I tried, I really tried.
So I made an attempt to go to work last Saturday. While I was worried the building was locked down, I was able to get in through the backdoor with my security badge. So far, so good. My badge worked its wonders on the elevators as well, and despite the dark hallways, I was getting more confident I’d eventually make it. Naturally, the final hurdle had to be the clincher – the very last door before reaching my desk wouldn’t open no matter how much I swiped. I was this close! Thankfully, my partner who dropped me off was still waiting for me in the car when I had to accept the fact that working extra hours was not going to happen that day.

While I did feel bad for all the effort gone to waste, the best thing to do was bordering on therapy, and something I’d been meaning to do for a couple of weekends now – go to the garden center.

This time around, I made sure we didn’t go overboard and end up with something that wasn’t only expensive but would end up dying too soon. Luckily, we made like thieves with what I thought were relatively cheap stuff, like a glass container for my favorite orchid…

…a flowering christmas cactus…

…and some beautiful succulents.

And to top it off, it was warm enough that I wore a t-shirt out on the balcony and got to see our tulips finally open up after all this time. After months in a pot, the bulbs grew out, the buds formed, and now they’re fully grown and resplendent. Nature can be so beautiful at times.