Summer Day

Today is a beautiful summer day. I am sipping on cranberry lemonade and eating brown rice tortillas for a late lunch. I had a great time outside with the dogs earlier and then spent some time on the phone catching up with a friend I met in my program. My first research paper for this quarter is done, so I thought I could take a minute to breathe. I hope I can get out and go hiking before I start my next project.

Even though I will miss walking the dogs every single week when school starts this fall, I know it is the right thing to scale back. I don't want to purchase another car and the gas prices are too high to make the whole thing cost effective. Besides, I've noticed that driving in heavy traffic puts me in a grumpy mood and I know it is bad for the planet. My body doesn't really like sitting in a car for long periods either. I usually end up with a bunch of aches and pains.

Friday

It is Friday afternoon I am drinking black coffee and and going back and forth between writing a research paper and checking some of my favorite Internet sites. Sometimes I swear I have the attention span of a gnat. I do like researching ideas and concepts, but I tend to get bored with papers that require regurgitation of information. I prefer papers that allow me to be reflective and tap into my own feelings and insights. Too bad there will be none of that this quarter! I feel I've been stuck behind the computer for the better part of the afternoon. It's been kind of a wacky week with some of my in-laws visiting and my work schedule slightly different. My sleep habits have been pretty sporadic and I haven't been as rested and alert as I'd like to be. I've had some pretty vivid and interesting dreams though. I had started a dream journal over my break and haven't been keeping up with it. It sucks how the dream images only stick with you for about a day and they are gone.

Fun Over

My short reprieve from school has ended. I'm munching on some cherries and watermelon and getting ready to go to class. At least I got to do a lot of hiking in June and that was f**king awesome. I did get a little sunburn on my face, which I wasn't thrilled about. I can't complain about my own pain, however. My sweetie got actual blisters on one of the outings. He didn't wear a hat or use sunscreen and we got delayed talking to another hiker, so the burn was inevitable. I felt sort of responsible because I'm the one who is quasi-obsessed with getting out in the wild woods and mountains and I didn't help him prepare better. I try to be a good wife in other ways though, like being an amazing vegan cook!

I've been scanning some of my blog entries from the spring and I see I was getting very whiny and complainy about grad-school and all the pressures (blah, blah, blah). I probably need some rational emotive work in the homework area. I hated doing assignments in high school and almost didn't make it through undergraduate because of my tendency to procrastinate. I keep thinking I should be better at all this now, but it's still a pain in the ass. On the brighter side, I do have better study habits at this ripe old age. I actually do read most of the assignments and I try to get a jump on papers, so I am not scrambling last minute. Nonetheless, when it comes to sitting down and starting, I always want to clean the house or run errands or whatever. I also tend to whine about my lack of time for creative writing or amateur art projects. Even keeping up a fun fitness routine that involves hikes or hitting up a dance class. I stop making time for any of it and I get very cranky. It is as if my mind needs time to daydream and be childish or I get very resistant to all attempts at going for my big grownup career as a counselor.

The 4th of July is tomorrow and I have decided to be under duress for the day. I don't have to go to either of my two jobs (Yey!). I will probably bring home a few library books tonight and start a paper that's due in two weeks. I can't believe a paper is due that fast! Anyway, I might do homework and get out for a walk on July 4th, but I am NOT cooking a big meal or driving anywhere. I don't want to deal with mammoth crowds this year. Maybe we will stroll over to a local park if we feel like it, but there is no pressure either way. We will fire up the George Foreman grill and some fresh potatoes and corn on the cob. I am going to make Hubby clean the grill good if he makes chicken though. I get so grossed out if my Tempe gets near that nasty juice. I have not eaten animals, besides fish, for 21 years. I wish we had some watermelon to eat that night, but I already chowed down on what was in the fridge because we were out of room. Our fridge was designed for a dwarf or leprechaun.