Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 5 - Trying to recover from the pandemic

f0xh0les

Second the idea of 10p wrapping paper, named cards (grandparents /auntie/ horse) for 20p, gift tags, gift bags, decorations, wreaths, trees, lights, baubles, the whole lot  between Boxing Day and New Year, then box it up, put in the loft/garage, and write in your diary (paper or electric) for last week of November to remember The Stash and do it early while doing the advent calendars.

That being said, I have not yet wrapped a single thing, nor bought much either as I do not get paid until 24th and I am not really feeling very fa- la -la - la - la yet, and probably won't until I do my last foodbank shift on Thursday.  After that, I will be like the Tasmanian Devil in charge of a shopping trolley. Much more excited by the idea of Otter hunting than another partyless Xmas.

Haven't even bought a bottle of Amaretto yet.   

Tescodealqueen

Hope you have a lovely restful Christmas CCL xxxxx

jusferbrowsing

Merry Christmas to Crazy Cat Lady. Your diary is a true inspiration I don't know where you get your energy and tenacity from. You deserve a relaxing holiday time x

Baileys_Babe

@crazy_cat_lady wishing you a healthy and happy Christmas 🎄

f0xh0les

Happy Christmas CCL

Tiredbutdetermined

Hope you had a good Christmas.
I am following your diary as we seem to have quite a lot in common. 

I am a teacher with a collection of crazy cats too!

Buffythedebtslayer

Happy Boxing Day, hope you have survived intact and had a few nice Gins XXXXX 

crazy_cat_lady

Evening me beauties and a belated Merry Christmas/happy holidays to all of you. Sorry I disappeared off the planet again for another week. Must try harder. I've realised though that when I get the laptop out I inevitably end up doing work as well and I have been determined not to do much work. Until today. Today I have done work - but I have had a good break from thinking about and doing any work/exam related stuff.
Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas break. I'm a little disappointed to report that I never did get into feeling properly festive and I was nothing but a little grumpy when ds had me awake every hour during the night wanting to get up and open presents. I thought that at age 13 he might be over that but clearly he wasn't. I had spent the entire morning either 2 or 3 days before Christmas finally getting their presents wrapped so at least they did have stuff to open. I had Wonderful Life on in the background and thought I'd be all warm and fuzzy but apparently not. I think I'm still stressed out - no matter how hard I try and relax. I know that the pandemic is completely beyond my control but it's bothering me. My comfort zone has shrunk considerably, my self esteem has done a runner and my inner critic has found a megaphone in my head. 
I had a face to face appointment with my doctor on Wednesday to get my blood test results. The referral has gone back in for some talking therapy but apparently the waiting list is over a year now so good job I'm not holding my breath waiting to talk to someone. She also wants refer me to bariatrics. Now, if I was struggling with myself before - that has just tipped me right over the edge now. I must be an absolute whale - even more so than I thought I was in the first place. I desperately don't want to have weightloss surgery because 1. it's very risky, 2. you can't eat properly again and 3. the problem in my head will not be sorted out by removal of parts of major organs. I said this to the doctor and she thinks the fact that I'm sceptical means its more likely to be successful. Anyway, it has scared the life out of me and made me feel even worse than I already did. But off goes that referral - I'll get a second opinion from an expert. My blood pressure is slightly high so that is being monitored and on top of that I had blood test results - all fine in term of hormones, sugar levels etc but low on Vitamin B12 and folates. I'm not even going to try and sort that with diet in the short term so got myself some supplements to start with that. I wasn't expecting a magic fix at the doctors but I had hoped I would feel better rather than worse as was the case when I walked out. On the plus side we had the dentist on the same day and that all went just fine. Phew.
Christmas was kind of half cancelled. My sister's husband brought the Covid into their house and kindly shared it with everyone else there. Me and the kids still got to see my mam and stepdad on Christmas Day but sister and family are all now ill and isolating. The isolation period has covered my niece's 10th birthday, Christmas and my sister's wedding anniversary. She is unwell and really fed up and I really missed our annual Christmas Day evening of drink and board games. I only live a few streets away so have been picking up paracetamol and posting it. My mam was a bit miserable on the day as well because she only had me and mine there rather than both of her kids (whilst I understood it - also not great for my self esteem).
Boxing Day visited a friend who has tested positive this morning - I'm back to testing every day (so far so good). We'd both done a LFT before we got together as well, but I fear it is just a matter of time now until the dreaded Omicron finds me. 
Did absolutely nothing at all yesterday except crochet and watch tv - total pyjama day. Well, I did the usual washing, hoovering, dishes, dinner etc. Then got up early this morning as we needed to get ds some new school shoes (already). He's huffed with me because I won't support his quest to get an electric scooter. Got to shops for them opening at 10, got 2 things on my list in the sales (frying pan and pillows), couple of bits in Aldee (bread, milk etc) and the shoes. Left just as the shops were starting to get busy so I was pleased. Then did a couple of hours of work to ease my guilt about ignoring it for days. Then DS talked me into putting up his new desk which took about an hour longer than it should have done and has left everything hurting. My joints are aching and I have a headache.
Gawd I sound like a right barrel of laughs at the moment don't I? After all your virtual hugs, good wishes and kind words I come on here with my little cloud of doom. Don't worry though - I haven't given up yet. I am journalling, tracking food and tracking spends. Surely that should start to have a positive impact. I keep having work dreams - different versions but all the same basic idea which is that I'm not in school teaching a lesson when I should be. That probably means something but also leaves me feeling a bit 'ugh' as well. I have that moment where I think it's real, which devastates me until I realise it's just my brain doing its thing again.
Anyway. I have finally finished catching up on foxgloves diary and am feeling a bit more motivated finance wise. Now off to catch up with the rest of your goings on. I will be back - I want to say tomorrow but who knows when. 
Thanks as always for being so lovely and supportive of me - it is more appreciated than you know. 

foxgloves

Awww, @crazy_cat_lady, I feel privileged to have had a name check in your diary! Agree with your reservations about bariatrics. I know people who have had procedures & are still the same weight. I feel sure that planning food will be really key for you because you are so busy. You CAN lose weight & you have also found that walking is helpful for stress as well as fitness. The problem (& I say this without judgement because I am the same!) is keeping up new habits long enough to make the sort of visible difference which makes us want to continue. 
I'm going to be taking myself in hand again on multiple self-care fronts this year.
F xx

ladyholly

Dont worry about briatrics. They can reccomend all they like but no one can force you to have surgery if you dont want it.