happy may day!

There is nothing like the first day of a new month. It's a good time for fresh starts, for clearing the decks of mental clutter, for re-committing to resolutions and to-dos.

Yesterday marked two weeks since the new regime at Homeplans let me go. Initially my time felt so luxurious, almost as if I was on vacation. I allowed myself to linger over long, leisurely cups of morning coffee while surfing the internets, alternately looking for jobs and catching up on blog reading. Really, I could do this all day (but, switching to decaf or an Izze at some point, of course)—and some days I do.
Lest I get too sedentary, however, I have also worked exercise into my busy days. Because, remember, when I was working 8:30-5:30, I never had time or energy to exercise. Without an excuse, I'm taking bike rides (River Road loops on my Eros), spinning in the den while watching daytime TV (mostly Food Network), and practicing yoga (studio hopping with Helena). I've even done some bike commuting, and rode my Milano to school on the day I read to Winston's class.
A handful of friends who have flexible daytime hours have been kind enough to share lunch and conversation, staving off talking to the toaster for yet another day. I've eaten Indian buffet (Jen and Ann), sushi (Helena on jury duty), Thai and The Strip Club for brunschweiger (John), and Vietnamese (Lisa). More dates on the horizon as I make my rounds.

Running errands in the middle of the day, when the only shoppers at the grocery store or Target appear to be young moms or the aged, is a delight. The level of franticity is lower. Weekend shoppers rarely seem to be enjoying themselves. Reeking stress from every pore, they tend to make a Saturday Target run that much more hideous. And, folks, I'm one of them (typically). My shopping bliss, currently, is running high.

Even so, a strong malcontentedness lurks. Sitting down to read a book has been very difficult. It seems so decadent to be reading, if I should, instead, be working on my resume or searching for job openings or networking. Ack! I have this nagging feeling that I should be doing something else.

So screw it! New month, new beginnings. I'm going to watch Tyler Florence cook chicken cacciatore, then take a nap. After my rest, I'm going to mix myself a negroni and, while I have my feet up on the coffee table, I'm going to read a book and revel in my quiet time before the boys get home. MmmmmHmmmm. Happy May!