the new normal, apparently

I write here for myself, although I know there are a few others who read here. Life goes by too fast and I want to record some of my internal state, at least occasionally, and I know if I don't write it down, whatever I'm thinking now will be lost forever. 

It's always a surprise how much I forget.  Just today, when I popped into the blog, I saw the past few entries and thought, Right, that new dose of thyroid meds!  Completely slipped my mind in the end-of-grading period business I've been swallowed by.  I guess I'm used to it?  I feel more sensitive to cold, but the temperature just dropped here considerably, from nearly or over 100 degrees to the high 70s, low 80s.  It's delightful, but I'm freezing, or I'm too hot!  It's difficult dressing for weather when the mornings are quite literally close to freezing but the afternoons are in 80s and toasty. Layers.  Lots of layers.  I layer on scarves and sweaters in the morning and then gradually peel them off as the day goes by.  This explains why I have so many scarves!

This weekend's necessity: shoe shopping.  My existing colder-weather shoes don't work with my orthotic and wearing them without the orthotic is a huge mistake, as I found out Thursday.  I was able to make my sandals work because they already had nice cushy insoles with at least some arch support, so I added a metatarsal support and I was good for the day.  No such luck with my little black booties, which were very cheap and cute but completely flat.  They've got absolutely no support but also no room for an insole.  I practically lived in them last winter.  I have a pair of Bjorn booties that are getting to the falling-apart stage but I've had them forever and they're awesome... but again, they won't work with my orthotics.  My riding boots do fit my orthotics but they're a little snug now, I wore them today and my feet felt better at the end of the day then they did in the morning, when they were still reminding me that not wearing proper footwear on Thursday was a bad decision. 

I'm resigned to doing something about this, though, because I can't do my job if my feet are killing me.  I feel lucky that just a change of shoes eliminates my symptoms (Morton's neuroma), although the pain comes back if I spend too much time walking barefoot or in bad shoes.  It's just a reminder not to screw around with this condition.  I will go to great lengths to avoid having foot surgery.  I spent the last two summers with my foot in a boot, and I never want to deal with that again.

Once again Friday evening finds me vaguely hopeful for the weekend, and I'm not feeling too swamped.  I posted my grades for the end of the grading period already, but of course have new work to grade anyway.  (The grading never stops!)  But it's November, and the holidays will be here before we know it, and overall everyone seems to be doing just fine, at least for the moment.  It's good to acknowledge it, and I am very thankful.