Man, these dreary January days are the worst killers of motivation. I’m glad it’s getting warmer, but the rain can now stop. Where is the sun when we need it most?! I wanted to drive straight home after work and go to bed, but I didn’t. I forced myself to go to the gym instead. I lifted weights for about 5 minutes before I was annoyed by all the women in the women’s only section who were hogging machines. I wanted to say, Please stop sitting on the equipment and playing on your phone while people are waiting. Instead, I went to a different area and did a pre-set leg sculpting workout on the treadmill. According to this photo, I sculpted myself down to one leg.

Am I’m glad I forced myself to go to the gym today? No. I’m rarely happy to go to the gym. But I’m grateful that I did because it’s not really about sculpting myself into looking better. It’s about knowing I deserve to be healthy and feel better in this broken down body. I needed to get a start on it. I’m going to remind myself of that every time I want to skip being active. I deserve to be healthy.

Today I had a follow up appointment for a cervical biopsy. It went better than it had last time. Last time was the crazy visit with a traveling doctor who left the room several times during the procedure. I questioned whether he was a legitimate doctor. This time my doctor was efficient. He also said he anticipated no issues but it’s better to rule it out. I should get results in a couple of days. If anything abnormal shows up, then I’ll have a hysterectomy. If it’s clear, I’ll just get my ovaries out. I’m thankful the procedure went well, and I’ll have results soon so I can get surgery scheduled.

I’m thankful that my car got fixed today before some more lousy weather comes through tonight, and I’m grateful that Patrick helped drive me around.

It was a productive day! We got the house cleaned up and laundry done. I worked in my craft room for a little bit, and Patrick and I even went to the gym (gasp!). We followed that up with a short stint in the hot tub. It was still so cold out that icicles kept forming in my hair, but the sun was still out, so it felt good. I’m thankful for a full day.

We had fun today getting out of town for a bit. We went to an art store we don’t have near us and had lunch at a P.F. Chang’s. Then we wandered a few shops before coming back home to snuggle with the pups.

We were so full from lunch that we only had snacks for dinner. I did make a lovely charcuterie plate for myself. It was a fun day, which I’m thankful for.

I had an early morning meeting that started at 6 am and I finally got out of work around 4 pm. The nice thing about working later than most others on a Friday is it is very quiet. I was able to get a lot off my to-do list, finally. I’m hoping that helps me relax a little more this weekend.

I’m thankful I made it through the week without any more car trouble, for dinner out with Patrick (even though my food wasn’t good), and for the weekend ahead.

It’s been so cold that we haven’t put the Christmas tree away. All the decorations are gone, but the tree is up because it gets stored in the garage attic and it’s just too cold to bother. So I keep turning the lights on. They’re cheerful on these days that are so gray. I know soon things will warm back up enough to dismantle the tree, so I’m thankful for this little holiday extension that makes me smile.

I’m thankful for a good glass of wine and some humor after a frustrating day.

My six month follow-up with my radiation oncologist went well this morning. My appointment with the gynecology surgeon this afternoon got me depressed. Because of my medical history, he suggested I may want to have a hysterectomy instead of simply removing my ovaries. Gah. He wants me to come back next week for a cervix check before making a decision. The upside is that he thinks I could get surgery scheduled in the next couple of months. I’m thankful for that.

I was almost to work this morning when all of my check engine lights and messages came on and stayed flashing. The main one I saw was traction control and since I was on an icy road and coming up on a hill, I turned around and headed back home. However, I called the repair shop on my way and scheduled an appointment for the afternoon. At first, they thought maybe my gas tank wasn’t closed properly which created a weird pressure situation and caused a sensor malfunction or something. But no such luck. Instead, it’s cracked gaskets, probably caused by the weather, which has to be ordered. I can still drive the car, but none of the safety features are currently working. Just what I need while the roads are icy and the temps are so low. Sigh.

I am thankful nothing worse happened, my car should be fixed by the end of the week, and I can drive it in the meantime. Patrick’s new semester starts tomorrow, and in addition to work, I have a couple doctor’s appointments, so I’m glad I can use it. I’ll just make sure to drive very very carefully.