TToT – Even When I’m Cranky Edition
I have been dumping my items of thankful in a post draft all week.
I wanted to make sure that I didn’t forget any moments and I didn’t want to hit the end of the week and feel like I had this big job to finish after what I knew was going to be a stressful week.
It was. It still is. And I was pretty glad to know I had my list at the ready and wouldn’t have to think too hard. Truth be told, I’m in a pretty foul mood. I suppose a post focused on finding the good and happy moments isn’t really where that belongs and who really wants to know that, right? Exactly. Nobody. So I decided I didn’t feel like posting.
I clicked over to Lizzi’s to see if she had posted her TToT and sure enough she had. I saw that she had a tough week as well and was glad to know I had company. I got excited for a minute to see that if I finished up my post, I could link up at #2 right behind Lizzi and that was cool. But I really still didn’t feel like it.
When I went back to link, I saw some others had already linked their posts and so I’m glad I read. It was good to read other people’s ups and downs and moments of thankful. So that can be my first item of Thankful this week. Finally inspired to finish, here I am…
Despite being exhausted and way overstressed. Despite being irritated or angry or cranky about several different things. I’m finishing my list and putting it up because I think if I don’t I just might hit that dark cloud of miserable crappiness and I just really don’t want to spend the weekend there.
Positive thinking and behavior does come easy some days. And it comes much harder on others. Today is one of the harder days. I’m not sad. I’m not upset. I’m just really really cranky so I’m looking at my moments of good from the week on purpose. No numbers.
I was pleased to find out that I have a whole 15 followers on Bloglovin’ who are following my little blog. Woot!
Last weekend was my first as a TToT co-host and it went swimmingly. At least it did from my perspective.
Zilla had a holiday from school on Monday. I did not. (See how the cranky starts?) I had to laugh when the Fab Hub told me that Zilla decided to clean up her playroom without being asked. Her idea. And she did a great job.
I wrote this next one in anticipation – how silly. I was going to say here that I am thankful that my deadlines are met and all work accomplished by the end of Friday. That did not happen. I would love to have said that a positive attitude and adherence to a well-laid plan helped me accomplish said work. I did manage to stay pretty positive about it through the week – I was making steady progress and I only had one holy-crap-I’ll-never-get-this-finished meltdown. But I was working on less sleep for the week than most people get in a night at that point, so I think my tolerance level that night was at a significant deficit.
I can still say that I am thankful for the second wind or amazing burst of adrenaline or simple use of hyper focus – whatever – that allowed said work to be mostly accomplished. See how I just had to add a word in there? I did manage to keep picking at the list of gotta-do’s and not get too bogged down in the up against a deadline mentality. I keep going.
So I guess I can toss an extra in here and say I should probably feel thankful that I don’t have all that much left to finish. The light at the end of the tunnel is pretty easy to see at this point.
I am thankful for coffee. See above.
I am thankful that the Fab Hub supervised bath time/bedtime duty not one but two nights in a row so that I could get some of this crap finished in a timelier manner than waiting until after Zilla is in bed and then starting my work for the evening. And to extend that thought, I’m beyond happy that Kidzilla handled the deviation from routine as well as she did and with minimal antagonizing of her Fab Dad. Zilla does not generally do well when her routine deviates from the norm – it throws her off and upsets her. But she did a great job. Add that to continued improvement in school work and behavior and My Girl is really making me proud.
Polar Vortex part two here this week has me very grateful for warm blankets on cold nights. And the fact that we have plenty of warm blankets to pile on is an item of thankfulness all unto itself.
I am most definitely happy to report that I did not actually break the cat when I sat on him in a huffing, flop of exasperation at 3AM Friday morning. Why I didn’t assume he would be in his normal chair sleeping is beyond me. Why I was grumbling around the house at 3AM in the dark is beyond me. OK, not it’s not – I was tired and cranky and stressed and then I couldn’t sleep. Add all that stuff together and you get what will probably be funny in a day or two – me crashing down on Cat One. I swear I heard a sound like a little cat bone snapping. But no cat screaming followed and he did get up in a very large huff and storm away from me. So I’m pretty sure he’s fine. Whew!
I have no idea how many that is, but I’m going with it. No edits here tonight – this is the raw stuff, friends. I am sure that the TToT will work its magic in the hours and days that follow this posting.
