In an effort to keep up with work (yesterday was my first anniversary in my "new" job) I think I've been doing an increasingly bad job at keeping up with the other responsibilities in my life (like finding time to log in here for more than two minutes at a time). My energy has been pretty good of late but I've been suffering with allergies along with everyone else in my town. The allergies helped bring on a nasty summer cold (don't know what else to call it) but for the first time in recorded history I didn't get bronchitis. I'd call that progress!
I've been madly planning a trip to China for 10 staff and 8 undergraduates leaving in early July for about 8 days. The details are relentless and I'm in the midst of securing all the necessary documents and paperwork for our visa applications. I've been pretty stressed with the minutia and while it is only small stuff, the consequences of stuffing it up at this stage in the game (non-refundable tickets and hotel reservations) are making it feel pretty intense. I'll be glad to have this experience behind me. Next year some one else can plan the trip!
I had to give up my yoga practice a few months ago because of acute tendon issues with my forearms that make weight-bearing activity pretty difficult. I used to rock climb with my partner but that went out the window a couple of years ago. I've been looking for something else to do besides deep water exercise and on Sunday I resurrected my racquetball game. It wasn't pretty but my partner and I knocked the ball around and ran into walls for a good hour. It was exhausting and I had to take precautions (wrapping my wrist, wearing a tennis elbow brace, icing after exercise) but I didn't suffer beyond the usual aches and pains of not having used certain muscle groups for a long time. My arm still hasn't fully recovered from the experience but I hope we'll play again on the weekend. Tonight I think we'll go do some other kind of cardio. Maybe a walk/jog.
So, while I keep up with work and life and exercise I hope to keep up here, too. But sometimes there just aren't enough hours or enough energy to get it all done. And when I'm really tired and have to make choices, that's when I have to remind myself to keep up on keeping myself up. That job is as important as all the other ways I need to keep up, even though it is sometimes the hardest one to do.