First Week of the New Year

My first week (or shall I say, half week) back at work was uneventful. Like most, I wished for an extra day off to recover from vacation fatigue. Although I didn't go on any trip this holiday, I just felt I needed one more day to recoup. Being off for a week and a half can be taxing.

The workweek started on January 2nd, Wednesday. We had our regular 2-hour staff meeting, but there was really no agenda since there was nothing much to talk about. Most of the day was spent catching up on emails and tying up loose ends. The highlight of the day was the Warriors game at Oracle Arena. Most were still on holiday mode. Traffic was very light almost everywhere, and BART parking was aplenty. You had the train all to yourself.

My son was still on Christmas vacation from school, so he spent the remainder of the week preparing for his HSPT this Saturday. Since the public schools were also on vacation, there were no official basketball practices scheduled. His team will have 2 games this weekend, so his coach decided to hold a practice on Thursday at one of the public elementary school's outdoor basketball court, in 52F weather. That evening, I had a pastoral parish council meeting that I missed because of a prior commitment.

And today, Friday, well, I didn't even count it as a workday. There was hardly anyone, anywhere. In the past few years, I've noticed that fewer people are actually coming in to work on Fridays because traffic is lighter. There are more parking spaces available almost anywhere, trains and buses are half-filled, and even restaurants are less crowded. It's either people are telecommuting more or work every other Fridays. The next less busy workday is Monday. Surprisingly, everyone seems to come in to the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the busiest days. Then, it begins to taper off on Thursdays.

This evening, we had reservations at Oasis Grille, a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Pleasanton. The appetizer sampler and the sauces were amazing, but I wasn't too happy with my entre. I will have to come back, try something else, and tell you more about it. Overall, it wasn't bad.

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday. I greeted her today (the 5th in Manila) over the phone , and I just wished she heard and understood me. I miss her and surely want to see her. Hopefully, soon.

This weekend will be quite busy. My son has a crucial basketball game on Saturday against arch rival St. Anne, and another on Sunday against OLG. His classmates' girl's volleyball team also has a game on Saturday, and we might watch.

This Sunday also ends the Christmas season with the Feast of the Three Kings. This means that the Christmas tree and all the decorations must come down. Now, I have to figure out how to cut that darn tree in half and drag it out on the curb to be picked up by Tuesday. I just hope I have enough will power to do it. In the meantime, I'll make the most of the weekend.

I am (not) looking forward to the "real" start of the workweek next week when everything goes back to crazy normal.

Have a great 2013 !!!

(Author acknowledges Wikipedia for the photograph used.)