Friday, June 20, 2014

"I vant to be alone".....(read with German accent)....(as if you were Greta Garbo)...

Most, if not all, of you understand the need to be alone sometimes...not lonely, just peacefully, restfully, refreshingly, revitalizing (etc etc) alone. Sigh...

Not wanting to sound  ungrateful, I  just got home from yet another dinner. There was nothing wrong with it, it wasn't horrible, or loud, or long, in fact it was very nice. One of my students wanted to take my dep't head, Fil, and me out to dinner. It was lovely but I'm so very tired of being ON if you know what I mean. I can be sociable in small amounts, in spurts, but then I need to rest and re-energize. The last few weeks there have been too many dinners, lunches, breakfasts, parties, open houses, BBQs, drinks, cakes and I just want it to END!! Or at least have a breather - thankfully it's the weekend.

Here we are with our young date being photographed by the waitress while a sparkler sizzles away in our complimentary baklava. I think I have perfected my smile over the last few weeks to the point where I don't really have to think about it anymore. That sounds insincere but truly I just need to fully charge my batteries.

Am I being a whiner? I hope not. I gave tonight's dinner my best effort as it really was wonderful that Josh wanted to do this for us. We had great food, and good conversation - oh, and next to us a fellow proposed to his girlfriend (she said yes!!) plus there was a birthday celebrated at another table and then we were applauded for our retirement so it will be a memorable night for all.

When I'm feeling utterly exhausted I imagine sitting in my truck, the miles flying by, arriving at Crofters Lane, making a pot of coffee (after I figure out how to turn the water back on!), sitting on the front porch and looking out over the bay and letting my mind drift. IT WILL HAPPEN-JUST NOT QUITE YET!!

I must summon reserves of energy to power me through one more week. I can do it. Only 5 more days of school - on Thursday I get to work at home - yeehaw - and on Friday we have breakfast at school, mass, a meeting and then yet another luncheon and then FREEDOM (so really that's only 3 days of school!!) Oh, but let's not forget getting together with friends on Friday night - oh my. I should have been a cloistered nun! No, not really, I will enjoy the social activities as much as I can and then I will relish my alone time even more. Oh, and one more dinner with another set of parents next week, lol.

Truly - I'll be fasting and biking a hundred miles a day to get rid of all this blubber around my middle - I kid you not. I've never seen so much CAKE!!!

OK, gotta go. Going to take my glass of wine to bed with me, who cares if it isn't even 9pm yet? I need to quiet my mind, listen to an audio book (I have a new Louise Penny mystery and it's wonderful!) and ease on into a rejuvenating sleep.

Good night!

Oh, and Barb - when I get to Summerside in PEI I'm going to check into wifi - hopefully without having to be on a year long contract (since I'll just be there for 5 months) - the intent is to continue recording my journey - the trials and tribulations - la deuxieme partie!!

16 comments:

  1. Lovely pic! I'm totally like this too. I get sick of people and need the weekend to unwind.

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  2. Yeah - I remember end of term cake! Must be worse when it is end of term cake coupled with retirement cake!

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  3. I can also relate to wanting alone time. Glad you have the weekend to recharge.

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  4. I too find people exhausting. The more people in the room, the more exhausting it is.
    Jane x

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  5. livingrichonthecheapJune 21, 2014 at 12:17 PM

    I am with you - one social event per week max. You will definitely have some time for peace and quiet this summer-well deserved! I cannot believe this is the week! So excited for you to start your new life.

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  6. Well, Jane. Even I, the social loner, would be full up and then some if I had all that attention. Perhaps I'm an introvert at heart. I can be comfortably social but it can be exhausting.


    So, Gary and I will make your visit as comfortable for you as possible. If you need quiet time, you have the cutest little guest room to retreat to... but we'll be having far too much fun for that.

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  7. I totally understand. Between work and everything else I just want to go hope and knit or read. But I feel like I have spent every weekend lately at graduation parties or christenings or something....AAAAAAAAAAAa

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  8. I'm definitely not in the right place for someone who likes/needs her (Canadian-sized) space! People everywhere...I completely understand you and where you're coming from, so I hope you can rejuvenate enough this weekend to push you through the last few days. Perhaps the best way to look at the social aspects of this to think how greatly you've impacted these people and to bask in the glow of their appreciation, love and thanks in the only way they really know how to do it. Perhaps that will help a little bit.

    See you September I hope! xo

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  9. I bet this is what is like to be famous. Wow, I know a famous person.

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  10. You are so close, almost there :)

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  11. This is my first visit here, the word retirement caught my attention, since I am retired and love it. I enjoy lots of quiet time too, to recharge. I read your more recent post and see you like fun words too; I posted on my blog about some fun words, earlier this week.

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  12. Love it Tanner - it IS okay! Even though the extroverts might not think so. I just had dinner with the parents of one of my students. He has autism and his older brother has aspergers. The dad especially struggles with understanding how they can be happy staying in the house all day or all weekend instead of going out socializing, partying or just hanging out with friends. We like our own company and are comfortable being alone (not all the time but a lot of the time) which explains why we introverts have all of the best ideas - we take time to THINK!

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  13. Welcome Terra - can you let me know your blog url? I'd like to visit! I'd love to connect with other retirees!

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  14. There are people I tolerate and people that I'm totally comfortable with - guess which ones you two are?! :)

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  15. Ummm... hmmmm. Well, let me think about that, now. ;o)

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