**T minus 12 days**

It is, I concede, pathetic to complain about this, but I am not at all interested in the day-to-day obligations of work which commence again in about 12 days. Traveling was fun, prepping classes is a drag, and other than watering my plant, I have avoided the office like the plague - instead working from home with my faithful dog companion curled up next to me (yes, that means on the furniture). But I fear a flood of "quit your whining" comments from those who haven't enjoyed a 6 week break from work that I enjoy each winter.

Even though I am not AT work, I am working. I have a script due in a few days so there are some deadlines looming. I was handed a new course to teach shortly before leaving for Ecuador. I have to redesign a control studio for the radio station. But in general, I am feeling pretty directionless and quite restless - neither of which helps my mood. Add to the mix, NO SUNSHINE in this part of the world for a month or more, and, well, I am understanding the appeal of being a Florida sunbird in the winter.

But there is more to this than the basic laziness and generally dreary weather that dampens my enthusiasm for another semester. I am well acquainted with this point in my job. At about the 4 year point, I get restless. Last time this happened I took another job within a year. I don't particularly want to move again, but I am getting pretty bored.

I thought law school would keep me focused and suitably overwhelmed for 4 years, but the coveted scholarship did not come through so I have withdrawn my deposit that holds my 1L seat. For the past year, law school (on top of full time employment) was my plan, my intellectual raison d'etre, so maybe the vacuum this change of plans has created might be contributing to this "floating" feeling. So, I am considering options:

• Another book - a more theoretical one this time (appeals to my intellectual AND masochistic side)
• Expand my technical training on multimedia software and lay the groundwork for opening a training center (appeals to my increase-my-income side)
• Become fluent in spanish (appeals to my trav-o-phile side)
• Re-learn Calculus (appeals to my want-to-understand-what-the-heck-my-son-is-learning side)
• Get serious about gaining some home improvement skills (appeals to my want-to-remodel-my-house-but-can't-afford-it side)
• Start investing in lottery tickets (appeals to my desire-not-to-work side)

Being a linear kinda gal, I would not do all these things well working on them simultaneously. So I am mulling it over.