I was given a gift ~ Time.Sorry I haven't figured out how to get more of it, go back or forwards in it, travel between it or stop it.I'm talking about "Me" time. This doesn't happen to me very often, so I keep a folder in one of the file cabinets in my brain full of ALL the things I want to do when such an occasion arises.
Read - Always at the top of the list, especially now with that library late fee on the books - if I'm reading a library book - OCD is in hyper drive."Gotta finish this book, can't be late, what if the one I put on hold comes in and I'm still reading this one? And that one is a new one, can't renew it, only have two weeks…."
Catch up on my shows - hubby doesn't like most of the shows I do, so the DVR is always holding something for me. Settle down, get comfy, maybe a visit from my now one and only pet - my kitty Groovy. (This time last year we had two cats, a fish and a dog. We've lost a lot in the last year, but this isn't about that.) Whoops - OCD again - What do I watch? Where should I sit, love-seat or couch? Do I need a snack? A drink? Depends on the weather, mood, moon phase - whatever. Ice cream, trail mix, wine, champagne, vodka, hot chocolate, granola bar, tea, vodka, coffee, vodka? But first I'd have to straighten up the living room.
Call my girlfriend? Who I haven't spoken to in what seems like forever because I need more than 5 minutes - I WANT more than 5 minutes. The one I've been putting off calling, no that's not the right phrase, the one I've been waiting to call when I had a quiet moment.A moment that doesn't involve screaming children in the background, that doesn't reveal by my tone of voice that I may have lost some sanity or some patience, but I haven't lost that pregnancy weight - from the first pregnancy - nearly 5 years ago.
Take a bath --- always a pleasure. Two for one on this one - bring the book - and some wine. A threesome - wait that didn't sound right. But first I'd have to clean the bathtub. Plus this is my escape when every one is home.Write in the girls' journal. Both of them! I will bring both of them up to date! But first I'd have to choose a pen - choosing pen colors is big time for me. Which color did I write in last time? Am I using too much of one color? Do I need to put in some of my cut outs, which ones?
While I'm deciding what to do with all this me time I bring the laundry downstairs and sort it.While I'm down in the basement I remember that I promised Groovy I'd do her litter boxes. Yes I promised, and a promise is a promise. And yes, that was boxes plural because we used to have two kitties - Groovy's twin brother, Timmy. It'll be a year soon that he died and I just can't seem to bring myself to get rid of the other box. She actually uses both of them too, odd little minx. OK - litter boxes done. Might as well throw in a wash while I'm here and hang up the one that's in the washing machine. We don't have a dryer. Clarification - for semantic people - we HAVE a dryer, it just doesn't work, it broke over two years ago. So I hang the clothes up in the boiler room, which is fine in the winter, not so great in the summer. Can't hang them outside in the summer (or the winter, spring, fall) because the girls' have a play set out back - and even when they didn't - the line kept falling down. I don't know why it kept falling down on me; stayed there fine the 35 years my Mom used it when she owned the house. This is one of my struggles, laundry. I'm used to it. Heading back upstairs now, just need to bring the bag of litter outside to the garbage. I wave to my neighbor which reminds me that I need Olivio - I don't know why this reminds me I need Olivio - these things are completely unrelated. But I come back inside and search for my little notepad that I keep in my purse for my shopping list which takes me about 15 minutes to locate and write "Olivio". Then I try to think of what else I need and write a few things down, call hubby, ask him if he remembers what else we need, or if he needs anything. Then laugh hysterically at myself after I leave him a message - because he didn't answer - because he's not there, because HE HAS THE GIRLS TO GIVE ME SOME "ME" TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! This is just so hysterically funny to me that I have to call my sister Mare and tell her. She's the only other person on the planet that will laugh as hard as I do at myself. Since I have her on the phone, I ask her what I should do with all this free time. We decide that no matter what I decide, I need wine. Absolutely. A fabulous idea! Except…I don't have any.That's OK. I need those few things from the store anyway and the liquor store is just a few stores down from the grocery store and some fresh air will do me good too. I call my Mom to see if she needs anything from the store, she doesn't but it's a nice day, so she'll come for a walk. At the store, I look for my list and I don't have it. And not only that, I can't remember what was on it even though I just wrote it out 10 minutes ago. Great. Well, let's walk up and down the aisles maybe that'll spark something. Not feeling particularly sparkly, but I think I got most of the stuff - let's get that wine. Good. Great. Yum.
Got home, groceries away - except for the Olivio - because I forgot to buy it, because it was on the list that wasn't in my bag.
Open the bottle, pour my glass and sure enough you've guessed by now where this was all headed - in they come."Me" time turns into "Family" time just….like….. that. And that's just fine, plus now there's wine!
