gettin' back to it

I'm sure it's not just me who has this haaaard time with getting back into any sort of routine after the holidays. Even though I don't actually have any sort of routine, ha ha! Even though Christmas sort of snuck up on us this year, after the Festive Day itself, which went by quickly & quietly, I stretched the holidays out as long as I could by going to Chemainus and then to Kelowna, and having just returned 3 days ago I still see evidence of Christmas around the house. The white fairy lights are still up, cards still hang off our blinds, presents perch uneasily on our dresser. The presents and the cards will go (today, if I get it together), but it's always a wrench taking down the lights as they are so lovely.
The fact that I am sort of waiting to find out what kind of work I'll be doing the next few months and what my schedule is makes it hard to settle into a routine. School helps; my 2 classes begin this week and I lurched out of bed at 8:30 this morning to attend Arranging. I nearly didn't go, having stayed up too late watching episodes of Jericho, but I'm really glad I did. This term we'll be working on 4-part harmony arrangements, which is right up my alley. I got some assignments back from last term and was amazed to see that I got 75% on my Jazz Theory exam, which considering I crammed for it the night before is nothing short of a miracle.
Paid work may be scarce, but the brand-new Redboot Quartet already has a gig, thanks to an old crush of mine who saw us play at the Leaky Heaven Circus fundraiser last month. We'll be playing 3 songs at the Push cabaret next week which is perfect because we only know about 3 songs so far!
Health-wise... J & I have decided to try and get healthy (I know, that's such an original thought to have at the start of a new year!), and are cutting out sweets and some carbs. J actually made some "rice" out of grated-up cauliflower last night that was surprisingly not-sucky. I have terrible trouble visualizing life without chocolate & gumdrops, so I guess I'll have to try and live as addicts do: one day at a time and all that. I think J was unpleasantly surprised to be fainting again, and also his blood pressure is up. I still have the dreaded Bronchitis, although Stepmom June rushed to my aid in Kelowna and bought all these naturopathic potions for me to ingest. Something called Bronchosan, which contains ivy and star anise and all sorts of other plants, and is supposed to calm my congested lungs, and oregano oil, which if even half the research about it is true is better than the second coming. So far though, no matter how much I want these natural medicines to kick ass, I must say that they are having no effect whatsoever.
I think I'm gonna have to head back to the doctor- I really need/want to be running and exercising and it's hard when even laughing makes me hack up a lung. I am sick of being sick!
Lastly... as I was saying in my last post, I am confused but grateful by how close I have felt to J since my return from Kelowna. Something has sparked in our relationship that was laying dormant for a while there. Now there is more passion again and I am thrilled, although slightly puzzled. I don't know why this would be; nothing specific has sparked it... but I will be grateful and try my hardest to keep it aflame.