small blessings

Back to work week has been survivable. It has been hectic. I have been out at a meeting or work every night except Monday. And on Monday I was out anyway, driving Fiona to singing class and dance lessons. Here's a short list of saving graces:

• Monday night's driving included Andy. We took Fiona to her lessons and got some supper together in between, and watched the Canadians win the World Junior hockey championship.
  
• The snow is melting. There's tons of rain, but I like rain. It's okay. And did I mention? the snow is melting.
• The garbage truck came yesterday - its first visit since December 22. All week, a man in a bobcat has been scraping, dumping and gradually widening the roadways in our complex. Despite the constant melt since Monday, we still have 6 foot tall piles of snow outside of every house, but it's getting better, and finally good enough for the garbage truck to venture up our hill and around our corners - yayyy!
  
• It was sandwich delivery day for our sandwich-making group yesterday. Before work, I took 150 sandwiches to our downtown eastside mission, and was met with such warmth and gratitude and gracious welcome, I felt lifted up and nourished. The downtown church has recently been given a temporary permit to house up to 150 people each night, so now it is a 21 hour a day operation. Most of the sandwiches come from suburban churches (usually 2 churches deliver every morning, each church taking 1 turn per month). With the snow, they have missed some of the usual deliveries. When I showed up with 150 sandwiches, the timing was just right (Thank you sandwich ladies for your good work!)
• I got notification from the payroll department that this is my tenth full year back to work since my "baby break" so I get a "supplemental vacation week." That's a whole extra week off this year. Next time I'll get it will be year 15. I can use it now, or save it up. Hmmmm...
• Tonight is the party for all of the volunteers who worked at our temporary homeless shelter in November. I'm organizing a potluck dessert celebration. It looks like the weather will hold up and not prevent us from celebrating, and I have lots of help with baking and setup. It should be a fun evening, nice closure on the project for this year, and a chance to say thank you to everyone for their contributions.
• Tomorrow I will go to the opera - a simulcast of La Rondine from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, shown at our local movie theatre. This is at 10 in the morning. I hope it will be strange and delightful.
• Soleil the dog goes for her second chiropractor appointment today. I'm hoping she'll get some strength back into her back legs, and she doesn't seem to mind the treatment.
• I got out to two cycle classes this week, after a definite activity break over the holiday. It felt spectacularly wonderful to go flat out for an hour each time.
  

Every day something new, fresh delights and new adventures.

question: how is your back to work/school/life?

mompoet - liking what I'm back to