Slow Start

The new semester has started, but I am getting off to a slow start.  I am having problems summoning up motivation.  I'm not quite sure why.  I am actually pretty interested in the coursework.  I should be able to make significant headway towards my thesis.  I will be learning new and buffing up old computer skills.  In addition, I should start making some progress towards building my portfolio.  All good.  Maybe I've been dealing with this whole work/school/life balance for too long....two years can be draining.

Back to Full Time Everything

Tomorrow, I start back to school.  Part of me is excited.  I start fleshing out what my graduate thesis will be.  I get to learn some new computer skills.  I'm growing in new directions.  I'm making progress towards graduation...and towards my new career.


However.....there is a big however.  I'm two years into graduate school.  I am so tired from balancing 80% at work and 70-100% time at school.  That doesn't even take into account trying to have a proper home life.  It is simply exhausting.  The break was rejuvenating, but it will take a few days to erase all that.  I know I can hang on through this year.  I don't really consider failure an option, but I feel that I am pushing my limits.

My New Year Celebration

What a great start to the new year.  Rob and I headed out to San Francisco last Thursday to hook up with some friends.  One of them had scored some free VIP tickets to Cavalia....sort of a horse based Cirque du Soleil.  The shows was a solid "good"....with parts being great.  Regardless, it made for a great start to the weekend.

On Friday we headed up to the wine country.  We first made a stop at Gundlach-Bundschu, a Rhine-style winery in Sonoma.  We discovered this a few years ago. We had rented a limo for a tour of wineries, and the driver had suggested this winery.  We all fell in love with it.  The trip this weekend was mostly so that John could exchange a few bottles that had been sent in error.  However, after a fabulous tasting, Rob and I couldn't resist signing up for their wine club!

We then headed over to Guerneville on the Russian River.  We had rented a home through VRBO.  The place was situated high above the river, pretty much hanging on the side of the hill.  The house was great; the view was spectacular. After a major grocery run, we settled in for the weekend.

I was head chef for the weekend.  We ate, drank, and hot-tubbed our way through the new year celebration.  Entertainment included Scrabble, Killer Bunnies, and "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert."

I have a superstition that how you spend the New Year is how you will spend the year.  I try to avoid bars, clubs, and the TV.  I want my year to be full of love, loved ones, good food and great wine.

If my superstition holds true, 2011 will be just awesome!

.....and breathe!

Things seem to be looking up.  Mom's surgery went fine.  I had a major rendering snafu on Tuesday night, but I recovered and became super-productive on Wednesday.  I got the banner done a little late, but the print center confirmed that they can get it done in time.  I had a little panic last when I noticed a mistake....but I got a corrected banner to the printer in time.


Today I have a few minor assignments to wrap up.  I want to get a haircut and a massage today so I can get back to looking and feeling human.

Crunch Time = Stress

I'm taking a brief break to whine - my apologies in advance.


My project for theory class turned out fine, and I'm actually pretty happy with it. However, I feel like I have to much to accomplish before the end of the semester.  My final for History of Decorative Arts is on Tuesday.  I'm not really that worried about it, but it is one more thing on my "to do" list.  Speaking of "to do" lists....Astrid, an app on my phone, is no longer syncing properly with Producteev, my online task manager.  It is very stress inducing if you aren't confident that your to-do list is correct.


I am a bit worried about the project for Specialization Studio.  While I have solved most of the technical problem, I feel like I am weeks behind in the actual design.  Yes, I know that all the technical issues are part of "actual design," but I don't really feel like an interior designer if everything is technically great but aesthetically flawed.  The progress seems to occur in spurts.  I'll work for a while getting absolutely nothing productive done, then all of a sudden a ton of progress occurs in 15 minutes.


Work is not particularly busy, but it is simply uninspiring right now.


The other big stressor is that there are some health issues in the family.  It is always difficult to balance family role with doctor knowledge.  That is particularly true being a physiatrist:  we only see the bad outcomes.


Right now, I am doing all that I can to balance work, school, home, and family, but I am so over my head I can't really assess how well I am doing.  Looking at the list, I can see that I don't even have time or capacity to include friends on the list.


Sigh.