Thermodynamics and me

The first law of thermodynamics says that energy cannot be created or destroyed.

Practically, this means that when something new takes up a large portion of my energy, something else must give.

Moving, and the process of settling into a new home, takes a massive amount of energy.

Since energy cannot be created or destroyed, the energy for moving and settling must be taken from elsewhere. To minimize damage to my family, my home, and my health, I have chosen to reallocate as little energy as possible from those arenas – meaning that the majority of the energy for moving has been borrowed from reading and from blogging.

The second law of thermodynamics says that entropy (disorder) always increases.

Practically, this means that when attempting to bring order to one aspect of life, other parts fall into disorder.

So as I work to bring order to our new home, all of the habits I’ve worked to establish over the course of many years tend to fall by the wayside.

Yes, I am getting our new home organized – but I struggle with the daily habits that keep a home running smoothly. Picking up toys. Washing and drying and folding the laundry. Making a menu and doing the grocery shopping. Making meals and cleaning up after them. Wiping down the tub after use. Sweeping the floor regularly.

I have kept active – loading and lifting boxes, carrying them up and down stairs. Arranging them in the car and in the garage or basement once I get them to Prairie Elms. But the habit of daily exercise – aerobic, resistance, and flexibility training? This habit has fallen aside. Daily Kegels, pelvic tilts, and squats? Nope. And relaxation exercises in preparation for childbirth. Yeah right.

But as much as the first two laws of thermodynamics have been active in my past month or so, the third has not yet exerted its power.

The third law of thermodynamics says that entropy (disorder) reaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero.

Thank God that the temperature here is quite a bit higher than that – and that disorder is not anywhere near a constant value.

In fact, it seems we are finding a new equillibrium.

Enough of the house has been moved in that things are starting to feel settled. We’re not constantly asking for some item that’s still at Betsy or hidden away in some still-packed box.

The house is moderately tidy and, most days, my cleaning to-do list is getting done.

I’ve slowly worked my workouts back up, from one set to two to three. I’m back to my previous routine.

And now that my world is slowly returning to a new normal, it’s time to add in those last few items of my previous routine.

Reading.

And blogging.

Old friends forsaken by the laws of thermodynamics.

But I’m resisting, I’m returning. Thermodynamics won’t have the final word.

Temperature’s not at absolute zero quite yet.