End of year gratitude

As it comes to the end of 2014, I'm feeling very grateful. I'm thankful that I had some real writing working and articles published this year: I'm further ahead in writing than I was last year. Having made some extra income from writing just before Christmas helped me to be less worried about the money we were spending on the holidays. Also, it meant that I got myself a new writing tool in the Boxing Day sales:

IPad Mini and Logitech keyboard

For Christmas my husband got me something that will help my productivity. Now I can make myself one little teapot and refill my cup once without having to make more tea.

Finally, I'm appreciative of finishing class and the worksheets I was writing so that I can now return to writing my own novel manuscript, which is almost finished. I feel very creative and the words are flowing well in the mornings at the moment. So I guess I'm also thankful that I don't have to go to work this week so that I can write for as long as I want.

Now I just need to think about goals and resolutions for 2015. Does anyone else know of writerly resolutions that I could appropriate?

The dangers of blogging

When I was talking to my mum the other day at Christmas, she said she'd been quite worried about my hip problems until I'd told her what was going on. She had read on here that it was bothering me. I guess because of the snippets of information I'd written she jumped to a far more serious conclusion about the source of the pain than I had. Similarly my grandmother recently mentioned that she'd read this blog and agreed with something I'd said. Therefore, I have to be aware that when I blog, people might actually be reading it. In my head I'm blogging 70% for myself and 30% with some unknown person somewhere in the world in mind. I don't generally try to be cryptic, but sometimes I'm writing to process things for myself and I don't have all the information yet, as in the case of my hip issues. Alternatively I withhold some details out of privacy for myself and my family; hence I don't use names or places in these posts. In the future I guess I'll try to be more aware of what I'm writing about. Since this blog is supposed to be about gratitude and enjoyment of life, I shouldn't be whinging about issues anyway, really.

And... I'm done!

Last night I went to bed with quite a sense of accomplishment. I finished and sent off the last few phonics worksheets. Then, right before closing the computer down, my husband helped me get an ABN (Australian Business Number). Now I can properly invoice people who I write and edit for. Suddenly this feels like a legitimate business rather than merely a pipe dream.

Mixed blessings

For the past week, and for the next week, I have work for a freelance writing project. I have been tasked with creating 40-odd phonics worksheets. When I accepted the job, I only saw the positive side. Now I'm noticing the negatives too (although they don't outweigh the positives).

Lessons from Kindergarten: sharing

When we were kids, we were encouraged to share our toys and supplies. This promoted caring, selflessness, diplomacy and other important skills. Now as adults it isn't so much about sharing material goods as it is about sharing personal information, which sometimes leads to vulnerability. This week I learned some valuable lessons about sharing.

Photo by Brittany Miller Martin
Click here for the license

First, because of differing definitions of personal privacy, sharing comes more naturally to some people. For instance, my colleague told me about a holiday she's taking and I got excited with her, but I didn't ask who she was going with. A few days later she excitedly told me about how her newish boyfriend is taking her on their first trip away together. I didn't ask because I figured she'd tell me anything she wanted to share. On the other hand, she often asks colleagues and students about matters I would deem personal and private. My colleague is very friendly and she shows she cares by asking people about their lives. So being private, shy or too discreet could seem uncaring.

The second lesson I learned is that, as adults, sharing personal experiences and issues has many of the same benefits as sharing toys did in Kindergarten. Telling my family in person (no status updates used) about needing surgery has allowed them to show their care and concern for me. It's helped us bond and strengthened our relationship.

I always thought that adults were stronger and better adjusted if they dealt with their problems themselves. I thought it was whiny or selfish if I told family and friends about my issues. I've realised that good sharing comes down to three things:

1. how you tell people – in person rather than mass status updates,
2. your motivation for telling them – sharing, being open and vulnerable, yes; wanting an outpouring of sympathy in response, no and
3. how often you share issues – too often and it becomes overwhelming and annoying for others, even if they love you.

