Perfect Days

You don't realize it as it is happening, but some of those uneventful days in our lives are pretty perfect in the way they unfold. Yesterday was one of those days.

I have become the master of putting off to later what I should be doing right now. When I knew that I must spend the day working, I started 'clearing the slate' so I could work with a clear conscience (aka - procrastinating).

I finally replaced the two-sided tape that was holding two mats together at the front door. This seam has become progressively worse over the course of the past year or more. But yesterday was the day I faced up to it and just fixed it.

Furnace filters. Ohmigosh. Why is this a job that I forget, neglect, put off and simply don't do when I should? It is (at most) a two minute job - and that includes stuffing the dirty filter back into the new filter's bag. It is one of the easiest jobs to do in the world. Yet it is one of those things I put off. Not yesterday. I took the required two minutes and replaced that filter.

I puttered around and cleared my work space and mind. Finally I was ready to open my Pandora's Box of work. I never know what I will face when I open these boxes. What appears to be a simple, unassuming task can become all consuming. But not yesterday. I opened the box to find less work than I anticipated. I worked steadily until I 'hit a wall'. Then I moved on.

Our family has been selected to participate in a radio survey. We each received our booklet in the mail yesterday afternoon. After my work was done, I sat down to complete the preliminary 13 pages of survey questions for myself and My Youngest. Why was I so eager to do so? Because they rewarded each of us with a $5.00 bill which they enclosed with the survey. It felt like Christmas! My Second Son immediately suggested that his coffee fund could use a $5.00 bonus. My Youngest collects money (he accumulates cash the way the fridge collects dust - without even trying), so he was happy to add this to his stash. Me? Spending money! Add it to my wallet and dream about what it may do for me. Fun stuff!

I then received a phone call from 'Student Loans'. My loan goes into repayment very soon and I sent back my papers agreeing to the monthly payment. This phone call was to ask if this payment will be affordable for me. My answer is that I would make it affordable. Their response? What is your income? Maybe we can help. Where there is limited income, there is the possibility of assistance. I want to be self sufficient. But if I have to lean a little en route to that goal? We'll see ...

My Second Son then offered to take care of the grocery bill this week. So the onerous task of buying groceries (honestly, it's the time and energy it consumes more than the money involved that makes grocery shopping one of my least-favorite-things-to-do) was lightened. Not only financially ... but he joined me and helped make the task a little easier. My treat was a Starbucks Coffee for each of us at the end of our errand.

We raced home, barely in time to make it to My Youngest's dentist appointment. My Second Son generously offered to put the groceries away (a big part of the reason grocery shopping is such a despised chore) and we made it to the dentist's office on the stroke of the hour of our scheduled appointment. Unfortunately, they were running a half hour behind schedule. Fortunately for me, I brought my book so that I could study while I waited. Productive waiting time. I love when that happens!!

From there, we managed to make it under the wire so that My Youngest could get a (much needed .... like three months ago!) haircut. Again, I studied as I waited for him. Ahhhh .... this is the life!

I came home to find our groceries all put away, 'life' under control and very little to be done. I capitalized on the remaining side effects of my Starbucks Caffeine Boost and wrote a letter to my mom. I normally write to her on Mondays, but the holiday threw my schedule off track. I was in the mood to write and the words flowed freely from my mind to my fingertips. A perfect end to a perfect day.

You never know when it's going to happen. You just know that you must sit back and enjoy the day, when it unfolds so easily.