Lessons Learned...So Far

As many of you know, I've been taking a break from blogging this week. For those who noticed, thanks for noticing! For those who didn't notice, shame on you! :)

A few days into this furlough thing, I've learned a few lessons that I'd like to share with you. Nothing too earth-shattering important, just observations.

1. I could get used to not going to work every day! I definitely see why retirement is so appealing to so many. I get to set my own hours and do my own thing (or at least those things that Tonya tells me are my own things!) I like working around the house. I like building stuff and painting things.

2. No project is as simple as you think. So far this week, I've built Evan's toybox (once I get it painted, I'll post a picture to let you see my handiwork. I've also painted our guest bathroom. I've washed clothes. And, cooked a few meals for my lovely wife. Each of these projects were planned out and I had a gameplan for each one. However, projects don't go the way you think they should or as fast as you think they should.

3. You never have the right tool! I've been to Lowe's and The Home Depot several times already this week. Now, I'm not complaining. I love those places! They are manly stores. If they could bottle the smell of either store, I'd buy it! But, just once, when I start a project I'd love to have all the tools I need to finish it.

4. It is amazing how many cuts and bruises I get when I work around the house! Right now, I've got two cuts on my head where I hit myself as I built Evan's toybox, not once, mind you, but I did it twice! Yes, I hit my head twice. Tonya did get a good laugh out of that one.

5. There aren't as many hours in the day as I thought! I always want to do one more thing before quitting time gets here, but I know that some of those things will just have to wait until the next day. I'll keep those things on my list so I know what to accomplish next.

6. I forgot just how many muscles I have! I've rediscovered a few hundred of them over the last couple of days. And, to be honest, I think each of them is hurting right now!

7. Nothing I've done this week matters to anyone but me, and maybe Tonya and Evan. Then again, that's okay by me.

8. By now, you've wondered what the meaning of the photo at the top of the page is. Just a reminder to self: when you are on unpaid furlough, be prepared for things to break! Our laptop died last night. Well, that's not true. The laptop is working, the LCD screen died. Guess what? To fix it would cost $300-400! Yup. So, I guess we'll been spending money that we hadn't planned to spend on a laptop. Let the shopping begin! And no, that wasn't on my "to-do-list" for the week!

9. I'm torn about blogging right now. I've really missed the regular readers of my blog and I've missed your comments! I started blogging because I had something to say, and words to express. I've continued blogging because of the social networking I've come to love.

Friends, be patient. I'll be back. As a writer and editor, I simply have too many words in me to keep them all to myself. So, soon, I'll be filling my blog pages with more "stuff," some you'll enjoy and some you'll just pass over and say, "What was he thinking?"

That's okay. As I've said before, it is my blog! So, I'll write what I want to write. And, as a reader, you always have the choice of simply not reading. Hopefully, you won't do that, but I understand if you do. Unless you are one of the mean-spirited commenters who've lurked around the site for a while.

Keep praying for my fellow co-workers. Because I can't check email, I don't know how they are doing. I'm sure they are fine. And, hopefully their computers didn't give up the ghost and they aren't nearly as sore and tired as I am!