Interrupted

My Life Thus Far
2015-10-02 07:34:18 (UTC)

Drawn To A Place I'd Never Been

I had every opportunity to write early, go to bed early, and get a full 8 hours sleep. But we all know that's not how I operate. I need to be up by 7:30am. I hate mornings, and no matter what I try to do to change that, nothing works. I think it's encoded in my DNA to hate getting up early. And even when I know I have to get up early, I can't will myself to fall asleep any sooner. I suppose tomorrow (today actually, it's after midnight) will just have to be run on willpower. For reals though, but I'll get into that later...

I had a really lovely day. Nothing too spectacular happened, it was just a great day. The weather was nice. Sunny, and warm for a Fall day in Washington. I slept in, then got dressed and picked Annie up from school. We spent the afternoon looking for a Homecoming dress for her. She's going to her boyfriend's Homecoming dance (he goes to a different school) next week, and we need to find her a dress. We didn't find one today, but we're taking another little hooky field trip to Westlake Center in Seattle for a better selection on Monday.

We got home in time to see the little ones off the bus, and soon after that, Snookums came home from his first day at his externship. He's getting closer and closer to finishing his degree! Since it was such lovely weather, the kids wanted to go up to Fort Worden to play in the bunkers. It's my "happy place", where I often go for peace and solitude, but since I've been feeling like I need more time with the kids than I've been getting lately, I was totally okay sharing my private place with them. I don't know what it is about Fort Worden, but I'm drawn there. I have been since the first time I drove through the gates. Actually, probably since the first time I saw An Officer and a Gentleman, but I didn't even know it was filmed there at the time. I just remember always wondering where that place was. I made the connection the second I saw the grounds. Weird, how life works. Drawn to a place I'd never been, then hooked for reasons I don't understand.

There's a Thai restaurant in Port Townsend that I often order takeout from (and eat on the beach, or bring home), but I've never stayed to eat in their dining room. It's an adorable little gem, tucked away in one of the small history buildings downtown. They offer several vegan options, and have lots more options that are easy to modify. So, I love going there. Tonight, we went out to dinner as a family. We don't normally do that, simply because of cost. But, Thai is served family style, so it works well for us (the kids and I share dishes). I had something new I've never had before, but I'll definitely have again. Tom Jued soup, which is a clear vegetable broth with glass noodles (bean vermicelli), tofu, green onion, mushrooms, Thai basil, and Napa cabbage. It was so light and flavorful, but satisfying too. I wonder if I could make it as successfully at home? Probably not. I'm still trying to perfect pho, and I can't quite get it.

On our way home from dinner we encountered a terrible accident at the interchange where Highway 20 meets 104. There must have been 6 fire trucks, 3 ambulances, and who knows how many police cars. It was bad. All I could see was a destroyed F150, and a Toyota sedan that had the front end and passenger side imploded. I hope all involved were okay, but it didn't look promising. Anyhow, a few moments before we reached the accident, Snookums had crossed the center line, running over the rumble strips, which scared all of us. I assume he was tired and drifted out of his lane. I offered to drive, but he said no. I can't think of a time where I've felt more helpless. I really wanted him to pull over, but he insisted he was fine. Then we reached the accident and I knew there was no way he was going to fall asleep then. It was so awful. From that point, it was only about 10 more minutes until we reached home. The entire way I told him exactly how I feel about him driving tired, and how I'm scared for his well-being when I'm not in the car. He's got a lot going on right now, and I know he doesn't always get enough sleep. I don't want it to be us or him ending up in an accident. Who knows what caused the accident we saw tonight, but I know drifting into oncoming traffic isn't a great way to stay safe. I hope I got through to him.

Now back to why tomorrow (later today) will be run on willpower. Today is World Day for Farmed Animals. In solidarity with all the animals that are starved and denied water on their way to slaughter (which can be anywhere from 24 hours to 3 or more days. Many animals die in the process), vegans of the world will be fasting for 24 hours in honor of the animals. I can say it here, because I know there isn't anyone (anyone being other vegans) to judge me, but I really am having a hard time understanding what the point of fasting is. How is it helping the animals any more than eating a vegan diet? Is it more of a statement for other people to see? If so, I don't really know if it will resonate. Whatever the reason, I'm up for a challenge. I read somewhere that intermittent fasting is good for you. Let's see what my hypoglycemia thinks of that. I know I can do 12 hours easily, but 24 will be a challenge. I have a Facebook friend who just finished a 21 day juice fast, and each day she posted her selfies with her juice cocktails, I thought she was a raging lunatic. I'm working on my judgment of others, so I never said it. But I definitely thought it. One day of fasting isn't nearly that extreme. I'm sure I'll do fine. I went 3 days with nothing but clear fluids for my colonoscopy prep. No big deal.

I'm teaching bra certification at Southcenter, which is why I need to be up early. It's a 90 minute drive, just outside Seattle proper. While part of my brain feels like I should be nervous, I'm just not. I know I'll do fine. I know the material inside and out, I implement it every single day. I've got this.

I really need to get some sleep. Like really. Ugh.




Ad: