21 Days: Day 9

How ’bout those Buckeyes? There’s something special about cheering together for sports that breaks down barriers. I mean you rarely see grown men so exuberantly displaying affection the way you do after a big win. Women are different, at least the ones I hang with. We can go deep, cry and pledge our undying love to each other on a random Tuesday with very little provocation. It’s an interesting phenomenon, though, the guys loving each other. It’s particularly endearing with this bunch since I’ve loved most of them for almost 30 years. Yeah, that’s the good stuff.

1. What is not good stuff, however, is the sleep deficit that results from 8:30 p.m. games. Why couldn’t they play on Saturday? Oh well. I was so afraid I would sleep through my alarm that I woke up about 427 times in the night. Grateful for: at 3:37a.m.–2 more hours of sleep; at 4:46–ummm…Brad’s not snoring or hiccupping…oops, jinxed that; at 6:10–oh shit, I did sleep through my alarm.

2. About 12 years ago, I discovered the delight that is afternoon coffee. It’s funny because I rarely think of it on my own, but when someone suggests it? I feel completely giddy. We have a sign in our kitchen that says, “Coffee is always a good the BEST idea.” I promise I’m not going back to talking about coffee all the time; this is just background info. So on an otherwise normal and not special afternoon, Brad would say, “You want coffee?” and I of course responded, “YES! I would LOVE coffee!” And suddenly, the normal afternoon was a little bit special.

The past year or so–since we got a hot tub–“You want coffee?” has evolved into, “You wanna get in the hot tub?” Or on some super amazing mornings, “You wanna have coffee in the hot tup?” Honestly…who doesn’t? It’s not really about the coffee or the hot tub, but it’s about the few minutes or sometimes an hour of conversation. It’s about putting down phones, turning off TV’s and just being…together. Tonight was pretty cold, and I thought for a 37.5 seconds before gleefully accepting the invitation, but it was so worth it. An hour of deep, therapeutic conversation and stargazing is so good for the soul.

3. I’m still praying about it. I am actually slacking on mailing these thank you notes. Four of them are addressed, stamped and waiting patiently on the microwave. I promise to mail them tomorrow.

Today, was a mixed bag of frenzied activity, whiny kiddos, sleep-deprivation and sweetness. I got 7 new books at the library. Seven. It’s God’s number, not mine. My fast has been super-awesome because I was too tired to even think about eating. I joke a lot about the weight loss/gain, but the bottom line is: I have a great group of friends with whom I’m fasting. We’re all 30 and 40 something. In your mid-to-late 30s and 40s for sure, weird stuff happens to your body, random weight gain and muscle tone loss…head hair loss and chin hair gain. Just stupid random stuff. We talk about it a lot because we’re girls, and that’s what we do.

I went to the doctor recently with a whole laundry list of complaints, and she smiled and nodded knowingly, responding, “It’s all normal, unfortunately. The 40s suck.” I’m happy with the 40s, my body and myself, but I’m never complacent and always striving to do better; that’s one thing I never want to change. As long as I’m breathing, I will be learning, growing, and trying to change for the better.

How was your day? Did you make anything fabulous to eat?  Did you make something mediocre? Are you too hungover to even think about it? This is a judgment-free zone. Namaste.

xoxo