I literally slept 13 hours Friday night and then proceeded to sit on an Adirondack Chair for another 12 the very next day!
It was the height of laziness…followed by what was definitely a busy couple of weeks.
It’s possible I’m trying to do the “Work Hard Play Hard” thing…except that it’s more like “Work Hard Relax Hard!”
Last Tuesday, the school year came to a grinding halt after an incredibly busy few weeks of wind down! I drove Bones up to school to pick up her report card…then we hit the road and headed to Cape Breton for volleyball camp where Bones would be spending the next week in hopes of making a spot on the U16 Provincial Volleyball Team.
But…not before we strolled along the the streets of Baddeck; stayed in one of my favourite hotels, The Hampton Inn in Membertou; and had a fabulous visit to Fortress Louisbourg on Canada Day! (Read: Canada Day at Fortress Louisbourg.)
After heading to Cape Breton University to get her all settled in…I grabbed a new book and a bottle of wine with thoughts that I’d spend a night BY MYSELF in a hotel room…maybe order room service…write a few blog posts and catch up on my writing…possibly SLEEP.
Unfortunately, a phone call had me packing up and heading home for a few different reasons…none of which were an emergency but still, it made more sense to head back home than stay where I was.
So…another GLORIOUS drive through Cape Breton that had me thinking…I really haven’t spent enough time on this beautiful island and need to make a point of checking it out again soon.
Anyway…Thursday had me working and Friday found me bottling 60 bottles of wine at Maritime Wine and Beer Emporium…remember when we made it 8 weeks ago…yup, all ready for us to drink! (Read: How to make homemade wine…the easy way!)
With a trunk full of wine and a spring in my step…myself and Heather from Mmm is for Mommy headed to Robie Street Station for what was DEFINITELY the VERY BEST Bread Pudding French Toast I have ever had in my life! (Side note…it was kind of the first time I’d had bread pudding to begin with and I was told they make it a little different as they use fresh croissants and OMG!)
I arrived back to the office on Friday afternoon to settle down in front of my computer in what was to be a weekend without kids…to catch up on work. A phone call from my friend Dish with an offer to enjoy a drink downtown and then another from Crazy with an offer to go to her cottage…had me thinking my weekend of working was going to turn pretty awesome pretty quickly.
I said yes to both offers! But by evening…I was starting to fade.
The problem was…I’m a “bailer.” Someone who makes plans with the greatest of intention and then, when the time comes…it’s sometimes easier to just sit back and relax and I end up making stupid excuses to get out of an evening of fun in lieu of spending time on my computer and working! However, I’d made a commitment to myself about a month before not to bail any longer…and here I was…with a conundrum.
I felt awful…but was it my bailing instinct…or something else?
Key musical interlude for internal struggle here…
I went.
I sat at the Lower Deck with my girlfriend listening to Paul Lamb and trying my best to get my head in the game but unfortunately, lasted only ONE HOUR…I simply couldn’t do it!
Not quite willing to call a cab as I was anxious and feeling miserable and needing something I didn’t quite know what…I did what any normal 46-year-old would do under these circumstances…I called my parents to come and rescue me and I was honestly never so happy to see their car pull up with their smiling faces in the front seat!
They got me home…and with tears stinging my eyes for no reason whatsoever…I curled up in bed and the next thing you know…it was 13 hours later!
THIRTEEN HOURS!
I woke up…a little stunned…laid around in bed for a few more hours and then hit the road for Hubbards where I proceeded to spend an additional TWELVE hours sitting on my arse on an incredibly comfortable chair while my friend completely catered to me, my bad hip (did I mention I hurt my hip), my exhaustion and my tattered spirit.
By the time I hit the sack that night, I was well relaxed and feeling pretty awesome and by Sunday morning, I was beginning to settle in for what would be another day of rest and relaxation “Adirondack Style” but next thing you know…we were thinking I needed a Lower Deck Do-over!
And before you knew it, I was sitting at the Lower Deck with some of my favourite people.
Listening to a little Paul Lamb on a Sunday afternoon…the first outside patio gig of the summer. And to add to the enjoyment, our friend Barry Canning was in town on vacation and gave us the pleasure of singing a few songs.
Summer has officially begun. It arrived a little rushed…a little busy…a little insane and crazy but it’s finally here. My plan…work hard during the week…and relax that much harder on the weekend!
After all…it’s all about finding the perfect balance!
While taking in fabulous adventures…with even better friends.