Continued Movement Towards Normalcy

Even though I am still extremely busy with lots of extra meetings to help my researchers practice, I am continuing to NOW see and feel a sense of movement towards a return to normalcy for me.... in that I at least have a FEW open holes of time where I HAVE autonomy to do normal things.

I appreciated the encouragement about the pipes from comments yesterday.  It felt happy to at least consider allowing myself to indulge in the beautiful respite.  And in fact, just the considering of doing so added to my actual feelings of joy yesterday.  And, in truth, I almost did allow myself to indulge.   But, ultimately, I did not..... because I felt I did not have a sufficient window of autonomous time to do so..... to be able to extract its joys fully.   But, swimming with my wife was glorious.  And, going to dinner with my wife felt so wonderful too!   

And, with the return to some autonomy, I am also extremely happy to report that NONE of my researchers selected times to meet with me during the normal time I try to in this semester, get to the Retiree's Cigar Group, albeit late.  So, I am buoyed by the prospect that it appears I can try to wedge in that camaraderie tomorrow, and (keeping fingers crossed) there may be at least one or two of my friends who are straggling a bit and I can chat and carouse with them for a while, before heading back to do some evening meetings with the Conference and a few of my researchers.  These meetings, ahead of the start of the conference are all Zoomy meetings, so that is nice too....they feel very containable (or perhaps constrainable would be a better word) and not open ended.

If (as hoped) the meetings and presentations at the actual conference in a couple of days does go well..... I may be so ebulent by the end of the day of a complete return to anticipated normalcy, that I may allow myself to indulge in one..... perhaps TWO IPAs as a celebration.  And, perhaps..... just perhaps.... a beloved pipe.  

PipeTobacco