Why does it take me so long to learn these valuable life lessons? Am I the only one who's a slow learner?

Wednesday wallow

It always surprises me how illness inevitably and thoroughly sends me back to a small-child mentality. My first thought after hearing I'd need surgery was, 'I want my mum!' Then I imagined being rocked and reassured by my husband (which he probably would have done had he not been away on business). Instead I had girly night and let myself wallow.

I found out that I need surgery to repair my hip. Until a week ago, it didn't even occur to me that it

might that serious. I figured some physio, rest and anti-inflamatories, and I'd be right. I don't like the idea of anaesthetic and post-op pain, but in the long-run that will be better than ongoing, untreated pain. My husband rightly pointed out that aside from six weeks on crutches, it will also likely mean no driving for that time. So I needed a night to throw out the diet and come to terms with my fear of surgery and the implications of recovery time. I drank a margarita (it would have been more than one if I hadn't run out of lime juice), had a Magnum ice cream bar for dessert and watched a cheesy, teen movie with the cat.

After wailing to my husband, I whinged to my mum. My mum pointed out that I won't be able to do housework either. Then today my boss said perhaps if I had a cleaner to help while I'm recovering, then we could not cancel the service once I was better. This could be an extra upshot to having surgery.

To share or not to share

The need to share is a strange phenomenon. It's a double-edged sword, fraught with over-sharing. I thought I might mention on Facebook that a silly pop song by a much maligned singer helped me get through my MRI. When I started feeling anxious about the noisy machine tearing me apart, the breezy, no-worries lyrics changed my focus and lightened my mood. I figured, give credit where credit is due even if it means publicly admitting to appreciating a song I will get teased about. A part of me thought maybe the singer's social media troll might tell her that her peppy, little song helped someone. Then I thought that if I mention getting an MRI it sounds serious and I'd have to go on to explain my hip issues. This led me to thinking about a particular Facebook friend who enigmatically shares so that others will ask what's wrong. Then they pour out virtual sympathy. I don't want to be the instigator of that. So after all this over-thinking, I haven't posted anything on Facebook, but I have created a blog entry. It still seems silly to have wasted all this mental toing and froing on a Sunday afternoon status update. I'm going to post this blog, then not think about it again.

What did we do before Facebook?

The best gift

The best gift is the one you give. Instead of wallowing in hip pain or whinging about not being able to exercise, I've decided to improve my karma. I'm giving my husband surprise tennis coaching this weekend. That way he can still play even though I won't be playing with him. He's been wanting coaching for a while and I'm not that fussed about my lack of skills. The added bonus is that he's not expecting a gift and it's not a special occasion. I reckon the best gifts are unexpected ones given willingly to loved ones.

Benefits of being an adult

Strange thoughts go bump in the night

 This could be my innovative blog format going forward – handwritten blogs (wriblog).

Double-Yay for accountants

I'm grateful for accountants, and not only because my husband is one. This morning I met with our tax accountant and we're getting some money back from our taxes this year. Then this evening my husband did the grocery shopping for me, then gave me a ride home from work.

Beautiful Book (& bike) Club

I'm very grateful tonight for good friends, engaging books and healthy exercise. Instead of our normal book club (dinner and wine with some discussion about the book), we added bikes to the mix this time. We met at a bike share hub, then we rode along the river, crossed over and went a further few kilometres to another bike hub. After stowing the bikes, we had delicious food with dismal service. The ride back to the bike hub near the train station was quite adventurous. We rode along the dark, less busy side of the river where we had to ride through sprinklers and along floating docks with no railings. The lights across the river on the still water were beautiful.

Biking book club along the river (cc license) 

Eau, what a scent

Perfume Bottle (cc license)

Singers and actors produce their own fragrances. Tennis players advertise manly, scented body washes. That got me thinking, what would the perfume of a teacher or a writer be? It would include the dusky aroma of pencil shavings, the tang of correction fluid and the sharp undertone of printer ink. Teachers would have the added aromas of washable paint and stale banana (from opening students' bananas at snack time). While a writer's fragrance would carry a whiff of envelope glue and the musty smell of unrequited creativity. If you're lucky enough to be a teacher and a writer, you can combine all these elements to get the scent of those who work at what they love regardless of the reward. It's not unlike the eau de motherhood.

