It’s been a while since I’ve caught you guys up on my life, so how about a coffee date? I’m definitely going to need the coffee today, since I was up late watching the election coverage (and, ugh, it felt like 2016 all over again thanks to some disappointing results from my state). I’ll be drinking a peppermint mocha, of course, since it’s peppermint mocha season finally! (My very favorite season.)
If we were having coffee today, I’d talk about how I’ve put my search for new kittens on hold. While I was hoping to be a new cat mom right now, everything flew out the window when Pops was admitted to the hospital. And then when the unthinkable happened… well, I’m not in the right frame of mind to welcome new kittens into my life. I may end up waiting until the new year to make it happen because the holiday season is always a little crazy. Right now, I’m just trying to stay off the animal shelter’s website (made the mistake of looking and falling completely in love with two one-month-old kittens, yikes) and get all my ducks in a row so that I can be in the right place to be a new cat mom in 2019.
If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that I learned where the source of my lower back pain is coming from. I had two appointments with a chiropractor in October and he noticed that I was out of alignment, so he cracked me back into place (it didn’t hurt as much as I’d expected; it actually felt kinda good!). But I was still having pain, even in late October when I wasn’t doing my daily 10,000 steps. That’s when I wondered if it was my sleeping position. I’ve long been a stomach sleeper and it’s my favorite way to sleep, but it’s also the worst possible sleeping position because it puts a lot of strain on your neck and lower back. So, I started training myself to sleep on my side or back using a body pillow, and it’s helping a lot. I still have some twinges in my lower back from time to time, and I haven’t tested out this theory while also walking 10,000 steps, but I think I may have found the culprit. I will also try specialised Croydon osteopathy for back pain management. This London osteopathic clinic offers personalised sciatica care.
If we were having coffee today, I’d talk about the books I’ve been reading. My reading hasn’t slowed down in the past few weeks, even though my life has been anything but. I’ve been reading a lot more nonfiction because it’s easier than a plot-heavy novel right now. I sped through You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson, listened to Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman, and really enjoyed Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman. I tried to read This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins, but something about it wasn’t sitting well with me so I abandoned it. Maybe I’ll come back to it another time. Right now, I’m reading the fourth book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series as well as a romance novel.
If we were having coffee today, I’d talk about my new couch! After seven weeks of being couch-less, my beautiful new couch is finally being delivered today. It has been rough not having a couch because the only place to lay down in my apartment right now is my bed, and if I lay down for just a few minutes to read, it’s very, very hard to get back up, ha. I will surely be sharing pictures of it when it’s delivered, but I am really just so excited to have a couch and feel like my apartment is mostly put together again.
If we were having coffee today, I’d mention how I’m not tackling NaNoWriMo this year. For obvious reasons, I’ve decided that it’s not the right time to try my hand at completing NaNoWriMo (a challenge every November to write 50,000 words in 30 days). While I worked diligently for all of September and most of October to plot my novel so I’d be ready to start writing in November, I’m not in the right brain space to devote to the challenge. Maybe next year!
If we were having coffee today, I might tell you about some of my plans for November. This weekend, my mom and I are taking Chip to his first Running of the Wieners event. Hopefully, it’s not too emotional for me to be there without Dutch. Later this month, I’m off to Orlando for the weekend for a friend’s wedding. I’m taking a full week off of work during Thanksgiving, and I’m looking forward to it so much. And at the end of the month, I’m turning 31! I still have no idea what I want to do for my birthday. Maybe nothing. I don’t know.
That makes sense to hold off on getting a kitten given all you’re going through and the busy holiday season! I’m sorry to hear about the governor race in your state. That is super disappointing. I was happy with the results in MN but we are a blue state so the races went as expected. I’m glad Dems took control of the house. At least there will be a check of the president’s power. But I was sad to see that Beto lost in Texas. I knew it would be hard to win in such a red state but i just can’t stand Ted Cruz.
Maybe a quieter 31st birthday is just what you need this year? Some years are just quieter birthday years for me. The last several have been super low key. We’ve ordered take out and stayed in and I didn’t plan any sort of birthday gathering with friends. I think the next birthday will be another quiet one for me, too. I’m just so tired these days that I don’t make much effort to plan get togethers anymore! 😛 I should clarify that I’m tired but happy. I love our time with Paul but the interrupted sleep leaves me feeling pretty bleery eyes most days!!
I think a quiet birthday celebration is exactly what I need. This year has been hard for me and I am not sad to leave 30 behind. I’m thankful that my work gives everyone their birthday off, so I’m planning on getting a massage and having dinner with my family, and then dinner with my girlfriends that weekend. That’s about as much as I can handle right now!
I am glad that you are taking care of yourself. And I look forward to many kitten-related posts.
Oh, there will be an influx of kitten-related posts once I have them with me. Soon!
I don’t know if this will help, but when I started going to a chiropractor, I went 3x a week for several months because my alignment was so bad. Then I went 2x a week, then 1x a week, and now I’m on the “every other week” track. Obivously I don’t know what your chiro says your diagnosis is or anything, but maybe you need to go more regularly? Getting out of alignment is pretty normal so regular adjustments are something I’ve come to expect and it always helps me. I probably don’t go as often as I should!
Honestly, I wasn’t too thrilled with my chiro so I may try a different clinic in the future. Right now, I’m not experiencing back pain at the level I was, but I also haven’t been regularly exercising, so that may have something to do with it. But I’m planning on walking 10,000 steps every day from Thanksgiving-New Years, so that will be telling if my back pain comes back as I start walking more frequently. But thanks for the advice – it helps to know it’s more common to go frequently, in the beginning, to work on the alignment!
You sure are a talented writer. This was so interesting to read.
Yay for the new couch!!! That’s exciting! And yay for figuring out your back pain. I’m glad you were able to – that can be debilitating.
It makes sense to wait for your kittens. The right ones will be there when it’s time!
That’s what I keep telling myself! I want some playful kitties roaming around my apartment, but when the time is right, they’ll be there.
Waiting until the new year to get some kitties is a great idea – a lot of times people gift pets over the holiday season and they end up at shelters in the days and weeks after the holiday. It sucks, but shelters are always looking for homes for critters in January and February.
Oh, yes, being a stomach sleeper can cause back pain… especially if your mattress is not firm enough. I am glad you’re getting to the bottom of this.
I think it’s a good idea to hold off to get a kitty until the new year.