Moving

January is almost over.  As the first month of the year, it is a month of moves.  The most obvious is that we move forward into a new year.  We move forward into a fresh start.

 I'm trying to do more moving.  While I'm not as where I was several years ago, I am doing more exercise (the ever-popular walk aerobics) in the morning.  I try to do at least 30 minutes and then move on to 20 (or more) minutes of pedaling (no stationary bike for me, just the pedals), which gives me a chance to do Wordle and Connections  (note I am getting better at Worldle but find Connections to be a challenge.  I'm old and I don't know some of the references!  UGH!)

 I'm TRYING to move towards better health (and weight loss although that is becoming more and more difficult and frustrating).  While I've "failed" at dry January, I have cut back on my alcohol consumption.  (I also plan to give it up for Lent...you know that doesn't always go so well.)  The conjunctivitis which hounded me (and my husband) at the beginning of the month is gone (although my eyes still do feel a little "irritated" sometimes).  Both my husband and I have had physicals.  He was so good that he doesn't have to go back for 6 months.  (As a diabetic, he used to have to go 3-4 times a year just for monitoring.)  I have been declared old and fat, but healthy.  Or healthy-ish.  I told my physician all my woes, including difficulty losing weight and some depression.  (After the last two years it NOT being depressed would be a red flag.)  Unfortunately there is no magic pill that will cure both of these and even if there was, I probably wouldn't be a candidate for them.  I've gotten the boob squeezed and gotten the all clear.  And I've gotten a bone density test (which I haven't gotten results from yet, but I suspect that there is some loss as there is osteoporosis in my genetics).  While I am aging, I am moving to keep myself as healthy as I can.

 We've moved our son back to school.  He's moved into a new semester.  (Only 2 full days in and he seems to be doing well.  Hoping that continues to be the case.  The classes that he was a little apprehensive about don't seem to be as "scary" as they could be.  I hope they challenge him and don't weigh him down with worry.)  I've "moved" into his room in the mornings; making it my "dressing room."  (The place where I put clothes and accessories the night before so that I don't wake up my husband.)

 And I've moved at work...again.  Office/work is a moving target (or so it seems).  I started off back in 2016 in an office I liked.  (I didn't like the traffic/commute, but who really does?)  Then 2020 came and moved home and adjusted to a home office with little space.  My "old" office was shut down and in 2022 a new office was opened in Newark.  I toured the location in April and waited for the official news that I had to start commuting again.  That came in September, with a once-a-week trek.  Not great, but...That was followed in May of 2023 was the "request" to come in 3 days a week.  A move I wasn't happy about, but...Along with this came a physical move.  We were moved from row 420 to 416.  This was right by a VP's office so he could see when we all came in.  (To his credit, he never really commented on that.  He was more apt to comment on the lunch options in the area.  Food is a big deal around here.)

 Now here we are at the end of January and there is another move.  One that "requires" attendance in the office three days a week.  (Don't forget the "fun" video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQz_NvakuM) This "move" to have more people in the office means the office space needs to be reconfigured.  (I haven't actually seen that many more people in the office...while there were a lot of people the first week for meetings, week 2 was much lighter.)  Last week several groups were moved without being told.  Yesterday (when I was not in the office), it seemed like everyone got a note that workspaces were going to be moved.  Sure enough, a few minutes later, a co-worker pinged me (she was in the office) that we were moving from row 416 to row 418.  So I'm almost (though not quite) back to where I started.  (Working in the office is like dancing; you move forward, you move back.  Try not to step on anybody's toes.)

 All of this moving has gotten me thinking, maybe it's time we (the husband and I) started thinking about moving out of this area.  (How that might affect my job, I don't know.  There ARE some people who live far away and do  not commute.)   The tri-state area does have it perks, but it's becoming a bit much for us.  (Is this old age creeping in?).  While we are not ready to go completely rural,  I'd like more SUB and less urban.  Somewhere with neighbors, but not so close that we can hear what is going on in their house (or they in ours).  A place that is calm.  (Which is not at all what we have now.)  A view that is relaxing (like mountains).  No car dealerships or strip malls within a half mile.  (So we don't get the early morning dumpster pick up or car drop off.)  Somewhere with 4 seasons (although if winter was short, that wouldn't bother me).  Somewhere NOT too far from where we are now (not looking to move to the Midwest or the other coast).  Does such a place exist?  I was thinking perhaps the Poconos, Berkshires or the Catskills (the Adirondacks might be nice, but that might be a little too far north).  Thoughts?  Share!  My ears and my mind are open!

 If I've got to move (and life tells us we must), let's try to make it a move forward.  I'm not looking to go back.  (And neither should you!)