Gratitude Monday: time away

Here’s today’s gratitude for me: I am officially on PTO, and I’m off work until Election Day. It’s been a long haul, the past few months; we got our new platform launched, and it’s going well. But I am so looking forward to being away from it all.

There a lot of things I need to get done: flu shot; refinance the house so I don’t give another penny to Wells Fargo (my mortgage got sold on twice within a year of me buying the place); set up the replacing of my AC and furnace (not this week; they can do it while I’m back in the saddle); get electricians out to add outlets in the kitchen and estimate the LOE (level of effort—and cost) of breaking my kitchen into two circuits; select the coming year’s benefits; etc.

But I’m also doing things I’d be doing if I were traveling, even though I can’t travel. I'm reading past my bedtime. I’m treating myself to three yoga lessons instead of the usual one. (I’d get a manicure, except last week I snapped one of my nails off right at the nail bed.) Go to parks and spend a lot of time walking and observing. And eating lovely meals that I don’t have to cook (or clean up after).

Saturday I got sushi from Yoko Sushi. Yesterday, it was entrecôte au poivre from Café Montmartre. Tonight I’m thinking something Persian. Dunno yet about tomorrow, but on Wednesday I’ve got my eye on bouillabaisse from L’Auberge Chez François.

Notifications are off and I am just living in the moment. I’m so grateful to have an employer and team of colleagues who allow—even encourage—this. Peace out.