Retirement? A Pipe Dream That Fails Again

Voting for the current LJ Idol closes on Thursday night, and I hope that you'll consider voting for my story. We're down to 18 people now, but I already have two strikes and one more and I'm "out". I'd rather be "in" for at least one more challenge, and maybe quite a few more past that. Here's the link for you to follow:  https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1125058.html . 

I'm into the final 18 and I'm pleased about that, but this 
was a smaller group than they have had sometimes in the 
past too. I think I'm a bit grateful about that, because 
reading and voting on several 100 stories would be 
beyond my ability. I do have to read all of these and get 
my votes in, though. 

It's been a lot of fun and a good challenge writing to prompts in this fashion. I remember writing Tolkien fan-fic to prompts in other cases, or in format prompts - drabbles, poetry, stories of less than 500 words, etc. I always enjoyed the goal and the parameters shifting to give my brain and imagination a bit of exercise. In this instance our prompt was Laiochezia - emotional relief gained by using indecent or vulgar language. I'm not sure where our moderator comes up with these prompts, but he's made me use my dictionary quite a lot. 

I've never put a lot of thought in curse words, and the 
words I've chosen have changed over the years, but I 
think everyone does use them at one point or another 
in their lives. 

As for retirement on August 30th? I think that was a pipe dream, and I'm massively disappointed about it. I'm stuck on DH's time schedule and I'm hating every minute of it. And, of course, he just DOESN'T get it. At all. I'm grateful I've got my days off, and I'm especially grateful I've got Sharon coming up so I'll have several days in a row off with her and the State Fair and Renaissance Festival, but I'm angry and I'm disappointed. 

I'm angry and disappointed, so I'll take it out on the 
pool in a bit less than an hour from now. At least 
I'll probably get a good workout going. 

I'm disappointed and sad and borderline depressed, and it seems like all of the effort I put through the last two years to put a lock on it and walk away has come down to nothing at all. We actually have managed to do quite a lot, but not enough. Not enough to actually call it the end of a long day. And when I'm busy working hard at computer work, he's playing bridge on his phone or doing crossword puzzles. GRRRRRR! 

Last week Thursday's swim was amazing! The clouds 
were perfectly positioned, and when the sun rose, 
the sky turned brilliant orange. Every single swimmer 
stopped and looked at the sky. All of us! It was a 
magical time. 

I'm off to the pool to swim some of this growl out of me. I forget what never-ending task he's got me doing now, but I'm sure I'll remember it when I sit back down at my desk at the shop. It's all a big "whatever" right now. Still, I have the pool, so it can't all be bad. Have an excellent day, please go read and vote, and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.