Free Time

Well, it's Saturday night and here I am, in front of the computer, WIP Notebook open, and my MS Office Word file open and ready to go.

Last night, I didn't get a darn thing done. I didn't get much sleep the night before and was up early with the Boy, so I was too tired to write. I tried working on the blanket I made for the Boy, but when I made a mistake in the first ten stitches, I finished one row and called it a night. It's been Shark Week on Discovery Channel all week (I loves me some Shark Week, though it makes me scared to go in the pool when it's over) and I've managed to find the time to sit and watch sharks. That's one of the pros about having a laptop, and especially having one with a wireless card - I can work - write and research - in the family room or anywhere (even out on the deck, which is totally cool, by the way) so I've been able to work, and watch my sharks. Cool.

The Girl is down the shore with her grandparents (and will be there until Wednesday, when the Boy and I will head down to retrieve her), the Boy's fast asleep - or so I hope - and my husband's at the movies. I'm on the sofa, watching Cast Away and contemplating getting another chapter done in one of my WIP. I love this movie - and I love Tom Hanks in this movie. It's kind of like Apollo 13, which I watched a few weekends ago. If I remember correctly, Cast Away is the first movie my husband and I saw after our daughter was born (it was either that or O, Brother, Where art Thou? - I don't really remember.) And since TNT seems to think it's mission in life to make sure it runs great movies into the ground, it seems like it's on at least once every two months or so.

So, I'll get some work done, while watching my movie (and my Shark Week programs later on) and doing some research, checking email - that sort of thing. But I will get work done - you'll see.

Ahh... I remember when Saturday night meant getting together with friends and just hanging out at our favorite place until closing. Then, I'd sleep til noon on Sunday and basically just be a total bum.

But that was a loooong time ago and BK - before kids. Now, I only get to go out on rare occasions - like my birthday and my anniversary. But that's okay. I'm kind of over the days of hanging out in bars anyway. I don't see the point any more, unless you're going to try to hook up with someone - which I am most definitely not doing these days. I've never been much of a people-person, so I'm just as happy in my office, with the stereo on. Or on the sofa, watching Cast Away, perhaps.

It's funny how things change. Free time meant any time I wasn't at work. Monday through Friday, it meant any time after 4:30PM. Weekends were for doing just what I wanted to do. And back then, that meant going out. But now, my free time means whenever I can grab 5 minutes to myself. There are no set hours. It can be a challenge, but it makes me savor whatever truly free time I can get - like when the Girl and her dad went down the shore for Fourth of July. They left four days before the Boy and I were able to go because of his therapies. And those days were some of the best I can remember, despite the fact that they were crazy at times. I had less free time, since it was just him and me, but I totally enjoyed every second of those days - from the time he got up until the time I collapsed after he went to bed.

Well, anyway, time to get back to work. I have to take what free time I can get and make the most of it. =)