The list never ends.  I’m sure I’m not alone in hoarding tasks that I know I need to get done, but never seem to get around to doing.  They aren’t urgent, but they really should be completed.  Some day.

In steps the flu.  Nasty cough, fluidy lungs and generally feeling yucky. I spent a day denying it, hoping it would go away.  Day two I gave in and curled up on the window seat.  I can’t remember the last time I just threw in the towel and vegged from morning ’til night.  I had a library book I needed to finish before it was due, so out it came.

After months of reading on my Kindle, and loving it for its lightweight convenience on our cycling trip, I’d forgotten the joys of reading a real book.  The tactile experience of turning pages and devouring its contents was so very satisfying.  It was the perfect book for a marathon reading session – Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed drew me in from the very first page.  I am in awe of this author, whose prose is so beautifully crafted and whose tales are so compelling without being suspenseful.  The day flew by with the pages, and I was sad to finish the book.  But I was able to check it off my list.  And avoid a fine.

Day three I had to cancel my coffee date with friends.  That’s serious.  I love my coffee time, and especially spending it with others.  But it wasn’t fair to share my germs with them.  Feeling more chipper, I sat down at my PC, checked email and and tackled the usual tasks.  It felt good to actually do something, so I eyed that To-Do list in the corner.  With a long day of nothing stretching out before me, it was an undeniable opportunity to accomplish a few items.  After knocking off a few easy ones, I began to gain steam.  Working my way down the list selectively, I eventually narrowed it down to some of the more onerous tasks.  It was with a satisfying sense of achievement that I even managed to cross many of those off as well.

I’m really hoping to be back on my feet by day four.  I’m just about out of things to do.  It’s time to get back to real life, and let that To-Do list build back up again.