Happy Birthday, to me!!

I have had a stressful couple weeks. I made my February schedule like the first week of work, when I was all gung ho about working extra and being super involved. I have since learned that days off are ESSENTIAL to survival. I worked 8 straight days leading up to my parents visit, including the day they arrived, and have worked 8 straight since their departure including the day they left. So I have been a little crabby, and VERY tired. I did have a funny little adventure though. Another lesson I have learned this week is always check the weather report before you leave the house. I had heard there may be some snow, not a big deal up here there is always some snow. I left for work Sunday morning and it was definitely snowing, and as the day progressed it kept snowing and snowing and snowing. When I commented on it someone said duh! it's supposed to snow for like three days. I made the drive home, and it wasn't too terribly bad, I really have gotten used to driving in the snow, and then that same damn hill that beat me last time got me again. Instead of returning to work this time, I simply parked my car in town and walked home. It's a little over a mile up a country road, and quite honestly, I loved every second of my walk. It had already snowed like 8 inches so everything was covered and there were fat, slow snowflakes falling from the sky. It reminded me a lot of the snow walks we used to take with our mom as a kid. She would bundle us all up and we would wander around the streets of Finneytown, just enjoying the snow. A very nice man and his daughter picked me up partway home and gave me a ride, I almost told them no, but it was getting dark so I took the ride. Yesterday morning I walked back to my car and it was almost like therapy, I kind of felt rejuvenated. I didn't even mind cleaning the 10 inches of snow we had gotten overnight off my car. So today, with my staff meeting already out of the way, I am going to enjoy my birthday. I have never really celebrated my birthday all on my own, it will be a new experience, but I think it will be a good one!