Have I Made a Mistake?

I don't have anything planned for today.  I've done this on purpose and I think I am now regretting it.  Since I generally get up around 5:30 - 6:00am, I couldn't sleep in very late.  I did get an extra 45 minutes, but that's not much in my book.  So now I sit here at 7:30am trying to remind myself why I didn't plan anything today.  It's rainy and cloudy.  I can't mow the lawn or do any yard work.  The house is relatively clean, it just needs some tidying.  Although....  our bedding needs washing.  Perhaps I'll do that.  There are another few things to list on Kijiji.  (BTW: I've got stuff for sale if you're curious.)  There is some bookkeeping I should do, bills to check on...

I have one more day of work and then I have a week of holidays.  I should relax and enjoy them.  Call friends, read, go for a bike ride, or play the piano.  Vacation-y things.  And here I sit wondering what am I going to do with myself for 10 days.  I'm trying to mentally make a list of things to do so I can feel caught up and not guilty for not having anything completed.  Does it count if I make the list and only get half of it done?  Could I then feel no guilt for my own quiescence while at the same time retain a sense of accomplishment?  Perhaps this is something I should try.

Aha!  I thought bubble floats into my brain: I need a birthday gift for this Friday!  And a salad.

Allow me to explain: my family is rather large.  We celebrate multiple birthdays at various times of the year, one of them being Canada Day.  However, to reduce the workload for the family member hosting the birthday dinner, it is a potluck and, generally, I bring the salad.  This initially started because I am the one that has my mother's Caesar dressing recipe.  (Something I'll include later - it's pretty good!)  This weekend, I am rebelling.  I have found a recipe for "Beautiful Salad" and that is what shall be served.

How quickly things change: I have gone from lamenting my lack of obligation to having to remind myself to get moving and get things done so I can relax.  And I have an excuse.  Others depend on me.  A sense of family, celebration, sustenance.  These are external and beyond my control, but I must succumb and so I have my list for the day as well as my answer: gift and card shopping, plan dinner, groceries (including salad supplies), and running.

A small list.  One I can manage.  One that doesn't overload and still allows for time to relax.  I have now had that time.  It was half an hour this morning.

Epic FAIL

Ah the first post.  The one that takes the longest, the one you sweat over and agonize over, the one that final just seems to write itself after you deleted four previous posts.  There is no sweating or deleting.  Just typing.  Why?  Because this week I have failed.  My relaxation is currently taking place on the couch at 12:45am.  That isn't very relaxing when you realize I got up at 5:30am to run, gather and take out the garbage, collect my lunch and head to work for 10 hours before heading to my parents house for dinner.

I will not bore you with the mundane things I did the rest of the week, but suffice to say that my "day off" was occupied right after I woke up with the task of making fudge.  I had this completed before 10:00am and went on to run errands, update the company website, make dinner, supervise a repair in the home and then go for a run with my class.  There is a certain pride in accomplishing all of that in a given time frame but it takes a toll and that this week, that toll is my health.  The nasty summer cold has invaded my body and is forcing me to slow down.  Today's diet consisted mainly of Advil Cold & Sinus.  Thank goodness it doesn't make me sleepy, just functional and a little dry.  (Homemade bread taste much better when you have saliva to actual chew and swallow it!)

In all fairness, we do have a houseguest and that will always take up some time in anyone's day.  My sister-in-law (bless her heart) is staying over from Scotland.  So there is much to keep up with when you factor in entertaining, working, running, and the regular day-to-day tasks.  I will miss her when she leaves - but I'm sleeping in the next morning.

So while I haven't really given you a true introduction, I promise it later when it's not pushing 1:00am.  Until then, remember to breathe.