Complicating a Bath

It's amazing how much free time you have when you don't spend three hours of your day commuting to work.

On Wednesdays, we are allowed to work from home, and with the mountains of snow and freezing temperatures still lingering from last week's Snowmaggedon there was no way I was leaving the house if I didn't have to. But at 6:30 p.m., I had put in a full day of work, gone to the doctor and the gym, taken the dog out and made dinner. By the time 7 rolled around, I was at a loss for what to do next.

Lake Shore Drive shut down during the blizzard of 2011

The thing is- I've never really known what to do with free time because I've spent a lifetime filling it up. Barberree is always telling me to "just relax," but I can't help thinking of all the things I could get done whenever I have a spare moment. It's a blessing and a curse.

So I decided to take a bath because I reasoned that's what people do when they have time to "just relax." And because I couldn't decide whether to bring my computer or my book in the tub with me, I went in with nothing. By the time the water filled up, I had already washed my face, shaved my legs and exfoliated my feet. And then it dawned on me- I am the only person in the world who could complicate a bath.

I slumped back and let the water splash over me. Defeated and unable to relax.

It was at that time I realized that I was narrating these events in my head, mentally writing this exact blog post. And to be honest, it's not the first time I have done that. I have narrated what I was doing as I was doing it since I was a kid. It was how I first knew I wanted a future with words. I just have a hard time shutting my mind off.

So, maybe I can't "just relax" or just take a bath. But damn, can I multitask. And damn can I make a story out of nothing.