life

At least in part.

I went to bed at an almost reasonable time, set my alarm, got up earlier and did ten minutes of easy yoga for the first time in weeks. And opened the manuscript. It is slow going but at least there is progress again.

I finished knitting the mittens for my aunt and then forgot to wrap them up and mail the package all day.

My list for the day was not the best, I forgot the package and had planned to walk to the health food store and go for a walk in the woods and that would have been a bit too much.

So the health food store it was, and then another one because there were a couple of things I couldn’t get and back home for lunch:

Husband and I spent a big chunk of the morning talking as well.

In the afternoon I had big plans, I even set a timer for playing my video game and then ended up playing the whole afternoon. I should swap things around and leave the video game for last because otherwise I don’t get much done.

I’m still happy that I didn’t feel paralyzed. I also managed to vacuum the old part of the house. My husband did the toilets and the annex so we’re calling it good for now.

I read and played and talked briefly with the boy and in between ate a bag of potato chips for dinner. It’s interesting, I bought a different brand this time and that one seems to bother my stomach way less than the others. Good to know. Still something I shouldn’t eat too often.

I then started writing this post, made a list for today, did not do the dishes but instead wrapped and mailed the Christmas presents, phew.

Today I want to get all the things done, wish me luck.

And that after turning the lights out way, way too late.

I wrote morning pages and meditated and did not do yoga because that would have meant getting up earlier. My brain was mostly mush all day and I was slow with everything and late all through the day.

I called my mother on the phone and tried talking about all the different things that happened all week. I also prepared her for the fact that her Christmas present probably won’t be on time because my aunt’s mittens are not finished yet.

My husband had plans to make pizza from scratch and not only that, he also decided to try making pizza in the wood stove. Sorry, I did not take a picture of that one, let’s just mention that we were very, very happy that we had made most of the pizza in the regular oven:

Using the pizza stone had made the wood stove pizza bubble up nicely but also the top had not quite gotten hot enough. In contrast the bottom had definitely gotten hot enough, or rather way too hot, we had to scratch some coal off the stone later and we all declared that experiment a failure.

After that I sat around and read for a bit and then I played Genshin, ate dinner, did the dishes in a hurry (and had to let the plates air-dry because I ran out of time) because it was time for my monthly coaching session. This time I mostly brought epiphanies I had had that morning and the reason why I didn’t really get anything done this month.

Everything will get done eventually, I guess, and life happens.

After that I started writing this post, finally planned the week, made a list for today and went to bed somewhat earlier, phew.

But since I don’t have a lot of time to write this – again – I’ll try to keep it short.

First day of Christmas break started pretty well. After breakfast I finished the first mitten:

I even weighed it and the yarn that’s left should be enough. I started the second mitten and that made me too late for everything that came after.

There was lunch:

I helped to make salad.

I read, I ate sweets, I played Genshin, I folded laundry and then it was time for the weekly writer Zoom. Which was very nice. And because it was so nice I then stayed a little late and was too late for watching ‚Columbo‘ with the rest f the family.

The story was great but the science behind it somewhat flawed.

There was dinner during the watching, then I fell into an internet rabbit hole and stayed up past 1 o’clock.

Oops.

I guess today will be interesting.

Or rather the smoke alarm but I’m getting ahead of myself.

I had gone to bed at an almost reasonable time and then woke up an hour early with no chance of falling back asleep. My sleep tracking app said my readiness for the day was „rest“.

I thought that was a bit exaggerated but, well. Husband and I had a really unnecessary argument over breakfast, so no fun there.

The boy hadn’t been sure if he needed to go to uni and had set himself an early alarm. Turned out no, that lab thing will be on Monday.

My original plan had been to clean but it was pretty clear I did not have th energy for it and should conserve what little I had for an afternoon of teaching.

My husband made rice and dal for lunch:

I only had a short break afterwards before I needed to start work. Teaching went well but both the students and I were a little wrung out.

In between I got a voicemail that my glasses were ready. There was just enough time after my last student to walk over and pick them up. So I got ready, put an empty glasses case in my purse, found my gloves, earbuds and phone and just as I was about to leave the house my husband showed up to say that he thought I had been right in the morning. Which was nice.

Only, when I arrived at the optician’s I found that I had left my purse at home. No money, no case for my glasses and no house key, oops.

The optician was nice enough to give me my new glasses and contact lenses with just an invoice, so that was good. I got my new glasses adjusted. Left the shop, crossed the street and realized the glasses were pinching my ears. So I turned around again. Had my glasses adjusted again. And again. Thought them good enough and went back home.

My husband was very surprised when someone rang the doorbell at that time and then told me all about how a) exhausted he was and b) the rest of the family had jumped him while he was doing the dishes as a nice surprise for me. My mother-in-law apparently had decided that her package to her sister-in-law had to go out tomorrow morning and that we should be including a gift and/or card. Something we have never done before.

Husband was confused and on the defensive. The poor boy had to be the messenger and also was miffed because his grandmother expected him to draw a Christmas card right there and then. Ahem. That’s not how this works.

All of that while I found that the glasses were still not sitting right, I need to go back another day. Harumph.

I was super exhausted at that point and regretted leaving the house.

I finally sat down for dinner, fending off my husband’s offer to help. No I did not want that bread, and thanks for putting the butter on the table but I don’t want any.

I sat down with my crisp bread and brie, just about to cut the cheese when my mother-in-law knocked on the door. Could I help her put together her meat grinder?

