What I Did On My Christmas Vacation

Slept in

Tasted the very nice Scotch a co-worker gave me for Christmas. This was important enough to do every day.

Ate some Christmas cookies and fruitcake in the afternoon, with tea.

Took a few naps.

Worked out nearly every day.

Walked on the beach.

Took pictures along the Trask River, and spent time looking at ice crystals and frost.

Had long lunches with good friends.

Took myself to lunch several times, enjoying a good book and not having to rush back to work.

Spent time at Christmas with my sister in law and sang Christmas carols.

Enjoyed dinner with friends and watched a video on the Bethlehem star.
Read four books.

Finished my barkdust hauling project in the front yard, covering up weeds and improving the look of the neighborhood.

Went to the movies and watched Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, and Invictus.

Wrote on my blog.

Wrote several poems and essays.

Had coffee with friends.

Moseyed around a big book store .

Stood in a long line at Starbucks on Christmas morning, enjoying people being relaxed and happy.

Cleaned off my desk area at home, and tossed about two years worth of paper that I had “saved”, thinking I should file it away someday. The “round file” is a good file cabinet.

Sent thank you notes for the gifts I received at Christmas.

Talked with my brother, my grand nephew, and my mother in law on the phone.

Took out all the compost, burned the trash, and cleaned up the area around the hot tub.

Scrubbed the deck and washed away the scum from the winter rains of late.
Straightened and organized my bedroom.

Took a pile of books I’d read to the library and donated them.

Played my guitar every day, and practiced my strumming patterns. I also tried several kinds of picks and also did some fingerpicking.

Restrung one guitar, and am trying thicker strings, and am enjoying the new, richer sound.

Read Christmas card letters from my college roommate, and friends I only hear from at Christmas time .

Filled up the bird feeders and put out more suet cakes on a cold, frosty morning .
Finished making a bird house and delivered it to my great nephew for Christmas .

Watched the juncos and house finches enjoying the bird seed on Christmas morning.
Visited with about a dozen people at the grocery store one morning, and enjoyed not having to rush through my shopping.

Laughed with a man at the checkout line, as we were both buying ice cream and laughed as the item was not on either of our grocery lists.

Did the newspaper’s crossword puzzle every morning, along with enjoying a second cup of coffee.

Wrote some essays and reflections and put them on my blog.

Found my list of goals for 2008 and realized I’d accomplished all of them, but maybe that took me two and not one year!

Thought about goals for 2010 and realized wanting to live less complicated was at the top of my list.

Discovered I enjoyed reading electronic books on my new e-book reader.

Noticed that some daffodils were starting to poke through the ground, and that the magnolia tree had buds developing.

Noticed that at 6:30 a.m., there was a hint of the coming dawn, and that the days may actually be getting a wee bit longer.

Fell asleep on the couch at 8:30 New Year’s Eve, but reawakened long enough to watch the ball fall at Time’s Square. Was in bed by 9:30.

Replaced the CD player on the stereo, noting the old player had given 20 years of service. Thought that 20 years is not all that long of a time, really. At least at this age.

Enjoyed wearing jeans every day for ten days and not wearing my watch and not really caring what time it was.

Rediscovered my ID badge this morning, by the coffee pot, and promptly put it in the car, as otherwise I’d be sure to forget it tomorrow when I went back to work.
Finally cleaned out the back seat of the car, throwing away a month’s worth of stuff I thought was important one time, and realized I now have five big shopping bags. That should be enough!

Realized that yesterday was one of those odd days when the date could be read backwards and forwards, “pallindromic”. 01022010.

When writing the year for the first time today, on a form, managed to write “2009” instead. I usually don’t do that trick until February. I guess I’m just early this year!

Neal Lemery 01032010