I finally cut and filed my nails, and they already feel so much better. It’s funny because I still have nail polish on them. It’s gel polish, so it’s not exactly something that just chips off or peels away easily. It’s hanging on for dear life.

I’m definitely not about to start picking at it, especially if it means scraping at my actual nail bed. As tempting as it can be, I know that’s just asking for damaged nails. I already have a bad habit of picking at my nails and the skin around my fingers when I’m anxious or bored, but I try to draw the line at messing with the nail bed itself.

My nails have never been particularly strong, either. Once they get past a certain length, it’s only a matter of time before one catches on something and snaps. At that point, it’s not even worth trying to grow them out because they always end up breaking anyway. Keeping them short is just easier, more practical, and honestly a lot less frustrating.

Anyway… here’s another day of me rambling about completely random, nonsensical things.

I’m noticing now that when I scratch an itch, it’s just my fingers doing the scratching and not my nails. I guess that is a good thing.

Tommy seems to be making fun of my lunch choices. Ya know, nothing wrong with eggs and toast. Eggs and protein shakes are pretty much my only source of protein. I should probably throw a chicken in there sometime.

Thursday is usually my “light eating” day. I try not to eat much during the day because our Thursday dinners tend to be pretty high in calories. The rest of the week our meals are fairly moderate, but Thursdays are different because Tommy has band practice. Since everyone is on a tighter schedule, the kids usually decide to make something a little more indulgent.

Today Alexis decided she wanted to make lasagna completely from scratch. I think they may be heading to the store pretty soon because lasagna isn’t exactly a quick meal to put together. Between making the sauce, layering everything, and baking it, it takes a while. One thing I never understand is how they always manage to spend well over an hour at the grocery store, even when they’re only shopping for one night’s dinner. Maybe they don’t know the layout of the store very well and end up walking back and forth through different aisles. Or maybe they just get distracted and spend time looking at things they don’t really need. Either way, grocery shopping always seems to take much longer than I think it should.

As for me, today has been pretty quiet. I’ve mostly been reading. I know I should probably do a few cybersecurity quizzes later, but right now I’m trying to make my way through this cybersecurity book. Sometimes I feel like I learn more by slowing down and reading through the concepts before jumping into practice questions. Other times I think I should just keep drilling quizzes. Finding the right balance between the two is probably the best approach.

I also managed to ride the exercise bike for 30 minutes today. I debated whether I should because my ear has been bothering me. Thankfully, Alexis picked up my prescription from Walmart, so I finally have my ear drops. As soon as I finished riding, I put some drops in. Hopefully they’ll start helping soon because ear pain is one of those little things that can make an entire day feel off.

Alexis should be starting dinner pretty soon. I’m looking forward to seeing how the lasagna turns out. She bought the regular lasagna noodles instead of the oven-ready kind that don’t have to be boiled first. I wonder if she noticed the no-boil noodles while she was at the store. They’re definitely more convenient, but honestly, I think the traditional noodles probably make for a better lasagna anyway. It takes a little more work, but sometimes the extra effort pays off.

There really isn’t a whole lot going on today. I guess not every day is packed with interesting events, and that’s okay. Sometimes life is just quiet. We did talk a little about moving Alexis into her campus apartment in a few weeks. It’s going to be a long day because we’re planning to move everything in and then drive back home that same day. We’ll probably be exhausted by the time we get back, but it’s doable. It’ll be exciting to help her get settled into the next chapter of her life, even if it means a very early morning and a very late night.

After dinner, I’m thinking I’ll relax by watching a few YouTube videos while I eat my lasagna.

While I was reading today, I came across something that caught my attention. I learned that interacting with paper through creative or expressive activities like drawing, coloring, or journaling can significantly lower cortisol levels. Apparently, just 45 minutes of creating art or writing on paper can measurably reduce the body’s primary stress hormone. I thought that was really interesting.

It also made me wonder whether the same thing happens with digital journaling or digital art. Does typing your thoughts into a computer or tablet provide similar stress relief? I don’t know if the research says yes or no, but I know from personal experience that writing digitally helps me. Whenever I have a lot on my mind, getting my thoughts out… whether it’s on paper or on a keyboard, helps organize everything in my head. It’s almost like clearing mental clutter. Sometimes I don’t even realize what I’m thinking until I see the words in front of me. Maybe that’s why journaling has always been helpful for me. It gives my thoughts somewhere to go besides endlessly bouncing around in my head.

And now I’ve reached that familiar point where I feel like I’ve run out of things to write about. I guess that’s the funny thing about keeping a journal. Some days are full of memorable moments, while other days are made up of ordinary routines, small conversations, and random thoughts. Maybe those ordinary days are worth writing down too. Years from now, I probably won’t remember what happened on this particular Thursday unless I write it here today.

Maybe some matcha tea would be nice right now.

Tomorrow Tommy is off work. He has therapy in the morning. I wonder when I’ll be able to start therapy again. I also wonder how long the waiting list is and where I am on it.

Lexi has to use two smaller pans because we got rid of the large glass pan that we use to use for things like enchiladas and lasagna. I think she will be ok.