Doing Nothing

I am almost too good at "doing" nothing -- to the point where the guilt feelings that accompany it are a bit overwhelming. I was raised in house where it wasn't unusual to "do" nothing. My mother always jokes that she is going to open a business that involves teaching people how to sit around in their pajamas, drinking tea, and not doing much of anything at all. We were all very good at just "hanging out." I was never bored on summer vacations. I never yearned to get back to school simply so that I could get out of the house. I loved the idea of endless days of nothingness.

Of course it is different now. I am an adult and do in fact have many things that I must *do*. However, so far this week I have never made it out of my PJs before noon, and I'm always starting my second cup of tea around 10:30 or 11. It is with that second cup of tea that I sit down and write, so that I am at least doing "something."

After I hit "publish," I'll probably head back to my oversized, comfy chair in the living room and continue on with nothing in particular.

My mother would be proud!

first day of summer vacation

Yesterday I turned in my grades (finally!) shortly after noon. At about 4:30 I was abruptly hit with a terrible sore throat and runny nose. My body has been so wound up with stress that the minute I let my shoulders move away from my ears a bit -- bang -- I'm overcome with a summer cold. I'm pretty bummed about that as it really delays the start of my summer plans, which involve a lot of intense physical activity (including cleaning) and moving around. So I didn't get to tackle my overhaul/spring cleaning of the our front enclosed porch today, but here is what I did do:

This morning I read Convergence Culture until lunch.

After lunch I went out in the yard and planted the last few annuals that I had not yet put into the ground. It was exquisite out. And I forgot for moment how miserable I feel -- except for the fact that my nose kept running.

I came in and flipped through the latest REI catalog, allowing myself to daydream about summer adventures on bikes and in the woods, on the trails, etc.

Went back outdoors with Cheyanne, set up a lawn chair, and sat down with Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, which I've never read before and is one of my summer fun books. I got about three pages into it, and it began to rain. Got up, put the lawn chair in the garage with my cell phone now folded into the cup holder.

Not too bad for the first day of summer "vacation." I'm trying to really recover quickly here and not let this cold take over my life. I have Ultimate frisbee scheduled for tomorrow night and a big gym workout planned for Thursday...and maybe a yoga class on Thursday morning, so I really can't be sick for too long.

Tomorrow I have plans to help stuff envelopes for Pride at the local gay and lesbian community center. Seems like a worthwhile, yet somewhat mindless task to take on immediately following the end-of-semester mayhem.

I have definite intentions to get back to blogging this summer, as I'll be starting to write the chapters of my dissertation, but for the next week or so, I'll be taking it easy. Any blogging I do will be about my attempt to gorge myself on pop culture, as I ease myself back into my diss work.