Organic Mutant

The last several weeks have been composed of major catch up moves. The first few weeks of aught seven were filled with illness: Lucas’, Wade’s, mine. Whatever energy we could come up with was diverted to basic tasks of food, sleep, rest, forcing ourselves into work due to deadlines and obligations, basic maintenance. Since then every few days we have mowed down another item on the long, long list of things do, obtain, complete, &tc. Life can feel like a treadmill of sorts, an exciting treadmill, but a treadmill nonetheless. A few hills there, a speed-up here, but a mindless continuum of watching the same track unwind endlessly beneath your feet.

But accomplishing things feels good, finishing chores gives me a thrill of accomplishment, the reek of a task at completion gets me high! YO. Who is this person that likes to see things to the end? This person is the new me. Christina 2.0, baby.
Two things that illustrate this new, improved me:
1. Last week Lucas had a ‘Tiger Tot’ class at the Wild Animal Park. The day before I knocked over one of the little Chinese Elm stools that we have scattered around the house. (They are pretty heavy.) The tippy-top of the stool landed on one of my Morton’s toes and crushed the $%$^& out of my toe. I could barely walk or even stuff my feet into shoes, but later I still took Lucas to the park as planned — I drove instead of walking — and even went to work after that. (Note: Lucas was pretty funny during all this.  I was writhing around on the floor, gasping “Fugh!” and “Shi-ugh!”.  Lucas saw me in pain and came and sat by me.  He would bang his head on the ground and then mimic my cries, asking for kisses and sympathy.  ‘Twas hilarious, but strange.  Where did he get the clown genes?) The next morning I did NOT want to drive to Escondido, but I felt this major compulsion to go. I was on the phone talking to Wade as drove and I said, “Who is this person that feels so motivated to meet her obligations? Five years ago I would have flaked and not even thought one second about it and now here I am driving a stick shift 40 minutes in traffic with a broken toe so that Lucas can have enrichment and exposure.”
2. About a year and a half ago I taught myself to knit and promptly knitted a few scarfs, bought a lot more yarn and for the most part knitted in fits and start since them, but never finished another project. First, I stopped myself from buying more supplies (verrry difficult for me because I love to be well provisioned — I hate to run out of stuff). Then I determined that I would finish one project by the end of 2006. I worked in stolen moments here and there & finished my ten-foot scarf! It took forever but it is done.

Now I feel like I *want* to cross things off of my list and bust a move this year.