After Hawaii...

That's been my mantra for the past couple of weeks, "After Hawaii I will..." and the list is getting really long. 

Things aren't working the way I want them to right now so I need to make some changes but I don't want to make any changes when we are going to be gone for a week right as I would be trying to establish new patterns. And I don't want to make changes when maybe what isn't working is that the house is really stressed right now and a week off might change that dynamic completely. 

I know it's weird to think I would ever have stress. I mean my life is pretty easy. But Brent's is not. Work has been challenging lately and he hasn't taken nearly enough time off in the past year. He needs a break. And when your spouse is stressed, you are stressed. 

So I want to make sure that I'm not changing a bunch of things when really what needed to happen was a break for him. 

Though I know a few things will for sure change. After Hawaii.

The no goal thing isn't really filling me with the joy I had hoped. I really do like having that gold star check off point. So I want to figure out how to add that back in a little. For those of you that had less than two months you can count it as a win because I was pretty sure by the first of February that I would be changing. And those of you that had three months you also get the win because I won't be making the change until after Hawaii.

I am going to do an added sugar purge again. Go back to limiting added sugar to the weekend. That one sucks a bit, I mean I don't waaaannnna. But I really do need to see if some of my persistent health things (hot flashes are creeping back in, slow healing from minor injuries) are related to too much sugar. It really did make a difference in my health when I cut it back last time. I just feel like I needed to stomp my feet and whine about it not being fair that I have to give up all of my comfort foods AND sugar. 

I want to try to start ramping up my workouts again. This one will be a real challenge since I'm not sure how much I can actually do. So that will be a bit of trial and error for sure. I think I am at the point where I could lift weights again and at the same time I cleaned the bathroom yesterday using both hands (I had been being really careful to only use my right hand) and my arm ached all night long. 

There are other things I keep thinking about but those are the ones I will ponder on the beach with something fruity and frozen in my hand. I do some of my best thinking on the beach.

And I do some of my best letting it go on the beach as well. 

Or technically in the ocean.

Dilution is the solution to pollution. That was the phrase they used in the Navy. Add enough water to anything and it's fine. (spoiler alert, this is not actually true for everything but it does work for some things)

So when my brain gets too full and polluted I consciously think about letting it go into the surf. Letting the tide just carry away the overfill. Send it out into the vastness of the ocean and it becomes nothing. What was overpowering in my head is a whisp of an idea on the sea. 

It's a meditation thing that works for me. 

As long as I get to the ocean enough!

It's been two years since so it's beyond time. 

Things that seem really pressing in the middle of the winter rainy season often don't seem like a big deal in the warm sunshine by the ocean. The things that stick as problems that need handled are the ones I will tackle when we get home. But I have a feeling the list will be shorter than it is right now. 

So I will deal with my list of After Hawaii things....well...after Hawaii.