Monday, August 15 ...Returning to Work

My first day back to work after a weeks vacation is always a bit difficult to face. You see, I love the life of leisure and truly wish sometimes that I could just be on vacation forever or "retire" now. I would undoubtedly find lots of things to keep me busy. But for now that's just a dream. This Monday began just like you'd expect a Monday to. It was a little drizzly and gray, much like my mood. That didn't last long, however. I woke up at my usual 530AM EDT, and once I exercised, walked Sparky, and had my morning coffee, I was feelin' mighty fine. I did struggle a little returning to my "normal" morning routine. What is painfully obvious is that the days are shrinking. It's funny how all of the sudden, one day you notice that it's still dark at a time when it was seemingly already light just a few short days ago. That, of course, always spells doom for Summer! After a little meditation, some more coffee, some eggs, and a shower, I was ready to face work once again like most other folks. Immediately following my arrival at work, I was greeted first by my favorite employee, lead engineer, long time confidant, and friend. He handed me his resignation letter. :( This put a little damper in my morning to say the least! He's been my go-to guy for a couple of years and someone who I have admired since the day we hired him 6 years ago. He's leaving for an opportunity at "The Bank" like many of our engineers. I will miss his approach and undying work ethic dearly. But I had plenty of other catching up to do so I had to move on and jump right back on the horse. That I did. The morning flew by and before I knew it, it was time for my run! The temperature was hovering somewhere around 70 degrees with little if any sun, so the weather was a complete non-factor in my run. Needless to say, it went extremely well. Over the course of the past vacation week, I probably consumed more carbs than I have in the past year and one half. Honestly, I do notice a difference when I run - a positive one at that. If I have eaten a bunch of carbs the day before, my run always seems effortless the following day. I guess the trade off is the ultimate weight gain if that type of diet is maintained, even when running five miles per day. The afternoon went almost as fast as the morning. I found myself out the door by 515PM and headed for home. Once home I had to quickly reacquaint myself with my "get-home" routine, which includes walking Sparky, preparing my coffee maker for the following morning, and cleaning my packed lunch containers. I really hate this routine but it helps keep me focused and on track. I spent the better part of my casual hours journaling and catching up on personal email. Before kicking back and watching part of the Steelers game, I did a little more meditation, and then got in my hot tub. And that felt grrrreat!! I deserved it! Did I tell you that I'm special? If not, well, I am!! I went to bed around 1015PM - not too tired though since I had a such a great sleep the night prior.