Taking a break from breaks

After a two-week break from work, I’d like to say I’m refreshed and renewed. But, it would be a lie.

Unfortunately, along with my two-week break from work, I took a two-week break from blogging, an almost two-week break from the computer, a two-week break from eating or drinking anything remotely healthy (OK, that's not entirely true, but I ate a lot of crap), and a one-week break from running. So, now I feel like crap. But, with the new year comes a new me (or so it seems like the thing to say).

Prior to being new and improved, here’s what happened:

I never really got in the Christmas spirit this year, and I don’t know why. I put up the Christmas tree late. I started listening to Christmas music late. I never watched Christmas Vacation or Elf. I didn’t send out Christmas cards. Any gift I sent was late, and I still haven’t sent some (oops). I’m even still waiting on one of my brother’s gifts to arrive so that I can send it late.

I did receive this awesome Elvis ornament from Rachael (Thanks!) via Jenny’s Christmas ornament exchange. It rocks! And it arrived on time (unlike the one I sent). Sorry, Rachael.

Christmas was nice, but I still wasn’t in the holiday spirit. I even slept the latest on Christmas morning. That never happens. Well, every other day it does, but not that day.

After the Christmas festivities (and after family left town), I still had a week of vacation. So, we decided to take a trip. A dreaded road trip. I hate road trips. I hate sitting in the car for much more than an hour. So, an 8-hour car ride is my idea of torture. But, driving meant that Chloe could come with us. I guess she’s worth it.

This is at the Hard Rock in Biloxi. Chloe likes Billy Idol, apparently.

Family photo on the beach. It was cold. Like 62 degrees!

After spending a few days in Biloxi, Mississippi, we headed to Destin, Florida, to spend the new year with friends. After celebrating last New Year’s Eve out with sparkley hats, noisemakers and champagne, I was ready to do it again. Unfortunately, our friends were not. They claim New Year’s Eve is amateur drunk night. They are probably right, but I was a bit disappointed. So, we hung out at their beach condo (not a bad deal, I guess), grilled steaks, drank lots of wine (and champagne at midnight), watched fireworks and rang in 2012.

After getting home (finally … I still hate road trips), I had a day to put away the Christmas decorations, do laundry, watch some pretty awesome bowl games (although the best is yet to come … Cotton Bowl on Jan. 6 – go Cats!), relax (and not get in the car once) and try to head off the looming doom of returning to work.

Even though there is some reluctance about returning to work (not that work is bad (most of the time), but if given the choice, I’d rather not work), I am ready to return to a schedule. A schedule that includes running on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. I’ve missed it.