Are Y'all Familiar With Frustration?

I was an empty nester for four years. I had gotten to the place where I quite enjoyed my empty nest. And, as I was warned, someone moved back home.

Don't misunderstand. This isn't a bad thing. I'm totally serious when I tell the lovelies that this will always be their home. It will be. And, if I ever move, wherever that is will be their home. There is never a time that one of them will ever be turned away. That's just silly to even think about.

Not that is hasn't been an adjustment (again) but, having one of the lovelies home has been fun. We've enjoyed being together and talking and laughing. We go places together, watch movies...it really is fun. She's funny and fun; always on the go; a great conversationalist; energetic; enthusiastic; mostly in a good mood...so many great and wonderful things about having a daughter move back home.

However (because there's always a 'but'), there is a down side.

Is it my loss of privacy all day? Nope
Is it the loss of quiet, solitude? Nope.
Is it the loss of only cooking for two (which I had FINALLY gotten the hang of)? Nope.

Do y'all remember the room that we redecorated in November last year?

The one that looked like this and gave us HELL to redo (you can read about it HERE if you'd like)?

But that ended up looking like this:

And then I painted the furniture that my parents had when I was growing up and put it in there and then Birdie move back for five months?

Right.

Well, here's what it looks like now:

Now, I'm not a neat freak per se though I could be described as neat freak-ISH. But this is driving me NUTS!

My stress level has increased because, even though the door is kept closed, I KNOW what lies beyond. And it's SCARY! And, yes, we had that talk before she moved back in. You know, the one about how things can't be all messy like when she was in high school and how much keeping things neat and clean reduce my stress level and all that? Yeah, that one.

I suppose you could call me a Martha and DoodleBug a Mary. But, then, what do you call her father--from whom she gets this messy gene?

Oh they know how to smell the roses. And drink the coffee. And read the paper. And talk and visit and go.

I guess I'm always a Martha because the Mary and the man leave me no other alternative. I don't dare leave it- I've tried that. Things just pile up more. And more.

Just remember, if you don't see or hear from me in a while, I've either left town or I went in that room and got eaten. :)

Tell me your story of a kid moving back into the nest.

Fitness

And FRUSTRATION. Let us NOT forget FRUSTRATION.

Some of you know that I've been on a health and FITNESS lifestyle change for about 4 years now. I've tried this and that and that and this. Some of it has worked, some of it hasn't and some of it might have worked had I stuck with it.

Over the last four years, I've seen success, back-sliding, success, FRUSTRATION, more back-sliding, success...it's a vicious cycle.

I've also learned MUCH. Quite a lot. More than I ever thought I would. And I'm still learning.

My FITNESS level is better than it has been in YEARS. Decades. My nutrition was great when I was growing up and when the lovelies were growing up. But, in the years that they were really growing up and going off to college followed by going out into the big world, my nutrition level plummeted to its lowest EVER.

I've been back on track for quite a while now. Especially in the FITNESS arena. It's become a habit.

I started running again and interchange it with Sprint 8s. So, every other day I'm either running or running sprint 8s seven days every week.

Until the Wednesday before spring break when my little Tucker darted in front of me. Yep. I hit the pavement and gave myself a slight meniscus tear in my left knee. Talk about FRUSTRATION.

I was on a roll (not when I fell...stop laughing) with my FITNESS regimen. I was becoming firm in places that thought they'd never see firm again. I was going to look close to good at Bestie's daughter's wedding next week. I even bought a new outfit. And my nutrition plan was adding to my exhilaration.

Now, I'm just flat out FRUSTRATED. I've been off the knee for ten days now. TEN. DAYS. I miss running. I miss my sprint 8s.

I started walking Tucker again two days ago. But we only go about a quarter of a mile. And it's slow going for now. I know not to rush it. But I want to get moving!!!

Exercise is like that. Before you know it, you're addicted to it and you need it.

And, when you can't do it, you get FRUSTRATED.

The most recent thing I've learned about FITNESS:

• Take the dog for a walk and go back out to run. Duh.

I'm linking this post to the sixth post of the April, A-Z Challenge!

Just click the badge below to enjoy other participants. 

Ok, let's see what y'all came up with for the letter 'F'!

Endorphins Do NOT Always Result in Happy

It's been a frustrating couple of days on the exercise/diet front. I let my mind take over. Again.

It all started out innocently enough. I've done something to my right knee and, after starting to walk yesterday morning, realized- rather quickly, that I was not going to be able to run. This did quite a number on my already leaning-towards-negative mood.

After running errands to procure necessary items to travel to the dang wedding this weekend -because God forbid we not have a cooler so that the husband can snack all the way to Timbuktu and back-- coming back home and making homemade snacks-- because if he's going to eat all the way to Timbuktu and back I'm going to make sure it's all healthy eating-- I then realized I still needed to do the 30 Day Shred. Freaking awesome.

I plugged my iPod into the speakers and listened for a few minutes in the hope that inspiration would pounce upon me and thrust me into a better mood and decided that, since I was unable to run, I would proceed with the shred- level 2. Idiot.

I wasn't in the mood. It was all halfhearted. But the stubborn side of me was not going to let the shred go undone. The other stubborn side was not going to let go of my set-up-for-failure mood.

The humidity was through the roof even though the AC was cranking (there's another tropical depression out in the Atlantic-you know, that big pool of water not 5 minutes from our house...), I was in a seriously not good mood, and frustrated. NOT a good time to challenge myself.

I thought that endorphins made people happy. Made them feel good. All they did to me yesterday during the shred was piss me off. If anyone had walked through the door at that time---well, let's just say it was a really good thing that they didn't.

And then, my mind took over. The mean, hateful part. The part I try to avoid at all costs.

"This is getting you no where."
"That scale is not moving."
"You're working hard for nothing."

Same sh!t, different day. Some things just never seem to change.

I didn't stop, I just had a frustrating workout. But I didn't stop. And I won't quit. But I'm still a little frustrated.

And in a bad mood- although not near as bad as yesterday.

Probably not the best weekend to attend a wedding.

The point is that, although you may be on the most frustrating journey you've ever been on in your life, you just have to keep on putting one foot in front of the other. Don't let yourself quit- do what you have to do whether you want to do it or not. That light at the end of the tunnel is there whether we see it or not.

OH- and don't buy that Cocoa Almond Spread from Trader Joe's. It is SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS. If you're on the same dang journey I'm on, AVOID IT! Of course, if you just can't help yourself, try this recipe:

Rice Krispies (of a different sort)

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Cocoa Almond Spread
4 cups Erewhon Rice Cereal (this is gluten free)

Melt the honey and almond spread together either in the microwave (30 seconds) or stove top (about 5 minutes). When completely melted, mix together thoroughly, pour into the rice cereal and mix together. Spread the mixture in 8x8 dish and store in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

That's IT! Once they're set, just cut them and ENJOY! And don't worry, they're so dang sweet you can't even eat a whole one at one time. They'll make you feel better too! ;) 

We're off to the wedding so I'll see y'all on the flip side of the weekend! Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!