Mandatory Hiatus

I've gone and done it now! I worked so many long hours pulling together our team for the community-wide competition (part of my work project), that I was "forced" to take three days off. "If I see you before Monday, you are going to be in big trouble," my boss said with a smile.

A normal response would be one of excitement... mine... mine was one of resistance. I really wanted to get the event photographs together and send them off to all of our team mates; which would have led to more emails, press releases, post-event planning... and alas, more long days. Had I not been extremely exhausted from our two-day conference out of town, I might have fought harder, but in hindsight, I'm glad to have my mandatory hiatus.

I earned it!

On the way back from our conference, we got a call from one of the girls that had somehow beat us back to the office. It seems the highly competitive grant I conceptualized in the first few weeks I worked there, was awarded to our organization! Not only is it super cool that we got such a prestigious grant, it's super cool that I now get to keep my job! What a ride this year has been!

Tuesday night was the first night of my "Sculpting the Human Form" class. I was so frickin' exhausted from the weekend of competitions, the art show, and the conference, that I strongly considered "skipping." Not only was I tired, I knew there would be a nude model! Could I behave myself? Would I behave myself? Is it a woman? A man?

As it turns out, our model is a man wearing nothing but flesh-colored high cut briefs. Surprisingly, I kept my giggles to myself, even when I was forced to sculpt his buttocks! Ha! And let me just tell you, that if you ever want a flattering sculpture of your ass... I'm your girl. I can make a mighty fine ass out of wheatstone clay! I'll be taking my camera to the next class just to prove it!

Wednesday... Wednesday was a napping marathon; one my body needed desperately. I had finally come down from the stress and anxiety of months of solitary planning for work, combined with the uncertainty of funding for my future employment and a back full of torn muscles from a tug-of-war tournament. I was giving Rumpelstiltskin a run for his money!

Today... I slept in until 9:30 and made myself blueberry pancakes that I ate in bed. After becoming fed up with my state of sloth... I went outside and primed part of the last side of my house to be painted. I'm so very close to finishing this mammoth project, but so very very over it! Can't I just be done already!?

When I came in for a break, I was mindlessly searching the Internet. One of my exes came up in conversation a few weeks ago, so I Googled his name... only to find out he may have fled the country in lieu of litigation against himself and his company for "ponzi-like" schemes!! I always knew that guy was a schmuck! I had met him several years ago during a bout of weight-gain induced self-esteem loss from a back injury that forced me to drop out of college temporarily. At first, I thought he walked on water... and then I found out he just simply walked on people. He was obsessed with money and constantly trying to convince me that my way of life was for fools; that working for him was the only path to my financial salvation. I was drowning in tuition debt at the time, and gave some consideration to joining his company... but when I wasn't satisfied with his weak explanation of what exactly it was that they did, I thought better of it. And boy am I glad I did!! I stuck around for a few years trying to make him a better person (I'm so glad I broke myself of that idiotic habit) and stayed in touch with him sporadically until just a few years ago. Oddly enough, I remembered his birthday this year, and almost called him. Now, after reading posts that he may have fled the country, I'm curious as to whether or not he still has the same phone number, but I'm not going to risk being investigated by the feds just to appease this curiosity. This comes as no surprise, considering he wouldn't even donate a mere $5 to my fundraising efforts years ago. He was a shitty tipper too! Tricking people out of millions seems right up his alley.

I suppose I'll have to spend tomorrow working on my house. Either that, or I'll have to go shopping for new knee length boots. I might even have to meet a good friend for lunch too. Saturday, I'll be reunited with Chester, whom I've been on a mandatory hiatus from due to the holiday weekend, and then our big three-day competitions. Sunday? Who knows.