Relaxation is a skill that I do not possess.  I tend to treat this as a laughing matter, and it’s a bit of a joke around the office that I’m “tightly wound,” or “uptight.”  (At least I’m not in denial like our Admin guy — the other Chris — who insists that he isn’t.  ”There’s nothing uptight about insisting that work be done properly the first time,” he says.  This is true — just not the way he does it.)

Today is the first day of my three week vacation.  The university didn’t give Friday or Monday off — sneaky federal holiday falling on a Sunday! — but I decided to just take three weeks around my trip to Brazil.

Ray went up to visit his parents on Thursday.  I did OK on Thursday night and Friday night.  Saturday I went out to run errands, what with the little list I made for myself, and stopped by Bianca’s on the way home to see how she was doing and scored an invite to a pool party.  And that was Saturday.  Sunday I took Mocha up to see my parents — she enjoys visiting them and, as much as she doesn’t like to admit it, she likes hanging out with their dog.  We hung out for a while — until Mocha got tired and cranky (she really is just like a child — Mom asked, “How can you tell she’s ready to go home?”  Mocha sighs, gets restless, and starts snipping at others –well, after she snips at me and Ray to try to get us to take her home).  And so we came home.

And since today was the first official day of vacation, I was reminded of my inability to jump in with both feet.  Ray got in late last night and slept in today (since his private sector firm got both Friday and Monday off–jerks), and first thing this morning I got up to go to the grocery store and pick up prescriptions and get milk and then go to the bank and make a deposit, which involved going to two different branches since the one at the first bank wasn’t taking deposits — well, you see how this went.  By 10 am, I had called my credit card company to notify them of upcoming international travel, cashed in frequent flier miles to upgrade myself to business class on the way down to Brazil (but not the way back), started a load of laundry, and brushed the dog.

I actually forbade myself from packing for my trip so that I’ll have something to do tomorrow.  Otherwise, I’d have all that time with nothing to do.  (Oh, and I need something to read — any suggestions?)

I know from experience that tomorrow I’ll be better at this whole relaxing thing — and by Wednesday I’ll be positively go-with-the-flow-y.  Which is good since I’ll be hanging around airports for a few hours (another perk of the upgrade: Admiral’s Club AAccess.  hee.)

Anyway.  All of my plans to photograph fireworks went out the window when Round Rock cancelled their fireworks show and postponed it for two weeks due to rain.  Of course, it wasn’t actually raining (I’m guessing the concern was actually that the park where the show takes place was a mud pit).  I could have gone to the show in Austin, but I can see the Round Rock display from my front yard — and I was feeling lazy.

See, maybe the vacation thing IS starting to kick in!  :D

And how was YOUR fourth?