Share your moments of thankful – or crankful – in the comments. Or better yet, link up with us this week!
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Crankful?! Made me laugh. Some weeks are just like that…especially ones that start with you having to work while the people you love are home on a holiday.
Yeah that’s my coined word – somehow it makes me feel better, too. You know, that could’ve been part of it – knowing they were home and I wasn’t bugged me. I will have to work on not letting that kind of stuff betting the best of me.
Good for you. Good for you. And WELL DONE for doing this Good-for-you list. Numbers don’t matter when life gets on top of you, and this is heroic stuff, even if it’s ‘just’ the cranks, because it’s HARD. Really hard, to try to find anything to be positive about when you’re feeling all snarly.
Light at the end of the tunnel. Thank goodness.
Coffee. Nuff said.
YOU’VE DONE SO MUCH ALREADY! Well done.
And Fab Hub and Zilla have supported you by making the week easier. Win.
I think you need to sleep as much as you can and then get back to the work with a fresh head.
And your co-hosting last week went BEAUTIFULLY. So that’s GREAT, as far as I’m concerned.
Hope you uncrankify soon. And glad you’re here in spite of it 🙂 I KNEW I picked a good one when I asked you to up your game to Co-host (duties minimised this weekend if you want. Come and comment on them. Or don’t. Free pass for you)
Yeah, I had to put my head in the game and remember that’s why we do this. It helped. I smiled once this morning. And it wasn’t entirely a snarl. 😀
Thanks for the free pass, but I’m not taking it. I’m off to chip away at some of this last pile of work and forge ahead. I’ll feel better when it’s done.
Yer a star. Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep smiling!
How I wish for you to find some relief from your stress! We all have those times and they are awful but I am so pleased that you made it here. The TToT is a tonic for these times. It can help you, even if it’s just for a moment, find the silver lining.
Smart, smart, smart on the ongoing draft post. I tend to always fly by the seat of my pants, make a list and bang it out in short order. I may have to try it your way!
Never, ever doubt that our illustrious leader will be right here waiting for us all. She is our foundation, after all.
How about Zilla and hubby taking on some of the weight this week and being such sports? Good for them!
Coffee? You need never elaborate on the subject. At least not for me. I don’t know how I would get on without it!
I do hope this coming week is kinder to you, Lisa! And thanks for making this wonderful list!
Sandy, I usually do the “holy-crap-it’s-time-for-my-list method because that’s pretty much how I roll in general. I kind of liked doing it the draft way because when a moment hit me as something I should be grateful for, I just dumped it in. At the end of a week with so much stress, it was actually less about having the post ready and more about it reminding me that the week wasn’t all full of stress and nonsense.
Coffee is awesome, right? Definitely kept me going this week when things were spinning madly around me.
Not alone in cranky and yesterday was just a bad day. I actually seemed to not be able to do anything right by evening. I lost a whole post I was writing on my notepad on my iPad and couldn’t retrieve it and pretty much had to write it over from my memory. I had thought I had enough ingredients for the meal I was making for dinner (even checked the bread was going to use). Turns when I actually took the bread out of the wrapping from the refrigerator, it had some green mold spots in the center of two pieces. So, off to the grocery store I went to buy more bread while my dear husband finished up the rest of the cooking and such. It went on and on like that yesterday. Here is to hoping for a better Saturday and at the very least I was in great company it seems. 🙂
Janine, welcome to the cranky crew this week! 🙂
Losing a post – hate that! I’ve had that happen and I usually think the original was better. Once in a while, though, the memory-written version turns out better! Hope that’s the case for you.
I hate when I am part of the way through cooking a meal and realize I forgot something or never had what I thought I did or something isn’t right. So frustrating! Mold on the bread? Ugh.
Yes, you always have good company with this crew! 🙂
oh what to say…
zilla… nuff said
unbroken kitty…nuff said
coffee…nuff said
crankalicious week…. eek… but you know the drill… nuff said
Way to pull through! I don’t know what point in the week I read that you had a crazy deadline list and no sleep and I was pulling for you then… never doubted your ability to come out on the other side… so if you ever need some confidence in your own powers you can borrow some of the stuff I have for you… just ask and I will send it along…
Yes, sometimes those “nuff said” ones really just are great. Crankalicious!?! That is a fantastic word – maybe even better than crankful! Love it. Thanks for pulling for me. I’ll holler next time I need a little boost because whatever you were doing on your end must have been a help!