I totally lost it and exploded in her face. I was so hungry and exhausted and hadn’t had a second of quiet and solitude since after lunch. And why was she making cookies at 7 pm anyway? (She was making German Spritz Cookies. You use a meat grinder with an attachment that gives the cookies their shape.)

She got angry as well (and rightfully so) and said, well, I could also eat dinner first and then come upstairs in ten or fifteen minutes. But I wanted to have a leisurely dinner in peace and be done for the day.

So I apologized and went upstairs to put the meat grinder together. (My first time ever.)

Then I went downstairs to eat and read. I also talked with the boy briefly. I ate some chocolate. I opened my iPad to play some Genshin when the smoke alarm upstairs was going all bonkers. So I rushed upstairs again where, apparently, something had gone wrong with the cookies.

My poor mother-in-law (and poor cookies). They were burnt all black and crisp and not only was one smoke alarm going off, there were three. We opened all the windows and the door to the stairwell and the smoke alarm there went off as well. 

Until I put the cookie sheet outside and we also opened the outside door downstairs. Every single cookie was burned beyond recognition. Apparently, she is not in the habit of setting a timer for something like baking very thin and small cookies but she thought since she was standing right next to the oven, washing up, she wouldn’t miss the right time to pull the cookies out.

Ouch.

The poor thing is very stressed. She is becoming more and more forgetful anyway but Christmas preparations are not doing her any favors.

The boy had come downstairs as well, wearing his mask, and I later learned that my husband had heard the alarm as well but then also had heard me galloping up the stairs so he knew he wasn’t needed.

My husband and I talked some more after that, opening all the windows and some doors in our apartment as well because we could smell the smoke there as well.

And then we went into the basement to check the fire extinguisher because we might need it one of these days.

Well. The date it was last checked was some time in the last century so I guess that one might not be that reliable anymore. Also, I really have no idea how to use it which would be helpful in an emergency. And I think that maybe we should get a new one?

Anyway. I then finally played some Genshin, started writing this post, gave my Chinese app a brief sideways glance and declared it enough for the day.

But hey, this is the start of two weeks of Christmas break. Woot.

Also covid-negative as of yesterday, yay!

I’m a bit short on time again but yesterday I:

• Talked with my mother-in-law about the bratwurst order for Christmas and sorted out some discrepancies
• Asked my husband to help me get a Christmas tree (which he definitely didn’t like but did anyway)
• Wrote all the messages to all the people
• Walked to the nearby supermarket only to find that they were out of Christmas trees
• Ordered all the special bratwurst
• Walked back home again
• Hitched the bike trailer to my bike and went off to the garden center
• Had a debate with my husband beforehand because he thought the trailer would be too small for a tree

Lo and behold:

• Biked to the big supermarket and crossed my fingers that no one would steal the bike trailer or the Christmas tree while I was inside
• Loaded both panniers, my backpack and the front basket to the brim and biked back home
• Spent 15 minutes unpacking everything
• Had a delicious lunch:

(Sorry, I forgot to take a picture first so this is what my plate looked like after a bite or two.)

• Took a shower and finished hanging up the laundry that my husband started
• Taught all afternoon
• Ate dinner and too many gummy bears and almonds and licorice
• Played Genshin while waiting for the boy to finish his shower
• Talked with the boy while doing the dishes
• Started writing this post, made a list for today, did a bit of Chinese and almost went to bed at a reasonable time

One more teaching day before Christmas break.

But we didn’t really celebrate all that much because we’re still waiting for covid to go away.

My own test was so faintly positive again that I had another moment of thinking it was negative. My husband continues to test negative throughout. Yes, we are waiting for the, um, third show to drop.

I did get enough sleep but the only way that happens at the moment is by sleeping longer in the mornings and that won’t do once I’m back to writing and yoga in the morning. We’ll see how that goes.

We did start the day with cake, of course, but I forgot to take a picture. Somehow we did not quite eat breakfast at the same time but we were in the kitchen together so I guess that counts.

The plan was to take a shower and work on publishing stuff but that didn’t quite happen.

There was takeout for lunch:

When I went to pick up our food (masked, of course) the restaurant owner went out to the terrace just as I was paying. Very strange. And then she came back with a box that contained a plastic lunchbox, soup container, spoon and fork.

It was a gift because we always ask for reusable containers.

I think most people don’t think of it but there was a law a while back that all takeout had to have the option for reusable containers and ever since we have been asking for those. Which also means we had to pay a deposit for each container and have to think about washing those and then taking them back the next time.

Anyways. We have a new lunchbox now.

My original plan had been to take a shower before picking up the food but then I decided against it because I didn’t want to go outside with wet hair. And then there was not quite enough time to take that shower between lunch and my first student but no problem, right? Because I had another break after the first student.

First student had her first online lesson because her mother didn’t want to take a risk. Mostly because they want to travel to South Africa over Christmas break. Alright with me.

Somehow time got away from me after that (again) and then, while I was sitting in the kitchen enjoying some more cake, my husband showed up to say that my next student was 15 minutes early. I was still wearing sweats at this point, oops.

So that student was taught and the other two as well. One of those was the first student all week to also wear a mask. I highly approve.

And after that I ate dinner, played lots of Genshin which was very frustrating because I upped my world level and now my characters are too weak again for everything and that was that.

I did my usual evening routine (but managed to not stay up until midnight, yeah!) and incorporated all the changes to today’s plan into my daily list.

Speaking of lists, I started reading Sarah Hart-Unger’s new book „Best Laid Plans“, I can already tell that I’ll enjoy that one.