Relaxation

I cannot seem to relax. School is done for the year. I have a three month vacation. I keep thinking about all the projects I want to accomplish and all the responsibilities I need to take care of. Argh.

Instead of relaxing, I browse Facebook, play Mahjong, and watch Monk on Netflix. Aren't those relaxing tasks, you ask? Sure. But they are all worthless, meaningless relaxation techniques. What I really want to do is cook a fancy meal or read one book after another while sipping tea. 

I think I'm going to make a conscious effort to relax in meaningful ways next week. I don't care if I have dirty dishes on the counter or clothes that have been in the dryer for three days. I'm going to sit down with a book and read it until I'm satisfied. Then I'll tackle those dishes.

Sweat and Sunshine

I "sat out" for the first time of the summer today. My pasty white skin was hungry for some good ole Vitamin D. I know all of the health warnings about sun and skin cancer. I actually did a research project on it once. I came to the conclusion that outdoor tanning is slightly better for you than indoor tanning. I've done indoor tanning as well. I was forced to by an unnamed female family member. I had to do it before my senior pictures and before my wedding. I truly hate indoor tanning. I won't go into all of the nasty reasons I hate it, but I hate it. I won't be doing it ever again if I can help it.

Sitting out at my apartment is a bit complex. Our apartment is actually a garage that was converted into an apartment. Our landlord, his wife, and their youngest daughter live in the house attached to our apartment.Our home is right at the edge of a small forest. It's great because of all the wonderful shade and hiking trails right in our backyard. It's not great, however, for sitting out. I decided to set up facing lawn chairs in our driveway as soon as my husband left for for his second job. The driveway is the only spot that receives direct sunlight. I probably looked like a total loser sitting in the driveway desperately trying to get some color, but I don't care.

I had a Mr. Freezie in my hand along with a cup of water with an entire tray of ice cubes (not exaggerating) and A Tale of Two Cities. It was super relaxing. My landlord's wife thought I was crazy for sitting out in this 90+ degree heat, but I don't care. It was totally worth it to me. I think my 3 month summer vacation is probably one of the best perks about being a teacher. Before you non-teachers start griping about that, compare your salary to mine and you'll see that life isn't so unfair after all. : )