Getting back to basics

I've been in a fog the past couple of days. I'm not sure if it's the Ambien or just decompression but everything I do, I seem to be just "going through the motions."

I'm very glad I took annual leave through Wednesday. I'm not sure I'm ready to face the office tomorrow. I've purposefully been avoiding anything to do with work. The only thing I worry about is what my boss will have to go through.

Two reasons:
One, when he returns, we'll both have been out for a day and a half. No one else seems to take care of the general business so he'll have a day and a half worth of business to slog through.

Two, something always seems to go wrong when I'm out that he has to take care of. You see, he used to be the email god on campus (and I still consult him when I'm stuck on a problem) so he knows how to do the job as well as I do - probably better.

Add to it that he's been floating as close to the edge as anyone else around there and I worry about him. He reads my blog so I'll take the opportunity to apologize for any difficulty he has to deal with because of my absence. The rest of them can go... ahem... nevermind, I won't go there.

Anyway, one of the things the Dr. asked me on Friday was about hobbies or distractions. I told him I had a few but I really got to thinking about it afterwords. I realized I haven't worked on many of those hobbies for a while and the ones I have been working on have all involved computers. I got to thinking today that I haven't taken a picture with my digital camera in probably six months. (Trek Expo doesn't count - I wasn't using my camera)

I keep telling myself that I want a better camera or there hasn't been much activity in the wetland* but the truth is that I just haven't done it. Maybe I'll take a day and go visit the Tulsa zoo. I've taken two photo excursions to the OKC zoo but my Mavica hasn't experienced the Tulsa zoo yet. Maybe I'll drop by the Philbrook museum while I'm in Town. Hmmmm... While grabbing the link I discovered that the gardens have been under renovation for 22 months. Yet another reason to visit.

Anyone want to go with me?

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*For some reason, the wetland has been extremely... unvisited this summer. Last year, we at least had geese around almost the entire summer but this year all I've seen are the white egrets. I can count on one hand the number I've seen since April, too. Maybe it's the delayed and unusually concentrated rainfall...