Back to work...

"Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to work we go..."   Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Monday I return to work - and I have mixed feelings about it.

On one hand, it will be good to see my co-workers and get back into a "useful" routine.  Plus, getting a normal paycheck will be nice.  (I am fortunate that my company provides short term disability, but it is not paid out at 100%.)

On the other hand, I kind of enjoyed this preview of my future retirement.

Okay, I admit, my first week off I was in the hospital having just had major surgery - and it was not fun. 

The next five weeks I focused on recovery - and was not able to do much physically.  It wasn't until my third or fourth week home that I could even attempt to do anything around the house.  Pouring milk from a full jug was a major accomplishment. 

Since June was "visitor month", that did make things a bit difficult.  My honorary sister-in-law was visiting the weekend I was released from the hospital.  (Sorry Beth, you ended up being more of a nurse than a visitor.)  But, I was so glad she was here!

Two weeks later the Nelson Girls came for a visit.  Again, still not able to do too much.  I managed to go out for dinner at Pinocchio's in Brighton one night and had lunch in Boulder one afternoon with everyone.  I still had to excuse myself for an afternoon nap and early bedtime each day - bummer.

The end of June my friend Dena came out for a girl's weekend in Aspen (while Lance attended the Aspen Ideas Fest) and I was finally feeling a little better.  While we didn't have the weekend I originally envisioned (hiking, biking, shopping, hot springs), we did have a good time.  We walked Aspen (taking frequent rest stops for a glass of water and/or wine - thank goodness I was off the narcotics!), took the gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain (conquered a fear there - right Dena?), and spent a lot of time catching up at the condo we were renting in Snowmass.

Then last week the doctor gave me the okay to go back to work on the twenty-first. 

This week, while I am still achy, I can finally move about more freely.

I love my mornings - getting up sometime between six and seven - taking Ellie for a walk - enjoying breakfast and coffee on the deck - planning my day, checking email and Facebook, reading and writing. 

My late mornings and afternoons are spent doing the tasks I had mapped out earlier: cooking, laundry, cleaning, shopping, seeing a movie, having lunch with a friend, sorting through boxes still unopened in the basement, organizing my recipes and old photos, cleaning out my closet... you get the picture.  I have to still be cautious and not overdo the lifting and moving items, but I can do much more that I could five weeks ago. 

I will be honest - I loved my time at home.  The days just flew by - and I still have a list a mile long of things I didn't get to. 

I look forward to the day I am healed enough that I can start to exercise and jog again (I still have a goal to run a 5K - not run/walk like I normally do).  I want to take up golf again.  I want to rearrange furniture and hang pictures.  I want to finish going through all the boxes in the basement.  I want to write more and take up painting again.  I want to try new recipes.  I want to hike and go to festivals.  I want to do more volunteer work.  I want to host parties and entertain visitors.  I want to take a class just for the fun of it.  I want to finish all the things I didn't get to on my to-do list.

But, I am going back to my "real" job on Monday.  And I am sure I will get into the old routine of working during the weekday and playing on the weekend.  Still, after spending six weeks at home this summer recovering from surgery - I now anticipate partial retirement with excitement.  If  I enjoyed being home when I was not functioning at my best, just think of all I will be able to do when I am healthy!

Here's to the future...