What Does a Backslide Look Like?
This is a great question because Saturday is the day we bury Pat’s Dad. We have a bunch of his relatives coming in on Friday night and we are hosting a big celebration/reunion at our home Friday night. Knowing there will be lots of meals, deserts, family etc, I’ve made the decision to put my “burnout program” on hold for the weekend.
I’m going into it head first and will pay attention to what the changes are now that my body is clean and speaking to me clearly.
The First Backslide is Sleep
Preparing for Friday’s gala, I stayed up until almost 2:00 am through Thursday night and into Friday morning. When I awoke I couldn’t imagine in a million years of going to the gym. I was so tired. But, I got up and went anyway knowing my locker room pals would wonder what was up if I skipped.
At first, I kept asking myself if I was crazy, but once I got halfway through my morning swim I felt so fantastic that I was thrilled I went to the gym. I was conscious of doing less chitty-chat with Niki at the front desk and Debbie, Sue, and Trisha in the locker room and I hurried through my morning workout routine.
Clarity of Mind Reduces Stress
I went to Publix Grocery Store on the way home from the gym to pick up some last-minute supplies for Friday Night’s dinner and to return a rented Rug Doctor I used on Thursday to home shampoo my carpets. Planning my day’s routine in advance meant only one trip out during the day which meant not wasting time backtracking.
I did have one stop at Costco that I planned for later in the day to pick up some fresh bakery items that I wasn’t planning on making myself. Costco is on the way to the airport and I had to drive out to pick up Mom and Julie who were coming to town to support Pat.
Party Planning in High Gear
I was really tired from the physical labor of shampooing the carpets yesterday, and mentally exhausted from three live stream shows Thursday but seemed to flow seamlessly through the day on schedule. I got the guest rooms ready while Pat mowed the yard and scooped up fall leaves from outside.
I put party platters together and baked a few dishes for the family arriving Friday night. I worked in the kitchen with precision and what seemed like a reserve of health and wellness to push me through. Although I was really tired from the 2.5 hours of sleep the night before, it hardly bothered me.
And The Stress Hits
It wasn’t until 2:00 pm when Pat mentioned he was planning on picking up Mom and Julie from the airport – but had no intention of going to Costco, which left me in a lurch – with none of the planned bakery items needed for Friday night’s dinner.
I went into panic mode. I had 3 crockpot dishes that could technically wait to be turned on until 3:30 pm – and the food was actually already in the pots and ready to be heated.
Still needing the bakery items, I grabbed the car keys and my purse and jumped in the car. The Costco is about 15 miles away which is annoying because in my head it could have been combined with the airport trip – but I didn’t have the energy or desire to argue about why he couldn’t make the stop.
There is another Costco in the back part of town that at this time of day may allow me to avoid traffic, so I made an on-the-fly decision to go to that store. The traffic was horrible, the roads were wet from rain, and the store, once I arrived, was bumper-to-bumper traffic. I kept telling myself to breathe slowly and that getting the bakery items was not the end of the world.
Company Will Be Here in 3 Hours
As I raced through the store I dodged shoppers browsing at a snail’s pace. I darted through the store grabbing the bakery items I needed and headed to the self-checkout. I think I was in Costco for less than 5 minutes in total. In, out, and back in the car headed home. As I drove home, I listened to a motivational podcast and tried to bump my mood back to a positive space.
I still had tables and chairs to arrange when I got home and I needed Pat’s help to move them from the office workspace to the big family room off the kitchen.
When I got home, Pat had tidied up rooms of the house, blew leaves off the back porch, and lined the indoor garbage cans with extra liners in the event we had to empty the trash while guests were there that night.
Flight Delay
Mom and Julie ended up getting bumped from their flight and re-routed through San Antonio TX to get to Charlotte. They would arrive five hours later than planned – which suddenly made it serendipitous that I went to Costco early. Had I waited, we wouldn’t have had the food needed for the party. The Costco would have been closed and I would have been frustrated without a backup plan.
Fun Food, Fun Times
The relatives arrived at about 6:30 pm and the house was perfect. All the household chores were done. The food looked spectacular and I’d had a shower, was dressed, in fresh makeup, and was perfectly calm when everyone arrived. Pat’s cousins arrived first and we spent a couple of hours eating and laughing.
I used the FlightStats app to silently track Mom and Julie’s flight and when it was 45 miles in range, I sneaked out the front door and drove to the airport to pick them up while Pat stayed with his cousins to finish dinner.
I Stayed Up Late Again
Once I arrived at the airport Mom and Julie were waiting for me. We chatted the entire drive back to the house and when they arrived the party was in high gear. Pat’s cousins stayed another couple of hours while the rest of us ate little bits of everything else on the buffet. And before you know it… it was 1:30 am.
We could have stayed up later, but I was running on fumes and eventually sent everyone home, and the rest of us went to bed.
Recommended Resources:
The Clutter Corner Podcast
The Sentimental Person’s Guide to Decluttering
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die
Decluttering Workbook: The Essential Guide to Organize and Declutter Your Home and Life With Exercises and Checklists
Daily Progress
* As Amazon Associates, we earn on qualifying purchases. Assume all links are affiliate links. We have sponsors to pay for all our productions.
