Still pretty busy

but I'm doing fine. I'll work from home this week so I'll have time to update the blog. Nothing new though. Oh yes, one thing: I signed up for a gym, spent lots of money and went twice. I feel bad about it but what can I do? So now I have less money in my pockets which sucks. And, I'm going to start pilates again this week...so more money but nothing in comparison to what I waisted NOT going to gym. 

The only thing I like (I am good at) is pilates. But my trainer and friend A. got ill in December and never felt the same after that. Additionally, something else happened to her. I'll find out in a couple of days, she didn't want to talk about it over the phone. 

Anyway, I really miss my pilates classes with her. I did feel GREAT last year when I did it twice a week. I work more this year though and I am also more tired because of the "pest"  (I'm sure you know whom** I'm talking about).

I'll write more in the coming days!

** is whom correct? I'm still struggling with the difference between "who" and "whom"...

It happens when I'm feeling down

I go to bed and I feel full of life and energies. I start planning for things I should do in order to feel better. I sleep a few hours and I'm back on track, on a much more positive track again.

Writing down my feelings make a difference. So the "writing more" goal was a good idea. Sharing my very personal thoughts here is good too.

Plans for today include:

• update and restructure my cv (and send it do my lovely friend who reads everything I write in English)
• go to the gym! This inactivity has to stop as I don't feel good.
• set up a new blog. No, I'm not going to close this. I'm going to start a professional blog. Lola's Scrapbook is my personal space and will always be.
• plan a special dinner for next week. It's our anniversary: 16 years :-) We should CELEBRATE!

Have a good day

I am back #2

I've just realized that I need to plan carefully all the things that need to be done in the following months otherwise I'll end up being overwhelmed pretty soon. 

It's getting difficult to work at home as Orlando needs lots of attention & exercise. This morning, after  a 30-minute run in the garden, he slept for like an hour and then he was ready for another "running session". However, he can't stay in the garden alone. Even if he has improved, he still chews and swallows things he shouldn't eat so someone has to stay outside with him which is not ideal. He has high level of energies which is both good and bad. It is good because he is funny and extremely vital, it's bad because I mainly work at home and I obviously need to focus. Sometimes I just can't as it's like having a hyperactive child who runs around and wants to play all the time. Luckily, we can rely on my mum and  my uncle but sometimes I wonder what we would do if they fell seriously ill. 

On a more positive note, I'm looking forward to a couple of trips: one to Brussels and the second to Prague. In Brussels I'll reconnect with friends I haven't seen for a long time and Prague is a wonderful city so I'm thrilled to go with G. 

To be honest, I do have bad memories of Brussels but I'll be pretty busy so they won't haunting me. I hope I won't bump into someone I am not keen to meet who lives in Brussels though. If I bump into this person, I promise I'll share the whole story here. 

I am also organizing an important event in Milan. It's for my job and I'm charge of it... I'm nervous about it but I'm sure things will work out ok. The event is scheduled for April and everything has to be almost "perfect"... I have my fingers crossed.

10 things to do before leaving

1. emails (tons of) & phone calls 
2. dinner with friends (tonight) + beer with other friends (tomorrow)
3. read & review a paper
4. write down in CAPITAL letters my pilates homework 
5. let go negative thoughts
6. let go of stress 
7. sleep more 
8. buy sunscreen 
9. eat less (from tomorrow, maybe?)
10. STOP WORKING NOW

I'm back

Scotland in a month and Sardinia in July. No, I'm not going to Sardinia on holiday ... believe or not, I'll be there for a meeting. This will be a first for me: a meeting in a warm place :-) I don't think I'll be staying there just for a couple of days.

And then Bulgaria in September (not my fav.place) and Scotland again in December. And perhaps somewhere else in October but I still don't know about it.

These are all biz trips though, we don't know if and when we're going on holiday this summer. G's contract will end in July. He is quite concerned but I'm pretty sure the contract will be renewed. However, one never knows and, understandably, he is not thinking about summer holidays too much. Neither am I, to be honest. I'll be VERY busy until the end of July.

As far as Barcelona is concerned, we had a great time. It's definitely my favorite European city. We wandered around the city for 3 days and walked for hours almost everywhere and even spent a few hours on the beach at Barceloneta. Great weather, delicious food and nice hotel. However, if you happen to go there, I wouldn't recommend to stay too close to the ramblas for at least a couple of reasons. First, it's a noisy neighborhood and second it's the paradise for pickpockets. A Spanish friend recommended us a hotel which was not on the main rambla but in the heart of the Raval anyway. The hotel was lovely and quiet (except for the first night when Barca won the Copa del Rey) but the neighborhood was not ideal, especially at nights. 

I feel exhausted. This was just a quick update. I'm alive! I'm just busy at the moment but I'm planning to catch up with the blog.

p.s. by the way, along with the book mentioned in the previous post, I'm reading this which is very good. I've just started, but it seems an extraordinary piece of non-narrative fiction. On the contrary, I don't know why this is "the book everyone was talking about" as it is quite ridiculous. I read a free sample via amazon and I had enough. It speaks to certain female readers, I think. 

