Judgy Rabbit Judges You

It is a very nice Sunday afternoon, so you know what time it is: time to pull up a chair, pour some drinks, and talk about the week that was. We’re outside again today!

The sun is out, there’s a light breeze, and it’s sitting comfortably in the mid-60s – and definitely not in the 90s like it was earlier this week Breakfast was biscuits and sausage gravy (the biscuits were homemade; the gravy from a can) and lunch was leftover pizza and a salad, and even the birds have been offered some lunch via birdseed tossed across the yard. We’ll see who shows up.

Even as I type this I’m watching a butterfly but no birds yet.

Last week’s peanut butter and birdseed pinecone experiment was technically successful? Something ate it, but because I lacked a pace to hang it a ties it to a bush I didn’t actually get to watch, which kind of feels like I missed the point.

This week, like most of March, was a series of ups and downs. Actually, now that I think about it, I did write last week’s post and hit the publish button, but I’m not entirely sure I ever shared it anywhere. So if you usually catch these on Instagram or Facebook, you may have missed it.

Go check it out, then come back.

I’ll wait.

Back?

Good.

Work this week started on an uplifting note. One of my coworkers saw something online and decided to do thing thing with handing out compliments along with either an elbow bump or handshake – huzzah for respecting personal boundaries! Here are some I received:

If you can’t read them. One says that I have the best decorated office/cube, and the other says that I love Pusheen.

Then on Wednesday, a coworker from another department gave me a stash of mini Twix. They said it was for helping them out and because they know it’s my favorite candy, but I am also very aware there had been an event the night before and those Twix were probably leftovers . . . but the intention still counts, and I felt appreciated all the same.

That was in stark contrast to Thursday. Nothing bad happened, exactly, but I did get news I didn’t want. Not exactly devastating but certainly disappointing on a goal I had hoped for a yes and got a no. And hearing no is hard when my brain wants validation, as I talked about extensively with my therapist on Friday.

If you know me in real life, this is not groundbreaking information. But the fact that I’m working on it has to count for something, right? Or maybe we can call it “acknowledging” right now . . .

Friday also brought a major life update: after eleven years, this was Krystal’s last week at the local historic site. Coincidentally this week was also her eleven-year anniversary at the site.

As you also know, there’s been a lot going on with her health and things like that so in order to promote what’s best for us long-term she’s moving out of that role and is taking on a local teaching position for fifth through eighth grade English! Neither of us really thought that she’d ever go back to teaching, but the opportunity literally dropped into her lap and it will be really, really good.

It will also be interesting as we get used to a change in schedule because for the first time since we’ve been married, she’ll have to leave the house before I do for work and also for the first time in 11 years we will actually have weekends together again! In the past, my weekend was Saturday/Sunday and hers was Sunday/Monday so we’ve never really had a full weekend off unless we took time off or used holiday pay or something like that . . .

So lots of good and necessary changes, but if you know me, you know I love routine, and my brain is currently going, “what if we simply… did not change anything ever?”

But that is not how life works.

That’s not how any of this works.

Saturday I let her sleep in while I did the grocery shopping and then we spent the morning thrifting.

We found a few movies at Goodwill . . .

. . . a gooseneck lamp at another stop . . .

. . . and then at a slightly more bougie consignment shop, we found . . .

a rabbit!

A very judgmental rabbit with no price tag.

Krystal asked about it anyway, and for the low low price of seven dollars, we now own a judgmental rabbit.

We came home, opened the windows, let the breeze roll through, and took an afternoon nap before heading out to celebrate her dad’s birthday.

Pizza, brownies, good conversation, and what I can only describe as Birthdaypalooza, because apparently half the people I know were also born yesterday.

Okay, not half, but eight is a lot for one day, especially when they include my mom, my father-in-law, and my nephew.

Some smaller notes from the week:

• My tattoos are officially three months old and healing nicely.
• Krystal found a plastic brick set of The Office (not LEGO, but close enough), which I may or may not build depending on whether I can justify the space.
• I picked up a DVD copy of Sinners to add to the collection.
• And I found a book about the eighteenth-century gin craze, which I am very excited to dive into.

So that was the week.

A little chaotic, a little hopeful, and a little uncertain even while the current of life moves inexorably forward all the same.

How about you?

What have you been up to?