Sometimes I think my ears hurt when I'm doing something I'm not supposed to be doing. Like... scrolling social media instead of writing. I'll be plugging along looking up obscure authors to stalk and my ears will start aching. Or... I'll be playing a game on my phone instead of listening to a conversation. Or watching anime instead of cleaning. (Although in my defense, watching anime can be justified as studying story structure.) Things start off OK and then eventually my ear feels achy. And a little echo-y. Like someone's shouting into a canyon. 

Can you have inner ear Jiminy Cricket? Or maybe that's like the good angel that hangs out on your shoulder? Like it got stuck in there somehow? Mainly, it's my right ear, so I could totally see that happening*. I shrug that shoulder more and, I mean if an angel can dance on the head of a pin, it could get stuck in an ear, right? I know the devil is on the other side because he pulls my hair when I'm trying to meditate. So rude, dude. So rude.

Isn't there an old expression about this? Like burning ears, or if your nose twitches, or if the rabbit dies you shouldn't be doing stuff? I don't know. Old people believe in crazy shit.  

Anywho, I'm not sure how to solve the hurting ear problem. Suggestions? I mean, I could only do the crap I'm supposed to do... but that seems highly unrealistic. And disagreeable. I guess they gotta hurt. Sorry jiminy angel. 

Now I'm going to go listen to punk music instead of folding my laundry. 

       - wg

*I swear, I clean my ears. It's not like a wax swamp in there or anything.

I'm having mixed feelings over California re-opening. On the one hand, I'm super glad that the mask wearing is minimized, that shops can open fully again, that hugging people is okay. I didn't like the world being closed but I totally understood the necessity. Now that we're opening, we bought tickets for a concert at the end of summer (Green Day!), and we have a mini-vacation (Disneyland!) planned for July. I'm happy that the worst is behind us. 

On the other hand, I'm out of practice having a busier schedule. And part of me wonders... do I want one? 

Life was kind of frenetic before the pandemic, even when I tried to live a balanced life. When you're a mom, your kids' schedules become your schedule (and sometimes the husband's/partner's schedule becomes yours, too). School functions, work obligations, outside activities, all the usual household chores... then if you have your own goals you're trying to reach, that adds up to a lot of running around.  

It was really nice to wake up in the morning, have someone ask me what my plans were, and I could respond, "Oh, not much. Just a little work." And that work? It was all mine. No one else's schedule. Just my own.

(Bad mom!) *she says with glee*  

With everything re-opening, I assume that the old pace will try to resume. Maybe not right away. I imagine a lot of people will be hesitant about exposure even if they're vaccinated. But eventually, life will try to go all frenetic again.

Unless I draw a line in the sand.

So. First additional duty in the re-opening busy schedule? Plan the resistance.