Le sigh.

Today isn't a great day. I woke up sleep deprived because my inability to get to sleep at a reasonable time got the better of me. Then I came to work only to have to say goodbye to the person who has probably become my closest work friend. Another friendship is starting to fall apart, and there doesn't seem to be anything that I can do to fix it.

I'm feeling incredibly overwhelmed by the amount of work and non-work WORK that I have to do. And of course I'm feeling more and more and more anxious about my mom's health. Despite what her doctor keeps saying, I don't see any signs of improvement.

And then when I decide to finally stop ignoring yet another whole universe of people, I see something that I really wish I hadn't, because I think it's ruined my day even further.

And on top of all that, my friend's dad had a stroke and is in the hospital, and I feel almost as though he's my own dad. And just like with my mom, I feel completely helpless and ineffective.

I'm just having a really, really, really bad day, and I want nothing more than to curl up in my bed and go to sleep and let the rest of the day drift away.

Quote of the Day

Philanthropy is almost the only virtue which is sufficiently appreciated by mankind.

-Henry David Thoreau

Quote of the Day

Happiness, knowledge, not in another place but this place, not for another hour but this hour.

-Walt Whitman

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Despite my mom being sick, I've enjoyed quite a few weeks of relatively upbeat spirits. That's over, though, and I feel a wave of sadness overtaking me, and as much as I'm trying to fend it off, I can't.

And what stinks is that I saw it coming. There have been a couple of developments over the last couple of weeks that have combined to make me feel so blue. And I suppose all I can do now is just ride it out. These things always pass. The only question is, how long will it take?

Phanatic Around Town, Lloyd Hall/Boathouse Row

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Photo of the Day, 7/4/2010

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Photo of the Day, 6/30/2010

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More Phanatic Around Town, Philadelphia International Airport

I've had these photos for a couple of weeks, but I hadn't gotten around to posting them. Many thanks to Jaime and Tara who were kind enough to photograph the Phanatic (separately), since it was inside the concourse. Without further ado...









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Photo of the Day, 6/25/2010

Posts stuck in the sidewalk from old parking meters put to good use (Walnut St).





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What Are You Grateful For?

I just saw that question asked on a blog that I read, and it really made me think. Health emergencies and difficult personal times always make one think about life, etc., but I have a really hard time remembering or reminding myself of the things that I'm grateful for or that make me happy.

Of course, I'm thankful that my mom's getting better. There's a long road ahead of us, but she's getting better, so that's all that I can hope for. I'm also realizing that it'll take her a long time to fully recover, so every bit of progress is an accomplishment.

And I'm also thankful for the time that I spent on Saturday taking pictures. I've been neglecting the things that bring me joy lately, but I've realized that if I let myself indulge in them a little bit, All of the difficult things that I have to deal with afterward so much more manageable. I didn't take any phenomenally good photos, but that wasn't the point. It was to get out and about, and spend a few minutes paying attention to my surroundings rather than my mom's health or other things that stress me.

So those are the things that I am thankful for. I've tried unsuccessfully before to keep a gratitude journal, but I'm going to try to refocus on remembering these things even if I don't necessarily write it down every day.

Edited to add: One thing that I'm going to get back on is my Phanatic photo series. One pic to come soon...