Working in the full time world is challenging, to say the least. I've recently come to realize that when I'm not working, my free time is spent in other ways than it used to be. I used to be able to pore a good amount of time into learning code and managing this site and others, whereas lately I've fallen behind and am finding it hard to keep pace. I've been working on building my professional skills, focused on learning new ways to better treat my patients, and also build on my knowledge base. I once heard that graduate school doesn't teach you everything you need to know; that it actually just gives you the tools to learn what you need to know. I think there is something to that, given how little made sense to me until I started really seeing it. It could be that this is just the way I learn, but I'm not sure.

I borrowed the title of this post from a Calvin and Hobbes book. It seemed an apt description of my life these days. Since it's summer, Robert is off work and enjoying his vacation. When I used to work for the schools, we would spend days at the park enjoying a picnic lunch and maybe throwing a frisbee around. Since switching to the medical side of things, however, the notion of summer break is gone. In its place is a full day of work, followed by evenings out and about.

Today was a typical day off for me. I slept in til 9, then got up and before I knew it, we were out on the town. Once errands were done, we hit the pool, followed by a bike ride.

All that left me exhausted, so I'm sitting outside on the patio. There is a slight breeze blowing across my bare feet. Robert sits across from me, reading a book. Birds chirp from the tree nearby. An air conditioner provides a steady hum for an unlikely ambience.

I stop for the first time all day and think, wow, am I ever lucky. I never thought I could say this about moving home, but I feel a level of contentment like never before.

The days really are packed, and I love them this way.