Ahh, Eazy Dayz

I took this week off from work to stay home. This is monumental-not because I don't ever take time off (ask my boss, ha ha), but because my scheduled time off always revolves around a trip. Usually it's to the Upper Peninsula to see my husband's family, but in the past we've traveled with either Kyle's mom or dad to various parts of the Country (Arizona and the Florida Keys, most recently). We go to Buffalo, NY at least once or twice a year to watch the Bills play and tailgate our asses off (my dad is from Buffalo and gets season tickets every year). We also like to camp, either taking a long road trip out West or to New England, though it's been a couple years. We get around, is what I'm saying. And it's great, really. I've loved every excursion.



I have to say, though, this time I'm taking right now? To stay at home and read, RIDE, sleep, walk, piss away hours on the Internet...I am loving it! I feel like a 15 year old kid again, when I had no job (0k, I've ALWAYS had a job, but we were talking maybe 15 hours a week at the pet store), with looooooong summer vacation days, and the time stretched out before me like a sea of possibility.



Ha ha, that's so not true-time did stretch out before me, but all I HAD back then was time, and of course I assumed I always would. So, most days were spent sleeping in, on the phone, in the sun-and of course, at the barn.



The summer of my 15th year was one of the very best (you never realize it at the time though, do you?). I was too young to drive, which I hated but was actually great (no insurance payments, need for gas money, etc). Best of all, after 7 or 8 years of begging, my parents had bought me Chami earlier that year, my sweet lil' appendix Quarter Horse. We boarded her at Crestview Farm, which was about 3 miles from our house. I often took my bike to the barn and spent alllll day there-bathing her (she was cleaner than ANY of the show horses), cleaning tack, and riding, riding, riding. I joined 4H for the first time, and showed those whipper snappers a thing or two about jumping:) Chami and I rode with a small group of kids at the barn who had no fear of either horses or the law, and we were all over the place. You haven't lived until you've galloped over a golf course green (comical old men in plaid pants waving their clubs at you and everything) and gotten properly chewed out for it. There were races through wheat fields and encounters with stoners at the county park. Good times, good times.

Anyway, I've been thinking about that great summer these last few days, as I have the freedom to fill up my time with pretty much whatever I want. Surprise surprise, not much has changed-I cleaned horse blankets today, and tomorrow I can't wait to get to the barn and spend the day riding and giving my saddle a much needed oiling. Yes, I only have a week, and a week is not a summer. Then again, tomorrow is only Wednesday:)

I can't believe I haven't given this week of bliss to myself long ago. Still, I think my 15 year old self would be proud I finally wised up.