Abundant Sunday

I am feeling so grateful and fulfilled tonight. I got almost everything on my weekend to-do list done. I survived a shopping trip in the city and successfully staved off a migraine. This afternoon we had friends over for a barbecue and everyone had fun. I ate lots of delicious food, then followed up with yoga before bed. I also finished my book, which is almost always a satisfying experience and feels appropriate for a Sunday night. All round I've grateful for fun friends, exceptional eating, invigorating yoga and all the other little blessings in my life like migraine medication, disposable income, health, computers and a warm, secure home.

The joys of editing

I was editing a magazine today and learned a new word. It's a beautiful little collection of letters and is almost onomatopoeic. I will have to find some story to use it in soon lest I forget it. It actually makes me excited about doing some writing tomorrow morning. Maybe I have stumbled across a new strategy for kickstarting writing.

 

The bizarre in the everyday

The final project for one of my writing classes requires us to each contribute to a zine. We agreed that the theme of the publication would be either the extraordinary or the bizarre. The first part will be about strange things we see in our everyday life; the second part will be about fantastical creatures. I need to write about 200 words for the first section. To this end I've been noting down unusual sights.
Over the last 24 hours I've seen:

• a dentist chair accompanied by an overhead light in the window of a normal looking block of apartments.
• a hasidic Jewish man riding a scooter down the sidewalk.
• a tea cup shaped fascinator in a store window.

I apologise for the poor quality;
I took it on the run.

The neglected sibling

Over the past week or so I've been devoting a lot more time and energy on my Twitter posts than I have been on these blogs. I've been spending time publishing a short story in snippets on Twitter (#shortstory or #thescarf). I initially did it to relieve the frustration of waiting for magazine articles I've written to be published. It accomplished that, but there were other unforeseen benefits. It's made me more sensitive to the impact of each sentence as a stand-alone unit. It's also made me more aware of the length and nuance of words. In some tweets I had to make sure I used shorter words that still carried an impact in order to stay within the 140 character limit. I'm also better at identifying superfluous words in sentences now. I think I will tweeterise another story soon.

Writerly angst

I'm feeling discouraged as a writer. It's frustrating waiting on editors to publish articles they commissioned and waiting on judges to deliberate on competition entries. I feel like I've put lots of writing and energy out there and I'm getting almost nothing in return. I can't say completely nothing because I did have some lovely comments from a friend who read my website for the first time, which is nice. However, it doesn't get me closer to being a proper, published, professional writer.
I know there were times in my early teaching career when I questioned my choice of profession and persistence to get through that initial unstable phase. At those times I had a series of strategies to help me stay the course. Now I need to come up with similar mechanisms for writing.
So I'm going to a weekend write-in with my writing group; I could browse through inspirational articles on my local writer's centre's website; maybe I'll talk to my writing group or class about my feelings – I wouldn't normally, but I'm trying to be less reserved. I could get a writing book out of the library to recharge my passion. I don't know whether I should write through these negative, self-doubting feelings. Should I keep writing until I find the wonderful, recuperating flow space that writing usually taps into or should I put aside writing for a while?
Since I'm not having a problem with not loving writing still or having writer's block, I'm not sure if the above strategies will change anything. I'm mostly struggling with the industry – the difficulty and slow pace of being published.
I've always found logical, natural consequences and motivations to be effective so maybe I should self-publish something just to feel like there's been progress.

Life Lesson

I learned a life lesson today which I want to share. If I share it I may remember it better and perhaps someone else won't make the same mistake that I did. The lesson: don't throw out loner socks, you never know when you might find its mate again. The single purple-toed sock floating around the drawer got so annoying I threw it out. A few months later and I've recovered the mysterious missing sock, but now I know it'll be forever mismatched.

