What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens.

This is to give you folks an idea of how important your opinions are to me. I have 5 more full days of vacation left (after today) – the last of my vacation time this year *sighs deeply in despair*. I’ve already lost 3 days of it wallowing in my own viral filth on this sofa. But since, as of earlier this afternoon, I’m feeling like I might well live through this seasonal infection, I’m debating on how to spend these last 5 days of precious freedom.

It was originally my intent to do some much needed chores around the place – like unpack some stuff from the basement (stuff that’s been waiting to be unpacked for over 2 years now…or is it 3?); clean out the kitchen cabinets so I can sand them and repaint them so they don’t horrify every unfortunate soul who’s curse it is to actually see them; clean up the bathrooms so they’ll be ready to paint some weekend in the far distant future, so they will no longer resemble country filling station bathrooms; rip up the half-rotted carpet in my mom’s end of the house, not because I’ll have time to work on the wood floors beneath, but just to get the filth and grime embedded in it out of the house where human beings tread; or should I start de-junking the bedroom that’s destined to be Kendall’s bedroom (not that THAT won’t be a junked room also); maybe finish spackling and sanding on the ancient walls of my mom’s end of the house, maybe even paint one or two (even though, regardless of how much work I put into anything in that end of the house, 2 weeks later my mom and Kendall – both of whom give new meanings to the words ‘slobs’ – won’t have it all trashed and looking like I never did anything there).

OR…should I just take it easy these last few days and do stuff I genuinely enjoy doing, like ride my 2 fat mares; wander about the neighborhood looking for photo opps; putter in the garden and the dirt; gather up and organize my photography and artwork, make some new prints or – better yet, think of some ways to market the ones I already HAVE; or work on some paintings; maybe fiddle a bit with learning Dreamweaver – that awesome program I still gaze at from across the room with great trepidation?

What’s the verdict, Mindsay? Cast your official vote HERE! Polls close in just minutes less than 10 more hours from NOW!