Stress-Test

333.

That is my stress-test score. Out of 42 possible "stressful events" I could have encountered in the past 12 months, I checked off 14.

Marriage: 50 points

Yeah, so we got married more than 12 months ago, but I say it still counts. Marriage is AWESOME, but everyday I am confronted with what it means to live in a democracy of 2 instead of 1.

Change in finances: 38 points

Change in number of marital arguments: 35 points

What kind of car should we buy? When should we buy it?

Should we buy a home or rent? 

Extroverts don't understand introverts. Seriously. You are a mystery to us.

I want this movie on our Netflix cue!

Change in work responsibilities: 29 points

Spouse begins or starts work: 26 points

This is where I have learned how selfish I truly am. For my first 2 weeks of work, Dave stayed home all day. He was my house-husband. He took care of the bills and the mundane details of live. And when I came home, he wanted nothing more than to hear ALL about my day. Now he works all day too. And MY life is not the most important and interesting thing in his life. How unfair is that?

Revision of personal habits: 25 points

Change in work hours, conditions: 20 points

Change of residence: 20 points

Change in recreational habits: 19 points

In St. Paul, the question was: WHICH super cool, a little too trendy for us, restaurant did we want to go to THIS weekend?

In Blo-No: Um... do you want to go to Chili's?

Change in church activities: 19 points

Change in social activities: 18 points

Change in sleeping habits: 16 points

333. Not too shabby, I'd say. Could be worse, I suppose. If I'd taken this test during the month of December, it would have been 12 points higher.... just because of the Christmas season. Stuff THAT in your stocking.

I realize that this is sounding rather whiny of me... I'm stressed, my life is hard, Wah. But honestly, taking this test was actually rather liberating. It helped explain the crazy woman has taken over my body and mind this past month, keeping me from sleep and causing me to break down in tears on a bi-weekly basis. 

I'm not going nuts. I'm stressed. And stress will go away eventually. Next year, hopefully, I can only rack up 13 points- going on vacation. That's the kind of stress I'm willing to endure.