Monday, a day off. A rather unremarkable day off. Still, a day off.
Nothing planned. No big things to do. No important places to be. No pressing issues to address. No significant people to impress. No questions to answer.
Phewww, time out.
I did need a breather, both from work and from three nights at the 63rd Back Mountain Library Auction. A great event. However, between commitments there, and commitments at work, I needed some hours to myself to do nothing.
So, what did I do? Nothing, really. For whatever numbingly boring reason, I felt like looking at the day in writing.
10:30AM - Out of bed after more than loving a long night's sleep during which I had some tremendous dreams. I love to sleep, always have. The wife and I often refer to this mutually appreciated type of sleeping as "recreational sleeping," meaning that we find sleep to be inherently enjoyable, whether or not you physically and/or mentally need the sleep. I know many others who feel the same. Unless something, anything, has changed in the last ten or so years, science/medicine/physics, whatever, really can't explain sleep. The odd fact is, we don't know what sleep is, or what our body does to make it move between the state of awareness to that of non-awareness. I am not a scientist. I was not a meteorologist. I am a good sleeper.
10:35 - 11:40AM - Sat on my butt and drank coffee, read the papers, checked email and Facebook, caught some of The View, which isn't typically on my daily planner. Carol makes great coffee. We grind our own beans. You really can't beat fresh ground beans, regardless of what beans you use. Frankly, buy cheap, it's the fresh grinding that makes the difference. Grind your own, I say, make it drip method, I say, and you'll have yourself some really good coffee. If you go cheap beans, you may have to up the suggested amount of coffee per cup. Just remember, you have to grind the beans, meaning you'll need a grinder. They're cheap.
11:40AM - 1:15PM - Took a shower, threw on some shorts and a tee, got in the truck, then drove over to the chiropractor. Following deep muscle therapy, my chiro "adjusted" me, which is a monthly routine. I happen to have faith in chiropractic. It works for me. I have no back problems where I once had many. My right hip is nagging me. He did a couple things directed at that hip. It feels better. This likely won't surprise you; there are chiropractors who treat animals, and do so with verifiable success. There are also acupuncturists who treat animals. They, too, have their triumphs.
1:30 - 2:00PM - Home now, I decide to dork around with a piece of camera equipment that's been collecting dust for probably close to ten years. It's a circular polarizer - a CPL - a filter that threads onto the end of a lens. If used and adjusted properly, this thing eliminates glare completely. Why, you can take pictures right through glass windows. Or photograph water and actually see clearly what's beneath the surface, should that spit-shine your loafers. What I love about a CPL is that it punches up blue skies and clouds. Does this matter to you? I doubt it. Like I said, it was a day off to do nothing, this was a big part of my nothing day. Mary Tyler could have made it suddenly all worthwhile. But does she know how to use a CPL?
2:00PM - Had a "light" salami sandwich on "light" bread. I am forever on a diet, born on one I do believe. My victories over weight have been few the last seven or eight years. Not a bad sandwich. It would have been 1000% better on some sort of real bread, especially a nice rye or sourdough. Even two slices of good old fashioned American white bread of the cheapest quality would have improved the experience. Oh, washed it down with a diet soda - better living through chemistry.
2:30PM or so - Decided to flop down on a couch and read a book. Two of our three dogs were on me in a heartbeat. The third dog is not all that fond of a nap between my legs, or next to me, or right on top of me. Two out three ain't bad, right? With two dogs out cold with me on the couch, I managed to fly through about a hundred pages of a book I've been working at on and off for months.
4:30PM or thereabouts - Put said book over my eyes to block out light, thereby facilitating attempt at aforementioned recreational sleeping. Attempt successful. Dozed off nicely, very nicely. Dogs went right with me. They sleep better then we do.
5:00PM - Awoke in time to say so long to the wife, she was off to the auction to help open on its final night. Sunday is normally final night, Saturday they rained out, moving Saturday night's schedule to Monday night. I mumbled myself back to snooze status, finally moving my rump off of the couch around 6:30.
6:30 to 11:15PM - Drank some beer, watched some TV, had something to eat in there, too. The beer was Victory Prima Pils and some Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. What did I watch on the TV? I don't remember. What did we eat? Delmonicos, they were on sale. A Delmonico, a baked sweet potato, and a salad. OK, I had a glass of wine with dinner.
11:15PM - Back to bed. Good night...
And there it is, my day off.
