I think it's no secret that I feel like I've been in a rut lately. Our 2023 has already held a myriad of ups and downs. Most recently, Eliot and I have spent most of March sick with upper respiratory infections. Eliot has had almost two straight weeks of all-day meetings at work. We've gotten behind in a few of our orders, behind in normal life stuff and we're barely getting any sleep. I've also been battling some grief and gloom.
However, today suddenly feels like a giant breath of fresh air. The First Day of Spring was yesterday, and it's like it shook the cobwebs out of me a bit. It almost feels like I'm springing ahead into a new season and a better place... and I hope that feeling stays.
And this probably sounds super lame, but I feel really accomplished over a few small things that Eliot and I have been putting off. We've both been so busy that gotten behind in normal house maintenance stuff. Our guest sink has been mildly clogged and our kitchen sink also has a clog... although it's a bit more serious. And every time we take a shower, we're standing in a few inches of water.
Over the weekend, we bought vinegar and baking soda. I decided that I was going to try to tackle the clogs without using Drano unless it was absolutely necessary. So I went to work. The guest sink was fine after one round. The shower was not working... and I was resigned that it would probably need Drano or to be manually unclogged.
The kitchen sink is another story. I used way too much baking soda, so instead of bubbling and cleaning the blockage, it got even more clogged. I ended up using a straw to try to pull out and remove as much of the baking soda as possible. It worked, but the clog still there. Then, somewhere in the depths of my memory, I recalled myself having a plunger in the sink a few years ago when we had another clog.
I set to work looking under the sink, which is a mess right now. (Dad and Eliot repaired the dishwasher and when they reconnected the drainage pipe, Dad didn't snake it through the back like it was originally. So now it's in the way and everything is just shoved in there instead of being organized. Another project for another day... but I digress.) Thankfully, I was able to locate the toilet plunger that we bought specifically for, and dedicated to, only using in the sinks.
After about a minute or two, I got the drain fully cleared and the water disappeared!
Feeling good about getting that fixed, I decided to try the same method for the shower before resorting to the Drano. This morning, while I was showering, I used the plunger and it was obvious after only a few seconds that it was doing something. I kept at it a few times, and before I knew it, I could hear the water draining! Success!
Again, totally lame, but we've all been there. Home ownership has many situations, and sometimes you just don't have time or feel like dealing with them. But after the success of these few small projects, I'm feeling pretty accomplished.
I also checked another thing off of my to do list this morning. Earlier today, I missed the first half of sewing class so I could help with Eliot's race registration for the 2023 Wine and Dine race this November. I'll save all of the details for another post, but it felt good to know that he got into his challenge, especially since he was supposed to be in a meeting during registration so he couldn't sign himself up like he usually would.
Most importantly, it feels like my motivation is back. I haven't felt much like cleaning and organizing the past few months. And earlier this month when I was really sick, I didn't feel like doing much of anything. I was getting into a funk where I felt like I was wasting my days, even though I was still finishing plenty of things. I just wasn't making much forward progress on the big picture items. But any progress is still progress...
However, now that I'm feeling accomplished and a sense of actual motivation, it feels like I might finally be moving forward. After feeling like I haven't gotten much done the past few weeks, it suddenly feels like I'm making a bit of progress... no matter how big or how small. And that feels really good after the cloud that's been looming over me.
Maybe the Spring will be a time for renewal and refocusing for me, and I'm certainly ready to spring ahead into that new chapter. °o°