Bah, humbug!

While doing the grocery shopping today I saw the first bits of Christmas candy on the shelves. I'm torn between knowing that it's far too early to start thinking about Christmas and my inherent love of the Christmas/New Year season. I don't get excited for the commercial side of the holidays – the presents and the high level of alcohol consumption. I do enjoy the get-togethers with friends and family. I love that it's usually the start of proper, hot summery weather. I definitely don't complain about a few weeks off work. That being said, I'm enjoying the start of spring right now and not thinking at all about holiday arrangements. I don't know who, if anyone, is buying holiday candy at this point, but there should be a rule that stores have to wait until at least November before they can start inundating us with useless, unhealthy holiday items.

New book = new friends

I started a new book today and it feels a little like I'm getting to know some new friends. It's nice to watch their good-natured bickering; there are hints at past adventures which I'm sure I'll hear about in time; and there is a sense that something interesting is going to happen. So partly I'm grateful for books, libraries, authors, literacy all those wonderful things that make reading possible. Also, I'm hopeful that my stories will elicit similar feelings in my readers.

My new calling

This weekend I became a farmer: a worm farmer. We bought a worm composting kit and set it up. I'm hoping it'll mean throwing out less fruit and veggie waste. Maybe we'll also generate some new, healthy soil for the garden. So far it's been two days and the worms are still alive. Luckily they're fairly low maintenance so I don't have to be out there tending to them on a very stormy, rainy day like today. Instead I'm inside drinking my tea.

Are you suffering for your art? Maybe you're doing it wrong.

I read an article yesterday about the benefits of writing. Apparently studies have shown that people who write, even in small snippets, heal faster. People also experience emotional well-being through writing. It doesn't matter the quantity, quality or genre. So that got me thinking: 1) Maybe that's why I'm so happy at the moment despite that my big goals (book published, migraine free etc.) are still pending. I write about 1000 words a day in addition to maintaining three blogs, a website and a twitter account. Perhaps it's paying off in well-being. And 2) if writing's supposed to be so good for you, maybe those serious authors, who struggle with their writing and feel miserable about it, just aren't doing it right. The benefits of writing, because it's a medium of self-expression and creativity, should apply to all of the arts. So I say: enjoy creating whichever art form suits you. If it's not enjoyable because you're forcing it or the bills are your taskmaster, then fix the problem and get back to creating for enjoyment's sake.

Happiness

I realised the other day that I'm very happy with my life at the moment. The only blip is when I have a migraine, but those are pretty much under control right now. I don't know the trigger of all this happiness. It could be because it's spring and the weather is getting nicer. It could be because I'm not stressed about my job or how writing is going. Part of it has to be that every time Friday comes along, I'm excited for the weekend – not because I'm so exhausted that I can't work for another day without a break and need to spend at least half the weekend recovering, as in my previous job. The weekends are not all that different from weeks days: I write, do a little house work, get some groceries, meet up with friends, maybe watch a movie in the evening. The only weekday difference is that at some point I have to go to work, which I don't mind, it's just that it's a time-spcific component whereas everything else I do when I please. Maybe I feel good because I've been doing yoga in the evening for the last few nights and have been sleeping better. Perhaps the salads I'm making and sharing Trying to describe happiness is really hard. I don't think this really captures my feeling or what's triggering it.

One strange day

If I look at each thing I did today, I could make three perfectly interesting days. This morning started with the plank pose as another winter chubbiness fighting strategy. I had intended ages ago to start every morning with the plank pose, but that didn't happen. On the way to work it was hot and sunny, then when I went for a walk mid-afternoon it was grey, stormy-looking and humid. When I left work it was raining and cooler. I met two friends for dinner and we went to an Italian place where you order pasta and salad and drinks each at their own bar and pay with a card that puts it all on your tab, which you settle at the end. We had to wait at the bar for our food to be cooked to order in front of us. We agreed that it was a unique and potentially useful set-up in the right circumstances, but what we really wanted was to be served dinner properly.

