Monday, October 20, 2008

Vacation

Doesn't matter how long they are, they're always too short.

This one was 16 days -- well sort of. I did lose an entire day driving to Norfolk to catch a plane to MD to give a speech at a hospital merger/acquisition rally and then back. Took 20 hours. Gotta watch those hospital mergers and acquisitions. Too often it means a local community system gets bought by an RC system and all of a sudden the RC rules apply -- no abortion, no birth control, no emergency contraception, no family planning, no sterilization, no HIV counseling and prevention... It matters enough to be worth the trip. And why not? The extra day wouldn't have made a difference anyway. It would still feel too soon to leave now.

Earlier this year, as I contemplated the approach of 50, I began to think about what I wanted my life to be like. I decided I needed to spend more time at the water, in general, and at my house on the ocean on the Outer Banks of NC, in particular. So, I spent just under 2 weeks here right after Easter, the usual family vacation for a week in June, and 16 days (including travel) now. It's not enough! It's more vacation than I've taken at one time in years (ever?). But not enough. Is it ever enough?

Just as I finally begin to settle into a routine -- convince myself that NOW I could finally start to write, eat right ... -- it's time to return to the chaos. Not that the chaos ever completely left. There were calls and emails from the offices all along but at least there was some down time for sleeping, reading, running on the beach, swimming in the surf, and gorging on all the Southern foods that I can't find in MA.

Back now, though, to the chaos. Home for an hour on Tuesday (to unpack and repack)-- then away for the night. Back to the PRA office Wednesday morning, rush through catching up, and out the door to Western MA for a 3 day conference. Hit the ground running and don't really see home until Saturday -- when I'll still be running to catch up there and get ready for church on Sunday. (Anybody know an organist/choir director up this way who needs a job?)

And I'm so not ready to go home that I'm doing the narcissistic journalling on line thing. Sheesh!

KHR

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home