" Spend some time alone every day."
~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

I do this most every day.  During the week, I spend about a half hour to an hour alone at my desk.  This is a quiet time for me.  I check email, read my favorite comics and check in on as many blog friends as I can.  I don't use the overhead fluorescent lights, just the desk lamp.  It's peaceful and my favorite part of the day.  When my office mate comes in, he turns on the lights and the mood is gone.

But it's enough to get my day off to a gentle start. Today, I think I need it.  I feel discombobulated.  Thought and speech are not connected and my brain is slow.  I know my body is moving slowly into peri-menopause and I'm getting my second period this month (it's like being 12 all over again before things settled down).  I'm clumsy and forgetful.  I left my lunch on the counter this morning.

So, I'm sitting here drinking some chocolate milk, my comfort beverage of choice, and breathing slowly and trying to focus my thoughts and energies for the upcoming day.  Fortunately, it's Friday and although there is plenty of work to do, most of it is paperwork at my desk.

They upgraded my work computer.  It's faster and has more memory.  Problem is, it's incompatible with my (very) old printer.  Most of my coworkers share a printer which is down the hall in the mail room.  Their offices are clustered around this mail room. My office is at the end of the hall.  I enjoyed being able to print my documents right here at my desk and not have to walk down the hall every time I printed something (and I print a lot).  I could also do double sided printing which saved paper.  They'll probably not replace it.  We're not supposed to each have a printer.  Too expensive.  But I miss it.

The new computer and I are getting acquainted and it has already asserted it's authority and superiority.  I cannot plug my mp3 player into the usb to charge.  The computer told me NO.  I can't download library books to my mp3 player, the computer told me NO again.  It's frustrating but I'll learn to live with it.  It is, after all, a work machine and I have a computer at home for these purposes.  But it was so convenient when the library sent me an email to just download my new book and be done with it.  And the IT guy who gave me partial admin capabilities on my old machine is no longer here.  It'll take some getting used to.

Pk and Elanor are going to the Phila Museum of Art tomorrow.  He has been trying to spend more one on one time with the girls and this is what El chose.  Good choice since Pk loves the art museum.  For me, it means a day to myself.  Win/win situation here.

And Saturday/Sunday is Daylight Savings Time here.  I will admit I am not a fan.  The days are getting longer all by themselves and really don't need our help.  On Monday when I leave for work, it will be dark again and it's so hard to make myself leave the house.  I think it's a construct we no longer need and I would be glad if we did away with it altogether.

I had some more springtime images to add to put some color into this post but for some reason, I can't.  I hope you all have a peaceful Friday and a glorious weekend.  And lets send some good vibes to the people on the Pacific Rim.  Imagine knowing a tsunami was headed your way.  I can't. It must be terrifying.