Lisa, it sounds like a lot of good came out of a tough week. The next one will be better!
That’s the best part, Michelle – realizing that even in the middle of lots of negatives there are always positives. Next one should be better just by virtue of the fact that the pressing deadlines won’t exist.
You didn’t let the week beat you. You still found points of light through the gloom. Pat yourself on the back for writing down good things when they happened so you’d remember them!
Some times you simply have to look back and think, “The best thing about this week is that I will never have to live it again.” Move ahead. No need to spend your weekend under the gloom – you’ve been there long enough!
The choice at the start of the week to keep that draft handy to add my positive moments turned out to be great. More than having my post ready, looking at it was a huge help to my mood because some of those moments had already slipped from my mind. It was a good process this week. Definitely feeling better already…and the big steaming mug of coffee in my hand is helping, too!
I am so glad you didn’t edit. Your words reflect a genuine rawness that really is beautiful. I could read all about your week and the inter-workings of your emotions and functioning abilities and twisted thankfuls and really really tune in. I get so much of this!! My favorite?
“I can still say that I am thankful for the second wind or amazing burst of adrenaline or simple use of hyper focus – whatever – that allowed said work to be mostly accomplished. See how I just had to add a word in there? I did manage to keep picking at the list of gotta-do’s and not get too bogged down in the up against a deadline mentality. I keep going.”
Hang in there, my friend. Keep pushing forward, and sometimes we can be surprised and perhaps shocked at the good stuff that comes.
Thanks, Chris. Yeah, I really didn’t want to edit mostly because I was glad the brain vomit had done its thing and I felt like I had dumped all the bad mood out of my head. It was cathartic. Editing would have changed that. I would like to be surprised and shocked at some good stuff soon…here’s hoping!
Be thankful the week is over and you hopefully have time to refresh. I have been in the stressful hot seat so long, I forgot what it was like to be free. Now, I’m making my own freedom. Woot!
That’s about where I am. This was a particularly bad week because several things that don’t normally have to happen together dovetailed for various reasons and it became like the perfect storm of deadlines.
Whatever Mimi vs. Zitzilla is, I’m coming over to read it in a few minutes because the title has me cracking up already!
I’m so sorry you’ve had such a stressful week. But Kidzilla didn’t have one, too, so that has to help abundantly. And you didn’t break the cat! I laughed out loud at the mental picture of you sitting on the cat and him getting up and leaving in a huff. Been there, been there, been there! Fletcher likes to crawl under the covers of our (usually) unmade bed when it’s cold, and various family members (and other cats) have sat on him a number of times, thinking it was just a lump of blankets. “Huffy” doesn’t begin to cover it sometimes.
Hoping this week brings you some relief. And yes, you were a perfect TToT co-host last weekend. It wasn’t just you thinking so!
Yeah, Kidzilla having a good week (even if it was only a two day one, thank you snow) is a definite bright spot. It makes us happy when things are going well for her and her stress level is not out of control.
Isn’t the cat thing great now that I know I didn’t kill him? I just said to the Fab Hub, “imagine if I actually had broken him and had to write that post! Yikes! I suppose I should’ve known Cat One would be on that chair, but I was not exactly thinking about it and it was dark and he’s black, so… He was definitely irritated.
Things are already feeling less stressful and much better. And it’s snowing…again…so, you know, I’m gaining a couple of hours that I can do some other catch-up stuff.
Ruby gets mad at my husband after getting her claws trimmed. I’m the one doing the trimming, but since he’s holding her, he’s the one she sees and, therefore, blames for the indignity of the whole thing. Takes her several days to get over her snit.
How funny that he gets the ‘tude and you’re the one doing the deed! Cats are so weird.
You managed to write a post on so little sleep? I am so impressed! Lack of sleep not only makes me cranky, it makes me downright nonfunctional. I hope that you will be able to get some rest soon.
I just replied to Christine and mentioned that the fact that I’m a pretty bad (godo?) insomniac was fairly helpful. It’s definitely not something I try to do as a habit. I got a good night’s sleep last night and I’m ready to tackle the last pile of junk for the deadline.
It was clear throughout that you were having a bad week, but the part about you being up at 3:00 in the morning really showed how hard the week was. At our weakest moments, how wonderful that something like flopping onto the cat can bring us out of it for even a second. It’s funny, and you will laugh someday. Glad the cat is ok. 🙂
Here is to a much calmer, happier week for you.
