A day in the life

I was supposed to write a nice mushy post about my anniversary this year. As of last Monday, DH and I have been married for 30 years! God, that is forever. And I have ideas for things that take 30 years, what else happened 30 years ago, etc. etc. But those require a little research, and mostly a little time. And I'm in very short supply of that particular resource. So I’m going to refer you to a very nice post by Amalah, who celebrated her 8th anniversary the day after our thirtieth. She did a wonderful job of summing up anniversary feelings, so thanks, Amalah – and to DH – “what she said…”! Love ya!

So - Discretionary Time is just not available lately. A sample of a recent and, unfortunately, typical day (because it requires no research and links are minimal):

5:30 Alarm goes off. Beastarzmom is supposed to get out of bed and get gym clothes on.

6:10 Beastarzmom finally groans loudly and gets out of bed.

6:25 Get to the gym, only to find all the elliptical machines are taken. Who ARE these people who get up at this ungodly hour to exercise? And dammit, I need the elliptical, as my scoliosis makes the impact I inflict on my body by the treadmill quite painful. And geeez, I HATE the stairstepper and the exercise bikes make my butt hurt and lord almighty, what else can I complain about?

7:35 Leave the gym. Who cares if the workout is done or not, I’ve burned calories and they say that’s a good thing – anyway, there are things to do!

7:40 – 8:30 Shower, pick up left over messes from previous night owls (16 y/0, 22 y/o and 25y/o who I am so TOTALLY not staying up for anymore.) Encourage somnolent 4 year old to wake up and get going.

8:30 Physically pull 4 year old out of bed. If it’s shower day, take screaming child into shower. Wash & condition hair, soap up, get the hell out.

8:45 Try to brush screaming 4 year old’s hair which has just been conditioned, so it’s just not that bad, child! Get over it.

8:55 Round child up again and get hair finished and teeth brushed. What? Forgot breakfast? Shit. Breakfast bar it is. Maybe you'll just eat the school lunch today. Do I have any money? Shit. Throw a quesadilla together and stick it in a lunch bag.

9:20 Finally in car driving to day care. Get reminded to turn the right way. Thank you very much underage back seat driver.

9:30 Peel child off legs for the fourteenth time, wondering aloud why some days are so easy and some are so awful. Beg telepathically for a teacher to come along and peel child off with me.

9:40 Get in car and drive off. Damn. Late for work AGAIN! Don’t know why they put up with me.

10:10 Park after listening to whatever book on tape/CD I’ve got going. (Nicholas Sparks’ The Guardian – so far totally predictable, but a nice commute pasttime nontheless.) Grumble as car/tape gets turned off and walk to office.

10 – 5 (sorta) Work. Find work to do. Sometimes busy, Sometimes not. No details. I know better.

5:00 Walk back to car, looking forward to listening to story again. (I actually would drive around places just for the hell of it when I was listening to Harry Potter. Jim Dale – you are incredible!)

5:45 Get to daycare, coerce unwilling child to actually leave day care. (So what was that all about this morning?)

6:00 Finally get child into car. Listen to all the reasons she should have stayed there and it is no fair that I picked her up.

6:10 Get home, swear at the mess that aforementioned larger people have left during the day. Try to find something to eat that only takes 10 minutes to prepare. It sucks that we don’t do fast food anymore.

6:30 Sit down to “eat”. In reality, shovel food into mouth at breakneck speeds. Realize that 4 year old is not keeping up with the pace and go get container to take food with.

6:45 Drive to rehearsal at 7. Hope not to be late. One little old lady or little man with a hat in front of us and we’re toast.

7:03 Shit. Late, but not by much. Rehearsal has started. Easy enough to catch up. Set up young lady with remnants of interrupted dinner. Watch as young lady decides to dance with the music instead. Shrug shoulders and go take my place in the scene.

7:03 – 9:55 Alternately walk through scene, take notes, wait, get confused, wait, walk through scene with child on back, get confused, wait, wait, wait. Finally leave.

10:15 Home. Child wants to watch a movie. I suggest that 10pm is really not a good time to turn on a movie. Daddy is already turning the movie on. Sigh loudly and go catch up on email – maybe she needs to wind down a bit after all too.

10:30 Turn off TV, Try to get young lady into her own bed. Being unsuccessful, elicit promise that at the first kick, she’s off to her own bed.

10:40 Go out and gather up crap left by aforementioned larger people (mostly boys). Find places for it.

10:50 Grab jammies and slide into my 6 inches of bed. Get into butt-up-against position and try to sleep.

11:03 Acknowledge 16 year old who is finally home at the stroke of 11. (California State imposes curfew rules of 11pm for 1st year drivers. I like this – for once, I don’t have to be the bad guy.) Try to remember what I need him to do the next day.

11:50 Look over at clock and swear, wondering WHY someone so exhausted could still be awake.

5:30am 2nd verse. Same as the first.