A Day in the Life

Toys, gifts, Christmas, Christian, birthdays, tickets, gloves, turkey, movies, Bo, boxes, bank, pedi, medicine, soup, Melissa and Doug, Trader Joe's, books breakfast and friends. Okay, so it isn't exploring Mongolia, but it is my life.

Connor's toy was arriving per the UPS tracking information, and did. Two boxes sitting on my doorstep. I was sorely confused because the one item I ordered came in two boxes. Go figure. The one BIG box made sense because I had ordered one BIG item, but the little box sitting on top, addressed to me shouldn't be. I spent more than the appropriate amount of time trying to find M&D's telephone number on their website so I could call and tell them a mistake had been made. I procrastinated calling them. I ignored the box, I walked around the box, I pondered the extra box and finally I opened the thing and I'll be damned it was a surprise thank you gift. Go Melissa and Doug! A nice thank you gift. So Connor will receive the mighty fine cardboard blocks, like the ones Julia bought for Andrew, the ones that had nine lives, the ones that didn't die, the ones you could crash and then stack up and crash again. Connor does like to crash things. Plus the adorable free gift, a three piece bubble set: bubbles, a tray and a TURTLE. How perfect is that. Christmas is off to a fine start.

It was a four gift day: one for Connor plus the surprise, one for Bo, and one for a friend at work. You've met her Cathy and Jean, at the Outlet Mall, Jo-Anne.

I had a sweet drive to Christian's work to pick up a free give-away Walt's was offering their customers. Just because I don't pay for my oil changes doesn't mean I'm not a preferred customer, anyway I picked up the free texting gloves to delight my friend Jo-Anne with. She is the texting queen. Wait a minute the queen might be Cathy or Brittany. Wait a minute the king might be Ian, I think he texts someone about every fifteen minutes or so.

And I was able to see sweet Christian during my drive by. The place was dead and the crew was lazily sitting around until I drove up when they all became busy and moved away. So I kissed and was kissed by Christian, took my free texting gloves and left. No chit chat with the tall guy.

How many people are trying to get to sunny Southern California for Janice's seventieth birthday? Janice had an airline voucher I could use, so I'm checking the flights and arranging rides and feeling a trip coming on. I was going anyway, but man the voucher makes it easy. Jerry? Jane? Julia? Jean? Cathy? Brittany?

Free free free I feel a pattern, just so you don't get the wrong idea I bought the toy from Melissa and Doug, I bought my groceries from Trader Joe's, I bought the gas to do the drive by.

Texting gloves -- check that task is done.

Turkey -- no check -- that task is not done. That carcass is still sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be frozen or turned into soup. A must do in the life of Jan today.

Instead of cleaning the turkey meat off the turkey bones I came home from my errands and had a little Trader Joe's lunch and finished watching a movie; Delores Claiborne. It was good, an oldie, but one of Kathy Bates best performances. Plus I pondered buying some CD's for my son's Christmas. They are so hard to buy for. Any ideas call collect.

I was able to buy Bo a little gift at Trader Joe's. I went for yogurt and frozen mangos, I left with yogurt, frozen mangos, lunch and a little gift for Bo. That was fun. Bo, Stephanie, and Connor are all easy to buy for -- check, check, check that task is done.

Boxes, jars, bottles, and toys are now waiting for Ian to wrap and make beautiful.

I visited the bank where I put money in instead of out. That was fun.

I finally had the energy to stop and get a pedi on my way home. This is a task I always put off for about three or four months, some how it is hard for me to actually stop and do it. A lot of fuss and bother. Waiting my turn. Waiting for the toes to dry. Scuffling around in the spa slippers. As I was finally starting to relax in the comfy spa chair it went haywire and squirted me with about two gallons of water. The staff was very concerned about the malfunctioning chair and not so concerned about their drenched customer. The only apology I received was "It isn't your day," but they were wrong. I'll find another pedi place and it was a lovely day.

Medicine ordered -- check that task is done.

Soup -- not checked -- that task remains stubbornly undone but will be done today. Wait, I'll get back to you on that.

Melissa and Doug -- check that task is done. They don't need called today because box two was a gift. Now I can delete all the communication emails out of my inbox. By the way they have been a great company to work with. I recommend them. I give them a testimonial. If you are buying for kids try Melissa and Doug.

Trader Joe's was exploding with Christmas. They had goodies in every conceivable format, and I went with a friend the very best way to do anything. My friend Mary has three daughters and two granddaughters so she is very knowledgeable about girlie stuff and I trust her judgement. She was buying what I bought Bo times three. I walked out with a smile on my face at what a good job I had done -- check that task is done and I didn't even know it was a task. I didn't even have to think, I just followed where Mary led. She got a free pair of texting gloves at Christian's and I got a terrific little something for Bo. Friends always make a day lovely.

Mary, Claire and I met for breakfast at our usual spot. A lovely breakfast, we spent two and one half hours laughing, talking kids, talking shop, talking books, talking Christmas; Mary is headed to Montana, Claire is headed to Minnesota, and just plain talking. Then the drive to Ballard to see Christian, then the foray into Trader Joe's.

Friends make a day lovely even if they don't have any ideas of what to buy my son's for Chrismas and no two gallons of water can ruin it for me.

Today is also shaping up nicely; Ian, shopping, Roger, playdate, turkey -- maybe.

Have a lovely day. If you need help think of sunlight or San Diego, both lovely.