Down Time

28 December 2012
7:54 AM

Sunrise at	10:58 AM	in direction	154°	South-southeast
Sunset at	2:48 PM	in direction	206°	South-southwest

Duration of day: 3 hours, 50 minutes (2 minutes, 16 seconds longer than yesterday)

The university has a hard closure between Christmas and New Year.  As an employee of the Office of Information Technology (OIT), I could work if desired, but there is no real reason for me to be on duty so I don't opt to go into the office.  We are required to take leave or leave without pay, which is a down side, but on the other hand, that usually amounts to just 3 days as there are two paid holidays at Christmas and two at New Year .. and the university is generous with its leave benefit for staff.

It works out.

I appreciate this time, a time I can forget about everything but hibernation and taking it easy.  By the time we get back to work, solstice is nearly two weeks in the past and we can look forward to the daily increases of light.  We will be gaining over 4 minutes a day by that time.  In a week's time, we will be seeing a difference of half an hour in direct sun light.

It works out.

So, what do we do during this time?  I bought three games for my laptop and three books to read while in Seattle for Gary's surgery in January.  One of the games, called Puzzles Galore, is an online picture puzzle game.  I have been test driving it.  I have played enumerable games of Mahjonng Dimensions, watched sappy (but enjoyable) movies on hulu (internet streaming TV), shopped as needed, fed dogs, fed the fire, eaten when it has occurred to me, and slept.  I have slept long, long hours.  I have slept enough that I no longer sleep late in the morning despite the dark.  Today I was up at the usual time.

It works out.