Couldn't the break just last a bit longer?

I don't understand why a week off from work would go by so fast. I had thought that it would last and feel very long -- like a month worth...but then it came and went and I felt like I only had 3 days off. How did that happen? It was slightly depressing when Friday and Saturday rolled around because the inevitable Monday was around the corner. By Sunday, I had finally come to term with it and so it wasn't as devastating :-) Now I just can't wait for Christmas to be here.

Part of the reason why my break felt so short was because I spent Monday dealing with the plumber who tried to fix our leaking faucet. It didn't get fixed by the way because apparently we now need a brand new faucet - oh, the joy of dealing with plumbers (even though this one was actually very good). Speaking of plumbers, I now have a fear of cablemen. I didn't used to but my 2-out-of-3 California experience with cablemen left me slightly scarred. When I was recently asked whether I would like a cableman to come by and install a DVR or pick it up and install it myself, I was adamant to install it myself. It's like a crapshoot with the cableman that you get. I have had 2 really scary ones. So when a nice one came recently, I found myself telling him how much I appreciated his helpfulness and knowledge. I asked how I could request him next time. Come to find out, my cable line was really messed up that day and he was a specialist and that was why he was so good. So I am only calling cablemen for "serious" and "specialty" problems from now on.

Another reason why my week off was so short was because Tuesday was spent on going to the dentist for a deep teeth cleaning and some fillings. The dentist had to give me numbing shots to do the cleaning because I was too sensitive to pain. I couldn't speak or eat for 4-5 hours afterwards. I made the mistake of dropping by the grocery store to pick up some food. Not a great idea when your mouth is all numbed because you wouldn't be able to feel the drooling or your face to wipe it off. It was kind of funny actually. I also wasn't smart enough to have a big meal before going to the dentist and couldn't have dinner until 9:30pm when the numbing wore off. Then my jaw ached, my tongue was still numb, and my teeth were too sensitive to enjoy dinner. I remembered that the dentist paperwork actually asked if one was afraid of being at the dentist. I think I will mark yes next time.

The rest of the week was much more relaxing. I am a huge believer in keeping Thanksgiving and cooking in general simple and easy. So of course I ordered a pre-cooked turkey meal. Trust me, it's still very good but with none of the stress and mess.

I also got to see tons of movies last week. Australia for starters and then 2 black-and-white Humphrey Bogart movies (the Maltese Falcon and To Have or Have Not). Australia was not great and not bad either...but definitely cheesy...and it was 3-hour long. The black-and-white movies were great and they were at this beautiful old theater that was very well ornated. There is always a man that plays the organ before the show starts. Feels very old timey and posh.

My husband and I also managed to sneak in a hike at Mount Diablo on Saturday. It was only supposed to be a 5-mile hike but more than half of it was uphill and on the side of the mountain. It really wasn't fun trying to not slip and hurt oneself. At one point we thought we were lost and couldn't find the loop that was described in our printed internet info. We kept going because turning around seemed worse. It was one of the harder hikes that I have had recently.

I also managed to try out a new class at the gym last week and I don't plan to take it again. I don't get why people like spinning classes so much. It's hellish! The seat is extremely uncomfortable and who can ride a bike for an hour with resistance being increased throughout the hour. I started to check the clock after the first 5 minutes and was out of gas by the 30-minute mark. I hanged in for the remaining 30 but barely and couldn't really increase the resistance the way the instructor wanted. It's a great workout but I don't have the endurance. I also need to practice getting used to a bike seat first because I could still feel the seat days later.

I also spent time re-reading some of my old novels. I made the mistake of tivo'ing Bridget Jones's Diary and so I have been re-reading the book and the sequel (the Edge of Reason). I kind of like the sequel better because the first novel barely talked about Bridget and Darcy's relationship and hence their romance was not very believable. Anyhow, I kind of enjoy how Bridget is very expressive and slighly neurotic --- kind of relatable somehow.

I just wish that there was more time in the day or week, especially while one is on vacation. I had had high hopes of being able to make Christmas cards this year. Well, let's hope the Christmas break will feel longer somehow.