Working? 9-4-05

This, as they say, does not suck. This is where I am sitting, at one of the tables to the left, the large window walls are pushed back to allow the warm, soft humidity of the ocean breeze to flow through the atrium. I have my sexy laptop in front of me creating curriculum for Anthem on-line college, and when I am done with each chapter, I can e-mail it from anywhere I happen to be that has an internet connection. When I look up casually from my laptop between paragraphs, I see palm trees swaying, the high, blue tide on the beach stretching out beyond the zero-edge lagoon waterfall and the perfect-temperature pools below. I am working, actually getting paid for this.

The atrium I am in is on the far left, just inside the patio where those people are sitting, and there's that zero edge lagoon waterfall...

And what is beyond THAT in my vision is this--there's that perfect pool and beach I referred to (except this is an older photo from low tide).

Don’t I feel sorry for myself that I am not out there right now? Actually, no, for two reasons: First, I have a work deadline, and this was not a “planned vacation.” This was a last-minute, “Hey, we could go camping this weekend” (If you are confused about the resort being camping, see the earlier entry below for enlightenment). This is one of those deals where if I didn’t have such incredible, portable work, I might have said, “Nah, I have work to do this weekend, you guys go ahead and have fun and I’ll see you on Monday.” But I don’t have a whole weekend’s worth of work to do, only about 12 hours worth, so that would have been sad to kiss off the whole experience for two runs of part-day stuff at the most.
Secondly, it is hot at mid-day in the sun out there, and I know that it is all waiting for me once I am done. I’ll be sure to be done for the day by 4:00, when happy hour at the pool offers cold beverages and fresh tortilla chips. I am free of the typical vacation mindset of hurry-up-and-relax so one can rush back to “the grind at work” –I can work a few hours, relax a few hours… In a way, I am just like anyone else sitting in their office, exchanging their time for pay, looking forward to get off work… but my cubical and my after-work destination is a step up…
(Oh, and by the way, in case the place is melting you, you can rent a week here at Mayan Palace Puerto Penasco for less than $100/day, 2 bedroom suite, sleeps up to 10. 4.5 hr drive from Phx - split up the cost and it's a screaming deal for a 5-star resort - just ask me)