We had a wonderful visit with Fiona in New York and New Jersey, but we could not call it relaxing. A New York vacation is full of go-go-go. There's so much to do and see, and we wanted to get as much as we could out of every moment. Couple that with the 3 hour time difference, and you pretty much have a recipe for tired!
Every time I go on vacation I tell myself, "next time I will schedule the first day home as an extra vacation day so I can unpack, rest up and readjust," but it never works out that way. We got home on a Sunday evening. On Monday, I returned to work, and Andy headed out to the Sunshine Coast to help his brother with a kitchen renovation. He helped with floor tiling for 3 days, while I hit the ground running at work: on call for Emergency Social Services, preparing to present at a conference and to host our seniors' Christmas lunch. There was also a church board meeting in there, and a final rehearsal for our choir concert. I felt like every moment was jam-packed with stuff I needed to do, and I celebrated my birthday too!
Everything went well:
It was a quiet week on call. Phew.
My presentation at the conference went well. I wrote and performed a slam poem after the lunch break. I think of that presentation slot as the same as the big number right after intermission in a musical theatre production. The show writers must know that everyone might nod off after they return from the break, so it seems like that's always where they have a tiger on stage and a lady in a yellow sequin dress being shot out of a cannon and guys with banjos swinging from the chandeliers. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. I don't think my poem compared with that, but it helped to serve the same function - injecting some fun and excitement into a room full of people lulled by half a day sitting already and gourmet macaroni and cheese at the lunch buffet. I followed up with a poem at the end of the day, written just before the end of the day, to summarize the highlights of our day at the conference. That was nerve-wracking, but it worked. I put some singing into both poems (inspired by my choir experience) and even got the conference delegates to sing with me. YAY
We had our first choir concert on Sunday afternoon. It was utter chaos right up to curtain time, and even a bit during the show. That's the first time I have ever seen a performance paused so one of the musicians can run outside to prevent his car from being towed away. Our singing went well, and we are encouraged and energized for two more shows in the next couple of days. Once you have done the first show, it's all good. There will be video soon, and I will share it with you.
The Christmas luncheon was a big success. We had a full turkey dinner (catered, thank goodness!) and Elvis was in the building for entertainment. Our seniors love Elvis! Best of all, my co-worker Linda was back from her 2 week vacation. I missed her when she was away!
My birthday was quiet and sweet. I had a nice Thai chicken supper, cooked by my Mom, and a lovely time chatting with my parents. We'll have a belated birthday cake this weekend, when Andy and Alex are available to attend.
I did stop all the action on Saturday, and stayed in my pajamas for most of the day. That was nice.
Life is fast and fun and full of good things. I am grateful for my energy and for all of the good people around me who reflect it back to me. Sometimes I crave a nap when I don't have time for one, but mostly I am happy with it all. Suddenly New York seems like a long time ago. We'll have to go back again soon.
question: what's on your plate?
mompoet - buzz buzz buzz
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