A breather at work but not in life.

March 10, 2016

  The students are all away this week: some went home, a few traveled with sports teams to compete in warmer weather and others even took a long plane ride overseas for the annual Spring Break London trip.

  It's only mid-March, and my year has already been quiet eventful. And, there is still a lot more to come! I get to spend some time with my Big this weekend in the city. Girls' day! She has some ideas for what we should get into, but I just want to make memories and eat some good food, as always.

  I finished a book this week: Fangirl. It absolutely reminded me of my sister and I in many different ways. The main character, Cather (Cath), write fanfic of her favorite novels, which really reminds me of the Harry Potter series since the main characters of each are both magical and "chosen" to conquer the villain in order to save the wizard world. My sister growing up did not write fanfic of Harry Potter, but she was an avid reader and read each book within days and multiple times. I mean, I don't know if she did write fanfic, but my guess is that she didn't.

  Fangirl also touches an emotional cord. Cath and Wren, twins, didn't have their mom present while growing up. Wren has/had a similar outlook on the situation as I have/did with my mom, while Cath and my sister both see the situation quite differently. I don't want to go into details, but their view is more harsh than the other. I really enjoyed reading this book even though I know the targeted audience is probably more for a younger group of females. I don't mind that.

  Cath inspires me to write more stories and less blog entries. Maybe giving a crack at fanfic or starting my own book, which I've had in my head since junior high, is always possible. The book also reminded me to have a strong relationship with my sister, no matter how different our views are about our family. My sister and I have been doing a good job with that, but a little reminder to continue on this positive path never hurts.

An afternoon on the course located in Zanesville, Ohio.

  I played my first round of golf, and I didn't suck as much as I thought I did. Phew! The weather was almost perfect, too; there was a little bit of wind but not enough to damper the day. It was worth walking 18 holes for 8 bucks. What a steal! This course was narrow and short with about 5 par 4 holes. I didn't mind that at all. It made me work on accuracy and taking my time. No birdies, but my butts and approaches are getting much better. Another thing I need to work on is my mental game. I get too anxious and worried about others watching me, especially young people. I played alone, and there were a few groups of girls many holes behind me. Even so, the course is compact, and it was easy for them to see me tee off, putt and whatnot. Mental game is very, very important in golf. This is a hard sport, and the added pressure from others doesn't help. Once that struggle frees my mind, I can play much more relaxed and hopefully better.

  Use time wisely. Even though work is slow, that doesn't mean I should sit back and relax the whole time. Of course, take the breaks because sometimes it's hard to know when the next one is going to be coming. When your boss tells you to go home early, should you question it? I've learned that you should say thank you and make your way out before he or she changes his or her mind. Then, take advantage of that time. My boss told me it was too nice of a day to stay in the office when there was nothing in the office to worry about. So, what did I do with my three extra hours, I spent it outside, of course! I got to work on my golf game. The next step in my growth as a person is to use my time efficiently. I feel I did well by using my time not in the office to enjoy the weather was a step in the right direction. Join me!

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.