Living the Life of Riley

Right now I'm in an interesting place in my life.

Rephrased... I have no schoolwork, just a part-time job, many good friends, a cheap and fun place to live, and afternoons of sheer selfish enjoyment.

Don't think I don't realize what a boondoggle life I have at the moment... I do.

I don't think I could live this way permanently though (after all, it's difficult to be totally goal-less for more than a few months... at least for me, anyway)... but I am thoroughly enjoying every single second that I have left here. Sometimes I ride my bike and look up at the palm trees and feel the sunshine and the breeze and realize how great it all is...



My clearance for my new job at the State Department came through last week (sooner than I expected), which means I can start my job as soon as whoever is going to be my boss actually calls me to negotiate a start date.

I'm still waiting for that call... which means either: 1) they didn't expect my clearance to come through so soon and are stalling for time, 2) they're too busy to call and/or train a new person, or 3) they're out of town. Let's hope it's not that they don't want me anymore.

Anyway, I am appreciating every last moment I have here in Tucson... and my total lack of responsibility.

Today exemplified my current life as a slacker.

I rode my bicycle to the house where I babysit, put the baby to sleep, watched "Love Connection" and various other game shows for a couple of hours, played with the baby after she woke up, watched "Little People, Big World" while I fed the baby oatmeal, and then the mom came home.

Yes, more dwarfs...


I then rode my bike onto campus, where I mailed a homemade father's day card (I have loads of time for crafting these days... and it's father's day this weekend, everybody!), read Us Weekly in the campus bookstore, deposited my babysitting money at the ATM, and got a chicken salad sandwich at the food court.

Gerry came upon me eating this sandwich at a table near Chik-Filet (although that is not where I purchased it) as I was in deep contemplation over the complexities of bikini shopping in my newest Lucky magazine -- AKA "the magazine about shopping" -- although I must insert a downside to being a slacker here... I have no $$$ to afford to be a shopper. (One of life's grand disappointments for those of us not independently wealthy...)



Gerry's first comment to me: "Rough life."

Indeed.

My plans after lunch? The rec center pool... where I hung out from 1:30 to 4:30. I did swim laps for a half hour, and the rest of the time I read fluffy magazines and started my newest book, Ethan Frome, while lounging like Cleopatra in a shaded nook.

Then I went to Arabic speaking club at a nearby Starbuck's (in some attempt to maintain my Arabic abilities -- although it appears to be in vain, as I have forgotten at least 25% of what I once learned), and while there, I told my friend Sandy that I had spent half the day at the swimming pool.

His response?... "Sounds like you're living the life of Riley." (Just who is Riley anyway?)

Now I am off to a BBQ at Ben's house.

And then? I have another tough day ahead of me tomorrow. More of what I did today I guess.

Sigh.