The end is extremely f***ing nigh...

...for my time off work, that is. Yep, it's been a fun stretch, and the best part is I still have today! However, tomorrow it will be back to reality. It's been a nice balance of "stuff for me" vs. "stuff that needs to get done" during the last 4 days. I had an idea of how tired and burned out from work I was, but I really didn't know the extent of it until I stopped going for a few days. In most instances, I'd probably be ruing my imminent return to the world of work, but this time, not so much. I'm rested, refreshed and feel like it's time to get back to reality.

I've caught up on my sleep, spent a lot of time blogging and catching up on e-mail, and just generally taking care of myself. It's so easy in this world to NOT take care of yourself. For all the emphasis we put on a solid mental health and making sure we're ok, I think that we as adults (and men in particular) are pretty good at not doing that. For me, it's always "I SHOULD be doing this or that or whatever" not "what do I need for me?" And yes, as usual, there's a balance that needs to be maintained. I don't have the right to become a completely selfish bastard and not attend to the needs of my family or those around me. But ultimately, if I don't take care of myself, I'm not able to take care of them either.

In another lifetime, I'd be wishing for the rage virus to arrive and save me from having to have my time off work end. This time, I'm ready. I think. Ask me tomorrow night.