I'm an Introvert...

Alternate title: Where are you Christmas?

No.... the subject of this post isn't a joke. Really... stop laughing... it's true. I can be an introvert.

Or at least it's true for about one week out of the year... maybe two when it gets really stressful.

Typically I shut off in November after an election. I don't want to talk to people. I don't want to answer my phone. I don't want anyone to interrupt my solace and emotional recharging. I suppose it comes from having all burners set to high socially, mentally, physically, and emotionally for so long that I just want to shut down.

Please don't judge me in any future Novembers if it takes me a few days or a few weeks to get back to you. I promise I still love you. I love you a lot, in fact. I just need some time to recharge the batteries.

So... let's just discuss 2011...

I got through the election and then.... I kept going... and then I kept going... and then I took a couple days at Thanksgiving... and then things got really crazy.... and then things got crazier... and crazier... and then we're here. It was a firestorm that hit from every direction all at once. This will lead to a later post about my personal goals for 2012.

Note: there was no shut off, introvert week there. There was a day or two at Thanksgiving where I spent time with family and I even read a book or two, but then I was right back to crazy. It always takes me a day or two to wind down so that I can shut off. Thanksgiving allowed me to release a little pressure, but there never was a full shut down.

So I got through this last weekend and back to Richmond from my weekend working in NoVA and just about crashed. Now that I'm back to work doing what my title would require I'm struggling. Yes, I have nothing but fire in the belly and I've had a full night's rest so I should be right back to fight, but I'm not. I want to sleep. I want to do laundry and clean my apartment. I want to take care of my life while I hit reset.

Christmas is officially in 11 days. How did that happen? With the insanity that has been life since Thanksgiving I haven't even had a chance to process or change gears to feel the Christmas season. I haven't slept. I ran out of clean clothes yesterday. Christmas just took a backseat to the basic necessities of life. Goodness, the basic necessities of life took a backseat to my to do list and blackberry the past couple of weeks.

I really want to feel it. I need to feel it. But I'm still not there. Hopefully by this weekend it'll feel like December and I will be ready for Christmas. What I worry about most is that I'll get home for Christmas and I'll pass out instead of spending time with friends and family like I want to.

For now, I'll just hope that I can recharge enough before heading back to Arizona so I can enjoy the trip and enjoy the people I love.