Finally, Peace and Rest

In the month of August so far, a day and a half to spend as I willed (not counting five hours on Tuesday, and Thursday afternoon and evening).

(During the few hours on Tuesday, I mowed the lawn, sorted through the mail and swept the floor, besides going out for dinner at El Azteca, my favorite local Mexican place before I had to return to the ship. Thursday after work, I stopped by the movie rental place and tried out Game of Thrones... turns out the amount and type of pornography and gore is way too much for my tolerance level... no more for me. I finished out the evening by listening to First and Second Timothy while I wrote on the other blog. I needed a mental washing. And I also got to talk to Mom for over an hour... that was really nice.)

Oh, my gosh... where did I start? When I was let off from work on Friday afternoon, the first thing  I did was stop for a late lunch at the sushi place on Hampton Blvd with the all-you-can-eat special. After that I spent a good hour picking things up for the ship... and then I really was on my own time.

Spent some time online, talked to my sister about some plans for October, then went to Walmart to pick up new bedsheets and pillows, and birdseed for my wild pets. They didn't have the cheap standard pillows... so I broke down and bought the expensive downy pillows... and I'm so glad I did! They are so much more comfortable! Shopping always takes longer than I mean it to, but I was still in plenty of time to go swimming right afterwords as I planned. The odd thing was, when I got to the indoor pool, they told me they were still closed for 20 minutes or so because of the lighting storm that last struck 10 minutes beforehand. I was dumbfounded as to why they'd close an indoor pool for a storm... but it afforded me time to finish the chapter in a book I was reading that happened to be in the car. Finished just as they opened, and managed to do a thousand yards in twenty-five minutes.

Came home, cleaned up, spent a bunch more time online, had only a P&J for dinner, and finished the evening out with a phone call to my Darling for nearly two hours while lounging in my comfortable bed.

Today, glorious today, I slept in til 9, made myself a wonderful breakfast, painted the door to the shed outside (it was badly in need of a new coat... and I so enjoyed making it look like new), bought a futon for the extra bedroom (I have guests coming!) and did the laundry in Ocean View. I picked up a few things at Rite Aid across the street and read in The Templar Knight along the shore as the stiff breeze blew small waves continually onto the beach (instead of watching Titanic on ABC Family inside... what a choice!) while waiting. I laughed to myself as Celine Dion's My Heart will Go On played during the credits while I folded my clothes... what fun my sister and I used to poke at that. What a blast from the past! I was 14 when that came out. I remember hearing about it from the girls on my Jr. High basketball team, how wonderful it was. Then I went to see it with my family... I've never been so miserable in a movie theater. I finished up folding as Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame came on... what was this? a bad '90s movies marathon? I went back out to the shoreline to read more Arn even though my laundry was all done. It was so beautiful, breezy and relaxing.

Back at home, I broke out my French horn and warmed up, remembering the fingering for all the notes... which came back to me pretty easily. It was as hard as ever to know what note to start on though... the horn can play so many notes without any valves involved; sometimes it's hard for me to hear where I am. It was a real joy to play again... I think I shall do this more often. To continue feeling like it was the '90s, I even broke out a coloring book and did a page and a half.

Had a dinner of a couple steaks, green beans and peaches... and later on tonight I had some nachos. Watched The Young Victoria for some entertainment, and enjoyed it as much as I remember I did before.

I feel so refreshed... it's so good to take a break once in a while... or a month.

Jw