Memes

There are two brand new memes out right now that I'd like to do; Kate has one on childhood reading, and Litlove has an "Aspirational Meme" that is designed to get you to think about "what would make life that bit better." Since this past weekend was a little rough (the Hobgoblin is now safely in Houston visiting his father, and Muttboy and I are left here feeling lonely. Poor Muttboy -- there's nothing sadder than a depressed dog.), I think I'll go for the aspirational meme first to get myself thinking about how life could possibly change. Here's the meme:

What part of the past would you bring back if you possibly could?

Summer vacation. I haven't had a summer vacation -- meaning the entire summer off -- in a long while, since I've had jobs that go year round for the past few years and before that I've had the summer "off" but have had things like course papers and dissertations to write. I'd love to have a real summer vacation and have months with nothing to do but whatever I want.

What character trait would you alter if you could?

I'd like to be more relaxed. As I'm sitting here typing, I can feel the muscles in my shoulders all tense and tight; I've been seeing a chiropractor for a long time about neck and shoulder problems caused by tension, and she tells me ways to stay relaxed, but I just can't seem to. I'm uptight and anxious an awful lot of the time.

Which skill would you like to have the time and energy to really work on?

I'd really like to become a better reader (read more kinds of things, read difficult things, become a better reader by writing more about reading), and I'd really like to become a better cyclist, and I'd also really like to be good at yoga. I suppose this last one is the best answer, since I already do "really work on" the former two. But yoga is the thing that I skip when I run out of time and that means I skip it a lot. And doing more yoga would really help keep me relaxed.

Are you money poor, love poor, time poor or freedom poor?

Time poor. I could use more money but I'm usually okay there; I'm not love poor in the least, and I'm not freedom poor, except to the extent that a lack of time and not having tons of money keep me from doing some things I'd like.

What element of your partner’s character would you alter if you could?

You know ... I'd better stay away from this one. The Hobgoblin is far away from home now and he's probably not reading my blog from Texas, but he still might read through my archives and find this answer. Maybe I can say that I wish he had a knack for making lots of money? Otherwise, he's perfect :)

What three things are you going to do next year that you’ve been meaning to do for ages but never got around to?

Practice yoga regularly. Hike the entire Long Trail (it runs the length of Vermont and will take 3 weeks). Read Don Quixote.

If your fairy godmother gave you three wishes, what would you wish for?

Just a little more time, a little more money, and some peace of mind. With too much time on my hands I get depressed, so I only need a little more, and too much money would make my life more complicated, not less so. I can do with tons of peace of mind.

What one thing would you change about your living conditions?

While I love my town, I wish I could live in a more open, rural area. I really love the countryside. I also wish this hypothetical place still had the four seasons like my current place does, but was on average 5-10 degrees warmer from November to March. That would be perfect.

How could the quality of your free time be improved?

I need to be able to forget about work while I'm not working. I've gotten better at compartmentalizing my work and leisure time, but I'd still love to obsess less about work problems and really be able to relax.

What change have you made to your life recently that you’re most proud of?

I'll agree with Litlove on this one -- beginning to blog. It's added so much to my life.