Reviewing the vacation list

There is only one day left of my vacation. I've enjoyed not going to work. I have slept well for two weeks straight, and that's very insightful in and of itself. Frank said that as soon as I got up this morning, he could see that my whole demeanor had changed and I was obviously struggling with the reality of going back to work on Monday. It's not that I don't like my job; it's more that I'm overwhelmed by everything that goes with it, from the commuting to the politics.

As staycation comes to an end, it's time to review the list of things I had planned to do during this two week period:

1. Get a manicure.
2. Get a pedicure.
3. Change my hair color (best to hire a professional)
4. Read at least one of the dozens of books residing on my Nook.
5. Make one piece of jewelry every day. Well, maybe every other day. OK, maybe three or four pieces over the two weeks.
6. Sew something. A bag. Curtains. Something.
7. Go to the local art museum.
8. Keep a food log. Daily. It's only two weeks.
9. Get my teeth whitened.
10. Go to one live music or theater performance. Buskers don't count.
11. Clean the bathroom.
12. Cook at least once.
13. Write my will.
14. Decide once and for all if life is worth the effort and proceed accordingly.

I actually did some things not on the list: I didn't just go to one live music performance, I went to three. I went to the city's botanic gardens. I traveled a bit and made my way to the top of a very high mountain. I got a massage. I joined the gym and went almost every day. I taught some Bhutanese women how to make necklaces. I did some gardening. There was some shopping. I did some reading, but no books--just magazine articles. I took a lot of pictures. I played a lot of Scrabble on my Nook and Words With Friends with my sister-in-law who is in Pennsylvania.

Tomorrow morning, Frank and I are getting up at dawn to go birdwatching at a nearby federal wildlife preserve. After that, I'm going to have a busy day if I'm to finish up the rest of my list, above.

As for number 14, no decision yet but it's looking more and more likely that I don't plan to stay all that long. On the other hand, I still need to pay off $13,000 in debt, and no final decision can be made before the debt is gone.

And that's May's vacation update.

Here are some photos from my two weeks off:

A goldfinch in my back yard. The first ever for us.

jewelry lesson

Water lilies are my favorite thing at the city gardens.

On top of a very high mountain.

I successfully grew a vegetable in my garden.

I call these my Zen earrings. Made during vacation.

A live music performance.

Another live music performance.

And another live music performance.

Spent some time at the gym.