I do not like taking blog breaks, but today, I will have to. This is the last day that I will be in my office for a week. Tomorrow…
…I will spend the day with my spouse cramming a weekend’s work into one day. Grocery shopping with my senior pals, late-autumn yard work, automobile maintenance, packing, and more.
I will be preparing meals in advance for my beloved spouse so he won’t starve while I am away.
On Sunday, I take off to the west. I will be extremely busy for a packed five days, including travel. Sorry, I will not say where I am going or what I am doing because when I did that on this blog a few years ago, I revealed too much and saw some people tracking me back to where I work. My work life and “BHD life” are two separate things.
I am a tad nervous about this trip in particular, because it sets me up for a “make or break” of me in my professional life and career. Being on stage before thousands of people and my international professional peers is quite daunting!
As soon as I return home from this trip, I will turn around in a day and drive my spouse to his mother’s house in Pittsburgh for a week of caregiving. I will finally return home Sunday after next, then return to work on Monday, the week of U.S. Thanksgiving.
Which brings me to another daunting challenge — our annual open house pot luck Thanksgiving bash for seniors who otherwise would be alone on the holiday. We are gearing up for about 100 visitors throughout the day. Yikes! It will be coming up fast!
Fortunately, the spouse will make preparations (housecleaning, organizing, etc.) this coming week at home, though he will not be with us this year on Thanksgiving. Sadly, I will be hosting the event this year without him. I am fortunate that about 15 members of my family will be helping me out. I “only” roast four fresh turkeys. My visitors bring everything else… and by that, I mean EVERYTHING!
If I have a chance to breathe between now and Thanksgiving, I will return to blogging. I appreciate your patience while awaiting return of “BHD’s Musings.”
Life is short: pack it all in!
BHD, judging from what you’ve written in other blogs, I think you’ll do just fine when standing in front of your peers. And remember that old public speaker’s trick: if you do find yourself feeling nervous about speaking on stage before hundreds of folks, imagine them all sitting there in front of you…..naked……and wearing nothing else but flip-flops.
Good luck with your Pittsburgh caregiving trip and open house potluck Thanksgiving dinner. I’m sure your spouse, your mom-in-law and the seniors appreciate greatly what you do for them. Your life sounds like a very full one and you are cherished by many people whether related to you or not. Their days are undoubtedly brighter because you are a positive difference in their lives.
One request during this blog’s “interregnum”, please keep a daily boot journal so we can know what you wore and (particularly) if anyone at your professional event notices or makes any comment on your footwear. I don’t think you’ll get any negative comments and based on some of your past trips, you’ll probably get some nice comments. Hope you have an enjoyable time and good travels.