new year


Actually I didn't feel like writing this kind of post. And it won't be a cavalcade of all my blog-achievements, because they have been few and far between.

But I did feel like saying goodbye to 2011, that has been a year like most years are - a colorful quilt with a pattern diverging from the one I had expected.

Of course, many things were like planned and expected. I didn't switch jobs, husbands or houses ind 2011. I didn't get into wild projects or new hobbies.

It's been a busy year, but that was expected too. Job wise I've been extremely busy at times, and it's been fun and hard at the same time. I've been keeping the number of overtime-hours down as much as I could, because I don't want to work 20 extra hours a week. 20 hours a month must be plenty - I believe it is a lot about priorities, skipping redundant meetings and activities, and that kind of thing. If you do that, you can get a lot done without toiling like a Maersk-suit.

When I look back at 2011 I think about being tired. Mostly because I've gotten up early many mornings to put down my overtime there. My dear husband have not had much pleasure out of my company at night, because many an evening news have shone its blue light on my snoozing face on the couch.

At the end of the year I was a bit betrayed by my body. Perhaps I have neglected it a little, because even though I've struggled to keep workout and running going, it's not been a great exercise year. Anyway in december my doctor stated that my blood pressure was to the high side.
You could have heard my jaw hitting my knee with a slap, because I had NOT seen that coming. I am usually quite smug when I talk about my super low blood pressure (normally at 120/70), and a measurement quite a bit over that is a bit of a slap on the face.

I didn't get pills, because the doctor and I agreed to wait a month and do a series of measures again over a weekend. Until then I plan to be good and treat myself better with food and exercise, and if that does not work out, I will probably have to go on meds.

When it comes to love, 2011 has been a fine year. My Bruno and I celebrated our  10th wedding anniversary in november, and I still start every day relishing the fact that I am sharing my life with just him.

But we are getting older. In 2011 my kids are 15, 18 and 24 (!!) years old, and my siblings are ranging from 51 (my gorgeous young big sister) to 54 (my distinguished oldest brother). I am the only one of us who yet has to find a gray hair (I keep my hair dresser checking!).
My mother just turned 78, and that is quite the age.

An odd thing has happened this year. Print on milk cartons, rice bags and in books has gotten smaller and smudgier lately. That is why I have been seen balancing cheap glasses on the tip of my nose (eyeglasses, that is - don't get any outlandish ideas), trying to counter this strange tendency. I will consider a proper pair of prescription glasses in 2012, but so far I am in denial. And I guarantee, that as soon as possible I will rush to my local eye clinic and have them fix my near- and farsightedness!

So goodbye 2011. I am not quite sure if I learned to like you, but now you are over. You go where used up years go to die, and I enter 2012 - a little aloof, but still trusting, because 2012 is just a more beautiful number than 2011.

Happy new year. If you've made it all the way down here, I greet you. I wish for myself and for all others, that we may have the strength and the perspective to make the right choises that will make 2012 a great year for us.

Over and out.