All I know is that this blog is serving to be a wonderful tool for procrastination. I have giant decrapification plans for today, but spreadsheets be damned... I'm not going to have much time to blog starting next week, so I'd better soak it up while the going is good!
Plus, I had an awesome day yesterday that rivalled Monday's awesome day, and I must share! Be forewarned, though. If any of you thought I was cool, composed, and had super modern, excellent taste in music, you may be in for a surprise.
First item of business for Tuesday was - look at spreadsheet. So, I pulled up my spreadsheet and it said that I was to spend the morning organizing the linen closet and the afternoon cleaning the utility room.
Second item of business for Tuesday was to formally disregard the spreadsheet and go find some place to get my eyebrows shaped and a pedicure. So, off I went to the last place I had a pedicure, walked right in and asked them if they could take me immediately. And they could... joy!
I plunked myself onto the torture table and endured my annual eyebrow waxing/threading. I realize that it probably makes no sense to do this at all if you aren't going to maintain it more than once a year, but as my friend Ashley always says, "whatev". I had forgotten how torturous threading is.
The next part was the only dark shadow on my second perfect day in a row. The esthetician leans over me and says, "I think we should do above your lip next. It's kind of long in the corners."
????!!!
I thought I was the only one who could detect my girl-stache! Mortification set in, and then I quashed my impulse to roll to the right off the table and out the front door. Then I said, "do it".
I don't love the whole "OMG" movement, but OHH EMMMM GEEEEE! That hurt sooooo bad! I will never do that again.
Anyway, back to awesomeness. Once that ordeal was over with, it was time for the pedicure. I leaned back into the massage chair and dipped my feet into the bath and closed my eyes. Ahhh. Why is it again that I don't make time to do this more often? I always kind of thought those massage chairs were tacky, but yesterday I found myself mentally assessing whether I could pretty one up with throw blankets and clever lighting enough so that it might look ok in our family room. Conclusion - no amount of disguising will ever make these chairs look nice.
Oh. There was a second dark shadow on the day. I was jolted out of my bliss by a flash of pain when the esthetician cut my foot! She was very apologetic and polysporin/bandaged my toe right away, but now I am finding myself slightly obsessed with changing the bandage throughout the day - I've heard bad things about infections from pedicures. Keeping fingers crossed that it will be fine.
OK... I now realize I am not doing a great job of making this day sound awesome. Trust me, though... it was. I was out without kids (I love them so very much, but doesn't change the fact that free time feels sooo good!), my feet looked pretty, my face would look pretty as soon as the redness subsided, and I had the rest of the day ahead of me to spend as I pleased. This day was going excellently!
When I left the salon, I decided that since the weather was stupendous and since I might not get this chance again this week, that I would do the one thing that was 100% guaranteed to make me happy.
I decided I would grab lunch for the road and go to see the Forks of the Credit.
Now, I have been trying to see the Forks of the Credit for my entire maternity leave, but due to some road construction, it just never happened. I had kind of resigned myself to the fact that I just wasn't going to get to see them this year. Then I forgot about them. In that moment, I was so happy that I remembered them because I instantly got that feeling of anticipation. I was so excited! And free!
So, I grabbed some lunch and jumped in the van. Full tank of gas... bonus! I always feel like a rich person when I realize I have gas. Rich people probably never jump in the car late for something and see the fuel gauge on "E". They probably never ask their mechanics if there is some sort of super-safe, cheap, work-around solution to your rotors being burnt out either. :-)
I kid, I kid. I have functioning brakes.
Finally.
Anyway, the sun was shining, and the trees overhead were making those awesome moving shadows on the hood and windshield as I drove along. I was smiling to myself and soaking in the scenery as I headed toward the Forks.
Now, I should say, I wasn't exactly sure what the Forks of the Credit were. I'd just heard people talk about them, and I knew there was a windy road there, so I figured I'd like them.
When I got there, I wasn't disappointed. It's not like there was some hidden majestic mountain there or anything, but it was just a really beautiful, scenic drive. Some of the bends are so sharp that it literally feels like the road is going to cross back over itself like a loop! I saw beautiful hills, pretty riversides, an old guy wrestling a dog at the visitors centre... it was wonderful.
And then suddenly the past year washed over me and I burst into tears. This was it. My year with my kids was over. I was crying gigantic, fat, rolling tears all over the steering wheel.
You would think I might pull over and just have a good cry, but no. Not me. I was determined that I was going to enjoy my much anticipated trip through the Forks. So, I just drove slowly, crying and pulling over to let people pass me while I took in the sights. I even oohed and ahhed to myself through the tears.
Why am I like this? Oh well, who cares. I like me. :-)
Then I thought to myself, I should drive back through this road again and just turn on the radio and find some peppy music and have my last memories of the Forks be positive. So, I turned the van around, and headed back into the scenic drive, flipping through the stations.
And then "Orinoco Flow" by Enya came on the radio.
And I started bawling even harder all over again.
Picture the ugliest cry you've ever had. Then picture yourself driving through hairpin turns listening to Enya. It was ridiculous.
I should mention that the reason I started crying even harder is a bit complex. It's because when my brother was very little, he LOOVED this song. I have wonderful memories of him pretending to bang giant drums to the song, and he thought it was just the most beautiful music he had ever heard. So, this made me nostalgic, which usually makes me weepy, which compounded my perfect storm of emotions, resulting in ugly crying. :-)
So, I had now done two complete runs of the Forks bawling like a baby. Perfect! I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, it was very cathartic. By the time I was all cried out, I was very satisfied with my trip and decided that it was time to cap it off with some retail therapy.
So, I headed out of the Forks and found this:
Umm... it was as if someone designed this store just for me on a day like this! And what is that white thing out front! I would kill for it if only I knew what on earth I would use it for!
Inside was a treasure trove of lots of neat stuff (truth in advertising!). Like this:
 |
| A skunk feather duster - so weird! |
 |
| Where on earth would you put such a giant silk lantern? |
I decided that I should buy myself a pair of earrings to commemorate my cathartic trip to the Forks. I also couldn't pass over these cute monkey chopsticks for Kaycie, who has been dying to learn how to use chopsticks ever since she saw the movie "Ponyo".
 |
| My purchases are lovingly displayed here on one of the new placemats I bought on Awesome Day #1. |
After my trip to the store, I decided to head home. I got in the van and decided I needed more music on the trip back to civilization. My husband will know just how gleefully overjoyed I was as I cruised over a hill, looking into a blue sky with puffy white clouds overhead, and turned on the radio just in time to hear the start of "Wild Horses" by Gino Vannelli.
I told you I wasn't cool! :-)
Cool or not, I envy you! ; )
ReplyDelete