This morning I got some startling news...in my inbox...an invitation to my high school reunion. I cannot possibly be that old. i'm not saying which year, but it is double-digit. oy how time flies. of course this, combined with my Lump Event, has set off a deepening time of introspection-with-action phase of my life. i feel like there is simply not enough time to get everything done that i need / want to accomplish creatively. the laundry - can wait. the housecleaning - can wait (and it has for many many months!). it's time to take some time for myself ... quietly...in an environment that stimulates artistically but not overwhelmingly...the scent of pine, or a rolling ocean...a weekend trashing with a like-minded friend...no watches or clocks allowed. which brings me to an interesting thought. a few years ago, i worked at a job that was so hateful that 20% of the staff was on stress disability leave. it was very difficult to ratchet down my fight-or-flight adrenaline pump on fridays, so i could enjoy the weekend and recharge. i began a tradition...every friday, as i got home, i'd remove my watch. it would sit in the bathroom until monday morning. it was a symbolic gesture that told my brain to s-t-o-p the hamster wheel, shift gears, and relax. it worked so good, that i haven't worn a watch in many years. i just left it off one day. i'm am excellent at managing my time - all those years in radio ticking off my workday in seconds and minutes. it's just that i need more to manage! and please, make them non-workweek minutes! speaking of which - it's shower time, followed by re-feed the cat time, then dog-to-the-park time because heaven forbid she poo in her own fenced backyard. now THIS is why i don't have kids. L.