Redeeming the Days

I long for summer vacation nearly every day of the year (when it's not summer vacation, that is). It's like a rich and delicious dessert. Fresh raspberries, hot fudge.... Splendid. Everything is green and lush. The air seems cleaner. And the days are longer. God, I love that. Waking up to sunshine. Staying up late. One summer's motto was "everyday is a weekend" or maybe it was "everyday is a new adventure." At any rate, I have had a summer vacation for the past 28 years. It's become a sort of "thing" with me. However, I have one wee small fear. I am afraid of "wasting" the summer. Not living it to its fullest.

Yesterday was my first official day of vacation (since it was the first "work" day I've not had to actually work) and what did I do?

I went to school.
Sigh.

Some habits are hard to break. I even ate my lunch in the break room and discussed school life with teachers who are teaching summer school. What the heck is wrong with me? It's not that I couldn't stay away, actually. I had a purpose and that was taking a correspondence course test in my film study class that will enable me to be "highly qualified" to teach a class I've already taught in previous years. Good times.

After I did my test, I actually decided to do some things that I might not have had time for during regular business hours and golly that was when summer really began.

I went to the bank.
I paid my rent.
I got my oil changed.
I bought groceries.

It was a regular riot. Then I went nuts and watched a movie in the afternoon.... the middle of the day, people. Later in the evening I did manage to check out a new restaurant in town to celebrate the birthday of one of my favorite "look out, here come the guns" 24 year olds.

This morning when I woke up I made a pledge not to let a day go by without finding some way to make it a celebration of summer vacation. Today I had lunch at Happy Joe's.... ummmmm pizza buffet. And then I went to Marci's and we gave ourselves manicures and pedicures. Ahhh... I think this is a good start. (Here is a pic of my fingernails.)


I hate my feet. But I like them better with polish.