A Long Week Gets a Little Shorter

Thanks for being so nice about my whining the other day. I hate to whine. Don't get me wrong. I'm good at it. But I don't feel like I have any right to complain. Especially lately, when other people have it so much worse than I do.

It probably goes back to my childhood. Anytime you complained, my mother would name fourteen other people who had it worse than you did.

Me: "I hate wearing Kmart clothes."
My mom: "You're lucky you have clothes. Some kids walk around in rags all the time."

Me: "I hate walking home from the bus stop."
My mom: "You're lucky you can walk. Some people don't have any feet."

You get the point.

She was right, of course. Although, as a kid, you don't really care that there are homeless people living on the street. You only care that the girl who sits next to you at school has a TV in her bedroom, and you don't.

Naturally, my mother passed her Guilty Jeans on to me, and I feel like the most selfish person in the world complaining. Especially since, as I am well aware, I have been lucky enough to get everything I ever wanted in life. Seriously. What's my gripe?

But I'm a girl, and I do get down from time to time. And when I do, I leave no doubts that I? am MOPEY.

Luckily, Jete figured this out the other night when I came home. He could tell that I was shuffling around, uninterested in anything, not really talking too much because I just felt blah.

(Him figuring this out all. by. himself. was a first. Amazingly enough, it only took nine years for him to start figuring out when I need a break.)

J: "We need to go out and spend some time together."

M: "Yeah right. When? There IS no time."

J: "How about Thursday night?"

M: "(sigh) I've got a dentist appointment."

J: "Friday night's always too busy..."

M: "AND we'll never get a sitter."

J: "What about Saturday afternoon?"

M: "The whole day is shot. CG and I are going to D's birthday party. Then you're going to that St. Patrick's day thing at your uncle's."

J: "I totally forgot."

M: "And of course Sunday is the usual - brunch and dinner with the parents. (big sigh) And then it's Monday all over again. Don't worry. I'm sure we'll catch up in a few weeks."

J: "What about Friday afternoon?"

M: "Huh?"

J: "What if we both take a half-day off from work. Go to lunch, a movie or something. The kids already have a sitter, and there won't be all those teenagers clogging up the movies and restaurants."

M: (trying to play it cool) "Hmm. Maybe. I'll have to check my calendar and get back to you."

So there you have it. Tomorrow we're both leaving work early and playing hooky. Even better, it's supposed to be gorgeous out. They're predicting - maybe - we'll make it up to 60 degrees!

Take that, you Southerners!

And since you inspired me with your Friendly's love, I think I might just stop there on the way home tonight and pick us up some sundaes. Start off the slightly-longer-weekend on a sweet foot.

But before that, I'm off to get my teeth cleaned. I've got to earn that ice cream. Besides, nothing says "I've just been to the dentist" like a Reeses sundae.