The days before and the day immediately after a break tend to wreak havoc on my ability to get work done at my day job. I move as if underwater, and my brain seems to lock up. I get something done. I really do. But I find myself getting up more often to get a drink of water, find a not-really-essential file, or rearrange papers on my desk. While phone calls at work can sometimes seem like an interruption, today they were a welcome change.

Still, there is something reassuring about the return to work. The rhythm. The routine. The edges that give shape and substance to the ways we fill our days. And perhaps tomorrow I will be more awake, a bit more efficient, even.

And aware that another holiday lies not too far in the distance, too. Which means I’d better get things done while I still can, before the fog of vacation descends again.