Monday, August 15, 2005

My new Life of Leisure

My Day so Far

Since resigning last Wednesday, I have been decompressing. Saturday I realized I was no longer obsessing about it. This morning I thoroughly felt the freedom.

I slept until 5:30am instead of getting up at 4am! Hopefully my internal alarm clock will back down to around 6am. That will be so sweet.

I was able to stake all my tomato plants. I planted them very late in the season after arriving here, and they have grown into a jungle. I am finally being rewarded with their fruit.

I went to the New Haven walk way and spent over an hour walking and running. In July I pulled a muscle in my knee. Due to my need to relieve stress, I continued to run. By the time I got up to five miles, my right knee blew! I now have a knee brace and hope if I take it slow, my old friend will hang in there.


I finished The Mermaid Chair. I have only been reading it for a month! I would read 10 or so pages and fall asleep! It was pretty good. Went to the local library and got a card. I was able to find The Time Travelers Wife!

I signed up for a Black and White & Hand colored Photography class. I am so excited!!!!!! (yea! Feeling something again) Going to learn how to use the dark room and then how to hand color the photo's.

Dusted off my old Canon 35mm. Loaded with film and plan to take on a small hike this afternoon to check out the mechanics.  It has been a long time since I have used the camera.

Planted mums in the front yard.

Painted the bird house white and red like the barns on Calumet farm.

Answered five help wanted ads.

I could get use to this.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

You sound like you are doing great!  I wil be so happy to be totally done with my old job.  I'm waiting to receive my last paycheck and they are giving me grief about it, so it is really opening old wounds.  Enjoy your time off!  Pamela

Anonymous said...

You call that leisure?  I'm tired just reading about your leisure.  ;o)

~~ jennifer, who hopes you're having a TERRIFIC time

Anonymous said...

Congratulations and enjoy your leisure!  (Although I've never met any 'leisure' activity that couldn't wait till 8am, but that's me.)  You're a morning person.  Just savor the opportunity to 'stop and eat the tomatoes!'  :)

Anonymous said...

After reading that, I need a nap.
xoxo

Anonymous said...

The first week I was home I sat here in shock that I had quit! Like you, I had moved into my house a short time before so I kept unpacking and discarding things I had moved here and couldn't fit anywhere. I swore I would catch up on reading but that's one thing I didn't do. (My near vision has gone and that frustrates me!) I have spent a lot of time on gardening and answering help wanted ads. :) Nelle

Anonymous said...

Mary
I'm glad you are decompressing, that is exactly what you need to do.  I'm impressed with all you can get done and call leisure, LOL!  Sounded like a full day's schedule to me.  Late season tomatoes are a treasure, enjoy.  Now, about that knee.  How about just walking and no running?  I used to run three miles a day in my thirties and blew my knee out in a similar fashion.  I don't think I will ever be able to run again without risking permanent damage.
Sam

Anonymous said...

You call that relaxing.  Sounds like the freedom to be you!  I can read the joy coming back into your soul.  Pennie

Anonymous said...

Sounds great!  Just don't get TOO comfortable! :)  - Karen

Anonymous said...

ok...love the birdhouse....but after watching you work all day...gee I'm tired...LOL

Anonymous said...

Everything was great until the part about answering the "Help Wanted" ads.  You are obviously a high-energy person, and maybe you need a job as well as wanting one.  But I wish you could spend a month or so just decompressing and "nesting" in your new environment, instead of worrying about coming up with another job...  Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

Sounds lucious.  I'd like to live like that 4-ever.  But what's the reality?  How soon do you need to find another job?

Anonymous said...

oh, good for you on the class!!!!! xoxoxoxo judi

Anonymous said...

Now this is more like it! Love the sound of that class too. Very cool.

Anonymous said...

Um...I had an Irish breakfast roll at Greenhills at about 10. I pointed the flagstone walk at 4 (just finished). I can't remember what I did in between.

Anonymous said...

You almost got me wishing I was unemployed!  You are doing some fun things and that's always the best thing when we have the time.  I'm signing up for some photography classes at the local college - should be lots of fun. :-)

Monica
http://journals.aol.com/photographybymon/Mamarazzi/
http://journals.aol.com/sonensmilinmon/SmilinMonsAdventures/

Anonymous said...

Enjoy this time sweetie!
Connie

Anonymous said...

Good for you!
Lori

Anonymous said...

I like the little horse

Anonymous said...

oh i can't wait to see the pictures you take after taking that class. I wish I would wake up that early instead of staring at the ceiling all night until that time.

Anonymous said...

Okay, what is it that is hanging from the birdhouse? It looks like a jockey and horse. I guess my next question is why? LOL! Enjoy your sense of freedom. It sounds heavenly. Unfortunately, I'm a nutcase and after about a week I'd be flipping out with that much time on my hands. :-) ---Robbie

Anonymous said...

You are very creative- great journal!

Anonymous said...

I am very happy about your new found freedom and jealous too! LOL You are in a place I need to be and have been striving towards for a while yet. You took the leap! Congratulations!
Mary

Anonymous said...

Hey--Loved that Picture of the Bird House with a Red Roof--it reminded me of the birdhouses that my Dad built and are all over trees in Maumee, Ohio and south Toledo area (yours was very similar) and Dad would clean his out every fall and spring, making sure there were no old nests left behind or egg shells, or whatever left behind.  Thanks for sharing that picture--I do like the red roof--most of his were blue, green, or orange.  He also built bird feeders in his senior years and when he was much younger he built sailboats for a hobby (he was English) and his parents were pharmacists from London and started in the pharmacy business about 1909--they were familiar with all the old remedies.  My Dad also planted tomato plants in the backyard of our family home in Maumee, Ohio--he loved Big Boys and so many others.  How much I miss my Dad to this day--he's been deceased now for about 3+ years--he would be 93 now.  I also hope you like your Photography class--I did that many years ago at about age 36 (am now 59) and would love to do that again as in downloading and printing on the computer.  Good luck with that!! Sounds interesting and FUN!!  I am semi-retired and love it--was a medical secretary for about 20 years and a caregiver for about 10 after that.  Good luck on your job searching--don't take the first thing that comes along--look for something that is fun and exciting--we only get a chance at that once in our lifetime and I regret many times I did not do something more exciting.  I would have been a good journalist or P.R. rep.  You can easily get used to being retired with nothing to do but sleep and eat--it's boring not having something meaningful to do!! TRUST ME--I KNOW!!