Feeling better

I'm feeling better and it seems as I'm able to write in English again which is good. Well, I don't have other options to be honest as I have to use this language on a daily basis. However, when I'm stressed out or in a very bad mood I tend to articulate my thoughts in Italian, I can't tell you why. Anyway, I'm back :-)

As you can imagine, I'm catching up with work and I'm also planning a trip to one of my favorite city: Barcelona. We'll be spending there a few days at the end of May. I've been there many time but it's the first time for G. and I want him to see as much as possible. Well, mainly the places that I love. I'm also reading Zafon's books, in particular this one which is set in Barcelona (and it's quite good). I'm pretty sure that one day I'll move there.

Last week I tried Tui na  and it was an interesting experience. I also signed up for an autogenic training course that will start tomorrow. I'm not sure whether these things can be of help but they usually work ... if one thinks that they may be beneficial, otherwise it's a waist of time & money.

Should get going now,
speak to you soon

The day after the first day of spring

I'm glad P. doesn't blame me for my decision. It's just too far away so... it's a no. I won't even apply which, to be honest, makes me feel slightly better than last week. At least I don't have to deal with "what if" questions. It was a difficult decision but I am now convinced that it's the right one for me. Otherwise I would feel pretty bad which is not the case at all. I feel exhausted but this is because I've been very busy lately: work + emotional stress have taken a toll on my body. I am back to my weekly workout routine which helps a lot. 

I'm planning my trip to the UK where I'll be staying for 4 days (including my birthday!). I know it will be great as I'll catch with many colleagues and friends but it will involve also stress (again). I'll probably take one day off next week (spa?) in order to look less as zombie and more as the "usual me" (? I don't know what that means but it sounds good). When I'm stressed out I feel like Bridget Jones, if I don't take care of myself I'll end up looking like a mess. I definitely need to get myself together BEFORE the trip. So, pilates, pilates and pilates & one day just for me. 

International Women's Day

I've never celebrated March 8 BUT this year I'll be glad to make an exception. Because of what happened a few months ago,  I am now in touch with former classmates. Especially with one, L, who writes me and calls me very often. Despite she is very different from me (or maybe because of that), we get along and care about each other. To be honest, she is quite a blessing to me especially when I am stressed out or busy as she is funny and always ready to plan a girls night out. So this morning I got a call from her:

- Any plans for March 8th?

- Not really

- Great! What about going out with me, M. and the naughty girls? 

- What? Who?!

- Well, you'll get to know them. They are quite crazy. 

- Ok, where are we going?

- Don't know yet, I'll be in touch. So glad you're coming! Please be ready, they are... quite wild.

I can't picture myself hanging out with crazy ladies on International Women's Day but I'm sure we'll have lot of fun. I definitely need a girls' night out.

March-April and May

Lots of plans. I'm really looking forward to go to a spa with my best friend for at least 2-3 hours so that she can "forget" her lovely but demanding baby. I'm also looking forward going to the UK for an important event which will give me the chance to reconnect with colleagues & friends I really get along with. Last but not least, my Canadian friend J. will probably come to visit for 3-4 days with his family. It will be funny as my partner doesn't speak almost any English (or, he is too shy to articulate a sentence in English). My closest friends speak something that can be called "Italian English" with a weird accent: I'm sure J. won't understand them. I will have to speak & translate all the time. And oh yes, we're going to Barcelona in May. It's my favorite city and G. has never been there so I'm quite thrilled.

A huge amount of work needed

Oh my God!

I've just realized that in order to meet ALL the deadlines a huge amount of work is needed. This means that I shall be working all weekends except for THIS coming weekend as it's our anniversary (we would have liked to go somewhere but the weather forecast is dreadful so we'd rather stay and home and celebrate with big boy).

I don't even know where to start as I definitely don't have time for the amount of work which is due by March. In any case, I won't cut Pilates ;) 

Ok, there's no need to panic. But still... am I going to make it?!

I hate working on Saturday as G. is at home. Perhaps I could work only in the morning while he sleeps. This might be good idea.

Before I go back to work, let me just say something that has nothing to do with work, deadlines etc. 

Conceiving is not as "easy" as we excepted and, believe or not, I am fine with it. I'm not stressed out anymore. That said, I have taken my doctor advice and I am now checking my ovulation & taking folic acid (it helps fertility and prevents spina bifida). I hope this is going to work. If not, I'm not sure we want to undergo fertility tests. Anyway, it's too early now. We need monitor ovulation, try a bit more, then we'll take a decision.  

My doctor told me that "getting pregnant is never easy" and that I shouldn't be stressed. Well, I am not and I trust her. She is 41 and just had a baby so she knows exactly how challenging is conceiving when one is not in her mid twenties anymore.