OK, breathe.
We are about a week and a half into Lent and I am sucking at it!
Well, maybe not sucking, but it could be a lot better. If you remember, Lent is so much better than Advent as I am more hopeful and life is generally better in the Springtime. I haven't given anything up for Lent since college, instead, I make Lenten promises that make me a better person. There was one year I gave up being late and to keep me on track, I had to donate one of my things for every minute I was late...it got to be a real challenge after I'd gotten rid of the things I didn't particularly care for and I found my self getting ready for Easter Vigil with few options. The only thing that got better that year was my wardrobe...I had some snazzy new duds by Divine Mercy Sunday.
Holy shit! There was also the year I decided to stop swearing.
It didn't work.
There were some good years in there too, like the one when I was discerning the sisterhood and decided to include daily mass into my life. Best. Decision. Ever. I try super hard to make it 3-4 times a week and I can definitely tell the difference when I don't. Others can as well, they just don't know that I am crabby and off center because I've failed to get my Jesus on!
This Lent, I am striving for the ultimate Lainie personality improvement: I am finishing everything I start. If I start something this Lent, I am gonna finish it! I am even going to complete the things I my have started long ago and left by the wayside. That means my sister is gonna get that scarf, all the things in the corner of my office will find a home, my car will get cleaned (I started to a few months back and I think I will feel good about the accomplishment!), and no matter how long ago or irrelevant I may feel they are now, I will finish every post I started!
You dear reader, are in for a treat! I may not remember what message I meant to convey that one time I was stuck in line behind that guy, but for you (well, and Jesus), I will figure it out.
I don't know what this will mean for my self improvement, but this is one year where I really want to succeed.
Wish me lu-
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Arch Support
When I left the house yesterday morning, my plan was to go to a Zumbathon supporting the Humane Society with CeeCee and Prue, possibly going to Indy for lunch and maybe getting some laundry done.
It was not in the plan to drive to St. Louis.
I was on my way to Sullivan when I thought about how much I needed to get out of town and I very much needed my happy place.
St. Louis is that place.
When ever I tell people that, they are usually eager to talk about their favorite spots and ask where I like to go or they ask for tips for seeing the city. It is kind of awkward when all I can tell them is, "Umm...hanging out with Jenni is great!"
Whenever I needed to get out of Chicago, I would call Jenni and see when I could come visit and that would be that. There were even times when one of my assistants at my old job would say "Hey Lainie...it's been a while since you've been to see Jenni and her husband, hasn't it?"
Taking the hint, I was in my car the next day and immediately relaxed when I crossed the state border and saw the Gateway Arch.
Eleven months have gone by since my last visit and driving down I-70 in my sweaty Zumba clothes with an eighth of a tank of gas was the best feeling! I knew that this was exactly what I needed.
I needed to get out of town.
I needed no expectations.
I needed to be anonymous.
I needed to get back on track.
Hmm... I am not sure if Jenni knows it or not, but she is the one that sets me right. She's not tough love and confrontational, she actually quite the opposite (ask her about the paint!). I guess that when I am with her, I know she is not expecting anything from me. I know that we can veg out, go to Target (yay!) and our favorite bakery and have the best time. I know that when I am ready to tell her what's on my mind, she will listen and she doesn't give advice or input until she's ready which is about the time that I'm ready to hear it so it all works out.
I am not sure when it started to be that way, in college I was better friends with Moira who was her roommate (and ride or die for life), but since college Jenni and I were the better friends. I don't even know what level of friend to classify her, she's pretty much in her own category of friend because there is no one else in my life with whom she compares.
Just consider me blessed to have her and that even with almost a year since we've seen each other, we didn't have to play catch up. So that kind of friend.
Anyway, I am a lot closer to being back on track than I was six weeks ago and all it took was a quick trip Missouri where I got to snuggle with the cutest 18 month old, trade barbs with Jenni's husband, going to Target to buy new underwear and Ben Gay (Zumba injury), fall asleep on the couch watching Baby Mama and just be Lainie for the night.
Visiting actually made me wonder why I don't do it more. I mean, why not go to my happy place three hours away when it would stave off visits to the dark place that only come around when I am in the Wabash Valley for way too long?
Because I forget. Sigh.
When I remember, I don't mind that I find happiness in the town that should be a Cubs fan's worst enemy, the town actually doesn't matter much. I think my happy place will be wherever Jenni and her family call home.
It was not in the plan to drive to St. Louis.
I was on my way to Sullivan when I thought about how much I needed to get out of town and I very much needed my happy place.
St. Louis is that place.
When ever I tell people that, they are usually eager to talk about their favorite spots and ask where I like to go or they ask for tips for seeing the city. It is kind of awkward when all I can tell them is, "Umm...hanging out with Jenni is great!"
Whenever I needed to get out of Chicago, I would call Jenni and see when I could come visit and that would be that. There were even times when one of my assistants at my old job would say "Hey Lainie...it's been a while since you've been to see Jenni and her husband, hasn't it?"
Taking the hint, I was in my car the next day and immediately relaxed when I crossed the state border and saw the Gateway Arch.
Eleven months have gone by since my last visit and driving down I-70 in my sweaty Zumba clothes with an eighth of a tank of gas was the best feeling! I knew that this was exactly what I needed.
I needed to get out of town.
I needed no expectations.
I needed to be anonymous.
I needed to get back on track.
Hmm... I am not sure if Jenni knows it or not, but she is the one that sets me right. She's not tough love and confrontational, she actually quite the opposite (ask her about the paint!). I guess that when I am with her, I know she is not expecting anything from me. I know that we can veg out, go to Target (yay!) and our favorite bakery and have the best time. I know that when I am ready to tell her what's on my mind, she will listen and she doesn't give advice or input until she's ready which is about the time that I'm ready to hear it so it all works out.
I am not sure when it started to be that way, in college I was better friends with Moira who was her roommate (and ride or die for life), but since college Jenni and I were the better friends. I don't even know what level of friend to classify her, she's pretty much in her own category of friend because there is no one else in my life with whom she compares.
Just consider me blessed to have her and that even with almost a year since we've seen each other, we didn't have to play catch up. So that kind of friend.
Anyway, I am a lot closer to being back on track than I was six weeks ago and all it took was a quick trip Missouri where I got to snuggle with the cutest 18 month old, trade barbs with Jenni's husband, going to Target to buy new underwear and Ben Gay (Zumba injury), fall asleep on the couch watching Baby Mama and just be Lainie for the night.
Visiting actually made me wonder why I don't do it more. I mean, why not go to my happy place three hours away when it would stave off visits to the dark place that only come around when I am in the Wabash Valley for way too long?
Because I forget. Sigh.
When I remember, I don't mind that I find happiness in the town that should be a Cubs fan's worst enemy, the town actually doesn't matter much. I think my happy place will be wherever Jenni and her family call home.
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