Bored but Happy

Without my kids here I get a lot done, and it’s really peaceful, but I end up being bored. How does that happen? I drove them to their dad’s house yesterday afternoon and headed back home. I didn’t have much to do so I watched back episodes of “Supernatural” on the computer. In the middle of one Ellen called me to chat so I called her back when I was finished watching it. We were on the phone for over five hours. That’s what happens when you have no life. Ellen is laid up at home after having foot surgery and I am laid up just because I have no life outside of my home.

We chatted about anything and everything. First time we’d done that in a really long time. Back when I lived in MO we talked almost every day, for hours sometimes. Last night was just the same. Anything that came up we talked about, and that would lead to something else, and so on. We finally hung up sometime after 1:00 in the morning, or thereabouts, right Ellen? And I watched TV for a few minutes before going to sleep. I actually get to sleep, too, when the kids aren’t here. Dolly isn’t in my bed smacking me in the face or pushing me off the edge. It’s nice.

When I got up this morning the house was quiet because Kara was at work and the kids were out of the house. It was just me, my cats, and her dogs. I showered and got ready to do some errands – all by myself. When the kids aren’t here I get to go alone. There’s none of that whining and crying that goes along with a shopping trip with kids in tow. And they’re not here to whine and cry either. J I can actually walk through the stores without hearing, “Mom, can we have a treat?” “Will you buy us (fill in the blank)?” “C’mon, Mom, pleeeaaase?” It was nice to be able to do that today, but I still hate shopping.

I actually had to go shopping for Zach’s birthday. He turned eight today. First time since he was a year old that his dad got to be with him on his actual birthday, so I’m sure it was a treat for all of them. Anyway, I had to get Zach’s gifts and Kara wanted me to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. Not a problem, right? Wrong! I wrote down everything on a shopping list because that’s what I do. I had the list with me, either in my hand or in my back pocket – and I still kept forgetting shit. Go figure.

I went to the strip mall across the street from us and found Zach a couple of gifts there. Then I headed to the supermarket to get the groceries. I read off the list and got what I needed, paid and headed out to the van. Got in the van, started the engine, and realized, FUCK, I forgot the pizza sauce. I had everything else but that. Okay, I’ll make my last stop at one other store to get Zach something he specifically asked for. Maybe they’ll have the sauce there. I’m cool. Relaxed. Fuck again! I also forgot his cake mix while I was in the supermarket. Grrrrrrrrr… I’ll just look in the next store for that too.

Get to the store and find what Zach wanted then searched for the sauce and the cake mix. Gotta be there, right? Of course not. Why would the items I need actually be waiting in the store for me? FUDDRUCKER!!! Alright, I’ll run back to the supermarket to get the sauce but I know I can get the cake mix cheaper at another store I know of. Get to the supermarket and can’t find pizza sauce. Text Kara: “What is pizza sauce and where do I find it?” Waiting…waiting…waiting…no answer. Shit – she must be busy and can’t get to me. Okay, can’t find it so I’ll just come back later. On to the last store for the cake mix.

Wouldn’t you know it, they didn’t have it there either. They had cake mix, just not what Zach wanted. Shit!!! Now I gotta go back to the supermarket just for the cake mix. The people there are gonna thing I’m nuts. Do I care? Nope – I am nuts. So, back to the store to the baking aisle. Get the cake mix, get the frosting, get the candles, get the writing gel, but no food coloring anywhere in sight. Seriously!? What to do…what to do? He wants blue icing so what can I use to color the white that I bought? Well, they have a tube of blue writing gel. That’ll do it. Got everything now and I’m on my way back home. Happy to be finished with all my errands.

I get all comfy in the van, start the engine, turn the corner toward home and, holy fucking shit, I forgot to get Kara’s younger son his birthday gift. His birthday is Tuesday so we’re doing gifts and cake for both boys tomorrow. Now picture me sitting in my van, driving home after going to six stores, one of them three times, and suddenly remembering that I needed to buy another gift at the same store where I found some of Zach’s gifts. What is wrong with me? Nothing other than the fact that I’m so relaxed I can’t remember anything.

So I get home and decide I’ll get Little Boy’s gift later or tomorrow morning. Just as I’m packing out the groceries in the kitchen Kara finally texts me back saying that the pizza sauce is over by the pasta sauces. I’d figured that and that’s where I’d looked but still didn’t see any. Not to mention the fact that it’s Saturday and the store was crowded. I was ready to punch people in their heads to get them out of my way. I didn’t; it was just a thought. I texted her that I’d go back to the store later to look again. Then she called and asked if we had any sauce and paste in the pantry. Those are staple items so, yes, we did. She told me not to bother going back to the store, she’d just use what was there. Okay, fine by my. I still had to go back for the other gift, though.

I came downstairs, wrapped Zach’s gifts and was ready to get comfy when I decided it was better to run back to the store then, rather than wait. Good thing I still had my shoes on or I’d have been really ticked. I hate shoes and they’re the first things I take off when I get home and the last thing I put on before I leave. I’d left them on when I was wrapping Zach’s stuff – I don’t know why – so I was up and out the door in a shot. Got to the store, headed right to the aisle I needed, got two small gifts, paid and was back home in less than 15 minutes. YEA ME!!! Finally got all my errands done. Then I had to clean.

I did a quick clean down here, put in some more laundry while I folded what I’d done Friday and watched “Must Love Dogs” that I’d rented from Netflix. That’s the movie with John Cusack and

Diane Lane

, and they meet through a personal ad. I love John Cusack but this movie wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I rated it three-out-of-five stars. Anyway, got done watching that and I was bored again. So you know what I did? I watched some more back episodes of “Supernatural” on the computer; had dinner with Kara, then came back down to watch some more.

The only reason I’m not watching it now is because I paused the episode I was watching to fill you guys in on my oh-so-exciting day. Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy, healthy, enjoying my quiet time, and getting my energy realigned – but I’m still bored. I guess that’s the life of a single mom when her kids aren’t around for the weekend. I actually work better under pressure. The deadline is looming and I get shit done. When I’m too relaxed, nothing seems to flow right. But I guess that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t mind; it helps me get myself in order to be a better mom and a better me. I may be bored, but I’m loving it. Now back to "Supernatural." J

Until next time…peace to all.