I took some time off.

I haven't gone into work at the newspaper for four days. (Although I did go to a coffee shop Thursday and Friday to check emails and drink dainty cups of espresso, pinky in the air and I remain unsure about me being in a coffee shop doing anything. But I'm trying to grow.)

I have not blogged, as regular readers know, for at least a week.

Some decompression time was needed.

I don't think I've ever felt as tired as I did last weekend. Going from working virtually every day for months to covering the American Birkebeiner to being sick to mom dying, I was ready to sleep forever.

Well I didn't sleep forever and I achieved nothing at home other than some minor cleaning. 

I thought, I drove, I read, I ate (well) and I drank some (yeah, some).

Honestly, I wish I had a couple more days but my colleagues worked their butts off and I'm ready to fill my time again and help them with the honorable work of covering our community.

The night before my first day off, I covered a commemoration of the flooding of the body of water that is the Chippewa Flowage. I found the stories from 100 years ago emotional as residents of an American Indian village were flooded out because commerce and trade needed to flood the property for reasons the Natives did not understand nor benefit from. I'll share that story when I get a chance.

I'm also more committed to settling. It's just that I don't need to complete the settlement on anyone else's timeline but my own. If you look in the windows of my apartment, you will see unpacked boxes. Cool. Judge me.

I learned the Venmo account was valuable during mom's funeral as it covered a hotel room for Kid and me, some meals and, certainly, some drinks.

Unfortunately, I created a minor stink on a Chippewa Falls community page when I asked if there was a Uber in the city so I could go drinking with my Kid. Well, judgment is fun and easy online as people imagined me being driven around the city intoxicated with kid in tow. In fact, Kid is 22 years old, an intellectual who just completed a second comedy show Saturday night. (I'll post links when they're available.)

Thanks for allowing me some time off.

Peace unto Ukraine and peace and rest unto all of you my brothers and sisters.