I’m on my laptop today, but I’m at home. The office has been out of commission today because of a drywall repair. When the plumber fixed the pipes a few weeks ago, he had to cut a pretty big hole in the drywall to get to them. Ever since then, we’ve had this giant hole in the office wall, a constant reminder that another repair was still needed.

Today was finally drywall day. I didn’t know until this morning, when Kel texted me that they would be here at 10. The repair crew came this morning to patch everything up. After replacing the drywall, they had to wait for the texture to dry before they could come back and paint it. Unfortunately, I didn’t think ahead and grab my laptop or my study book before they started working, so I was effectively shut out of the office for most of the day. While they were here, I ended up spending the time talking with Alex instead.

Before the drywall crew arrived, I spent part of the morning clearing off Kel’s desk and moving her monitor over to the dining room table. By the time the workers left for a few hours to let the texture dry, it felt like the whole day had revolved around waiting. They returned this afternoon to paint, and now the office smells overwhelmingly like fresh paint. It’s one of those smells that makes you glad the work is getting finished, but it’s definitely not a place I want to sit and write right now. So I quickly got my laptop and settled into the living room instead.

I did manage to study a little today, although not nearly as much as I had hoped. Between cleaning, waiting on the repair crew, and losing access to the office, studying kept getting pushed aside. I’m trying not to be too frustrated about it.

I also just finished another thirty minutes on the exercise bike. That makes another day completed. The ride itself is still challenging; I try not to spend most of the time watching the clock and wondering how much longer I have left, but I always feel accomplished once I’m done. It’s funny how something can feel so difficult while you’re doing it and yet leave you feeling so good afterward. I’m hoping it gets a little easier as I build up the habit.

Now I’m thinking about making a cup of tea. It’s definitely too late in the day for coffee, but tea sounds comforting, especially after spending the day surrounded by the smell of drywall dust and fresh paint.

Today is also my third day on the diet pill. So far, it’s been going better than I expected. I haven’t had any stomach problems or other unpleasant side effects, which I was a little worried about. I have noticed that I’m not nearly as hungry in the middle of the afternoon. Normally that’s when I start looking around for a snack, but the cravings have definitely been quieter these last few days. It’s still early, but I’m hopeful that it will help me stick to healthier eating habits.

The doctor says I need to up my protein intake. I do try. I have a protein shake after weight lifting, and I do like eggs. I should probably eat more chicken and fish while I’m at it.

Tommy has practice tonight, so dinner will probably be a fend-for-yourself kind of evening. Those nights are usually pretty easy; everyone just grabs whatever sounds good and eats when they’re hungry. After such an unusual day, that actually sounds perfectly fine to me.

I need to finish The High King. I have about 40 or 50 pages left. So maybe tonight I will finish it. I should have enough time to read. Ok, time to make some tea.