So, yeah, not working pretty much rocks my freaking socks off. I love being able to keep the house clean. I love being able to keep up with our laundry--actually folding clothes after washing them, what a novel concept! I love not being too tired to meet up with friends in the evening and being home when Colby has a short day at work and can leave early. I love having time to run errands and fit in running and shredding. I can't tell you how fabulous it is to be able to do my homework during the week so that I have my weekends free, and I've actually been WRITING! I haven't worked on my book in almost a year, and I've renewed my interest in it and am thinking of it constantly.
I can say with complete honesty that I'm not the least bit bored, I don't feel remotely unfulfilled, and I don't have any weird hangups about being a stay at home wife--at least for the summer. Plus, Colby still cooks dinner, so what's not to love?
Buuuuuut. And there's always a but. Part of the deal when Colby agreed that I wouldn't have to work this summer was that I wouldn't buy any new clothes or shoes until I went back to work. To tell the truth, I made that promise just as much to break my shopping addiction as I did to save money. I have more than enough clothes and no one really needs more than sixty pairs of shoes in their closet, so I'm planning to spend the summer rediscovering outfits and shopping in my closet instead of Banana Republic.
When I get bored, instead of pulling up one of my favorite shopping websites, I blog or I write or I take my book outside and read in the absolutely gorgeous weather we've been having lately. I feel like it's a win-win situation--plus I don't have to buy hangers every time I go to Target anymore!
Tomorrow the fun will be tempered by my very first EVER experience with jury duty. I guess I didn't really understand how jury duty worked. I thought you got called for one or two days and that was it, unless you got put on a jury. But no, in my lovely little town, I've been called for five separate days over the course of July, one of which is a day that I won't even be in town. I wrote them a letter a couple of weeks ago, requesting to be excused on that day due to my previously made vacation plans, but I haven't heard anything back. I'm going to ask about it tomorrow, but I'm just imagining them issuing a warrant for my arrest while I'm gallivanting around Montana, and a brigade of policemen waiting for my return to Seatac to put me in handcuffs.
But seriously, I paid an arm and a leg for a non-refundable ticket to middle of nowhere Montana before I got my jury duty dates, so they can't really expect me to just not go? Right? Right????
And then, you may have noticed that the month of June went by without any word of assingment notifications like we had been previously told to expect. I'm a little bummed that it's looking like we'll be spending another summer in the great Northwest, but mostly irritated because now who knows how long I have left to wonder about where the future will take us? I wish I was a more go-with-the-flow kind of person...
Anyway, today I'm gearing up for a four mile run, then meeting Lori for coffee so I can pick up tickets for our really fun 3rd of July event, and then heading over to another friend's house for our weekly So You Think You Can Dance date. I'm going to try to put all of the stress out of my mind, focus on my fun and relaxing summer that is going by all too quickly, and enjoy the fantastic weather! Key word there being: "try".
That's OK, I have enough hang-ups and unfulfillment for both of us. ;)
(Is unfulfillment even a word? The Smarts, I seem to have lost them.)
Posted by: Jenn | July 01, 2009 at 10:12 PM
I had jury duty last year (though for me I wasn't chosen and only wasted 1/2 a morning). When I was there, they pretty much accepted any excuse because the court docket was pretty light. You shouldn't have any problem with missing that day.
Have fun tomorrow!
Posted by: Becky aka StinkyLemsky | July 02, 2009 at 03:25 PM
That sucks that you have five different dates to report to -- that's quite a bit for someone to have to get excused from work. I got called once in TX and sat around for a few hours until they filled their pools and was dismissed. I got called in HI and had to serve on a civil trial for 2 1/2 days. It was kind of interesting for such a short time period, but I would've hated it had it run longer (and fortunately, work was slow).
Enjoy your summer off -- maybe you could cheat the system and sell off some of the stuff that you're not using any more? :)
Posted by: Becky | July 02, 2009 at 05:20 PM
Good for you for not shopping for new clothes and shoes. That is very impressive!
Posted by: Larissa | July 03, 2009 at 07:48 AM
Jury duty is confusing everywhere. I've gotten a summons a few times (especially after I change the address on my driver's license, hmmmm), but never been called. Hope things work out in your favor.
Posted by: Kate P | July 04, 2009 at 04:13 AM
Your summer? It sounds absolutely AMAZING. I would love to be able to take care of everything I need to at my home, be able to work out, and still be able to hang out with my friends. Gah. It sounds perfect.
Keep it up, lady!
Posted by: E.P. | July 14, 2009 at 05:39 PM