- Feb. 8th = LMP (last menstrual period) date for my pregnancy with Katie, in 1998. Always a reminder of what was, and what will never be, and of everything that happened in the months that followed. This will be year #23.
- It's COLD!
- And grey, more days than not. Which makes things even more depressing...
- COVID-19 makes the winter seem even longer. :( I have not been out of the house since my birthday (on Jan. 12th).
- Memories of when I was still working: February was a busy month, as we frantically prepared for our company's annual meeting & other communications projects, wrapping up the previous year and launching the new one.
- Not one but TWO dental appointments coming up this month (crown replacement plus cavity fix -- ugh...).
- "Family Day" -- the made-up holiday that's always a reminder of the pronatalism around me and the fact that I don't have (living) children. Far too many people do not consider a childless couple a family, and the hype around Family Day generally makes that abundantly clear.
Reasons why I can like/tolerate February:
- Today (Feb. 1st) I have been officially retired for five years. :) (Lost my job July 2014; began receiving my early retirement pension Feb. 1, 2016.)
- Retirement. :) It's much easier to endure February in retirement than it was while I was working...! No 5 a.m. wake-up alarm; no standing in the dark on a freezing cold platform waiting for a train to come (that's inevitably running late because of "mechanical difficulties"); no work stress to deal with... We don't have to leave the house/condo unless we really want to or need to (and that's a double blessing during a pandemic...!).
- Living in a condo with underground parking = no snow for dh to shovel, or to clear off the car.
- Valentine's Day. Dh rolls his eyes and calls it a "Hallmark (made-up) holiday," but what's not to like about a holiday that celebrates love & romance?? (And chocolate?? lol) (I realize people who are not in a happy relationship on Valentine's Day might feel differently.)
- Family Day may not have the greatest name, but introducing it (in 2008) did give us a long weekend in the middle of February ;) which was a real relief when I was still working.
- I don't mind the cold weather so much if/when the sun shines... :)
- Only 28 days to get through versus the usual 30 or 31. :) (29, once every four years.)
(See also "I hate November," lol. November comes second to February only because there is Christmas to look forward to...!)(It's usually not as cold either, lol.)
You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.
I woke up feeling kind of "blah" today. But, like you in retirement, I think it's easier to deal with the blahs while unemployed instead of having to meet demands and deadlines at work when I am really not feeling it. It's also the pandemic. We are on month 11. And we are all so tired of it. Existentially exhausted.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any "good" dates in February, but I don't have any "bad" dates either. Here's to a decent month for all of us! <3
I smiled at the idea that retirement makes February easier. I could suggest you add, "No need to feel guilty for sleeping in on dark mornings, or curling up with a good book, or binge-watching a series on Netflix."
ReplyDeleteFebruary in Canada in the winter in the middle of a pandemic is very different to February in NZ. Sometime in the future, maybe you can escape February and come visit - it's the best month here (usually).
Ugh, definitely some tough things about February. And ew, dental work! It is definitely a cabin fever sort of situation with COVID.
ReplyDeleteYou've got some great positives, though! Not having to get up and shovel is great. I hope March is a better month!