Big Shoes to Fill

Joy here...For the past few weeks I've been grappling with balancing everything on my plate, or rather with balancing a fully loaded plate, spinning wildly and dangerously, all the while juggling and doing a hula hoop, with everything continually threatening to topple and fall.  I feel like if I stop moving and doing for just a moment, this delicate dance of juggling, wiggling, and jigging, then I will fail completely.

Of course in order to maintain this circus performer's show, some things just aren't getting done.

We've been hosting friends, so while I've been cooking, cleaning, tour guiding, chauffeuring, grocery shopping, and managing to do just enough work to not be considered negligent, I have had absolutely no time for anything non-essential.

Have I read a book lately?  Nope.  Have I slept lately?  Not much.  Have I worked on my many writing projects?  Big, fat nope.  And most importantly, have I kept up with my running workouts?  Nope. Sadly, no.

The couple visiting us are good house-guests; they're easy-going and fun to be around.  But nonetheless, they are guests.  And we feel responsible for them as good hosts.  So when The Man and the husband of the visiting couple group sneak out for a run, I stay behind to keep the wife company.  You see, the husband is our tall running buddy, who has been mentioned before on this blog as a friend, fellow runner, and sometime ski instructor.  He's a great athlete, and while The Man has held onto enough fitness since our arrival in Malaysia to be able to run with him and have a good time, I'm down to slow 5km runs and loops through the taman.  So when they have headed out for their runs, I've opted to stay behind and play hostess with the mostest in part because I'm wired in such a way that I simply can't seem to leave someone alone and unattended on my watch, but also in part because I can't keep up.

Big shoes to fill!

This tall friend of ours is 6'4, wears a men's size 13 shoe, and has a 5km personal best time of 16:51.  I, on the other hand am 5'7(ish), wear a men's size 7 shoe, and have a 5km personal best time of 23:49.  This guy's an athlete, with big shoes for me to fill (literally and figuratively).

And so, I think, that while they are here visiting us, I will end up walking and sight seeing, and doing my ever-so-funky dance to balance and juggle all the things that need balancing and juggling when moving to a new country, setting up a new home, building an international business, and hosting international guests!

Watch me dance...

Over and out,
Joy