SPoD - TGIF

Friday was pretty benign, which is GREAT for me. I need benign days. My shot from two days ago seems to be working (I will be writing about that, I hope, soon. My SPoDs will be out of order, as I try to catch up). The neck pain is definitely gone; the head rushes, unfortunately, are not. More on that in a previous (upcoming) post.

I skipped morning swim practice and let MiMi know the night before. It's nice to have one sleep in day. For me. She, not surprisingly, can handle it and handles it well even though she is most happy about NOT going in to practice in the morning. She rarely puts up a fight about going in to practice at 8AM. Not so during the school year to get to school at 9:15.




CJ has been the camp counselor - and we've been paying her to do that - this year. She's responsible for taking care of MiMi, feeding her, entertaining her, as well as keeping basic chores done around the house. Nothing overbearing. But it also includes _her_ well-being. One of the important activities is to read. Everyday. It's hard to believe, for me, that one doesn't want to read. I am, have always been, even as a young, young child, an avid, voracious reader. Tim too. The idea of having (figuratively) unlimited hours to read books is heaven. I cherish every moment I can make to read now, so it's disheartening that my girls aren't READING. Tim has been hounding them to read and I left them a note this morning, reminding them to read. Plus, it's part of CJ's duties as the camp counselor. We told her that there could be a raise in pay if she impressed us with her skills...and she has, but she hasn't followed up on all of them, this being one of them.

Later that afternoon, I got a text message from MiMi about reading my blog instead. Generally, she is my reader. CJ is the one that's hardest to get to read. She goes in spurts. I'm surprised when she's reading books that are 'required' from school, as she describes something from a storyline and I'm just like, WOW.

Anyway, this is how the dialog goes. We briefly discuss what she can read, and then the time span, as you can see, goes with the incessant: is swim practice still on? This happens at home. With anything. For something she wants or doesn't want. "When is dinner?" "Not until later." About 30 minutes later. "Is dinner ready?" "No." Fifteen minutes later. "When will dinner be ready?" "Not until about an hour or so. When I start preparing it. Then it'll be another hour." "BUT I'M HUNGRY." "Have a snack." "I don't want a snack!" "Then you'll have to wait for dinner." "When will dinner be ready?"

Time passes. Work consumes me. Then I get another text from MiMi. I forget time. There is a time gap between my text that says 'probably' not to her saying 'i have my bathing suit on'. By then, as I always do, I over-think and feel guilty "I should stop working and take her to swim practice. I have time. I can do it. Just stop now. I can get groceries after swim practice. No problem. We missed this morning's practice; she should go tonight." I am manic.

Then, of course, she sends the bathing suit text and that does it. I leave - it's about 10 to 5PM. There's little chance that I'll get home and get her to swim practice by 5:30 but as previously stated, I run five minutes behind so I'll get there by my five minute behind schedule.

Of course, she's bluffing and I knew that all along. :) But whatevs, I was going to play her game and teach her a lesson. But as soon as I got outside to walk to my car? Holy fucking shit. It was like breathing in an oven. I mean, not that I ever did but I guess that's what it feels like. No wait. I have breathed in a sauna and well, that is pretty freaky. I have to remain calm in there. And THAT's what it felt like. There was no way I was going to have her out there, despite the fact that she'd be in the pool. And on top of that, *I* would have to be out there. And as over-thinkers do, I thought "but the coaches will be out there! surely *I* can be out there if they're going to be out there!" Yeah, that lasted one second and I was like "fuck that".

I made it to the grocery and got my essentials for the evening and then some. I was so looking forward to making little time outside while carting my stuff to the car. I noticed leakage coming from one of my bags. WTF? I think that one of the six pack of sodas burst from the heat. Seriously. What else? I watched the bagger carefully bag everything. That only meant I had to walk _back_ in that heat to get new six packs. But it was my only conclusion which I later heard from Tim that some parts of I40 had actually buckled from yesterday's record breaking heat.

How's that for my benign Friday?