Waiting and silence this time of year

It's probably safe to assume I won't be getting any calls right now.  Everyone's on vacation, and I'm saving vacation time for interviews I'll (hopefully) get.  As I've said before: I'm very impatient.  Waiting for grants and papers to get reviewed were pretty much the only thing I've had patience for.  I don't know why I accepted the delays on these things, but that's what happened.

I would love to post a pic of my empty lab, but it's a little personal.  But, trust me, it's empty and quiet.  I kind of like the quiet.  I never get it since I live in a major city, and the team-based environment of my lab and household mean I rarely get alone time.  I prefer human interaction, but I get so little alone time that I cherish it.  I love it for a few specific reason:

1.  Meditation.  I don't mean monk-style with chanting.  Just sitting alone and clearing my mind.  I feel fantastic after a good meditation.  It's so relaxing.  I do this when I fish, too.

2.  Getting stuff done.  When I'm not being bothered I get a crazy amount of stuff done.  I can get a week's worth of work done in a day if I'm left alone.  My academia sisters and brothers would agree, I'm sure.

3.  Reading.  Reading is one of my favorite things.  I don't really get a lot of time to do this at home or the office.

4.  Being loud.  I try to be as considerate as possible, so I don't get to be loud.  Blast music, watch YouTube videos without headphones.

5.  Thinking.  In meditation I clear my thoughts, but I get my absolute best ideas when left alone.  I sit there and think about what plagues the current research community and come up with crazy ideas that materialize into awesome things.

Overall, I know I'd get tired of the quiet and turn into Jack Torrance (The Shining), but for this week, I'm going to have the time of my life.