gloom-tastic

There's been a gloom cast over my life lately. I chalk it up to the melting dirty snow all over the place that makes everything distinctly moist. I've also felt very much like the Mysteriously Growing Woman since, though I've kept to the plan and started actively exercising about four times a week, I'm magically gaining weight, but we don't need to go into that. And of course those Waste of Makeup Days that we all have-- you know the kind-- that just seem to be all too abundant, probably because it's too cold in the morning to get up in time to get ready, which brings me back to the point about the melty gray snow.

We've recently managed to make some real Grown Up strides that I'm pretty sure is helping me reach my goal of increasing my awesomeness. First, we applied for our very first ever loan and drove off the lot with this:Look, there's me in the front seat texting about it! It's our very first Bell Family car-- a silver 2008 Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring. PRETTY! We figure we aren't going to be buying a house anytime soon, but we do spend a lot of time on the road with no sign of not spending a lot of time on the road, so we might as well have a cozy house on wheels that's not an RV.

But the gloom! Such gloom. It's got me in a funk I can't seem to pull out of. Part of the problem may be the fact that in spite of our shiny new car that we like to drive in, with the good sound system and heater that actually works, we seem to always be STUCK in traffic. Traffic is my worst anxiety, other than phones ringing off the hook. There's been plenty of that lately too... Just thinking of traffic and phones ringing makes my heart start pounding.

I intend to launch Pribbles & Prabbles: The Store on Etsy in February, which means I need to get cranking on some yarn projects but can't find the motivation. I wonder if the gloom has a little something to do with the fact that we've launched into rehearsals for Act II of A Tale of Two Cities in which we spend a lot of time in riotous French mobs, screaming, "GUILTY! GUILTY! OFF WITH 'ER HEAD!" at each other and witnessing a lot of terrible deaths. In all honesty, it's going to be a powerful production that I'm very excited to be a part of. You can get tickets HERE (if you don't think it'll make you too gloomy).

There's an Urban Outfitters sale happening online which is sorely tempting but not possible four days after buying a car (because WE DID THAT!) and also that thing about Waste of Makeup for the Mysteriously Gaining Woman. I think I might go the opposite route and actually just throw out (donate) half my wardrobe just to get rid of it. Simplify. Take some weight off by concentrating less on materialistic things. This will also make our impending move a lot easier.

Counting down the days till we move is kind of gloomy too, because it means we have to pack and then unpack. A fresh start will be nice. And also Fresh Step for our CAT because TREVOR the CAT can come live with us in a month!!!

But in the meantime: gloom, and taking home discarded cardboard boxes from work instead of recycling them.

Any suggestions for a gloom-buster?