I am sitting at home on my first day off since last Wednesday.
I have been on twelve hour shifts since last March. I usually have to be up at 5:30AM to get to work and don't get back home until at least 8:00PM. I take my sleeping in on my days off seriously.
I do believe that I crave the warm comfortable slumber in the early morning hours more than anything else in my life. On my working days, I sleep in until the last possible moment. I then begrudgingly get up, get dressed, pack lunch and dinner, eat the breakfast, and out the door. Zoom. I would leave my head on the kitchen counter if it wasn't attached to my neck.
Today I got up when I heard the blender downstairs. My wife makes fruit smoothies for herself for breakfast.
I let the dogs out of their crates. They need a good full body scratching first thing. If the duration of the scratching is not to their satisfaction they will not go downstairs.
I have a bowl of Kashi Blueberry Clusters cereal with soymilk. I have the leisure this morning of making myself a cup of espresso.
I worship my espresso machine. I don't use it unless I have time to sit down and mindfully give the espresso the attention it deserves.
When I was away for training in Switzerland, I had the best espresso and little dark chocolates after lunch at the Polytype factory. They took their time at lunch and then took their time to enjoy their coffee before returning to work.
Now in the mornings that I don't have to work, I get to enjoy my espresso, leisurely and lazily.
My wife takes time every morning this way, taking time to settle into her morning. By the time I am up and put the dogs out for potty, she has made her smoothie and has the CBS Early Show on the TV. This morning she has the laptop out, some mornings she is reading on the Kindle.
The uprising in Egypt is getting worse. Vandals and thieves have desecrated the Cairo Egyptian Museum. Filthy swine.
When she leaves, I take over the laptop and check the national weather service's webpage. There is a big blizzard coming. Should hit Tuesday afternoon and last until Wednesday afternoon. Snow falling up to 3 inches an hour. Accumulations likely in excess of 18". Winds gusting up to 50MPH. Travel may become impossible. "Thunder Snow"!
I am giddy with anticipation. Wednesday is my next day to work. They might shut down the factory. SNOW DAY!!! I hope we get two feet! It has been too long since we have had a real snow storm. The east coast had had two major snowstorms this year. Even Atlanta was "paralyzed" by four inches that had the audacity not to melt and evaporate right away. Now it is our turn! Bring it on!
I do hope that we return to Monday-Friday, eight-hour shifts this spring. I admit that all the time off during weekdays gave me a lot of time to tend to the garden last year. That was useful. But all these days off during the week in the winter has given me cabin fever. The Holidays are over and I am longing for spring, for the ground to thaw so I can till the earth.
But winter is long from over. Hell, the Blizzard is going to be on Groundhog's Day. The Early Show will probably call it "The Groundhog's Day Blizzard of 2011.” I drive 32 miles to get to work. If they don't close down the plant I will probably not make it in anyway. I am ready to do some shoveling! If it is going to be winter, let it howl! Bring it on!