get in gear

back to work today. one of the smoothest transitions back to work I've ever had! mostly because of the staffing structure that allows me to take wonderful vacations. I used to have a job where I was the only one and well, that made it pointless to go on vacation since all you could think about was the work that was piling up when you were gone.

Oh and I'll definitely have to make sure to take vacation home days after vacations from now on. Also something that made the transition back even better.

But now I'm hitting the calendar both work and personal to look to see what I need to get caught up on. There are several projects at work that I'm participating in and have to keep monitoring the timing of. I enjoy this type of work. And now I've also started filling the personal calendar too.

This week working on a 50th wedding anniversary video. Their kids are worried I'll put something incriminating on the tape and I've assured them I won't. Besides this day is for their parents, and it's not about them really. But I asked them about a bunch of other things because I thought it would be important for their kids at some future point in time.

Next week, working on a keynote talk for the maganda reception April 28 at 2p, at the gelato place in the student union building in Berkeley. it's issue # 20 and I'd like to do something special for it, which will mean a bit of research.

Also on the calendar are my various dental appointments. During vacation I had some major work done and will need a tooth pulled which is fine because they were going to pull some teeth anyway for my orthodontistry, all three of those appointments are on the calendar. I'll have a metal mouth by mid-May for the next 2 years.

In addition, there's an essay to write before the end of June. A paella and pool party to plan for in August. Possibly going to take a photography class in June. I'm attending a martial arts camp in May. A bridal shower for my sister to plan this summer. A new computer to purchase in July. Oh yeah, and a whole lot of family planning as in trying to start one thrown in the mix.

As much as I like timing things to go one after another, I've decided to just say screw it and jump in. Yes, everything happens at once, it always does, so why bother fighting that. But there is a subtle timing to things in the sense that while lots of things happen in a day, a couple of things happen in an hour or a few minutes, but in each and every split second, there's really only one thing going on. When I was young I used to like to find quiet time for myself to escape. I enjoyed watching the world go by. And while it's rare for me to have that kind of quiet time anymore, there is a space of solitude even in the hustle and bustle, even when the body is in motion, but you have to be in motion to find it. I've always found this solitude in Kali and now i must find it in my day to day life.

Another thing about travel is that for a few days you get to be someone else, you get to live in a different world, a different country, speak a different language. So, why can't I do that even here? In one sense, "just being" isn't about being one person, it's about being everyone, being the person at the moment the person you want to be, the person you have always been. There really is no time to waste, there is only time to be.