"Time Out..."

I took a mini vacation this past week, or as my daughter so aptly described it, "Mental Health Days." Not your typical vacation, but one that best suits my temperment...sort of a working vacation. I did play golf with some of my now retired buddies (lucky them) from church on Thursday, which was a hoot. The weather was gorious and my golf game was anything but. Still, it was good not to be shackled to my business cell phone and to enjoy the companionship of close friends who enjoy each other's company and do not take themselves or their golf games seriously.

Took my beautiful bride of 24 years to dinner at Carrabba's Italian Grill for a Valentine's dinner that was intimately shared with 200 plus other romantic souls who, like us, waited in line of an hour and a half to be seated. The food was, as always, excellent and we stuffed ourselves shamelessly to the point that when we returned home around 10 p.m. we went right to bed...and to sleep. Such is the life of contented old married folks....

Friday I worked on my long, self-impossed, home improvement project's list. Contentedly, I might add, as this gives me a sense of satisified accomplishment as I see things I've envisioned turned into reality. Vocationally I am a project manger for a construction company, wherein I become too often frustrated at trying repeatedly to get the various involved trades to accomplish those categories of work that must be undertaken in sequence to complete the project. Working on my own projects, I enjoy being nobodies boss but my own.

Saturday I spent half the day at church completing the construction of the set for an up-coming dinner theater play that our choir is going to put on in March to benefit our youth. The ministerial staff has long ago realized that I know my way around a hammer and a table saw and assume (I usually can't say "No.") that such construction projects are to fall to me as chairman. Then it was home again to work on my projects until after dark when it was then time to take Judi's Mom out for some dessert on her 85th birthday. We showed her old photograph's from her earlier years, but she had no recollection of any of them, so advanced has her failing mental capacities rendered her. Sad...

Yesterday we had a follow up birthday lunch for Judi's Mom so that our daughter Megan could also be in attendance. Grandmother dotes on granddaughter Megan, which was the best gift we could give her. We again brought out the photographs that she had looked at the previous evening, sharing them with Megan as well, but grandmother had no recollection that she had done so, nor did she again recognize anyone in the pictures. The decision is looming that we place this poor soul in a facility that can watch over her, as we have become increasingly disturbed that she can no longer care for herself. She'll go kicking and screaming, but she must go and soon.

The intention was to spend the balance of yesterday afternoon at the beach, enjoying the early balmy spring weather and what promised to be another memorable sunset. So much for good intentions. Judi and I both fell asleep on the couch while the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 hummed on the TV in the background. Had to read the paper this morning to find out who won.

Now it's back to the work-a-day routine...already looking forward to next weekend when my time will be my time. Mental Health Days are a good thing. I'm looking forward to when each day will be a metal health day.