Lazy Days and Well Earned Vacations

I have never been much of a nap person. Even as a little kid I couldn’t find myself laying in my bed under my Return of the Jedi comforter when I could be on the floor of my bedroom playing with actual Star Wars toys. Naps felt like wasted time where I could be concocting adventures, watching Batman or Spiderman cartoons, or even reading Mad Magazine and laughing at things I barely understood.

This has never really changed for me. Even as an adult man lying down on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon felt sacrilegious to the sacred and holy weekend. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”, I told no one ever in my life. But I certainly thought it. A nap was saved for hangovers, sick days, and rocking a grumpy or ill baby or child to get them to settle down. Barring those things I could be writing, working on music, listening to music, reading, picking up the house, yard work, or sitting for hours wondering what else I could do that’s constructive.

Well that changed Sunday afternoon.

I sat down for lunch Sunday around 2pm and decided I’d watch Diabolique on Criterion. After lunch and shortly after the movie ended I had the sudden urge to close my eyes, just for a second mind you, and rest for just a minute or two. Our daughter had left the house to go do some studying in the Martins Supermarket lounge area(free wi-fi and a Starbucks). My wife had been out till 1am the night before at her work’s big yearly fundraiser, so she laid down downstairs where it’s quiet and dark. I figured why not take advantage of the situation. Take a beat and then maybe return to the music I’d been working on the day before.

I covered up with a quilt and shut my eyes. I heard some rustling and woke to see Celeste come upstairs from cuddling with Grandma and she made her way to the couch where she decided to nap. I closed my eyes, and while occasionally thinking I heard my wife coming up the stairs only to realize it was Celeste snoring, I went out like a light. Had some weird dream I couldn’t recall when I woke. And when I did finally actually hear my wife coming upstairs I thought maybe 20 minutes had passed. I asked her what time it was and she said it was 5:30pm. I’d slept for two and a half hours in the chair.

Whaaaat??? How is this possible? I don’t nap!!

Well guess what? I’ve finally reached the napping age for me. I know lots of people that have napped their whole adult lives with great results, and I’ve finally found my comfort place for naps. I’m not planning on making this a regular thing, but dammit if I didn’t feel refreshed afterwards. And I didn’t have any problems falling asleep that night either. If the mood strikes, I’m shutting my eyes for a bit.

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This is my last day of work, then I’m off for a week for vacation. This is technically the first week-long vacation I’ve had since July of 2024 when my wife and I went to Denver for a very not-great vacation. Last year was just time here and there off, but no long extended destination vacation. This year we’re heading to the wilds of Brown County near Nashville, IN and staying in a nice sized cabin with our adult kids and newest grand puppy Dot for five days.

We used to go to Brown County nearly every summer starting in the summer of 2012 with the kids. It’s a touristy spot, with Nashville, IN being one main drag with all kinds of crafty shops to spend your hard-earned money at. There’s Big Woods Brewing where they have okay beer and great pizza, with an amazing pulled pork nachos dish that will knock your socks off. We’ll head to Bloomington for a day, as well as Indy and I’m hoping to check out my two favorite Central Indiana record shops Landlocked Records and Luna Music. We talked about going to the Indianapolis Zoo as well, and maybe the State Museum.

My main goal next week is to be one with nature, man. I want to hike some trails, grill some grub for the family, and just center myself after a pretty horrendous start to 2026. Work had a rocky, stressful start which led to a five day hospital stay and the diagnosis of heart failure. My heart is far from failing now, but it sure was pretty scary while going through it.

Now that I’m on the right track and feeling better than I have in ages, I want to make the most of feeling great. I want to create memories with my wife and kids that don’t involve me laying in a hospital bed peeing into a medical-grade pitcher every 20 minutes thanks to statins and diuretics. I want to be upright, healthy, and moving. I want to experience the laughter of my wife, kids, and their significant others. I want to hear the pitter patter of Dot’s tiny paws running on the floors of our wooded cabin. I want to sit on the back porch, sipping coffee and looking at the miles of green and blue. Maybe soak in the hot tub at dusk and laugh at inside jokes only us Hubners will get.

I want to worship at the alter of love, family, and aging gracefully and healthily.

I’ll keep in touch. I’m bringing my laptop and there will be daily drops, so don’t think I’m leaving you all behind for a week. No sir. You’re all coming to Brown County with us.

See you in Nashville, fam.