Friday, March 6, 2009

Spoiler alert: there's going to be a lot of whining in this post.


I'm feeling sorry for myself today. It's gray and damp outside. I'm very tired and stuffed up - I suspect that I'm getting sick. I scratched my eye and it hurts. I'm at work, have both kids all day, and both of them are miserably sick. The only thing that sounds good to me right now is crawling into my own, warm bed and going to sleep.

Alright, so now that I've got that out of my system, hopefully I can begin to cheer up. So, do you know about Couch Surfing? You can go to couchsurfing.com to learn more about it. Basically, you offer your house as a place for people to stay while they're traveling, and other people will do it for you. So, if I traveled to, say, Paris, I could contact a couch surfer there a few weeks ahead of time and stay with them, if they're willing to host me. The benefits are manifold, but the two biggest benefits are: 1. You get to travel without paying for lodging. Bonus. 2. You often get an insider's perspective on your vacation spot. You find out about local hangouts, places off the beaten track. To me, that's the most exciting part. The reason I'm telling you about this is because we have our first couch surfer staying at our house right now. It's been going really well, and I'm pretty stoked about the opportunities this system might provide. A lot of people worry that it's dangerous...and there are definitely some safety concerns, but couchsurfing.com has an elaborate reference system in place so you can be sure that others have stayed with these people without any problems. 

I am still candy-free. I've been doing well with my jogging, although I was supposed to jog today, and now I can't because the kids are home. (And...in case you don't know this already, they aren't MY kids. I'm a nanny from 8 AM to 7 PM Monday through Friday.) 

So..I need to cheer up. Course of action: take Tylenol Allergy Sinus, have a big cup of coffee, wrap a blanket around my shoulders, and try to think of the good things in my life. I just feel pretty awful. I will appreciate any offers to help make me smile. :)

5 comments:

Anna Titova said...

Hi Katie) Please cheer up) Here the day was sunny wich made me happy) My doc said that I need more chocolat and vitamines for support - other way I'm going to sleep more than 15 hours a day))) So I decided not to start candy-free time right now) And (!) I'm looking for the best candy and chocolate for you... With sunny regards, Anna

Unknown said...

Wow, Anna, I wish my doctor would tell me to eat more chocolate! :) Thank you for thinking of me, I am feeling happier now, and your good wishes help. :)

Matt said...

Does no candy include no chewing gum? That sometimes helps me, if I'm craving something sweet but there's nothing around. Some of the Trident tropical flavors are really good!

Hope your weekend is going better :-) In case you still need cheering up, I'll share a brief story with you. Last week (Sunday evening) Clemson had a blizzard. And by blizzard I mean 3-4 inches. I tried to drive in it at the beginning because it came earlier than expected and I hadn't eaten dinner yet. Well, people in the south should know to NEVER drive in the snow, and I certainly know this now! I got my car stuck in the middle of a road with a slight incline and had to park it (luckily some nearby residents told me I could use one of their parking spaces), walk home, and leave it there overnight. I was a bit embarrassed!

Anonymous said...

Hello from a couchtraveler! Just wanted to stop and say hello--I found your link from the writers group and am finding this blog very interesting so far. Have a good day. :)

Vickie WriterLeft said...

Katie,
I found your blog through Couchsurfing writers group and I love the colors and photographs. I do my share of whining about winter too, so this year, I came up with some things that will bring me cheer. Making and eating soup and stews has helped a lot. So has some extra exercise (though the pounds are not melting away, perhaps because I like chocolate and hot chocolate as a cheer-me-up). What about playing with a dog? Or making eyes at a baby? Lunch with a good friend? Or reading your favorite poetry or author for two hours uninterrupted? Self care is so important in every season - I hope you find some things that make you giggle and grin.

Vickie