Ten Miles In

Although I love a good vacation as much as anyone, I am fundamentally a pretty serious working person.  I can only take so much leisure time, and for some reason, this Christmas holiday has seemed a little generous to me – off the Friday before and the Monday after Christmas, followed by another long weekend for New Year’s.  Factor in the four days I spent in Puerto Rico for my nephew’s wedding in mid-December, and it’s no wonder I’ve been feeling a little frivolous lately.

So even though I’m off today, I found myself itching to get back into the office this morning.  Truth be told, I have done some serious slacking off these last couple of weeks, what with the Secret Santa lunches, the potlucks and the general air of festivity that pervade most offices around this time, and I suppose my resolve to get back to work was at least partly motivated by guilt. But the truth is, there are few things I find more satisfying than coming into the office  outside of work hours.  The halls are empty, the phones aren’t ringing, the fax machine isn’t backed up, and as anyone who works in an office can tell you, you can get more work done in a concentrated three-hour period than you can in your average work day.

Since my office is almost exactly three miles from home, I took Banks on a two-mile walk down South Congress, dropped him back off at the house and continued north on Congress.  It was another beautiful morning, and I couldn’t believe that half of Austin wasn’t out walking with me.  The weather was so perfect and invigorating that I felt no need for electronic support (iTunes, iPhone,  iPod or walkmeter) and instead drank in the crisp air and the familiar surroundings.  Is there anything more beautiful than a view of the rowers on Lady Bird Lake from the South 1^st St pedestrian bridge?

I unlocked my office, stretched my calves and massaged my sore knees.  I fixed myself a steaming cup of peppermint tea.  I’m sitting at my desk now with a pile of work in front of me, and my small accomplishment behind me.  And I am a happy woman.