Empty calendar brings many possibilities

I’m tired. I know we are already 15 days into the new year, but I don’t think I have fully recuperated from all the holiday festivities yet.

There was so much to do in such a short time. Parties, family and work gatherings, cookie baking, festive meals to prepare, gifts to purchase, lights to see and, oh yeah, work.

If only there was a way to use a shoehorn, or something similar, to squeeze a few more hours into each day. I ran from before sunup until well after sundown.

Nothing seemed easy this year. Maybe it was the weather. The warm, sunshine-filled days evoked images of swimsuits and summer, not snowflakes and a winter wonderland. They beckoned me outside, adding typically dormant activities to my already overburdened schedule.

Even something as simple as wrapping presents became a challenge. Although they seem to magically appear overnight at my house, it’s my nighttime wrapping sessions that make this happen.

Over the years, as my kids have gotten older, they began staying up later. That means I have to stay up later to keep them from snooping when I’m wrapping their gifts.

This year, I managed one late-night session. But faced with a few things still to wrap I resorted to the next best thing: I sneaked everything into the trunk of my car and finished the job at work — after hours, of course.

After we rang in the new year, there was still much to be done. The house had to be put back into order. Decorations put into their containers and stowed away until next year. And the hamper was overflowing.

All I wanted to do was nothing.

Fortunately, the weather brought the perfect excuse to do exactly that this past Sunday. With the rain falling steadily and the gray clouds casting a gloom, it was the ideal day to sit on the couch in front of a roaring fire and relax.

Maybe that’s part of Mother Nature’s secret. Winter weather invites lazy afternoons with steaming cups of cocoa and a good book or movie.

After a month of hectic schedules, it was time to slow down, take a deep breath and prepare for the coming year.

And from the look of the January calendars from various organizations throughout Boulder City, I think I’m not the only one who carved out a bit of time to take it easy.

I know as the newness of 2015 begins to wear off, our calendars will be filled with a variety of events and activities. That’s OK. With two more months of winter, there should be a few opportunities for me to recharge my batteries.

For now, I’ll starting training for the year ahead, slowly adding entries to my schedule, with a catnap or two sprinkled in for good measure. In no time, I’ll be ready for all the fun and festivities.

Just thinking about everything coming in the months ahead is getting my adrenaline going. Maybe, I’m not that tired after all. An empty calendar is just a place waiting for exciting possibilities. See you around town.