Playtime!
It's Friday night, and I have spent the entire afternoon lolling about in bed, reading Diana Gabaldon's The Fiery Cross. I have been on page 404 for at least 2 weeks because I haven't had any time to read, so today I decided that I needed to rectify matters. I flew through almost 200 pages, and it was utterly sublime.
My Thursday afternoon seminar was canceled today, which meant that my workload was dramatically lighter this week (I usually have to read a 300 page book, along with 3 or 4 articles that are each roughly 30 pages long for that class alone), and I have taken full advantage of it. I probably should've tried to do more work, but after finishing my grading on Wednesday I found myself so giddy and in need of a break that I decided to just hang out a bit. As a result, I have done the following: watched Disney films (I am building my DVD collection of my favorite 90s films and am now up to 5; all I need are The Lion King and Mulan to complete the set); napped; worked on my fiction; and gone out with friends. I've promised myself that tomorrow will be the day I buckle down and get back to work in earnest, but in the meantime, my head feels a lot lighter now that I've allowed myself to have a little fun.
It's 2 weeks till my birthday (yes, I am that girl who counts down till the big day, and who also spends the whole month celebrating), and I feel really... steady. Grounded. Anchored, secure, and happy. I've been journaling like a fiend, which is a welcome change from the past couple of years where I've only written in dribs and drabs, jotting down cursory observations here and there but avoiding the full-scale spilling of heart and soul that usually characterize my entries. As a result, I am just about through with my current journal and have ordered a new one, which you can see here. I am deliriously excited about this journal. The cover is made from the most wonderful leather, and the metalwork on the front makes me think me of the Auryn from The Neverending Story. The best (and scariest) part is the size: it is roughly 2 inches thick, which means that I am going to have a lot of pages to fill. This is a time of new beginnings, however, and it is going to be really nice to have a journal that represents (literally and figuratively) a clean break from the things that have happened in the last year.
There are 4 weeks remaining to the quarter, and I intend to make the most of them. I've also got a lot to look forward to. I am planning a night of cocktailing and pub crawling for my birthday, and this is the first year I can say that I didn't have a massive panic attack while making birthday party plans. In the years prior, I've all but quailed at the thought of actually asking people to come out and celebrate me. It's always seemed so... presumptuous. Pushy. Not polite in the slightest. I've also had the fear, left over from a childhood plagued by bullying and being very unpopular, that people just really don't like me. This year, though, I seem to have overcome the rampant fears, at least somewhat. Facebook invites have been sent to basically everyone I know in town, with handwritten notes going to my nearest and dearest (am still a bit in shock that I have 'nearest and dearest' friends here), and I have not had a single panic attack. I am trying, little by little, to not be afraid to speak my mind, voice my opinion, and allow myself to tell people what I want. It's scary and challenging, but also incredibly freeing.
Aaaaaanyway, that is my life at the moment. I am going to cook myself something for dinner, and then I think I might actually work.
My Thursday afternoon seminar was canceled today, which meant that my workload was dramatically lighter this week (I usually have to read a 300 page book, along with 3 or 4 articles that are each roughly 30 pages long for that class alone), and I have taken full advantage of it. I probably should've tried to do more work, but after finishing my grading on Wednesday I found myself so giddy and in need of a break that I decided to just hang out a bit. As a result, I have done the following: watched Disney films (I am building my DVD collection of my favorite 90s films and am now up to 5; all I need are The Lion King and Mulan to complete the set); napped; worked on my fiction; and gone out with friends. I've promised myself that tomorrow will be the day I buckle down and get back to work in earnest, but in the meantime, my head feels a lot lighter now that I've allowed myself to have a little fun.
It's 2 weeks till my birthday (yes, I am that girl who counts down till the big day, and who also spends the whole month celebrating), and I feel really... steady. Grounded. Anchored, secure, and happy. I've been journaling like a fiend, which is a welcome change from the past couple of years where I've only written in dribs and drabs, jotting down cursory observations here and there but avoiding the full-scale spilling of heart and soul that usually characterize my entries. As a result, I am just about through with my current journal and have ordered a new one, which you can see here. I am deliriously excited about this journal. The cover is made from the most wonderful leather, and the metalwork on the front makes me think me of the Auryn from The Neverending Story. The best (and scariest) part is the size: it is roughly 2 inches thick, which means that I am going to have a lot of pages to fill. This is a time of new beginnings, however, and it is going to be really nice to have a journal that represents (literally and figuratively) a clean break from the things that have happened in the last year.
There are 4 weeks remaining to the quarter, and I intend to make the most of them. I've also got a lot to look forward to. I am planning a night of cocktailing and pub crawling for my birthday, and this is the first year I can say that I didn't have a massive panic attack while making birthday party plans. In the years prior, I've all but quailed at the thought of actually asking people to come out and celebrate me. It's always seemed so... presumptuous. Pushy. Not polite in the slightest. I've also had the fear, left over from a childhood plagued by bullying and being very unpopular, that people just really don't like me. This year, though, I seem to have overcome the rampant fears, at least somewhat. Facebook invites have been sent to basically everyone I know in town, with handwritten notes going to my nearest and dearest (am still a bit in shock that I have 'nearest and dearest' friends here), and I have not had a single panic attack. I am trying, little by little, to not be afraid to speak my mind, voice my opinion, and allow myself to tell people what I want. It's scary and challenging, but also incredibly freeing.
Aaaaaanyway, that is my life at the moment. I am going to cook myself something for dinner, and then I think I might actually work.