Coming to a Full Stop

Before the semester ended, I dreamed of a day when I could sit on the couch and watch TV all day. I thought the day would never come. Then, the semester ended and I kept right on working, like some sorry marathon runner who didn't know she'd passed the finish line. This past week, I started to revise my syllabus. Now that I have some idea of what I'm doing in this class, I changed books and reading assignments to better match what I'm actually doing. Earlier this week, I came to the conclusion that I'm simply not getting paid enough to kill myself, so I'm also simplifying assignments.

Yesterday, I woke up, came into the office with my coffee and surveyed the incomplete syllabus. I had my frequent and recurring thought: "I really don't want to work on this today. I wish I could just sit on the couch and watch TV all day." Like a bolt of lightening, I realized that I could sit on the couch and watch TV all day! I threw the work car into park and abandoned it right there in the middle of the road. I picked up my coffee, and headed down the highway to my couch, never looking back.

As soon as my butt hit the cushions, I found a Dirty Jobs marathon on Discovery. Perfect. I settled in, after starting the week's laundry so I wouldn't feel like a total slug. I watched Mike Rowe do any number of unmentionable things for hours. Then, I watched the last 90 minutes of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Love, love, love that movie.

I made it out to get groceries and returned home to make chicken and dumplings. I didn't care that it was over 70 degrees outside, on a lazy day, I want comfort food. The TV pickings were pretty slim in the late afternoon, and I considered reading a book, but that sounded like too much work. So, I watched 2 MASH re-runs (holiday episodes, including my favorite where they focus on Father Mulcahey).

After dinner, I watched, "You Can't Take It With You." Cute movie. Lots of recognizable stars. It was a bit jarring to see Jimmy Stewart getting along with Lionel Barrymore, since we all know how nasty Mr. Potter is to George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life." And, having recently watched Mr. Smith, it was a bit strange to see Jimmy Stewart having a civil conversation with Edward Arnold. But, how could anyone not love Jean Arthur? Ah, the old studio system.

Not sure how I'll spend today. Full stop feels pretty darn good.