After the exhaustion lifts, I write another post

Wow, I have reread yesterday’s post and it seems I had a hard time writing coherently! I can tell I was tired from the way the post read, the fact that I didn’t title it, the nap I took over my lunch break and the ten hours I slept last night.

I’ll try to do better today.

At work on March 1 there’s a cookie bake-off. Over the weekend I made chocolate chip cookies with bacon! as a bonus, but the bacon fades into the chocolate and was a big disappointment. The bacon only lends a chewy quality to the cookie, so you know something is different, but you can't identify it. I brought them to work this morning and although they were eaten, they received a big ‘meh’ from the people who ate them.

It went like this:
"Chocolate chip cookies! Yay!"
"What's the secret ingredient?"
"Really? Bacon? Hunh."

Dang it.

I have a recipe for Oreo cookie cookies and another recipe for homemade Oreos. I think I will make one batch of each and test them among friends and family. Then whichever gets the highest praise is the one I will submit. So far, without a taste test, I have one strong vote for homemade Oreos.

I also signed up to provide cookies for church one Sunday in March. I don’t have a shamrock cookie cutter, but I thought green shamrock sugar cookies would be too much work a fun little treat for March.

Note to self: buy a shamrock cookie cutter somewhere. This requires looking out for one. Much like winning the lottery, you must take action to achieve the end result.

As I look back over the last four months, I have to admit to myself that I’m tired. I’ve been going full-speed since October. I think it’s time for something slow and relaxing, but I’m not sure what that would be.

Besides cookie baking. Obviously.

I suppose really it’s all about carving out time to do some things, like organize life. I have started that: over the weekend I organized my laundry room, nightstand and jewelry box. Today I promised myself that over lunch I would organize my files for the Irish language study group I lead, but as I have three new students I have been working feverishly on a proper lesson for this evening. Let's hope I don't have to go through the crazy professor routine yet again of looking for something I can't find.

I did that last time, flipping through page after page of unfiled/previously filed paperwork and lessons, hair getting wiry from stress, my eyes wild and bugging out. It's pretty. No wonder people come back for more.

I’m the sort of person who feels better when I’m organized. Something else I’d like to do is get outside and start running. Even a mile at a time would be nice, but after sleeping off the triathlon and still feeling a bit worn down, I realize that can wait until this coming weekend. It’s just difficult to bypass decent weather this time of year!

I read part of a book in December that suggested we ask ourselves, “What is best for me?” When done properly, it brings good results, not always selfish results because sometimes what is really best for ourselves is doing something for other people.

Maybe that’s my new filter. At least for awhile.