Thursday, October 05, 2006

Vacation Time Is Running Out!

Today is the first day this week I have actually slept in. I stayed in bed until 10:00 AM. It was overcast outside and the blinds were pulled so 10:00 AM looked like 10:00 PM. I felt rested but some quality morning time was wasted. We are finally back to fall like temperatures. It is 57 degrees at the moment and the A/C is off again, thank God! Yesterday it was 87 degrees and felt like the middle of summer.

I had a quiet day. My mood is good, at least better than it has been the last few days. My feelings this week make me think a lot about how I would feel with extended time off or retirement. I am normally quite content with having nothing to do and with being alone. This week I have often felt down and bored. I need some activity but have nothing to do. Yes, there are chores that could be done at home but I am not motivated to do any of them. I find myself missing people. It is a good thing that I am going to the monastery on Sunday. The drive will be enjoyable and perhaps being in the presence of Buddhist monks will renew and refresh me.

Another day has passed. The highlight of this day was going to the grocery store. That should give you some sense of my day. In spite of the boredom, it has been a wonderful autumn day. It was cool all day and is now cold at this late hour. The leaves are beginning to change color. In a couple of weeks the fall foliage will be at its peak. Unfortunately by the time I get to Gatlinburg over the Thanksgiving weekend, the best of the leaf colors will be gone.

My vacation week is nearly over. It started out great and will likely end on a high note with my trip to the monastery on Sunday. The days in the middle have left something to be desired. I have done little that was really enjoyable and, in fact, have rarely left the house. I can’t remember when a week off from work was less enjoyable. This feeling is more in my own mind than in the actual reality. There are a few things in my life troubling me and my mind has been pre-occupied with these thoughts all week. I am also somewhat dreading a return to work. Right before I started my vacation I was assigned a new job with all new responsibilities. I know I can handle them but for what seems like the hundredth time I must change and adapt.

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