Cropped image from Tony Alter

On my way home after dinner I saw a busker dressed up a Mario, playing the Mario Brothers theme song on an electric guitar. Since I ate so much gnocchi for dinner, then raspberry chocolate mousse and hot chocolate for dessert, I made myself do yoga before getting into bed. I feel quite proud of the amount of self-imposed exercise I've done today. We'll see if I can keep up the plank in the morning, yoga at night habit. For now, I know I'll sleep well tonight and probably have strange dreams of giant cartoon characters roaming the city streets.

Spring things

We've had several beautiful spring days. These days are motivating me to get outside, stay in bed for less time in the mornings and eat lots of fresh veggies. Today, I'm sore and tired from a restless sleep last night caused by back and hip pain. Even so, I'm still thinking about riding to work because it's another warm, sunny morning. Yesterday I went for a walk on my lunch break and it was hard to go back to the office afterwards. On Sunday I started a new blog called These Girls' Greens. It's a place to track the salads that my co-worker and I are making (for more background information see the Salad Sisters post from last week). I love spring because it's a harbinger of finer weather to come. Also, the changed mood and energy levels it brings means lots of new things are started, which is exciting.

Rewarding rewording

In writing class this morning, we workshopped a chapter from each person's novel. That took an hour and a half. Once at work, I had an appointment with a student to check half of his final thesis that needed to be rewritten due to quotation and citation errors. That took almost three hours, with a short break in the middle. Finally, an unscheduled student came in and asked me to look at her thesis before she handed it in. That brief structural edit took half an hour. By the time I got home, my brain was off, and my eyes felt sore and probably crossed. It was all I could do to feed myself and stumble into bed (after typing this, of course). I'll sleep well tonight after such an exhausting, yet rewarding, day.

That time of year again

Last night I went to the first of three recitals for our Music students. At this time, near the end of each term, they each play a set at a local bar. The librarian and I always try to go, at least for a little while, to support the students. Yesterday in the library there had been a palpable stress in the air. Students were snapping at each other; some cried; others sat at their computers, heads down, for hours and hours. Final exam/project/thesis time always feels like this, but it's also always accompanied by the release of going to a gig and having a drink with colleagues while cheering on the students' efforts. One of last night's set lists exemplified the uniqueness of these recitals. It started with a Rage Against the Machine cover, then James Brown's Please, Please, Please, next was Stone Temple Pilots, finally a full-on death metal song. After all that throat-cringing screaming into the microphone, the librarian and I decided it was time to go.

The silver lining

Today I found out the silver lining of having gained weight. We went to donate blood and I was able to give 30mL more than previously because the volume is calculated on body weight. This doesn't mean that I want to stay at this weight. Toward that end, I've just finished making the first salad for myself and my co-worker for lunch tomorrow. I made it much more interesting than I possibly would have it if it was just for me. And it's definitely healthier than what I would have grabbed from the cupboard as I left the house for work.




Salad ingredients (in case you want to make your own):

• spinach
• carrot
• cucumber
• capsicum (green)
• spring onions
• basil leaves
• smoked salmon

Salad sisters

I've come up with a way to eat more healthily and hopefully lose a little weight. My co-worker and I are going to eat salads for lunch during the week. To help keep each other honest, we're going to take turns making the day's portion of salad for both of us. That way I won't get bored with the same old salads that I always make and two days a week I won't even have to make lunch. I'm optimistic that this will make salads a more interesting and varied lunch option and help us stick to our plan better. (To see why I need to take these measures, read The Migraine Game blog.)

Noises in the night

Last night there was a massive wind storm. As I lay in bed, not sleeping, I listened to the many strange sounds. The wind blew like rumbling thunder; the front gate swung, sounding like a cello; and the intermittent rain was like gnomes stampeding across the roof. Eventually I fell back to sleep, but my dreams were still dramatic and disjointed. So the noise of the storm was the cause of and entertainment during a sleepless night.

