iT'S TiMe FoR ... Me TiMe!

I thought when I moved here I would have all the time in the world to spend doing things for myself. Well, it’s been almost four months and here I am.

Doing what?

Hmmmmmmm.

The kids are pretty well established in school. Well, Tukey has a little bit more socializing to do. I say that like he’s an exotic monkey we’ve brought over from Asia (are there monkeys in Asia?) and we’ve got to socialize him into the school system, but other than that, the kids are settling in.

So, where in the heck is all the ME time I was planning on?

Where is the second novel that’s half-way done on paper, all the way done in my head, but nowhere near done and out into the world? Why isn’t it out there yet? It’s simmering, brewing, settling. Somewhere in there.

And where is that slim and trim body that’s in there? It’s simmering, brewing, settling. It’s somewhere in there too! Hahah. I keep saying, “As soon as the weather changes.” Drat this weather. There’s always an excuse!

But, I have been finding some time to do some things for myself. Little things like these no-guilt pleasures I read about on the Motherboard. It’s a funny thing about me-time … sometimes it seems like a luxury when it’s a necessity, and sometimes it’s painful when it’s good for you!

Take yoga, for example. I think I told you about the first time I went back. I bawled my head off for a full eight hours afterward. It was as if I “namastayed” my way through an ocean full of emotions and then unearthed a cork and let all of it out. EVERYTHING came out. I thought for sure that would be the last of the breakdowns. But then I had another one about a week and a half ago. When Tukey wasn’t feeling well and I took him to school late, and when we got there, he said to me, “I just want to go back to the house and have a good cry. I just want to get in your bed and cry.” So that’s what we did. We got in the bed and cried. That is what I hope was the last of the breakdowns.

BUT. That’s NOT what this post is about! This post is about ME finding time to FIND ME! So, the yoga stuff. The first time was a realization. An opening. Of floodgates. I got it all out. Let it all go. And then I have gone two more times. And I’m feeling stronger, more open, more free. More confident and alive. More of this, “I can do this" feeling. More … well. I need yoga in my life. That’s for sure.

One other thing that I swore I would do when I got here was take care of my feet. Growing up in Florida, I would run around like a tomboy without shoes on, tearing up the streets, hot asphalt tearing up MY feet. Who knew at age six, seven, eight that I would care what my feet looked like, felt like at this age? Who knew at age six, seven, eight that I would end up living in a place where flip flops were the shoe of choice, where toenails were as vibrant and sparkly as … well, who knew? So, I thought I might get weekly pedicures. DON’T JUDGE. I don’t get daily Starbucks. I don’t shop till I drop. I don’t wear designer ANYTHING. But I say “Don’t Judge” because I DON’T. I don’t get weekly pedicures. I wish I did! THAT would be LUXURIOUS! Getting pedicures are grandiose! And I got one the other day. With salt scrub, callous remover, hot rocks. And Funky Dunky purple toes!

And yep, of course Diva noticed, and she got mad. She’s spoiled, and she said, “You got a pedicure WITHOUT me. You know I needed one!” Monster hath been created.

Another little guilty pleasure that I will do any chance I get is see movies. And I’ll go by myself if I have to. Yes, call me Miss Independent! Fortunately, this past weekend, I didn’t have to go by myself, and went to see The Town and Going the Distance! Both great movies, and I never, ever thought I’d want to go see The Town, although Ben Affleck is on my list of FIVE, but that movie trailer looked SCARY! I am also dying to see Catfish --have you heard about this freaky documentary? Am so intrigued about it!
And Diva and I are going to catch Betty White in You Again. And the new one with Katherine Heigl and hottie Josh “Why’d-You-Marry-Fergie” Duhamel (Note to self: He’s now on my list of five too!). So many great movies out there these days. And here’s another thing, I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of person who would sit through a two-hour showing of PREVIEWS ONLY even. I HATE missing the previews! It's like being late to a wedding and missing the bride walk down the aisle!

I forgot one of my very most favorite little pleasures in the whole wide world – NAPPING! I am the champion of napping. And for me, a stellar nap is not a 10-minute-rest-your-eyes dealio. Nope. For me, it’s dig out a hole in your bed, pile on the covers and the pillows and burrow in for at least two hours, and when you wake up you don’t know if it’s Monday morning or Sunday afternoon! Now THAT to me is the epitome of a great nap and the best guilty pleasure me time well spent!

So these are just a few of my little ME TIME pleasures. We’ve all got ‘em right? What are yours?