One of my best friends is a farmer’s wife.

Her farmer husband gets together with other farmer husbands to do God knows what on the first Friday of every month. We used to drink on these nights and chuckle about how adorable it is.

And, by used to, I mean last month.

Well, tonight was my own kind of first Friday. No wine with lunch or beer with my fish fry. And, guess what? I’m fine.

Health + Wellness

208.3

Yes, again. And, I’m totally cool with that. Today was much more about mind than body and way cooler than any number on a scale. Never did I think that on Day 4 I would be described as brave or an inspiration. At this point, all I’ve done is describe my lame days. But, in the midst of what I think is my biggest failure may just be my most cherished accomplishment.

Over the course of the last few years, and with more intensity in recent months, I have been in pursuit of my purpose on this earth. In just these few short days, I realize standing in my own truth may allow others to feel comfortable enough to admit a few things to themselves. Or maybe, they’ll just feel a whole lot better about their own lives ;).

Either way, it’s cool.

On a separate, more trivial note, my sister and I entered in to our next Apple Activity competition today. I have lost the last two weeks, but I am bound and determined to beat her this week. Stay tuned.

House + Home

Ha. It will still be there tomorrow. Maybe I should just ditch this category all together? I spent my fifteen minutes this morning, but that was about it.

Debt + Finances

This is sort of a bummer, or not, you choose. One of my goals after going through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University this fall, is to sell some of the crap we have littered all over our house, garage and shed to make a little moola.

Today, I did just that.

I met a nice guy who was more than thrilled to take an Ikea medicine cabinet that I have moved to and from three houses only to never use. I was more than happy to take his 50 bucks and slipped it in to my coat pocket.

Now, this next part is weird.

I took the kids to the gym to shoot some hoops and run some laps. Weird because on any other given Friday night I would have only been thinking of where my Brandy Old-Fashioned Sweet would be coming from or what wine I would drink with the dinner I was going to make. (And, let’s be real, it would have been boxed Pinot Grigio)

I digress.

I set mine and the kids’ coats, hats and mittens on the bench and played P-I-G, line tag and jogged laps. I work at this gym, so I didn’t think twice about our coats. I left them a few times to get a new basketball from the front desk, watch the kids play kickball and soccer. After an hour or so, we left.

I felt in my pocket, no 50 bucks. Shit.

My first and only thought was that it was stolen. I voiced my frustration in the car and the following conversation ensued:

• Me: Damn it. Someone stole the 50 bucks out of my pocket.

• Miles: How do you know it was stolen? Maybe you dropped it.

• Me: [Fuck.] Yes, Miles, I guess you’re right I could have dropped it. (Funny how we go to the darkest places first, ain’t it? So I flipped my switch.)

• Me: Yes, you’re right I totally could have dropped it. Or, if someone did take it, maybe they needed it more than we did. Maybe to feed their kids. I felt a whole lot better after that, although, I still wish I had my 50 bucks. I tried Mr. Ramsey.

Parenthood + Relationships

So, this is where shit got real today. If I didn’t think I had a reason to drink all day, the urge came when my 9-year-old walked in the front door after school. And, yes, this is the same child that just gave me a dose of positivity from above.

Holy hell that kid is gonna knock me off my wagon.

It’s the complaining about where we’re eating, why we’re eating, when we’re eating, why we’re getting our hair cut, why he can’t play kickball, why the basketball is flat, why our food is taking so long, why his Kiddie Cocktail (which, by the way, until very recently I thought it was Kitty Cocktail) doesn’t taste like the others he’s had.

Finally I had to pull out the “you’re-going-to-make-me-cry-with-your-attitude” card. And given a few more minutes of it, I might just have broken down right there and cried in to my fried cod. I’m just not sure it would’ve been because I was really upset or because I wanted an Old-Fashioned that bad.

Travel + Staycations

Part of my self-care goals are to check out from reality every day for at least a little bit; my own little “staycation”. Whether it be an episode of whatever I am watching on Netflix or walking with an audio book or taking a bath or going out to lunch, I have made it a priority.

Low and behold, I had time for ALL of those things today AND I busted my ass to get a laundry list of work tasks done. Yay me!

I’m adding an everyday epiphany here because I feel like I am going to have at least one a day. I want to go to yoga at seven in the morning tomorrow (Saturday). On any other given Friday night, I would say this very thing, but know that I would probably feel too shitty and hungover to get up. Today, I said it and for the first time in a. very. long. time. I have no doubt I’ll get up and go. And be so thankful I did. I already am.