This past weekend, I found myself with quite a bit of work to do, which, unfortunately will be taking up the majority of my summer.  The two classes that I am taking to complete my certificate both require a ton of reading…more than I had anticipated.  I had tried to continue reading for pleasure, but after attempting a not-so-great book that I have basically given up on (I haven’t touched it in about a week), I realized that my time (mind) needs to be devoted to these classes.  So, last weekend, when my boyfriend had plans to do a few things with his dad in Long Island, I tagged along…and so did my work.

I woke up Saturday morning, exercised (a new routine I recently started that I’m obsessed with, but more on that later), had breakfast and made a quick trip to CVS (nail polish emergency).  Then I slathered on sunscreen, threw on a bikini, and headed outside to sit by the pool and do a massive amount of reading.  The thought in my head was, if I have to work, I might as well sit outside and get a little color while doing it. After all, I was a mere two and a half (now two) weeks away from my trip to Florida with Billy, and I needed a base so that I don’t burn.  I had a manuscript of two-hundred-plus pages that I needed to become familiar with – an editing project for one of my classes – and I was determined to get a chunk of it read.  I had brought a couple magazines with me to leaf through if I needed a break, but I quickly decided that they would be the reward for later, and they were banished along with my phone to a table far-far-away from me.  I had trouble settling down at first, but after a quick dip in the pool and a few sips of a lime-o-rita (sooo delicious), I got to work. 

The next day, I went to a morning yoga class – an hour and a half long – then grabbed a latte and walked home.  Once again, I spent much of the day on my assignments (a pretty blah weekend if you ask me), going back-and-forth between the manuscript and a take-home exam.  I was alone for most of the day, which was good because I was able to work with few distractions, and accomplished a lot.  After another day of countless hours at work (on the weekend), I treated myself to froyo, and then had some wine in the backyard with a few friends, until the bugs drove us away. 

Yesterday I came home to a box from Amazon with two books.  I was excited for a moment, but then remembered that they needed to be put aside until after I’m done with my classes (we’ll see how long that lasts).  They have been added to a pile along with the two books that I picked up from a late Barnes & Noble run last week.  Sadly, it seems as if it will not be a summer full of reading for enjoyment…although I fully plan on taking a book down with me when I go away in two weeks.