I guess I probably should have added that I’m thankful for being an insomniac? I really don’t make a habit of pulling all-night work sessions, mostly because my 43 year old body does not take it as well as my 23 year old body did. But the fact that I am a terrible insomniac was kind of helpful, I guess. If I was going to be awake anyway, I might as well get something done.
The cat thing will be funny eventually – it kind of is, now, but not really yet. He cringes every time someone walks by his chair. But he’s not running away from me anymore today, so that’s progress.
Oh yes, I could most definitely relate to your post, it truly was a “what’s good about it?” kind of week, one darn thing after another, and I know how stressful it can be when work piles up and begins to feel like an impending avalanche. Little sleep doesn’t help either. But you’ve made it, and so have I, and here we are again to join in the group effort and get cheered up in the process.. and it works! I think that’s the real magic of TToT! I saw some real bright spots here – Kidzilla adapting well to a change of routine, and kitty surviving your sit. Cats are amazingly flexible and resilent, I think it’s that nine lives thing. WIsh people had it! 🙂 I once stepped on a foot of one of mine and he let out a squeal and went limping, I was certain I had broken it. Took him to the vet in tears, who assured me it was only slightly bruised and that it been an actual break, the kitty would have reacted out of reflex and bitten me properly! I will be praying for good things to come your way for your husband, waiting is indeed the very hardest part, but once we get there we forget all about the waiting… just like with having babies! 🙂
Yup, that’s about how the week went. And the lack of sleep only makes things seem worse, doesn’t it? You cope – well, I cope – so much worse when I’m overtired.
Zilla handling a change of routine is HUGE for us. Just huge.
I had to laugh out loud – “kitty surviving your sit” – and I’m so glad he wasn’t actually broken because if his response would have been to bite me, well, I’d have one very unhappy tuchus right now!
Thanks for the prayers – I do a whole lot of that, myself. Hope to have great news to report soon!
Good to see that although you’ve had a tough week you could find things to be thankful for. I’ve found a couple of times that doing the TToT post did help when I was feeling tired and cranky. Let’s hope the cat can manage to do the same after his tough week!!
Yeah, the cat is definitely not happy. But he did join me in the kitchen a bit ago and ask for some love, so perhaps we are OK again!
Oh, even though bath time is usually my thing, hubby had to do it 3 times this week. Yay for supportive hubbies! I second and third your appreciation for coffee. What would we do without it? Yay for kiddo cleaning her room. They usually do a good job if it’s their own idea to pick up. Lily sat in her room crying for 10 minutes today because I sent her picking up her Lego, insisting that it was way too much and she needed help. Well, too bad, if it’s too much for you, don’t wait until it’s time to vacuum and pick up right after you play instead of dumping all the Lego to your floor and leave it there!
Have a great weekend, Lisa!
I suppose it is about it being their idea – Kidzilla cleaned her playroom AGAIN today and it’s spotless. I mean every single thing is in its place. I’m not going to argue…just praise her for the great work and hope it continues!
I’m glad you managed to get most of your stuff done this week – even though it sounds like much of that happened with very little sleep! I tried to work on getting more sleep this week (it mostly made me tired – which I figure is a good sign – catching up, right?).
I smiled at the “I accomplished everything” wrote in advance bullet. I’m very similar…. Week’s start with great expectations and then just kind of …. happen.
May next week be more thankful than crankful!
Well, it was a very good positive motivation – and I almost made it. The best laid plans… 🙂
“I was making steady progress and I only had one holy-crap-I’ll-never-get-this-finished meltdown.”
that made me feel better, my ‘process’ (for the TToT) is simply get up and find a Post. so to hear another deal with the “…no frickin is this gonna happen in time! that is a part of the deadline crunch experience is muy assuring.
funny about the whole, ‘write a grat list’ even when everything sucks… it do seem to work. I personally believe that the change one one’s mood after the exercise is a result of an enhanced sense of membership… easy to do a Post when we are having fun, but when everything sucks and we still do (a Post)… we have truly earned the …whatever ti is that seems to change our mood.
v cool
Oh yeah, the fly by the seat of my pants method is my usual modus operandi.
