on Thursday. / on Thursdays. (part 1 of 2)

[This post was drafted Thursday between 6.30pm and 9.30pm.]



I'm sitting cross-legged on the grass at a public school's ball diamond.

It's been a long day. I feel like I haven't stopped since 05.30 but that isn't quite true. After work I went to see a dear friend, taking my time in transit and enjoying the time to just space out. [For me it's the equivalent of pulling the tarps off or doing stretches or letting the engine warm up. Sheesh. None of those really fits.]

Friend time was good but she was having a very mom-brain day and I was feeling every tick of the clock. There were more things in my Thursday than I had originally wanted but we were going to make it work.

For the first time I really got to connect with her almost-three-year-old son. He's lovely. I used to visit her weekly soon after he was born so I feel like it's a long-standing relationship but this is the first time - as far as his awareness goes - we've really engaged. He's a sweetie. I made him laugh by throwing things and making silly comments and he made me laugh with his laugh, his ridiculous smile and various animal sounds that eventually all sounded like shrieks as he became more worked up.

A joy.

I'm happy that Friend & I had our time and a brief catch-up but I'm interested in finding in the next couple weeks the ideal climate for us both to be focused and free in conversation as we usually are.


Next I headed to the grocery store because I'm making dinner for the fam at Work A tonight. [Two weeks running and I'm overjoyed.] This is a perfect reason for me to designate Thursdays as my half-days (or full days) off.

It's grown into the (much-desired) day where I get to do things that are important to me, that are relaxing and productive but I suspect it's the three pairs of jeans clumped together on one side of the washer, causing it to rumble violently. I suspect this one day's five-hour chunk protected as tank-filling time will color my whole week.

[Wow. J just made a great diving catch and we all applauded. I so proud.]


Headed home to get lunch then headed to the boys' house to load up the crockpot. While eating lunch I opened the hatch on speed-brainstorming for the meeting I had two hours away. I was pre-panicking because I just hadn't budgeted well for my prep time.

But,
I would not go to the meeting empty-handed,
I did not want to not get dinner ready,
I didn't want to skip stopping in at work and
I would not be late for my meeting
so
I did a mega-exhale of flusteredness as I sat down to my work and my meal.

Remembering my task was to pick songs that lead believers into worship of the Most High, I thought I would pray. I failed to recognise what I was doing because this wasn't for a Sunday morning service as is my weekly task, but rather a one-off Thursday evening event. Still.  Prayer.

I opened my eyes and the songs picked me. I was done inside twelve minutes what I'd suspected would take at least an hour.

This left enough time to follow the recipe unrushed and with great care (the best way to cook). Finished that before I thought I would then headed off to work to pull the song lyrics from our collection to bring to the meeting.

My boss from Work B texted me as I was finishing up in the kitchen, saying he noticed I wasn't on the premises and that he hoped my day was going well. Borne out of many discussions on why we mustn't work for our worth but accept that God has created us with intrinsic value, he seemed genuinely interested in me enjoying and maximizing my time out of the office.  Kind.


I informed him that I was on my way in and asked if he was free because I had "money, a tale and a song" for him. [What a trifecta!]


I got in and found the song lyrics first, heading to my boss' office second with a CD and two fives in hand. Something in me was just LOVING that I would be in the office for less than an hour and that I felt no guilt about it. (I may pay for it tomorrow but I don't mind.)


My boss and I chatted so comfortably I could have put my feet up. (I smiled to myself when I noticed his literally were up.) He did the lion's share of the talking and I was glad.

My tale was well received, far better than expected. I left the building feeling like I had been drenched by edification.

I headed to the meeting and found a one-hour easy-going idea swap to be similarly enjoyable. My counterpart is chill and we come up with a plan that I am pumped about but that is going to need meat added. Glad that I now have a couple days to work it through on my own.


Finally I headed back to the boys' house around 3 to snag the ten-minute nap I've come to depend on before they burst through the door around 3.15. We went back to the school for them to play with their friends, bikes and skateboards abounding.

I sat in the not-shade, cursing the lack of breeze and exhaling with unplanned loudness when dark clouds rolled in and finally gave me a break. I was glad to be "at work" where I'm either catching up on emails or just getting some space-out time and the boys are fine, needing minimal intervention.  I'm happy they get time with their peers.

(to be continued)