I went to go watch a buddy of mine from grad school play at a bar in Arlington on Thursday. Show started late--9pm--and I love my sleep, so I went ahead and took a vacation day on Friday to sleep in late. I'm to a point in my 7 Habits reading that I also felt like I needed a day to sit and ponder it, so my day off was billed as a mental health day.

Regarding mental health, I did not get as far into my 7 Habits pondering as I would have liked. Nor did I get enough cleaning done. I thought my mental health would be improved by a decluttering, and while I did get a little done, not near enough.

It turned out that a day such as this probably shouldn't be overscheduled, and maybe shouldn't include such irritants as going to the eye doctor or chopping jalapenos (hello, capsaicin burn!).

I did get my core values more or less determined, and I'm feeling inspired. I had hoped to put together a draft of a personal mission statement during my day off, but it didn't happen, and at the end of the day, I was falling asleep and definitely had to stick to "Quadrant IV" (Stephen Covey-speak for non-urgent, unimportant) activities.

I had an NSV on Friday as well. My day started off with a visit to my favorite masseur, Marlon. I heart massages like crazy, though I do often think, "Gosh, this poor guy has to touch my fat rolls, and my dry feet, and my unshaven legs!" so there are some stressors involved in even going. I try to remember that he must've seen worse, right--RIGHT??? and it's okay.

Well, I was in this situation, and he was working on my thighs, which have always been voluptuous and self-consciousness-inducing, even in my heyday, and I felt him touch something that kind of hurt. Then, he rubbed it again and said, "Hmm."

And I said, "Did you find a knot in my thigh?" which, while I suppose not an impossibility, would have been a first for me.

He answered, "Have you been working out?"

YESSSSSSSSSS!