I bought myself good food at the grocery store.

I binged-watched recent videos by the top ten all-female heavy metal bands.

New haircut and some chocolate.

Lots of Weekend Woo-Woo
 

I cheered on a colleague who is transferring to an satellite campus down in Texas, made an manicure appt for this Saturday (love getting gels on top of my natural nails) and then Sunday, it's Girl's Night Out, which we'll be staying in to watch the HBO premier of the Monterey 5 and the debut of Meryl Streep, on the second season of Big Little Lies.

For me
 

I decided to give myself tommow off. Yay!

Got myself a mammogram.

:bow:

Snuck up bfore my Sir was even stirring. Had about 2 hrs of uninterrupted silence. It was welcomed serenity episode in a hectic !ife. The puss cats were about, but you know how quiet they can be. My puss jumped on my lap and quickly settled not moving. The upstairs neighbors weren't walking heavily and dropping no stuff on the floor.

Didn't have the usual smooth jazz on. The darn power saving had cut it off. Dislike the auto turn off. It cuts off while we sleep. We try to keep it on pretty much 24/7.



O






I'm

I went for walks on my intermittent breaks at work today, just to wander and roam around the campus, and memorize how beautiful the trees are right now.

Shades of deep yellows and oranges and crimson reds... when the sunlight filters through the leaves of trees, it's breathtaking and it fills me with awe and helps me to feel connected to life in deeper, meaningful ways.

For me.
 

I stopped what I had in mind to do and watched one of my all time fav. movies I haven't seen since it first came out. "Lady Sings the Blues". Ms Ross and her fabulous voice and acting are so above some of the "stars" of today. Billie Holiday would have been proud for having Ms. Ross portray her in this moving biographic type movie. Won for best actress in this movie, and well deserved.

Bought minature candy bars for the trick or treaters. :eatinghersheybar:

Dinner
 

A fun night out.

Forced myself to go to therapy and spent time with a dear friend.

Yesterday I took a mental-health day—those are days when I do whatever I want to do.

I got a mani-pedi, did all my laundry, changed linen, watched TV and just did the things I wanted to do.

I needed a break from work and I am better today for focusing on myself yesterday.

:pursebee:

For me
 

I requested the day off work next week for my birthday.
Yay! Sleep in and eat lobster.

:cowboy:

I made a decision that henceforth, I will not:

1. Give advice, unless asked. No advising about work/school/someone else's relationship/no nothing. Day 1: no one asked my advice.

2. Remind another adult about their business. That means nothing along the lines of "Did you cash your check?"/"Did you call (whoever) back?"/"Did you make the reservations?". Day 1: I thought I would turn purple from holding back my reminding, but I made it, I think, pretty well. I need to trust that adults don't need my "Mommying". I've been fired from that job, remember?

3. Butt in and control someone else. For example, I went to David's Burgers with a friend for lunch yesterday (right after my counseling appointment in which we discussed my controlling!). You get a little tag with a number on it to put into a holder on your table so the server can bring your order. Out of habit, I said "Put the tag in the holder". Mommy alert!

I'm going to have to trust that another adult has been around those little tags and knows what to do, without my input.

I feel like I've barely said two words all day, because I was monitoring what I was about to say for any reminding, controlling, or advising. But I feel a weight of "hyperalertness" dropping off that I carried around, watching for any situation I had to control and make sure everything was going my way and everyone was doing things my way, with no surprises (the reasons for that I suspect are very deep and painful to root out, but good work nevertheless).

Which, of course, frees up a great deal of energy to work on the only thing I ultimately control-myself and my life. I got to put off dealing with myself when I muscled in on everyone else's lives.

Sorry I wrote an essay :).

I now have a standing weekly manicure and monthly pedicures. I don't care if no one else sees my green glittery toenail polish, I know it's there and I feel dangerous ;).

Date tonight..Cream, Irish Fishermen's knit sweater (Mid-thigh length), cashmere scarf over shoulders, Loden green leggings, black-green boots, Gold French curve chain link bracelet..just eyeliner and black raspberry lipgloss..I hope She likes

listening to: