Friday, Reckless Abandon

The hubby and the rugrats are off to see The Avengers. It’s Friday evening, sunny skies, and a long day at work under my belt.

As I kiss the fam, and shut the door, I seriously consider going straight to bed. Friday evening, 6 o’clock, the sky clear, and the sun slowly beginning to set, giving off a warm golden glow. Tired or not… going to bed does seem to top the lamest of lame lists.

I look around the house… dishes and laundry. Cleaning surely takes the cake and replaces early bedtime on the lame list now.

If posed the question of my ideal method of relaxation, the answer would hands-down consist of a lawn chair (or hammock), my backyard, and a book. It’s rare these magnificent things collide in my life. The only method of relaxation I frequently enjoy is sleep (talking night time requirement… not the all-powerful, splendid, fantastic, afternoon nap). There’s always something that needs to be done, or someone that needs to be picked up, a practice to chauffeur to, or eating, bathing, or working that always deters me from my backyard oasis.

I boldly decide… I am going to ignore the dishes! I am going to leave the pizza on the counter! I’m not going to do the laundry! I feel a rebellious excitement surge through me.

I go to my bedroom to change into PJ’s, and giggle as I pass the full laundry basket.

OK. That’s pushing it. I go back, I stealthily grab a load of clothes… sneaky like a thief in the night, so my rebellious excitement doesn’t catch on, and throw it in the washer.

So, here I sit, in my cozy clothes, on my purple lawn chair, hidden from the world, armed with a book and a notepad. Feeling the evening breeze blow by, and hearing it rustle the leaves of the apple trees. I hear the birds singing their songs to close the day. I take in the delicious smell of the neighbors barbecuing burgers, and hear the
kids playing in the neighborhood behind the house.

A hummingbird zips by. A robin lands on the grape vines to enjoy the last rays of the setting sun.

And to top it off, my dad’s dog, Zeph is over for a play date with Abby. Out of the whole yard, they have chosen my lily plant as their wrestling ground. How nice. At least wrestling keeps Zeph from digging, and keeps them out of my face!

While I lay here in sweet submission to the serenity that surrounds me (other than the maniac dogs), I remember that I forgot to call someone back at work. I notice the hummingbird feeder is empty. The yard needs to be mowed, and the washer is probably done.

But, I just push it all aside in my fabulous Friday night reckless abandon.

OK… I did get up and rotate laundry 🙂