weeeeeeeeeeeee!

weeeeeeeeeeeee!
Originally uploaded by misslissa13

Vacations from work are fun! Even if you don't go away.

I spent many hours at Caumsett State Park yesterday with my mom. Of all the years I have lived on Long Island, I had never been to this park. What a great place! There's a paved bike/hike path, a historical self-guided tour, bridle paths, unpaved paths, bird watching, polo fields, mansions, a dairy and even a swing by the Sound!

I am thrilled to have spent so many hours there breathing in the salty air, enjoying the intermittent sun and spending time with my mother (who, unfortunately hurt her leg while we were there - the only downside of the day). This is the start to peeling away the layers of stress that accumulated over the past few months.

And, boy, did I sleep well last night! Aaaah!!!!

changing "growls" to "om"

The feeling of disconnect is prevalent in my World lately. Mainly stemming from the misalignment of my neck and subsequent shoulder pain, I am incredibly "off." Feelings of exhaustion due to lack of quality sleep on top of the physical discomfort is taking it's toll. Every day is a challenge to get through as I simply do not function well on little sleep.

Tuesday involved a trip to the doctor but there was not much he could do for me because my insurance only covers chest x-rays. (Great insurance, huh? Good thing I did not go in with a broken bone or I would have been s.o.l. The doc actually advised me to go elsewhere if I ever break my leg.) I suggested he have the technician do a chest x-ray with bad aim but, dang it, he would not go for it. Since this is a recurrent problem he wants me to go see an orthopedist who, presumably, will be able to x-ray and see what is going on inside me. Now, I am just waiting for the referral. Patience, patient!

In the meantime, I am continuing my daily yoga practice with careful diligence. I continue to (try to) focus on staying grounded, but this is not always easy. Perhaps, taking some vacation days from work in order to recharge is in order. Perhaps a visit to my acupuncturist or massage therapist would be helpful. Yes, I think it is indeed time. Time to ratchet up the self care until I can get realigned.

back to the (coffee) grind

My week off from work is coming to a unimpressive close. It's Sunday night and I am digesting the vegetarian burrito I made for myself earlier. Greg is still at work and won't be home for a while so I think I will jump into reading one of the raw foods books I took out of the library yesterday. I really should crack open my agenda book first to see if I have to trek down to Newport for a staff meeting in the morning or just into the office instead (34 miles compared to 3 miles). However, I will worry about that after I brush my teeth. Always better to prepare for the next day with minty fresh breath, I say!

This past week has been a nice reprieve from even thinking about work. That, in itself, makes vacations wonderful. Time to recharge my battery and take a break from "therapizing" adolescents. I work with some wonderful kids who have been born into some less-than-wonderful situations. I love my work but sometimes I need to step away from it for a few days and reground myself.

This vacation week was not very restful though. There has been much going on but some things are starting to fall into place quite nicely, thanks to my wonderful friends. (I will fill you in on this stuff/changes/etc. I keep hinting about at a later date. Now is not the appropriate time to post it all publicly. E-mail me if you just can't wait and need to know now, and I'll think about telling you.) It's amazing how, even after residing out of New York for the last four and a half years, my dear old friends are still important parts of my world. It's nice to be reconnecting with people from the past and even building new friendships back home. Despite a bit of recent added stress, life seems to be feeling more full lately and more fulfilling. So much to do, so busy planning and dealing with snags that come up, but such an overall feeling of joy permeates everything. Life is good.