I'm back

Awright the fun's over.

I had to come back to work yesterday, kicking and screaming. It's cold here, and very quiet, and it makes me sleepy, and my eyes hurt 'cause the only thing to look at is the computer. I hear the muffled sounds of traffic all day, alternating with construction noises. People want things of me.

At home, it was usually the right temperature (I learned to regulate it pretty well, with fans and windows) or at least I could change clothes to adjust, it was a different kind of quiet, less muffled and more full of birds chirping and bees buzzing, and I had so many things to look at that my eyes weren't big enough. I regained my natural rhythms: I slept whenever I was tired, worked when I had energy, ate when I was hungry, woke up when I was good and ready and did whatever activity struck my fancy at the time. The weather wasn't fantastic, but that's ok, because when it rained I did indoor things that needed doing. We made good progress on several of our ongoing projects; indeed some of them grew as we worked. Here's an update on how I did with my vacation to-do list (as I write, hysterical sirens pass outside my office window. So peaceful):

1. We did indeed tear off the siding from the back wall of our house. We were limited for awhile by the length of our borrowed ladders, but thanks to the kindness of a fireman neighbor, we now have the use of a really really long solid one that got the job done. We tore off the siding, put up styrofoam, strapping, and ordered the new siding, which is going to cost more than I thought but require less work. I also bought the stains in very appealing colours, as intended. The siding was slow to arrive so we're stalled, but it should come today, then we can start staining.

2. We went to the spa. I made off like a bandit - there was nobody available to do my pre-arranged pedicure so they gave me a gift certificate for one, at a $75 value, without my even asking. Then I had a one-hour massage, which I can claim through my health plan at work. The masseuse also told me that both of my hips need work, and not to delay a trip to the physiotherapist. So that I must do today. Afterwards we went for lunch and a bit of shopping and we had a lovely day.

3. I stuck a few perennials in the older terraced beds, and they seem to be working out. We'll see. I still need mulch.

4. I removed the dirt from the laneway. I thought I would need a garbage can to hold it all, and made my dad bring over an old one of his, but turns out it was more like a garbage can PLUS 9 loads in the wheelbarrow to a remote part of my yard to get the job done. Took me an hour or more and I was filthy.

5. I haven't sold the chimney yet, but re-did the ad and re-posted it yesterday.

6. I don't know yet if our attempts at conception were successful, but I did everything I was supposed to, including two blood tests and some yucky drugs that gave me hot flashes.

7. We ixnayed the ampingcay. The weather was crummy and our friends were all busy. We stayed home and bummed around instead.

8. I visited my friend and her baby, who is crabby, and toured their new house and it's fabulous. The baby's cute though, even though she's a crabby crabster.

9. I took some wonderful photos, but then realized that there was no film in the camera. I proceeded to take more pictures but none of them equal the bottle bugs doing it or the toad pooping that I had on my first phantom role.

10. I finished up pottery class and had a wonderful dinner evening, and all of my projects came out of the kiln beautifully save for one little disappointing rough spot that I may still have re-glazed.

11. Went shopping with mom, and it was one of those bad shopping days where you can't find anything. We left pretty much empty-handed, except for a lovely skirt that i strong-armed mom into buying. She loves it now like I knew she would.

12. I perfected the vietnamese salad rolls, and brought them to the pottery potluck, where they were a hit.

13. I finished up my sweater, and it's ok. It fits weirdly at the bottom, it kind of goes wide at the hem. But I did start the new one, to my chagrin, and it is a challenge. Heavy too.

14. I read two books by Barbara Kingsolver, who is one of my favourites: The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven. Both excellent reads.

15. I don't know if my friend got her license. I was supposed to call her Friday and forgot to and now I feel like a deadbeat and am embarrassed to call. I am like that.

16. I ignored the boomerang garden completely.

17. I got a glowy tan. Not a dark tan, though my arms are pretty dark, but my face has a pleasant glow which is enough for me.

18. I made that CD the first day I had at home alone.

19. The wiring in my house is not appropriate for that light fixture and it's a halogen, as it turns out, and I hate how every single light fixture in my house takes different bulbs. So I'm going to return it. But as I went to put it in the car yesterday to return it, I dropped it and broke the (unprotected, thank you Ikea) glass shade. Now what?

20. We went fishing twice, and cleaned up. Each time we brought home two bass, which was way less than what we caught, for dinner. Mmm fresh fish fry for dinner is delicious with homemade french fries and garden-grown salad.

21. I didn't buy mulch but I should still. See #3.

22. I didn't get flagstone either. Seems I was more ambitious on the first part of my list.

23. I didn't dare move the furniture. Looking around, it didn't make a lot of sense, and hubby hates it when I move stuff around.

24. I did all the laundry (twice? Felt like it.) and caught up on all of my ironing, and even had to buy new hangers to accommodate my bursting closets. Now I can set to messing everything up and getting overwhelmed all over again.

25. I stained the stairs, but had the wind taken out of my sails when my overall plan changed halfway through. So now the stair surfaces has one coat of stain, but I need to sand the risers and stain them too, and paint the sides of the stairs the same colour as the walls. I think. Not sure. Plus the stain takes a lot longer to dry than I thought, and there are only so many days where I can afford not to go up to the second floor all day long.

I was busy on my holiday. Very busy. I also seemed to have lost 3 pounds or so - likely through manual labour, went to Lindsay to my cousin's bridal shower, had a friend from high school visit whom I haven't seen in 15 years, since graduation, who now lives in Minnesota (we reconnected through facebook), worked on the veggie garden quite a bit, cleaned house, organized my knitting stuff, played with my new digital camera, got to know my cats a bit better and chilled out in general. It felt so good. We also got new mailboxes, for which I campaigned my M.P. and the people at Canada Post for several years to get, so I feel vindicated and so happy. I am a minor activist. I need to send a nice thank-you card to the fellow at Canada Post with whom I was in regular communication.

Sigh. Now I am back to work and there was just an explosion outside of my window, preceded by three really loud whistles, thanks to the construction site next door. It's so relaxing.