Vacation

Is awesome. More people should do it. It should be a REQUIREMENT of employment, as opposed to a benefit of employment.

Since last Wednesday (my first day of vacation) I have: had really good noodles and a banana-nut dessert crepe with really good company (no pic, sorry), spent time with my family, who I almost never see, flying...which I almost never get to do.









I have gone to Yosemite, where I haven't been in 14 years.









Went fishing with Dad, my sister and brother.









Went parasailing (cross that off the list of stuff to do) with everyone, even Mom went and she doesn't like flying...or boats for that matter.









Saw an underground profile chamber of Taylor Creek, a salmon-spawning ground.









It also seems that I have made some friends...a group of inquisitive-looking ducks that follow me around while I'm walking on the beach (could just be that they think I'm going to feed them, but I'm going with my magnetic personality).









And we have games. Turns out I'm pretty good at Scattergories and Scrabble. Not quite so good at Whoonu though.








Tomorrow we have rock-climbing on the menu, although Dad got a little head start...









Maybe some kayaking. How cool is that.

Also, apparently Yogi the Bear is stalking Camp Richardson. There have been sightings of fresh bear paw prints in the morning hours. Not to mention that my father, while walking to the pier to meet with Captain Mike for our fishing trip, was tailed to the pier by Yogi as well.

More to follow =)

tick..tick..tick..tick

No, that's not a bomb getting ready to blow up. It's the countdown clock to my vacation. 4 more work days and then it is ON.

The trick now is to stay motivated for the next 4 days. I have plenty to do at home to get ready, basically making sure I'm ready for two trips in quick succession before I leave for the first one. This is probably the most filled-up vacation I've had in a while, plan-wise. There isn't going to be much along the way of slack time.

Here's how it is shaping up so far...

Wednesday: On the road to Yosemite. Be there by 1, do my sightseeing. Check in at 5. Sleep by 8.
Thursday: Up by 4:30. On the trail by 5:30. Back to Curry by 8pm.
Friday: Drive home. Leave YNP by 10am. Have a nice dinner with good company =)
Saturday: Off to Reno. I think the fam had last-second planning stuff to do.
Sunday: Rolling to Camp Richardson. R-E-L-A-X.
Monday: Fishing!
Tuesday: Parasailing!
Wednesday: Rock climbing! Hopefully not rock-falling!
Thursday: Back to Reno. Dinner somewhere for my sister's b'day =)
Friday: Probably more rocks. Indoor though.
Saturday, Sunday: Somewhere in here is a UNR-UNLV football game, dinner with family visiting from Hawaii, and dinner with a friend of the family, who purportedly has mad ordering skills at the restaurant we're going to. Skills along the lines of getting stuff on some special menu that not everyone can order from (?) We'll see how good it is, but even my sister liked it and she's by her own admission VERY picky.
Monday: Golfing with Dad.
Tuesday: Coming home.
Wednesday: Golf, I think. No softball, bye week. Maybe softball practice.
Thursday-Friday: Um, I don't know yet. Maybe more golf.

I like, I like.

Now all I have to do is figure out how, with this new goofball schedule that they are shoving down our collective EXA throats, I'm going to get 10/21-22 for my sister's marathon and the first weekend in November for Tahoe off.

That should be interesting.

Sweet and sour

Got my backpack in the mail. Sweet.
Looked at the weather forecast for next week. Sour.

Day off today. Sweet.
Ended up working for 4.5 hours anyway. Sour.

Made it on time for softball. Sweet.
We lost and the slump continues. Sour.

Mom's birthday today. Sweet.
I'm not there to celebrate it. Sour.

Vacation in less than one week. SWEET.
Six days straight of work between now and then. SOUR.

Even though we lost tonight, we all still went to hang out afterward. Sweet.
There's no Sour to that. It's weird how much I enjoy that time. Weird in as good a way as there is. It's like stress relief from the grinds of work. Great company, lots of laughs, how do you go wrong with that? I always look forward to that time.

Irritated

I have been easily irritated at work for the last few days. It's been bad enough that one of my regular customers gave me a pat on the back today and said "it'll be ok". When I asked her what she meant, she said it looked like I've been out of it the last couple of times she'd been in the store. She mentioned that although I'd been my usual nice self to her it didn't look like I'd been that way with anyone else...her word was "snippy", or maybe it was "snappy". Either way, that's not good. After I thanked her for letting me know, I went back to work, distracted by her comment. I asked one of my cashiers if I seemed off the last couple of days and she said "yup, you sure have...but I wasn't gonna say nothin' cause it's none of my business." That's not good. ..sigh..

Truth is, I'm not exactly loving my job right now. But I do enjoy the people I work with...my customers, and my crew...even my manager, who is one of the easiest people to work for there is; firm but fair. Yet, it feels like I'm not all there. Why?

Is it because I'm two weeks away from going on a looooooong vacation? Could be. Very distinct possibility.

Is it because I don't like what I do? As days pass, I'm beginning to wonder if this is true too. This job is as much about believing that you can do it as much as being able to actually do it. Right now, I am doubting myself...and the recurring theme...that's not good. How can I lead without believing that I'm leading effectively? Why should people follow me if they can sense my doubt?

Paradoxically, although I am good at self-deprecation, I am actually quite self-assured. Weird, but true. My belief in myself and my abilities is one of my greatest personal strengths. I can see that belief starting to ebb, and I'm not sure why. And it's not just at work, strangely enough. Even in something as second-nature as softball, a game I've been playing for years, I noticed myself feeling very uncomfortable. In the field, at the plate. Normally that doesn't happen. But the last two, three games it's like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop...right on my head.

I don't know exactly what's happening. I know I'll shake out of it, but I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do it yet.

..grin.. But vacation sure won't hurt. I look forward to everything I've planned. To fishing, climbing, hiking, golfing, taking pictures, laughing, relaxing, reading, and just plain enjoying myself and the company of friends and family while I'm off of work. It's going to be so nice.

T-minus 12 days, 11 of which involve work. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

A comment

Why is it that some people can say whatever they want, act however they want, and their otherwise perfectly sane and reasonable significant other puts up with it? I just don't get it.

From a guy's perspective, I don't like whiny, clingy, self-absorbed girls. They are IRRITATING. I know some guys dig that and for the life of me I don't get why. It drives me nuts just being anywhere nearby. Maybe it's a need to be needed, I don't know. Sure that's kind of a nice feeling. Like taking care of your significant other when he/she is sick. But every day for every little thing? Um, no.

sigh....

Side note: Labor Day weekend was really good. Sunday featured golf and a road trip down to D&B's, Monday brought a BBQ (which brought on the comment above, but other than that good times) and some relatively tame softball practice. In jeans. Nice to see all the people in attendance making the long drives, and a pleasant surprise to see some who I didn't think were going to make it. All in all, a really good day.

double sigh....

And now it's back to work. Straight through next Tuesday, off next Wednesday. Then it's work till the following Tuesday...then it's V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N! The countdown begins now...

14 days to go. 12 work days to go. Tick tock, tick tock =)