I have been GONE.

And I mean that in more ways than one. I was away from the office for a few days. Plus I’ve been uber busy in the office so computer-face time is slim to none (unless you’re one of the lucky ones that catches me on gmail chat…Julie…).

I operate on lists. I adore the pleasure I get from crossing things off and ultimately throwing away a list. Sometimes I even flip back through my planner to feel good about myself and to remind myself of all the things I have accomplished in my recent past. I DID go to the grocery store for hamburger meat. I DID get my oil changed. I DID order that one awesome song on iTunes I LOVED when it came on Pandora. And I of course made those phone calls to Vicki, Julie, and Emily.  I AM a well-accomplished human being because of these things.

It’s very easy to cross things off at the office. Went to that meeting. Check. Ordered those plans. Check. Made those copies. Check. Returned emails and voicemails. Check. Brainstormed some ideas and jotted them down. Check. In fact, the past two days have been so full that my online convo with Julie went something like this today:

Julie: How are things over there?
Me: Kind of in a mental block right now. I just stopped a little bit ago to surf the Internet and chew my gum.
Julie: and twirl your hair?
Me: Mostly.
Julie: I’ll have to try that. But…I have no gum. 😦

Some things, however, are difficult to define, list, and cross off. Like spend more time with the husband (with whom I will be celebrating our one-year with soon…*swoon*). What do you do, cross it off every time you see him for five minutes? And how do you even check your sweet husband off a list? That doesn’t seem right. Or what about spend more time with the family? Or work on the hobbies you love, like writing, photography, piano, horse-back riding…?  Help humanity? BE A BETTER PERSON?!

So I’m taking steps. Small steps, maybe. But steps nonetheless. And I think they will greatly aid me in the checklist of life (so corny, I know). These items will be checked off by the end of next week:

1. Pack my bags and say SEE YA and leave the daily grind behind for a bit.
2. Take a plane ride with my sweetheart to FLORIDA.
3. Land in someplace at least 40 degrees warmer than late October Indiana.
4. Hang out, laugh, giggle, play, wiggle toes in the sand with my husband, best friend, and her hubs.
5. DON’T work. Don’t even think about it. Don’t…speak…its…name.
6. Have lots of conversations and date nights and walks and celebrations with my husband (ONE YEAR!!!! *squeel!*).
7. Get caught up on sleep, reading, sanity, etc.
8. Come home to claim our newly adopted puppy (well, two-year old) Hershey…a mangey little chocolate lab/mutt.
9. Thank God for my blessings because I don’t know what tomorrow holds.

With that, I will leave you with two honest-to-goodness journal entries from high school (Cody and I dated in high school for three years before breaking up for five more, dating for one more, etc…it’s complicated). I had JUST turned 16 and we had just started ‘dating.’

September 1999
Today is me and Cody’s six-week anniversary. We’re like really good friends now…

Wow. Did I agree to be his girlfriend when we MET or something?!?! I thought my standards were much higher than that at 16…

This one is my all-time favorite so far:

Saturday, April 15, 2000
Tonight, me and Cody celebrated our six-month anniversay. After we went to a movie, we came here and laid on a blanket for a long time in the front yard. I am so in love with him. I know it sounds cliche coming from a teenager and I don’t really know if it’s puppy love or real…but it feels real. I always thought that if you were really in love with someone, you would have the feeling all over and you’d feel like crying because you were so happy. I felt like that tonight.