Enforced freedom

Poem du jour:
Nothing is ever really lost, or can be lost,
No birth, identity, form--no object of the world.
Nor life, nor force, nor any visible thing;
Appearance must not foil, nor shifted sphere confuse thy brain.
Ample are time and space--ample the fields of Nature.
The body, sluggish, aged, cold--the embers left from earlier fires,
The light in the eye grown dim, shall duly flame again;
The sun now low in the west rises for mornings and for noons continual;
To frozen clods ever the spring's invisible law returns,
With grass and flowers and summer fruits and corn.

- Whitman, "Continuities"

That poem caught my eye, though it doesn't really fit my current mood. To avoid actually laying people off, the company is ordering a forced shutdown for the week. Initially I was peeved, since I am under a lot of pressure to get things done at work. But on the plus side, all the project managers are slacking off on their deadlines, since no one can get anything done by the deadlines. So I've decided if the week off is inevitable, I'm going to lie back and enjoy it.

Giveaway du jour: Okay. One book. I think I can, I think I can... Hey, I've got a whole 9 days off! I can do anything!
Y'know, I don't think I'll ever feel the need to re-read Sean Astin's autobiography again. Been there, and back again. Another book gone.

Exercise du jour: Rania's Personal Trainer DVD, arms and abs.
On a whim, picked up the Cardio Burn KickBox DVD. 50 minutes later, I've definitely worked up a sweat, but I feel good. I hope this isn't too much legwork, considering the couch to 5k program. Oh well, if my knees hurt tomorrow at least I'll know not to do this again.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.