Survived the holidays, barely

I still cannot believe how sick I was this month

I got the little ‘winter tickle’ the first weekend of December. I swore that I was healthy and was resistant to illness.  That mantra didn’t work. I had two events that week of 12/9, including my holiday party with 300 people.  I had the bartender make me a special nonalcoholic toddy so that I could survive the night.  Mark was a genius, I love that man to the depth of my core.

I worked from home the next day on Friday and then slept most of the weekend, thinking that I was over it and that the events of the next week I should be fine

Most of the next week was a blur, and the two days before Christmas were too.  I came to work yesterday and thought, how did I actually show up and get work done?  I often say if you’re sick, stay home, and I really should have but there was so much happening I couldn’t. And I didn’t realize just how sick I was.

I did some work Tuesday morning and then did the 4-5 trips up and down the 2 flights of stairs to get the car loaded.  Finally got Sugar in the car and drove down to my parents house. Mar and her guy weren’t coming down until Christmas day. My mother went off to do her thing, and that left my dad and myself alone.  It pains me so much how unhappy he is. No one at 85 years old should be talking about divorce. They aren’t kind to one another either

We had a really lovely holiday. I am really grateful for my little family and how as the years go by we evolve and adjust. Mar is an adult and it made us laugh the ‘adult’ gifts she received.  Mar had found a lovely tiny house to stay in since her guy had back problems with the sleeping situation at my parents.  I did feel weird not having them around, but I love spending time there at my parents house. It’s a perfect getaway

I stayed until Friday, we all piled in the car and drove over the to the tiny house to see it and to say goodbye to Mar. I then got in my car and drove south to go north as that was the only way to get to highway 1. Every time I am on 46, climbing up to the top, I am reminded yet again that I rode that, on my bike…twice.

I had decided to take my time going home. It normally takes 2.5 hours to get home. Going up highway 1 would add about 3 hours to that

It was worth it, for sure. It would have taken me a lot longer as I wanted to stop along the way but that area, Big Sur, has definitely been over touristed from Big Little Lies. Humans are the reason we can’t have nice things. SO many people clogging the road. I only stopped once to take a pic of a suspension bridge (not that one) and to let Sugar out.  Still a really beautiful trip home

I told Mar that having to listen to my parents go at one another and have them both come to me and dump on me about the other one was a bit much to handle. I wish there was something more I could do for them. But after all these years, if they haven’t changed, they won’t now. I just always thought of them as my guide for relationships, but now I wouldn’t want to be involved with someone if that’s how it is going to be after all that time