Change is afoot. 2014 feels like it is about change. I am working on changing things around me that is for sure. Simple things like finally painting my bedroom. I have been procrastinating for 2 years and I finally picked a color and have my Dad as my co-painter to get the work done. My Mom always says I get as far as the paint and no further. I bought the paint and now I need to buy some furniture and other items. If all goes well my room will have a makeover soon enough. Things at work are changing as they always do this time of year; yet it feels different. I have an idea for a second blog that has yet to launch. I have been displeased with the amount of effort I put into the design (with a designer) and less pleased with the overall results produced by the designer. Lesson learned – every situation may require new perspective, different expertise. A new designer is the avenue I am taking so have been researching other people out there. I keep pushing myself to do things to create little changes. Big changes are sometimes difficult to achieve in a short time. Small changes are more readily tangible and can lead to the bigger changes. I have been working on the way I think. Letting go of some things, changing gears over here. My brain is always churning and I find myself worrying for no other reason than my brain is working way overtime. I am training my brain to do a 180. Stop, turn and go in the other direction.
After work I decided it would save time if I walked my dog in 7 degree weather in my suede booties rather than changing my shoes. I figured I would be FINE since I was wearing Smartwool socks. My socks may have been smart (love Smartwool) but that was the only smart thing. I walked around the block – about 10 minutes outside – and I could feel numbness in my feet creeping up. It started at the tip of my toes and by the time it reached the balls of my feet I dragged the dog inside and took off my boots. I looked at my feet and my toes were freakishly white and without feeling. I was sure my toes would fall off and I began to envision what it would be like without a big toe on my right foot. My feet were freaky from the cold – if I were not grossed out by feet I MAY have taken a picture but I prefer feet covered up. While half of my brain was coming up with toeless horror stories, the other half was trying to figure out how to fix my feet. Instead of using Google, I got my hair dryer out (did you know in case of frostnip or superficial frostbite you should soak your feet in warm water? As later shared by someone who probably used Google when I shared my winter weather FAIL). When the hair dryer failed to change the color of my toes, I just decided to put on heavy wool socks and my Uggs and hope for the best. Meanwhile, the other half of my brain was preparing to go to the ER and figuring out if I could go to the ER without anyone in my family finding out I had tried to freeze my toes off my body. Instead I went to my workout class, in Uggs, wool socks, sneakers in tow, and my closest thing to eskimo gear (no fur). By then 45 minutes had passed and my toes were finally starting to look normal. I decided perhaps horrific thoughts about my toes falling off were too extreme (pretty sure). Though I tried to do a 180 degree change with my thoughts, though only half my brain was on board at that point. Hey change takes time! However, the fact of the matter is, rather than going to worst case or most worrisome, it is most helpful to stop and switch directions and reign it all in. Also when it is 7 degrees outside, it is far better to change one’s shoes. I may be the only person who needed to learn that lesson today.
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