The glory of Spring

We went for a drive, walk and lunch in the country today. It was beautifully sunny and clear; the air was fragrant with blossoms; and many birds and bugs were busy in the trees. On our way, we came across a little park with some old gold mining relics and a large labyrinth. I love labyrinths so I wound my way around it as my husband wandered around. We then had a nice amble beside a creek, and after lunch walked in a small town's pretty botanic gardens. Now it's a quiet night feeling pleasantly tired from the fresh air.

Being the teacher I want to be (+1/100)

There is a lot of drama at work at the moment. It's partly because it's the end of term and students are feeling stressed. It seems like more and more students are dropping out or coming to the department heads and me, in student support. We have students with serious mental illnesses, drug addiction and financial issues, as well as ongoing personal or family crises. I'm pretty good at not thinking about work once I get home (this has taken me a long time to learn). What's bothering me now is it's so hard to maintain my levels of care, optimism and empathy in the face of the onslaught of needy students. Each one deserves a sympathetic and accepting ear when they come to student services, but I'm feeling cynical and drained.

Tonight on the ride home I went the long way, going through the park and stopping to look at the sun setting on the water. This helped calm me down, remember that the students' drama is not world-changing and see the beauty in my city.

How do you, if you work in a 'caring' profession, find the balance?

Gaining perspective from the cat (100/100)

Today I'm grateful for my cat who makes me laugh. Several people were rude in the elevatory this morning and also after class on my way to work. I managed to get over it by thinking about my cat sitting in the bath after my shower and playing with the leftover puddles. It worked, otherwise this post would have been called 'Rudeness begets rudeness'. Later when students riddled me with excuses about late assignments, I thought about the cat climbing onto me this morning and pausing the meditation timer I had on my phone. Thankfully I can count on her to be friendly, affectionate and excuse-less when I get home at night.

It's not really day 100/100 because, by my count, I've missed about four days along the way so I will keep posting daily for a few more days. After that I'm going to try to blog more regularly than I was before the 100 days because I've proven to myself that I can keep up this level of posting.

The new folder (99/100)

I have a very organised email system. Everything has a folder, including writing submission rejections. Now that I've had a pitch accepted, I'm going to need a new folder: 'acceptance', 'commissions' or maybe just 'yippee!'

The joy of cooking (98/100)

Last night when I was at book club we got to talking about food and cooking. One girl said she didn't like cooking very much. She felt bored with all the chopping and just couldn't be bothered. I wondered if I should chime in with some of the others who said they also weren't keen on cooking. Thinking about it, I realised I do like cooking. I particularly like it when I'm not rushed and know that what I'm preparing is going to taste good. For instance, this afternoon I prepared the ingredients for tonight's dinner of a warm salad with spicy sausage.

I enjoyed the quiet in the kitchen. I noticed the texture of each vegetable that I chopped. I smelled the corn cobs as they softened in the boiling water. Now I'm looking forward to dinner in a few hours and wishing that I could make every chore as mindful and rewarding as making dinner.

97/100 – Twitter post from a Writer's Festival workshop.

The terror of an acceptance (96/100)

Yesterday I pitched two ideas for articles to a magazine. One I had written up a few versions; the other I hadn't written anything yet. I included it because I figured two ideas was better than one. That turns out to be true because the editor liked only my second idea. I was struck momentarily with excitement: I finally submitted something that was not rejected! But I think I've got used to rejection because my next thought was oh shit! My terror was based on a spiral of self-doubting statements: what if I don't write what she wants? What if I can't get it together within the timeframe? What if it's not right for the magazine after all? What if I completely forget how to string words together and collapse into an incoherent mess for the next two weeks? I managed to calm down after making some notes of story ideas, deciding on a direction for the article, as well as some serious meditation. Now I'm off the roller-coaster of anxiety and able to hopefully write an engaging and relevant article over the weekend.

Has anyone else experienced a negative emotional response to a positive event?