I agree for sure that the tougher – and perhaps better – time to write the TToT posts is indeed when things aren’t all terrific. More than one person this week has said they were feeling lousy this week for one reason or another and found that reading others’ posts was helpful. So there it is – it works. 🙂
You mentioned my go-to strategy: I start a draft as soon as I think of something to be thankful for. I add to the draft as the week goes on so I don’t get overwhelmed trying to come up with ideas. Plus, I just don’t trust my memory anymore. Hey, maybe my first thankful thing next week will be the ability to save drafts . . . .
Hope you have a better week next week.
I was really glad to have done my list as an ongoing draft this week – it worked well for many reasons. Have to admit it was the memory thing that started it, but it turned out well.
I’m so glad that you decided to link up and post anyway. I know how it can be to feel negative for a day or for a few minutes here and there throughout the day. I definitely fought through my emotions and posted last week! I remember when I had my first few followers on Bloglovin. That was nice 🙂 I hope that you will be able to find some way to get in a more positive mindset though. Here’s to more positive days ahead for you my dear! xo
I will be much more positive when these massive deadlines are behind me!
I’ve had Crankful weeks and you did spectacularly. Deadlines and good intentions always trip me up, then lead to nightmares and sleeplessness as I try to figure how to catch up.
Your post made me feel a little more human as I plucked out four easy and the rest I had to dig for- opting for giggle moments of Barbie. Yup. It’s how we muddle through.
We’re all very human, aren’t we? All the grand plans in the world don’t necessarily account for real life getting in the way – and it always does! But it keeps us on our toes, right?
Awww, I’m sorry you had a rough week, and that I am just now commenting, especially since I am one of your Bloglovin followers and so read this post too long ago to just now be commenting. It’s been a busy weekend.
Good for you for cranking it out and getting it finished. There are some great thankfuls in the list such as warm blankets and not breaking the cat.
I think not breaking the cat is probably up there in the top items of the week!
aww, bless you for powering through… you poor thing.
Just about any situation is exacerbated by lack of sleep…*every*thing is just worse. Been there. Too many times.
Praying the upcoming week goes better. <> …ooh, and also praying for kitty… hope he’s ok. 😉
Eh, I’m fine. Reading everybody’s TToT posts helped a whole lot! And Kidzilla and the Fab Hub let me thunder around the place and still don’t seem to want to throw me out!
The week WILL be better – I’m determined. And Cat One seems to be fine and extended affection in my direction, so I think we’re friends again. I’ll tell you what, though, that cat vacates his chair mighty fast when I walk by now!
I know exactly what you mean about positive thoughts and behaviour coming easily some days and some days not! I had a couple of really positive days last week and another couple where I just couldn’t stop crying. I really hope that your stress eases over the coming days and weeks and that beautiful things start coming your way. xx
Thanks, Lizzy! Things are definitely looking better for the week ahead!
I didn’t start a post draft but did start a running list in a notebook I carry in my bag. I think I will continue to do that, but it doesn’t necessarily make it easier to see one’s abundance during weeks like you described. I so hate those 3 am-I-can’t-sleep-I-gotta-sleep nights…especially with all the deadlines and time constraints it sounds as though you are dealing with. Best wishes for a better one as Polar Vortex III settles in!
The extra stress and deadlines definitely make it more difficult – but deadlines are met and despite the next cold wave (how odd that sounds) I’m looking forward to a good week and a strong finish to January!
I love the notebook – even better than a post draft because you can take it with you.
It seems that quite a few of us had crankful (haha) weeks that began with kids being off of school on Monday and us having to work. I’m so glad that you found so much to be thankful for – coffee may have saved my week last week. And maybe this week too. Ok fine all the weeks. Whew to cat one being okay. I’m sure that was scary for both of you!
Yeah, coffee is definitely a happy moment. Sounds weird, but there is just something about it. The cat is fine and speaking to me again. It’s going to make great material for my book!
Aw, you had a rough week, too! I’m sorry! Way to rally with a TToT post, though. YAY for both of us for pulling something together to be thankful for when we were so down in the dumps! I hope this week is better for you! Also, yay for Fab Hub and Zilla making things easier for you. That’s awesome. 🙂
Sounds like many of us did, Beth! Pulling the TToT together anyway was good for many of us, too. This week will be much better – deadlines are put to bed so much of that stress has to dissipate! And the Fab Hub and Zilla are awesome! 🙂
Warm blankets and coffee – YES!
Two of my favorites. 🙂