Down Time

When I moved to Australia, I made a resolution to accept every social invitation that was extended. While my record has not been 100%, I have been far more active in the last few years than is usual for me. With nine parties in two weeks (not counting spontaneous celebrations or random happy hour gatherings), I presently find myself on the brink of verbal exhaustion, not to mention impending liver failure. I am very grateful that Kevin has decided to spend the day in bed, leaving me alone with my thoughts in relative quiet and solitude - save for the cat who takes great pleasure in bouncing across the keyboard intermittently.

I consider myself fortunate that I am not cursed with an excess of ambition, that I am able to 'do nothing'. I am perfectly comfortable just to sit, neigh - to wallow, in my messy apartment unbothered by that nagging voice that says "you *should* be doing the laundry; you *should* be cleaning the kitchen; you *should* go brush your teeth." Sometimes I envy busy people and their lengthy list of personal accomplishments and achievements, but I also cherish the side of me that is able to take delight in spending a day watching the sun traverse the sky and observing the changing tapestry of cloud formations. On the down side, that means that this year, no one is getting Christmas cards or presents - so please don't contribute to my guilt by sending me any.

I thought today might be a good opportunity to catch up on my blogging, which I feel has not recently got the attention it deserves, but when I sat down in front of the computer, I realized I didn't have anything interesting to say - no charming anecdotes about my daily commute, no witty political dissertations, no scathing cultural commentary, nothing that did not sound self-centered or even boastful, and therefore dull. I reckon I am on the verge of a period of introversion, and during these times, I am usually rather bored with myself and thus incapable of believing I could entertain anyone else with my opinions or observations.

I have only one more week of socialization (three more parties and a day-long symposium) to survive before that most glorious of Australian institutions - the Christmas shut down. I am so tired, that I cannot even muster the energy to be enthusiastic about our up-coming two-week trip to New Zealand. Although I have heard nothing but glowing reports about the country, I really am not at all excited about visiting there. I have absolutely no explanation for that fact. I have our itinerary all planned out - very unusual for us, as we typically prefer to travel by whim, but I did not want to take risks during the busy holiday season of spending three hours in search of accommodations in unfamiliar territory. A sure fire recipe for an evening bitch-fest.

Hopefully, all that will change on Friday afternoon as I leave work behind and close the calendar on what has been a very busy and emotionally charged year. Maybe the change of scenery will be just what I need to recharge my curiosity and wit.

But for now, I really *should* go brush my teeth...