It's bizarre how time seems to stand painfully still while simultaneously hurtling forward at alarming speeds. I feel as though I've been marking an X on the same day for months now, yet, somehow October has already come and gone. Tomorrow is my firey big sister's birthday, a few days later the goblins come knocking and that can only mean that my birthday is just around the corner. How'd that happen?
I've been so preoccupied with sorting out my finances and working my way towards Canadian soil that the year has passed almost unnoticed. I suppose it's better that way. I do my best to stay busy so that I'll forget to be impatient. Sometimes though, I feel like those last few months are stretching themselves into years just to spite me. No matter how hard I try to ignore the calendar's taunts...there are days when I lose the battle. Today was one of those. Ya know...a 'grumpy for no reason' kind of day.
I'm tired. My Monday morning drive back to Seattle has become a terrible chore. I loathe dragging myself out of that warm, cozy bed at 4am, leaving Patrick in a comfortable slumber to climb into a cold, foggy car and traverse the dark, deserted streets of Vancouver. And now I have the added elements that winter brings. Heavy rain on the freeway at 4:30am is nowhere near the top of my list of favorites. Nor is the awful traffic that is simply unavoidable once I hit Everett. It's that last 35 mile stretch that really kills me. Somehow...I manage to survive. But I can't pretend that it's not wearing on me. I know...I do it to myself. I have the option to simply not go. But it's not just about seeing Patrick anymore. I have friends in Van, and...I need the break from Seattle. That's the trouble with living where I work, Friday rolls around and I desperately need a change of scenery.
Yesterday was particularly brutal. I arrived in Seattle at 7:15am and was immediately asked if I could walk the neighbor's dog. She's got two boys, an infant and a toddler, and her husband is out of town, making things quite complicated for her. Of course, I said yes. So I walked Lucy yesterday morning and was then asked if I could watch the boys last night. Again...how could I say no? Holly worked late yesterday, arriving home at 7:30, just in time for me to walk Lucy again and settle in with Sam & Oliver by 8pm. I didn't get to bed until nearly 11pm. Considering my 4am rising...I'm not entirely sure how I managed. I think it effected my mood today. Ironically...I walked Lucy AND watched the boys AGAIN tonight, immediately after Holly got home. Suddenly my childcare services seem like a hot commodity! Just call me Super Nanny! Super Nanny with a migraine...
Alright...enough whining. But what's a blog for if not to vent? Regardless of my aforementioned frustrations, I am thankful for the additional work. I need every extra penny I can pinch. I've done the numbers and I should have JUST enough to pay off my car before I move to Van January 15th. Let's just hope nothing drastic happens before then!
Also...as a personal warning to everyone I know, CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT. I recently discovered that some *@#hole had been using my SSN and name to open accounts. I am dealing with it, correcting everything and doing my best to fix all that they screwed up, but it's not my idea of a good time. Proving that I AM me and that some faceless someone is NOT is an entirely new kind of challenge. Plenty of red tape and loads of frustration. Not to mention how violated I feel. It really is a gross feeling. I did get a good chuckle however, when I discovered that, among others, 'I' had attempted to open an account at Casual Mens Big & Tall! Imagine that...Little 'ol me needing to shop at a place by that name! I don't suppose they require measurements when awarding someone credit over the internet, now do they? Nor do the Credit Bureaus list physical attributes. Perhaps they should...
Happy Halloween!...And a very Happy Birthday, Mirm!!...Next time I write, I'll be 29...