Car "improvements"

It has been a crazy busy week full of interesting twists and turns around every bend...

My car has been counting down to tell me that it's almost time for service.  I had emailed a couple of places to inquire to their service departments to find out if they could perform the needed service on my car and to also find out about pricing.  I got a call last Saturday from one of the places saying they were calling not from the service department but from the sales department.  I tried explaining that the request I sent was in fact for the service department and asked if the gentleman could transfer me.  He told me that in fact he couldn't since he was calling from his cell phone from the sales department because that's where I sent my request (even though I specifically checked the box for it to be sent to the service department) and he even admitted that he didn't even read the e-mail that he had received anyway.  At that point, I told him that he was making me not want to use their location if that's how they were going to treat their customers and he said he didn't know what I was talking about.  When he then told me he would give me the phone number to the service department, he hung up on me.  Oh, well.  I guess they don't want my business after all.  I was kind of impressed that I didn't feel as if I let him make me feel guilty or anything!

On Monday, I missed a call from a more local company that I had also emailed.  When I was able to return their phone call, they told me that they could actually fit my car in for service the following day after I got off of work.  It made it even more convenient that it was not far from where I work.  I took it in for service and the only down side is they told me that I had weather damage on both of my rear tires and that I should really have them changed immediately.  They told me they would call me the following day with pricing for ordering tires through them.  I never heard back.  While they did a very good job with the needed service on my car, I guess they didn't want the sale of two tires.  Oh, well...

When I didn't hear back from them, I started to do research on my own to find tires at a good price.  I ended up finding them at a very decent price at the company I used when my other car needed tires.  I made an appointment for yesterday and I was in and out (even though I was a little early for my appointment) in less than an hour.  I took a book with me but I was glad that I was in and out of there.

After getting the new tires, I headed home and opted to take a nap.  I had planned on napping for about an hour and a half so I could get some things accomplished before having to get ready for a show that I danced in last night.  Unfortunately, rather than napping for and hour and a half, I ended up sleeping for three hours!  I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I needed to catch up on some sleep, but that means that I wasn't really able to accomplish anything before I needed to get ready for the gig.  Luckily I did get up in time to select my costume (since I hadn't done so yet) and get ready for the performance.

I think part of the reason I ended up sleeping for so long is I came down with something this past week (I figure I was around new kids thus new germs or it was from allergies).  I had started off the week with some congestion and sneezing quite a bit.  From there, it progressed to coughing, sinus pressure/headache as well as losing my voice (had no voice through this morning but it was back this afternoon - go figure).  Hopefully the voice is back but knowing my luck (especially with allergies) it may or may not be and I might wake up tomorrow and it'll be gone again.

Well, on that note, I should probably get going in order to get some things accomplished before the week ahead.  I know this post was more of what I did this week and wasn't overly insightful but I will try to be more insightful/introspective nest post.  =)

Flexibility

There are times that I truly wonder how flexible I can be before my breaking point is reached.  I know that my breaking point is at a different point than it used to be but I still do have one.  One of the most important lessons I learned from my college choir professor was that we all needed to learn about flexibility - he said that only by us all learning how to be flexible could we learn how to function as one.  I think that lesson is an important one for everyone to learn.  In any situation, if you only have one or two people willing to have any sort of flexibility, those who are willing, will burn out very quickly.

I find myself, yet again, in a position that I need to be more flexible for myself is allowing myself the time to stop and take a breath when I feel it necessary.  I know, I know.  I have said it before and I will probably end up saying it again but it is something that I really need to find a way to work on.  I need to find the way to allow myself to say I need to take a step back and to de-stress before it completely eats away at me...  I'm honestly starting to wonder if the stress I'm allowing in my life is what's attributing to some of my aches and pains returning...

I know that there is going to be a different aspect of stress added to my life starting tomorrow but I'm going to go into it with a positive attitude so I don't get overwhelmed.  At work, I'm headed back to my old building and will be back working with the age group I started with.  With any shift at work (whether it be a lateral shift as this one is or any other kind of shift such as promotion/demotion) it does bring it's own set of challenges but I'm willing to take them all in stride.  Leaving the building behind where I've poured my heart/soul since August is bittersweet but I will take all that I've learned and the opportunities that I was given with me so those are the bonuses that I have to remind myself of (as difficult as it may be at times).

While I'm up for the new challenge at work, I do have some apprehension going into it.  I've worked with many of these individuals before but haven't worked with some of them so it will take some time getting to know the working styles of one another.  I also am sure that there have been more than a few changes at this building that I will have to learn along the way (which can be a challenge in and of itself not necessarily knowing what they are before going in - yet just having to "know" what they are).  I guess what I'll have to do is just take one thing at a time and one day at a time and just go from there.  That's all I can do I guess.

When looking at flexibility it not only applies to being flexible at work/life but physically as well.  Since some of my joints are acting up again, I know that there is something going on.  I know that I need to focus on my weight loss for myself again (which I am working on with my food choices and looking into setting up my workout routine for myself again).  My Mom suggested I might look into massage as an option as well (my first and only real experience with getting a massage did not go well and I have been hesitant to try it since).  It is something that I'm hesitant to try but trying it once to see how I respond to it now might not be such a bad (even though is is nerve wracking) experience.  We'll just have to wait and see if/when I can convince myself to go for it...

Well, dear readers, since I have a long week ahead of me, I'm going to sign off for the evening.  May you have a fabulous week and I challenge you to find one situation in which you can be flexible.  Good luck!  =)