Thursday

The swine flu scare in Houston grows more as the days go by. I am staying calm, but vigilant. I am fighting a cold, and the last thing I want is to catch something worse.

I am working from home today, and decided to make some rice and beans for lunch. The rice cooker is going at it, steam blowing out the small hole on its top. I am filling a cup of water from the water dispenser on my refrigerator door, absent-mindedly looking at the steam and thinking of my mom. This was her rice cooker, she left it here when she sold her house in Houston. I miss her, I miss being a child and not having to be the one in charge of worrying about pandemics or people losing their jobs. I wish it could be as easy as getting in bed and sleeping it off.

Obedient Minds, by Dubious Quip

I found this song through a link on Twitter just a couple of hours ago and it's my new favorite.

Rainy day

There's flooding in certain parts of Houston. We are OK up here, but it certainly has rained plenty. And it does not stop. Rain or not, we still hear chirps outside my window from birds flocking around our feeder.

I will be working from home today. Lots of stuff to do, but my mind is a bit scattered.

To those of you who may read this, how is the weather today in your part of the world? I hope it's better than what we have here.

Friday mood (anticlimactic)

Maybe I need to take a step back and chill out. This is not the right day for feeling blue. It's Friday, the weekend is coming. I should be feeling giddy with anticipation, not tumbling down this rabbit hole.

Today is one of those days that serves as proof of why I should never be a full-time telecommuter. I need people today. I need human interaction other than my immediate family. Unfortunately, Friday is a day that most people work from home, so there will not be that many people on campus. Hopefully I can shake off the tunnel vision and go have lunch with a friend.

Break

There are days when I truly wish I could get a break from my self-loathing tendencies. Why can't I be cocky and deluded like the rest?

Woke up tired

I have not been sleeping well lately.

Out of air

I am convinced breathing problems are a key element behind my weekend freakout. I have been struggling to breathe lately, but I tend to forget how bad it gets. Lately I am severely congested, my chest feels tight and I find myself reaching for the albuterol inhaler several times a day.

This morning I almost had a panic attack in the space of time between dropping my oldest daughter at school and taking my youngest to daycare. My vision blurred, I felt dizzy and had difficulty expanding/contracting my lungs. My head felt stuffed and heavy. At the stop sign outside the elementary school, I lowered my car window and took two puffs from the inhaler. My youngest complained about the window, said it would make her cold. All I could say was: "mommy is having trouble breathing, sweetie, and the window down helps her feel better."

Disrupted mood weekend

Saturday was a very strange day for me.  Something was seriously off with my mood.  It's hard trying to recall it, as most of it feels like a distant memory already.  I remember going to the supermarket quite late, almost at closing time, and losing track of that.  I remember crying while I was there.  I can't recall why I cried.  Something stupid, probably.  Sometimes it takes very little to tip the glass over.

Often, the price I pay for being a highly functioning professional is that I am depleted during the weekend.

Houston

I always have a hard time shooting the Houston skyline. It's difficult to try to snap a picture while you are driving 70 mph on I-45. But Gabe was doing the driving yesterday, so I got to snap some pics.

Lonely amid the chatter

I have this blog. I'm on Facebook. As of last week, I am on Twitter too. Yet I feel more isolated than ever. I have friends I have not spoken to in months, years even. I never invite people over, other than my in-laws. The house is too messy for visitors, and I never have the time or energy to fix that. Maybe I would have more time to get my life in order if I quit all these Internet vicarious living platforms.

Monday morning

I did not dislike the movie

LMAO

Thanks to http://twitter.com/JamiMiami/ for posting the link to this pic.