This spring is proving quite the challenge. For some reason, I’m in this purgatory: neither here nor there, just running in place, no place I’ve been and no place to go. At least it seems this way, and I think it’s time to assess what’s going on, what’s not going on, what’s happened, what hasn’t happened, and what needs to happen.

Amongst the things I’m working through:

  • The pollen levels in D.C. are awful. The news reported that the pollen levels were up in the 3,300 ppm range today before the rain moved in. That’s seriously high, and I’m feeling the worst of it. Once the trees stop being reproductive, it’ll be better.
  • My classes wrap up for the semester next week. Two papers are due, and I need to finish them this weekend. One is going really well, one is being more of a challenge. That’s the weekend, in a nutshell.
  • Work is a little bit rote these days, which tests my sanity. I like challenges, and right now I’m trying to think of new ones to make things more liveable in the office. I think the whole office is feeling a bit of malaise, and that rubs off: if people aren’t happy, or at least fleetingly positive, it’s tough to keep a clear mind with work. Fortunately, I’ve been leaving work at work – a positive change in my life compared to my previous job in Connecticut.
  • My sprite is having a case of the blues, and it’s tough on both of us. Things in her life just aren’t proving positive, and it makes me ache to see her so down. I’m here for her, and I wish that I had all the answers. I often feel that I’m not providing enough support, and then I overstep my boundaries and am pushed back again. Things will get better, but it’ll require some creativity, patience (something I’m not good at, as my parents will attest) and a sense of humor.
  • The local alley cats have had kittens. There are four of ’em (three grey-and-black tabbies, one solid black), and they are cute. Sprite and I will keep an eye on them and will likely get a local no-kill cat facility to find them good homes. We can’t fit any more felines into our little apartment (three is enough, in this case), but they have friends in us.
  • The apartment is a pigsty. This is partly due to our hectic schedules, partly due to denial of the situation, partly due to an overall lack of energy. It’s one of those cases where the transition from winter to spring stalled out along the way. I know that I need to donate a lot of unused clothes and things to Goodwill, and I think that, once my classes are out of the way, I’ll definitely tackle that.
  • Speaking of the apartment, I’d love more space. We need more shelves and things, but there’s not a lot of space for such things. I have a new CD rack in the car, waiting to be built, but needing the apartment cleaned before such construction can take place. Cleaning will help, but…. we just need some storage space, that’s all. One thing is certain: we love our neighborhood, and don’t really want to leave. I’ll look at listings on CraigsList, see some good things, but don’t really want to consider another place – deliberate sabotage.
  • I’m not getting out on the bike as much as I’d like. A lot of that is due to the pollen, but a good deal is due to lack of motivation – a combination of that stalled transition into spring, the lack of time, the lack of space, and possibly a fear of needed change. This last bit is something that I never feared ten years ago, a side of my persona that needs to be exercised a little.

That’s a lot to chew, isn’t it? But I know that writing it down will help – as will some prodding from my friends and readers.