hermitage

i have been holing up, staying in, bunkering down. i've been relishing every moment of solitude in my cozy apartment, spending hours upon hours watching movies and reading.

i have the added benefit of an empty house for 5 weeks. just me, my wifi and five new english non-fiction books brought back from the u.s.

but all around me it seems people are doing the same thing. are we in a slump, as my sister likes to say, or has global warming heated us into a haze? this may have been the most universally antisocial weekend since i've lived in madrid, but it was perfect.

and is it really antisocial to hang out with yourself? it's not like i'm moping, i'm genuinely having a good time here. it wasn't until five years ago that i learned to appreciate being alone. the most amazing thing is being able to do exactly what you want at every moment.

but somehow i always feel a little guilty about staying home, my conscience tells me i should be "doing" something. when do i have a genuine cause for concern? it's been about 5 days now. if i haven't regained my vitality in a week, please raise your eyebrows disapprovingly at me, deal?

until then, i have the new erik larson to read and a scanner darkly just finished downloading...

today's question: does today's picture remind you of anything? (you know who you are)