Kicking Domesticity to the Curb

Sometimes I spend the weekend avoiding housework. Its a singular goal, completely self serving, and requires a surprising amount of effort. But sometimes Saturday morning rolls around and I make the decision to kick responsibility to the curb, turn a blind eye to the dishes and the dust bunnies, and revel in some ambition I'd saved for a rainy day.

Naomi and I trekked out for two Lincoln Safari adventures in a single morning. Hungry and energized by the Safari stops we had buttered biscuits and pancakes respectively at the Cracker Barrel. We sat down, over a crackling fire and warm plates of buttery goodness, to talk about saline wetlands, and endangered species. After all that science-stuff we played a nail-biter world-series set of Guess Who games.

The library held my latest read from Marisa de los Santos. I biked over, surrounded by autumn, to check it out and devoured the first two chapters in a single sitting.

The bathroom mirror fogged up from Sunday's long, hot shower.

I skipped church to sleep in.

McKibbin and I cooked food that only a grown-up could love.

I canvassed for Barack Obama in hopes that when history, or my kid, asks me "where were you when..." I'll have a good response.

I laughed at the raunchy, unrated versions of comedies available through my local Blockbuster.

I challenged my husband to a game of Scrabble, talked smack like nobody's business, and was thrilled by a final score where we tied.

I treated myself to a coffee-date with a long-ago-friend I found through Facebook. We giggled and had a great time like I had seen her just last week.

I spent more time being the person I intend to be (fun, thoughtful, inspired...) rather than allowing the hours to be consumed by the tasks I thought needed doing. The laundry still needs washing, the smudged windows persist. Beds don't make themselves, its true. This weekend I focused less on whether my sheets were folded into hospital corners and instead addressed the person laying down between them. It was time well spent.