Five Elements Energy

The last two days have been interesting - in a good way. The two day work week is odd yet I kind of like them once in a while as a way to ease back into work. But what's more interesting for me is that my first thought on leaving work isn't when I can sleep again, but what I can get done. I just wish I was better able to self gauge how low is too low to let slide so I don't regress into huge energy crashes. The last few months have had many happy moments, but there has been a distinct lack of energy in my life that is only hugely obvious after its fixed.

The recent average day for me goes a little something like this:
Go to work, eat lunch, email and do busy work for an hour or more until my food coma ends, get an energy burst around 3pm and really get going on a project just at the end of the day so I work an extra hour because I'm into it and I killed that hour after lunch. Then I go home, fight sleep, change into workout clothes, think about how much I want to lay down, may or may not exercise, make something to eat and fall asleep at 7 or 8 only to wake up again at 11 awake enough to email or blog, but not coherent enough to organize bill payments, move furniture, or make decisions generally.

Compare and contrast that with:
Yesterday I got some stuff done at work, left on time, then hit up the farmers' market (with the best view!) and bankrupted myself on fresh veggies. I then had energy to wash and prep all the veggies for eating, make dinner, watch disc two of Firefly, do a little exercise, and set up a date.

Today, I got some experiments going, got my 2nd hep B immunization dose, helped document some past experiments for a summary, contacted a vendor about equipment issues, printed out directionss for tomorrow, left work on time, got my box mail, got the car cleaned and gassed, bought a car organizer for the big maps and installed it, touched up paint where someone scratched the driver's side at lunch, returned a ladder and stayed to chat for an hour and a bit, tried out a neighborhood sushi place (average, but proximity is great and they serve the edamame hot), then washed the teva stink off my chaco sandals. I'm trying to decide now between putting in a new firefly disc (devouring pace) or watching the first episode on this disc with the commentary (savoring pace). I also want to rev a little, read a few more pages of Cathy Mann's latest and write up my to-do list for tomorrow - energy or no energy, I don't think or remember well in the AM so I have to write things down before bed.

Anyhow, like those few miracle days from a few weeks past, it was lovely to have energy at and after work. I'm starting to feel tired enough now that I should probably just do the to-do list and read until I sleep after I finish this entry. Oh, and download my vacation pics after the camera battery charges. But 10:30pm is a reasonable time to be tired, even if Blink 182 is blaring "Ready to Drive all Night" from the cheap speakers I've hooked into the iPod.

Whether this energy boost is due to seeing my 'peeps' again or the comfort of my vacationing in a mostly familiar space or the visit to my long time acupuncturist or being a little time shifted or all of the above, I'll take it with gratitude.

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I also want to mention that I'm a "make my own medicine" girl whenever possible. One reason why I like acupuncture is that it has the "make the body do the work itself" vibe that corresponds with my preferences. (That and it works.) I like home remedies bases on relatively benign things. Meat tenderizer with papain for mosquito bites is a favorite. Sinus Rinse is great for this being water buffered by salt and baking soda yet prevents me from needing antibiotics. Snot and swelling prevention might not be the best segue into the use of household chemicals in new and wonderful ways but it's what I've got.

I read in the recent Cooks Illustrated that rinsing berries in 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water, then rinsing in fresh water and spinning dry will keep off the mold if you want the berries to last for a couple extra days in the fridge. I tried it and then devoured all my berries in 24 hours. So it might work for that, but I can't say. Expanding on the theme, I also tried it on my veggies yesterday like baby bok choi, green beans, and cucumbers. I like to rinse and prep my veggies as much as possible when they come in so they are easy snacks or ready to cook with. So far everything still looks good.

And with the versatile vinegar, I've also dosed the Chacos with it after giving them a good scrubbing with concentrated O.xyCle.an. This combination seems to keep the stink away longest and I'm wearing them to meet my online fitness coach tomorrow, and I don't want my strongest impression to be of feet.