Happy Guilt Free Nap Day!!!!

The thought crossed my mind a few hours ago that this is the first holiday of any kind in my life that I have spent alone.  I mean its only a holiday that was made up by the card and candy industry, oh and maybe the diamond industry, but that is another blog post, the point is, that it is Valentine's Day, technically a holiday, which this year happens to have fallen on a Saturday.  It isn't a major holiday, but one recognized by the average American none the less.  And one normally spent in groups. 

As a child, holidays were always accompanied by parents, grand parents, sometimes aunts and uncles and cousin not to mention brothers and other friends and relatives.  School also always celebrated holidays back in the dark ages before constant testing.  I have memories of childhood of valentines parties that we had in various homes with red heart jello and hand decorated hand baked cookies.
Even  in college, friends and aquaintances were always there during holiday festivities.  There were Valentines Days that I wasn't involved in a relationship during much of my high school and college days but even then may of us "unattached girls" hung out together, bought each other cheezy presents. 

Before long, I had children of my own,  and no matter what else was going on I was responsible for making sure their holidays were as spectacular as possible.  We had special dinners, getting their valentines ready for school friends, party favors.  Evenings were filled with special dinners of favorite foods and Special deserts that I made to surprise them. 

There have been any number of holidays that for many different reasons, work related, Jonathan has been gone on holidays.  Sometimes he was simply at work and was home at some point in the day.  Other times he was far away, Washington DC, Arizona, California.   One year he was in Arizona for 3 months.  Those months included Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and he came home the day after Valentines.  He spent Thanksgiving, And Christmas planning meals for his guys to make their days special.  New Years day that year he spent in the hospital.  Valentines he, I assume, spent working and packing to come home.  I have always felt really sad for him when he was away from us, even if what he was doing was so very important, but I was always really busy with keeping things going for everyone else.  Its a lot of work.  When I stopped and thought about it I couldn't imagine what it was like to not be here with the rest of us for what ever holiday.  He must have been unhappy.

As the circle of life has continued to spiral over the last few years, our holidays have gotten smaller and smaller.  Kids grow up and move on to their own lives and that is as it should be. Other things happen that I have previously written about on other blog posts.

So, I am thinking that having it be Valentine's Day, a day that isn't one of my favorite holidays anyway, to be the first holiday I have ever spent completely alone is a good choice.

I started out my day as any other Saturday,  I convinced myself to get out of bed and get ready for work even though my bed was so warm and comfy.  Work had some ups and downs and strange plot twists which caused me to not finish what I had wanted to get done by the time to leave at 12:00.  So at about 1:30, I realized that I was NOT going to get finished in any timely manner and maybe it was time to go  home.  Maybe it was really true that after some sleep, my brain would function better, and maybe so would my computer.  So, I left to go home. 

A couple of my friends keep talking to me about taking care of myself but honestly, I don't know what that even means as there is always more important things that must be done then maybe I can get around to what ever Me is.  So when I walked in to my house, and there was absolutely no one there, and no one was GOING to be home before Tuesday.  I was at a complete loss of what to do other than the obvious, clean the living room and dining room that I was DETERMINED to get to this week but still haven't.  Do more laundry, Clean out the refrigerator, Clean up my bedroom.  Not to mention, I am waiting any day to come home to a pink note on the front door saying clean up your yard or go to court, again. 
Instead, I walked through the house, to my bed and crawled in it.  Maybe this is what my friends have meant. 

So, the upshot of the whole thing here?  It really doesn't matter what else is going on, on facebook or mushy movies on tv, or even what everyone else you know IS doing, a holiday alone is really pretty great.  Especially if you give it a new name.  And to that, I am going back to sleep.

Management Boot Camp Week 1

So, because I have nothing to do in my evening time after a full 8-9 hours of work.  I found out that through our local community ed program at the branch college in town I could work toward a certificate program in business management.  Class started Monday actually, but I just got everything set up and in the program today.  Suzanne was interested in taking it also and I truly believe that no education is wasted so here we go.  Office mates taking classes together. 

We got set up today and got to look around on the website a little but tonight is the first moment I have had to really breathe and do anything besides my introduction.  I am typing this while waiting for the first presentation to download.  Its slow.

My goal is to be finished with the first section by 10 but since it is taking so long to download I am not sure I will make it but as close as possible as the alarm is scheduled for 5. 

I have done my log in and written my introduction and goals for my self for the class.  And now I begin.