A Relaxing Sunday

Today I was happy to spend a quiet day at home.  After a good night's sleep I enjoyed a little bit of coffee/newspaper/Sunday Morning time before cleaning up the kitchen.  Somewhere along the line I got hooked into watching "The Bible" on The History Channel.  As the day wore on I was able to get out to the gym, pick up some groceries and take some trash down to the neighborhood dumpster.  However, every time I came home I turned the TV back on to see what was happening on "The Bible."  I was able to see the familiar become fishers of men speech, the loaves and the fishes and the parting of the Red Sea.  Really, it's been quite an action packed mini-series.

When my mom called this afternoon to wish me a Happy Easter I confessed that I didn't go to church today, but I was sure to let her know that I'd spent time with "The Bible" all day.

Function Over Perfection (For Now)

It seems as though with all that cleaning up I did the other day I went ahead and cleaned up the keys that lock my back door.  There's nothing like spending 30 minutes looking for something to tax one's brain.  Eventually I gave up and came to the conclusion that the keys most likely got thrown out along with a pile of junk mail that I tossed on Thursday morning.

My memory may be lacking at times these days but fortunately I'm still handy with a screwdriver.  After a bit of handy work I was able to dismantle the lock and open the door.  Unfortunately this meant I was also going to need to install a new door lock.  No fear, I thought, I've done it once before so certainly I can do it again.  Right?

Sort of.  After an excursion to the local Home Depot I started in on my project.  For some reason things were not fitting together as easily as they were detailed on the instruction sheet.  I reread all the directions, pulled everything apart, and tried again only to come up short once more.

A few hours later I have been able to jerry-rig a solution.  So for now, the door locks and closes as it should.  I can't say it's a beautiful example of my home fix-it skills, but at least it's functional.

It will do for now and tomorrow I'll try again.

Flat Work

I feel like I've been going, going, going since the beginning of the school year last August.   On top off all that I've been working with a compromised engine since late summer.  Engine troubles have been diagnosed and will be treated so I'm sure I'll be back up to speed sometime soon.

Even so, this week off- one that was spent at home- was just what I needed.  No, I didn't get all those papers graded yet, but I did get a lot of good sleep time (my friend, Jeannie, calls it flat work). 

Ah- rest- how sweet it is.  Here's hoping it's enough to get me through the next 12 weeks.

Graupel

The daffodils are up all over the place in my neck of the woods, and although I'm disappointed about the lack of measurable snow once the flowers start to sprout I'm ready to welcome warmer weather and green trees.  Even though the flowers are doing their part to prepare the path for spring the clouds and upper atmosphere have their own agenda.

Yesterday we had snow...again.  It's like the weather gods have some sort of twisted sense of humor- how funny they must think it is to send snow my way on not one, but two days, of my Spring Break.  The weird thing about the latest snow event was what all that cold wetness looked liked as it fell from the sky.

As I drove back home late yesterday afternoon I couldn't help but notice the small white balls that were falling from the sky.  Was it snow?  Was it hail?  If not, what the hail was it?

It was graupel.  Yes, graupel.  Yup, I'd never heard of the stuff either but lucky for me The Weather Channel used the word as a descriptor for the day's weather.

So, maybe it hasn't been the best weather this week- but that will change.  In the meantime I learned a little something new and that's always good.

Free Lunch

Certainly one of my favorite ways to spend a day off includes going out to lunch.  I'm sure I've written about my love of going out to lunch before- it's a quick treat during the middle of the day that doesn't require reservations or much planning.  As a teacher the thought of lingering over a mid-day meal for more than 20 minutes is a welcome bonus of a day off.

Today I was lucky to be able to meet up with an old friend for a lunch of fish tacos and a deliciously satisfying pale ale.  What could be better than fish tacos and beer you ask?  Not much...until my friend offered to pay the check.  

A Slippery Slope

Last Friday I dubbed my week off as "Spring Break in Yoga Pants."  I'm happy to say that for the most part I've kept true to my word.  Although I have ventured out in denim over the past few days I've also spent large chunks of time wearing my favorite black cotton britches.  Yoga pants are a slippery slope- that's for sure.  On the one hand, it's easy to complete the look with a pair of running shoes and head out for a little exercise.  Unfortunately, it's just as easy to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and newspaper for an extended session of non-exercise.

Considering what I know about laws of motion and things at rest and all that stuff, I've tried to make sure the lounging doesn't come until the exercise is complete.

So far, so good. 

Ready

The big talk around town today was definitely the 2 or 3 inches of snow that blanketed the area overnight.  It was the heavy, wet kind of snow that stuck to the trees, covered most of the grass, but pretty much left the roads alone.  Ironically, the first measurable snowfall in almost 2 years coincided with my first official day of Spring Break.

Not one to worry about a little about snowfall I went on with my plans for the day.  After a quick trip to the gym I headed next door to take care of the second errand of the day- a new spring pedicure.  After a relaxing hour in the spa chair I headed home, happy in my Capri workout pants and flip flops, smiling as the last of the snowflakes hit my fabulous new "Roadhouse Blues" toes.

It looks like we'll have a warm-up by the weekend and I'd say that my feet are ready, and waiting, to show off a bit.