Catch Up
Each year in January, don’t we all stand at the helm of a ship heading out to sea, knowing of course that there will be sunny days and surprises along the new year journey. Excitedly, I’ll think who knows what surprises there will be on a random May afternoon, or lurking in the middle of October. There could be lottery winnings out there there, guys! Other stuff too, but I recommend optimism.
I don’t think I ever expect February to hold those mysteries though. February is for huddling up, hunkering down, and surviving the depths of winter. I just sort of exist in February.
This year though, changes were foretold and though it feels early to me, February delivered. Nothing went totally sideways, but certainly it was shaken up. I’m delighted! I think I needed a good shaking - I had been coasting in the right lane with the cruise control on, feet resting unused on the floor for years. Years!
But even when it’s a good shake up, changes feel chaotic. I like my rigid routines, a tight ship, say. And though the chaos was necessary, I felt off balance until I worked it all out. But I did work it all out. I wrote a list and crossed off action items one by one. I took the job, but I mulled over it anxiously. Rehearsing and replaying conversations kept me awake for more nights than I’d like to admit. I had plans nearly every weekend, though this was on purpose, to blast through the winter blues and stay too busy to feel seasonally sad. It was a lot of fun and good things are happening, but I felt out of sorts and unsettled.
It sounds like I’m complaining but I swear I’m not. February was very good to me. It was the good part of the rollercoaster - the downward slope, arms up, and shrill screaming that is more excitement and less fear. I’m heading into the last bit of winter feeling excited and energized, but also off balance a bit. A rollercoaster is still a rollercoaster, you know? I’m looking forward to my new normal. For the new stuff to feel normal. For the rollercoaster to level out a bit. Less drops and more wind in the hair, enjoying the ride.
So that’s me in February. How was your month?
Let’s catch up.
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First thing, if you’re familiar with my 2026 goal to listen to a new-to-me album from start to finish every week of the year, this was February’s line-up:
The Ronettes // Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes.
Ariana Grande // Sweetener
N*SYNC // The self-titled debut album
The Weeknd // Hurry Up Tomorrow
It was a pop heavy month! The Ronettes were a nice blast from the past and I lingered on Be My Baby because it reminds me of the opening scene from Dirty Dancing. I had forgotten about Ariana’s ode to Pete, so that was a fun place to return to. I was surprised that I wasn’t familiar with more of the album, but it was light on singles I guess. Speaking of singles, you already know every good song from the N*SYNC album because most of them were singles and the ones that weren’t….weren’t good. Finally, The Weeknd, I enjoyed but man it was a long album. That sucker took me the entire week to clear, in part because I couldn’t listen to it with kids around.
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Where else do we start if not the weather? February brought some unexpectedly glorious days, but this is winter after all and my expectations are low. In fact, it was a mere 45º that did the trick for me, largely in part because the sun came out. Good enough to sit outside with a beverage in hand, though still bundled up.
It was a tough pill to swallow a few days later when the snow returned heavily. But I will say a fresh coating on all the trees is beautiful and so I’m inclined to look on the bright side. Those sunny days recharged my batteries enough that I can stay optimistic. Spring is on the way!
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I’m on a bit of a journey with my body. I’m convinced that I have some kind of intolerance because my belly goes from normal to looking 5 months pregnant in the course of an afternoon - most afternoons. This feels concerning basically only to me. My doctor is like, lol this is your late 30’s ho! But I do not accept. So I have spent the month embarking on Whole30 to clear out all of the usual suspects from my diet and honestly it’s going fine. Eat vegetables, not cheese. Et voila. I am missing the cream in my coffee though.
All that said, I will always stop at Crumbl when I visit my sister because it feels like such a treat. I think their cookies are so good and it’s so rare for us to get them, that I don’t begrudge it. We live 2.5 hrs away so it’s truly every once in a while and that never hurt nobody, right?
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Two outfits that I wore and really liked this month. They’re largely comprised of the same ingredients:
Black ribbed t-shirt from Old Navy. Clearly a staple in my wardrobe.
A green skirt from LOFT a few years ago.
Fleece lined leggings to stand in for tights.
Universal Thread jeans from Target that I’ve had for a while.
Chelsea Boots that I wear every day. Cost per wear is basically nothing at this point.
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Currently Reading: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. For the folks in the room that never bore of the old Anne Boleyn gossip.
Currently Wearing (on my fingernails): Olive and June Gel Polish in BP with a healthy dusting of chrome powder.
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On my last day of work, I clocked out at 3:30 and went for a happy hour drink. It was so bittersweet. I was ready to go, but I’m sure going to miss a lot of the people I spent the last decade with.
In the meantime, I have a week between ending the old job and starting the new one, so there were some nice, slow mornings at home. It made me especially grateful for the last few weeks of candles and lamp season. There really is nothing cozier, is there?
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Related: My new job is fully remote so I’m moving more fully into my home office. I have worked a hybrid schedule for a few years so I did have a small table in here that I used for a desk, but now that it’s more of a permanent thing, I decided I’d like to have more space. I put that new desk together by myself on a Monday night and still made dinner after. I am woman, hear me roar, as they say!
Now that I’m settled in, the dogs are hanging out in here with me and I’m charmed how they perch themselves in any bit of sunshine that shines through the window. We all need that vitamin D, don’t we!