Il bel far niente

How beautiful it is do nothing, then rest afterwards.

For 8 consecutive days now, I wake up at any hour I prefer. When I do, I stare up at the ceiling well-aware I've absolutely no responsibilities for the day. The day is mine; I can do whatever I want with it. Possibilities endless.

Each day is a little different, but I admit I've lost track. Today, I questioned why you weren't at work. Oh yeah, I corrected myself, it's Sunday.

The slower pace is a welcome change. A friend wondered if my home possessed magical qualities. "I'd get bored in a heartbeat," he sympathized. But this is the sort of pace I've starved for. Every season of every year has been occupied by some sort of responsibility. The last time I had a summer like this I was a very young 19. Give me time to re-acquire my restless feet again.

"I'm in the backyard on a lawnchair, with a good book, a black coffee, and a strawberry pop tart" I told BJ on the phone. The man's in Virginia in the midst of intense training for the Marines. He calls me while on liberty sharing stories reminiscent of war movies and in return, I share stories of my mini-retirement.