Friday, February 14, 2014

Five Things Friday

It was another busy week in my neck of the woods, so I'm closing out the week with a 5 things Friday post!

1.  It's Valentine's Day today and I am probably one of the few single people who actually likes this holiday.  While I don't really have romantic love in my life right now, I do have many other forms of love, such as love from family and friends, and for that I am thankful.  I know love should be expressed 365 days a year, but I like that there is a day devoted to love.  Some of my favorite Valentine's Days were the ones I spent with my nephews in Minneapolis - hopefully I can pick that tradition back up again someday. 

2.  Kyria flies in tonight after work - I am so excited to host her for the weekend.  We will spend most of the weekend in the Asheville area as that is one of my favorite areas of North Carolina so it's an area I feel like she needs to see while she is here!  We will check out the Biltmore, check out Asheville, and do some hiking (fingers crossed that the weather cooperates!).  And probably lots of eating.

3.  As of this coming Tuesday, I have 7 weeks left of my one-year relocation commitment.  I know 7 weeks might not sound like much to others as I get a lot of comments about how my year is up 'so soon' but it doesn't feel soon when you are the one getting up each day and trudging through another day in a city where you don't want to live.  I know 7 weeks is less than 52 weeks but it's more weeks than I'd like to spend here, and there's still that whole issue of having to find a job...  So yah.  Hurry up time, and please God let me find a new job in Minneapolis soon.

4.  I talk about how hard it is on me to live in Charlotte, but I can back it up with some scientific proof - namely, how living here has negatively impacted my sleep quality.  Clearly my sleep quality has tanked since around the time I moved last year, and it's at an all time low right now. 



5.  It snowed here this week which made me especially thankful for my walking commute.  I think we got about 8" of snow over the course of 2 days which is a lot for a southern city.  As the snow came down heavily during the work day, people were sort of freaking out and it was hard for me to put myself in their shoes and understand that it was SUCH a big deal after living in a climate where heavy snow fall was a common occurrence.  I usually mock the weather here in Charlotte, but I will actually say that it was very wintery here this week!

How will you be spending your Valentine's Day?  I am picking Kyria up from the airport after work and then will make lentil enchiladas and a southwestern bean salad for dinner. 

16 comments:

missris said...

Oooh sounds like you have a fun weekend planned! Tonight I have big plans to go to the gym since I had to skip my workouts twice this past week for work commitments. A romantic night at the gym!

Marlys said...

I am not happy to see your sleep quality decrease so much as sleep is so restorative and necessary!
Sounds like you have a fun weekend planned and I do hope the weather cooperates as we keep hearing how devastating the weather is for the southeast!
We will spend the weekend at the lake and Andrew & Matthew will stay overnight with us on Saturday! Oh happy day!

Nora said...

bummer on the sleep quality thing! Interesting (on one hand) that there is proof about happiness/sleep quality and etc.!

Tonight is Mexican fiesta with my dad and then tomorrow night we have a triple date to dinner & a whiskey bar. Who knows what to expect...!

Leigh said...

We have nothing planned for Valentine's day. Might go out for dinner next week to celebrate our 7 years of being together...where the heck has time gone?! Hope you have a great weekend with Kyria!

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

"You're almost there." You don't say that to a marathoner at Mile 20. And you don't say it to someone who is unhappily waiting until the end of their financial commitment to their company. Period.

That visual of your sleep over the past couple years is so telling. I wonder how much of it can be directly attributed to your time in Charlotte vs. your RA diagnosis and the effect the drugs are having on your system. Guess you likely won't ever know, so let's just hope that line has upward movement in the very near future!!

No VD plans. Picking up G from daycare. Eating dinner, followed by watching a movie with my boys (our Friday night ritual). Folding laundry. Living on the edge over here, I tell ya! ;)

Abby said...

That is crazy how much your sleep quality has decreased since your relocation! :( sleep is so important....

Have so much fun this weekend! That sounds like a blast - I hope her flights don't get delayed with all the crazy weather.

I am spending my Vday driving 10 hrs from NM to Keystone, CO! I loathe long car rides....but I'm actually excited for this one bc Ryan and I haven't gotten to talk a whole lot lately due to busy schedules & obviously living apart. So I look forward to catching up and seeing new parts if the country!

Amber said...

God seeing your sleep quality graph is so crazy. I actually have NEVER looked at mine before so I just opened it for the first time. So interesting! My quality majorly tanked mid-2012, which I'm guessing was right around the wedding. But overall it's been pretty steady in the last three years staying between 70 - 80%. Crazy we've been using that app for so long!

I hope everything works out ok with Kyria's trip. Happy Valentines Day! XO

Charis Faith said...

I am so excited for you and I know y'all will have a wonderful time in Asheville!!!

I think this is the first time in my life that I remember a snowstorm like the one we just had. We had snow, and then it stopped, and then we had snow and it got bad fast and then we had sleet and then freezing rain and then more snow. Usually it just snows and that is it.

YAY for only 7 more weeks!!!

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

Have a fun weekend! I'm hoping to catch up on a weeks worth of blog reading and hopefully write a few posts myself. Work was crazy this last week. We are checking out a local restaurant with some friends tomorrow night but besides that not much planned this weekend.

Stephany said...

That sleep graph is crazy! My sleep quality stays consistently in the 80-90% range, thankfully. Just goes to show that you need out of Charlotte soon. One cannot survive on crappy sleep! It's so necessary to our health.

Hope you have a nice weekend with Kyria! That sounds like so much fun. :)

Linda said...

7 weeks! Too soon to start a count down?

I spent Valentine's day with 2 other couples and another single girlfriend. I had so much fun I think if I ever have a s.o. again I'd like to do a group Vday dinner!

Raquelita said...

I hope you and Kyria had a blast this weekend! I remember when I first met you both. :)

My Valentine's Day was low key. I taught a 3 hour class and had a committee meeting and papers to grade. Then we just ordered Thai food and drank some wine.

Carolina John said...

I hope you guys had a blast! I was actually hanging out in Myrtle Beach this weekend with my friends from Asheville. We all had a good time.

Jeanie said...

How did you measure the sleep quality? That's interesting! I hope you had a great weekend -- sounds so fun; Biltmore is gorgeous! Countdown begins!

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

Sorry to hear about the sleep quality :-( I think I go through phases where I sleep really well for a while, and then I can't sleep at all.

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

You sure were right about the eating! When I was working on my recap, it was all about what we ate! I think my favorite thing was either the biscuit, the lentil enchiladas or the fish tacos! And personally, I had a great Valentines day!