No-Fun Friend

{This isn't complaining...just explaining and sharing my sadness. }

In order to graduate next December, I made the choice to take 9 hours this semester. For a grad student, that's considered full-time. Plus 40 hours of work. (Yikes.) Now, I can do this, but there are things I know have to change.

For example, I might have to be the no-fun friend for four months.

That's sooo hard for me. Just this week, the first week of class, I have been home one night. One. And that was Thursday night, when RSU played OCU, and of course I couldn't not listen to that game! It was critical to our season! (Men won, by the way. 14-1 record. Come see a game!)

Sunday night was the first two hours of the 24 season premier, and it's been a 2-year ritual to watch that as a group. It's my favorite time of the entire week! I love my Monday night group!

Monday night was 24 again.

I work 7:30-3:30 on Tuesdays, with no lunch hour.

Tuesday night was class.

Wednesday night, a dear friend called and invited me to eat a free home-cooked meal with the family. I needed to read, but I also needed to hang out with them. I hadn't spent time with them in a very long time, I'd been thinking about them within the past week, and she'd been thinking of me all day. Soooo....I went to their house.

Another friend and I had a monthly lunch scheduled Thursday.

Thursday night was the game. (I did do some reading during it, but as I'm sure you can imagine, I was pretty distracted.)

Friday night was a Volunteer Appreciation Banquet at church.

After the banquet I actually came home and finished book #3. (Except for the appendixes...Do I have to read those? I don't know.)

This afternoon we have home basketball games. (I'm so addicted...It's true.)

Sunday afternoon I go to mom and dad's for Bekah's 22nd birthday celebration.

Monday is 24.

Tuesday is class.

And I have to have a bunch of stuff read by then.

So.

All that to say this: I am going to have to start saying no, and that makes me very sad.

Like Friday I was supposed to have lunch with friends (it's our Friday thing) but I had to bail b/c I needed to spend the hour in my office, with the door shut, reading. It was so hard to not go to be with them!

It's a struggle for me...I really have a hard time saying no to friends...They've always been vitally important to me, and I thrive on friendships. But right now, by my choice, I have to be a grown-up. Sad. But the discipline is good for me. I need more discipline in my life, and this semester is a great way to get it.

See you in May?