Relief

Now that I've finished my last semester and finally graduated, and that the work on the Bakersfield project is slowly winding down, the pace of work and life slows down to a more manageable level. Sleep is that much more restful now that I catch more than four or five hours a night. Right after finishing the last of the classwork and finishing last of the urgent testing and remediation on software at work, which coincidentally finished at the same time, it felt like shell shock. The numbness went deep. Thinking anything coherent at all was difficult. My wife said that I seemed in a daze.

The weather is wet lately but spring continues on. The trees, some in bloom, some with newly budding leaves, bear witness to the season. The garden beds around the house need more attention, but Misce and I already did a fair amount of work. There is plenty left to do still. The new vegetable beds still need digging. The dead branches in the pine tree still must come down. Seems like there are a hundred little chores that spring still has in store. No matter, at this point it is a relief and a pleasure of sorts working outside.

Even at work, programming and testing tasks aren't as urgent. Once again, working brings a joy of its own without the stress of the past several months. Working without worry about tight deadlines, I lost myself a bit in my work today and accomplished a fair deal.

When speaking with my wife or children, I no longer have that nagging feeling that I should gently conclude the conversation as soon as possible to finish work projects or classwork. The pressure of time triage is absent. It is a delicious luxury having that time again. I must spend it wisely to mine and my family's best benefit. I have several ideas already, but I've not decided yet. Unlike earlier, I still have some time before I must decide.