Reality Check

Boy, it's tough coming back to reality after a vacation like that. I've been in "history withdrawals" all day...even picked up a brochure from one of the museums and read it while eating breakfast. Then unpacking and laundry became necessary evils to accomplish today or our suitcase full of 12-day-old dirty, humidity-riddled clothes might explode from bacterial overgrowth. I couldn't take that chance. So my motto became Laundry Or Bust!

Also had to (gasp) cook actual food today. I had almost hoped that somehow after so many days off, my memory of how to plan a meal might have been permanently erased. No such luck. Have to admit my hamburger stroganoff tasted mighty fine after eating out so much, however.

One thing that has been hard and I wasn't particularly looking forward to was getting back to my high altitude breathing. If somehow DC and Denver were magically switched, there is no way I could have possibly managed to do all of that here at nearly a mile high. Last night as I woke up coughing, having a hard time catching my breath, I remembered how that same coughing fit on vacation was annoying but not exhausting. A couple of times today I've even caught myself wondering, Am I getting sick? But then I remember, no, this is normal. Twelve days of easier breathing is such a wonderful gift but now it feels snatched away...Indian giver.

In reality, getting back into a routine is a good thing.