Rum and ridiculous TV (95/100)

Tonight my husband is out at a work function. I've spent a very enjoyable night getting accidentally drunk on an invented cocktail (it may exist somewhere, but I didn't know about it so it still counts as invention, like those societies who separately invented the wheel). While I sipped, I watched a silly, girly TV show. It occurred to me that girls like this show because it's not normal to go on elaborate, professionally produced dates and we'd all like to be wooed. I'm declaring this a self-date night.

94/100 – Posted on The Migraine Game about migraine warning signs.

The power of novelty (93/100)

I have been meditating almost every morning for the past three weeks. I didn't write about it because I've found that writing about my good intentions often jinxes me and I don't continue with the beneficial exercise – but that's another issue. Last week, during some of my meditations I found myself anticipating or reciting the guiding instructions, finding them boring. Then this morning I felt frustrated with the predictable vocal interruptions. I've obviously been using the same app for too long. So when I finished this morning's session, I downloaded two new guided meditations. Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow's session when I get to try one of them out.

Similarly, my blog writing has been rejuvenated by novelty. I am currently writing these blog posts by hand at some point during the day. This is better than composing them on the computer right before bed. I do it when I'm motivated, not necessarily in front of my computer, so it doesn't feel like a chore. Also, the act of writing and editing by hand accesses a different flow of thoughts and words.

Have you noticed any difference in the posts from the last week or two?

Being a responsible adult (92/100)

Often I don't feel like a grown-up. Although I usually act calm and responsible, underneath there is often a feeling of awe or being out of my depth. I'm regularly amazed that life just ticks along seemingly of its own accord. It still surprises (and delights) me that I get to pick what I have for dinner – it could be ice cream before spaghetti bolognese covered in cheese, it that's what I felt like. No one stops me if I want to go shopping or play tennis on the weekend instead of doing laundry and washing the floors. Today my husband and I were very mature and pragmatic: we saw a lawyer to get a real, legal will made.

What silly thing I should do tonight to remind myself not to take life too seriously?

91/100 – On Twitter – The only time I didn't have a headache today was when I was writing (and I got ~1000 words/hour done). Me thinks it's a sign.

Matter over mind (90/100)

Today I worked at my school's open day. It was interesting and rewarding meeting hundreds of perspective students and their parents – directing them where to go, touring them around the campus, explaining our programs. It meant that I came home exhausted, though. So although I mentally wanted to go out and be sociable, find something interesting and stimulating to do, I was too sore. Instead we had a quiet night at home.

I'm grateful for a place where I can have a relaxing recharge after a big day, but my mind is still imagining all the exciting things to do beyond our doorstep.

Rediscovering an old favourite (89/100)

Tonight we watched favourite movie that I've been feeling like watching for the last several days. I dug through our storage closet and unearthed an old DVD version. Unfortunately it was from another country and wouldn't play in our DVD player. Then we looked on iTunes, but it wasn't there. Finally, I remembered that friends had given us a copy just before they moved back to the USA. Since I've seen the movie so many times but not in recent years, I had the double pleasure of not remembering what happened at the climax while also knowing when my favourite scenes were coming up.

When was the last time you watched your favourite movie?

88/100 – A blog post on The Migraine Game about anxiety.

The benefits of turning off the TV (87/100)

Since it's Winter it easier to get cozy and lethargic, spending hours in front of the TV, which is in the only properly heated room in our house. Those times I feel mind-numbed and slothful when I finally turn it off and go to bed. Tonight, we turned off the TV an hour before bed. The benefits of that were: cleaning up the kitchen before climbing into bed and wishing we'd done it before; having enough time and energy to read or do other things in bed before falling asleep; and feeling productive and stimulated by the evenings entertainment rather than dulled by it. I need to not get sucked into mindless TV, but it's easy and energy-dampening, and

therefore self-perpetuating. Now I'm going to implement a screen time curfew, and put this computer away.

86/100 – Posted on the Migraine Game