Weekends

Today I am in my happy place. At home...with SEC Football on the big screen sitting in front of my computer with a relatively clean house. I use the term "relatively" rather loosely, but whatever. Jill is in Tuscaloosa, Brian is sitting here with headphones on glancing at the game and at some YouTube video because he knows better than to interfere with the sound quality of the game, and the dogs are napping somewhere after being bathed earlier today. It is Saturday at Casa Mixon.

Big Dave is on his lawnmower...which is - quite frankly - HIS happy place. I think that he enjoys mowing our five acres because it gives him time to reflect on life and be by himself. Either that or he needs some peace from the rest of us. I don't care, though, because I've never had to complain about the yard getting mowed and there is a lot to be said for that. He lets me cut it once a year and the whines the entire time that I'm not mowing my rows straight. What he doesn't know is that I'm doing my best to stay on the thing, keep my iPod going and some fluids handy because he expects me to fly along like he does. I consider my mowing to be more of a service project...and those who know me understand that I don't do those really well at all.

As I look outside to check his progress, it is difficult to overlook the fact that the pool is guacamole green right now. Pools aren't supposed to sport that color, and I'm sure that sometime later today, Big Dave will see to that as well. We are getting a new pool liner before next summer so it isn't the end of the world...but I'd really rather not become some temporary Disney World for mosquitoes. Life with crickets, ladybugs, and spiders is about as much of the animal kingdom as I'm prepared to suffer through on a daily basis.

I am pleased to note that our new patio umbrella purchased on clearance last week looks good and somewhat impressive. Ah, we just got lucky. We only buy items like the umbrella off-season because neither of us can stomach paying full price for anything. This one was on sale for 75% off. But it does make me smile just seeing it out there.

We'll be "tailgating" in the backyard sometime this afternoon on this football Saturday. After heading to Tuscaloosa for two weeks...I'm enjoying sitting here in my gown with no makeup on in the air conditioning like I did every Fall weekend last year. We've been blessed to be invited to join some friends who have a tailgate spot on the Quad. It has been so much fun just to be up there in the middle of everything.

I think that most of us appreciate our weekends. Maybe we wish for them all week because we need additional rest than our normal routine allows. Maybe we are disciplined beyond belief during the weeks, and we let our guard down a little on the weekend. Perhaps we just love the freedom to explore our interests or the time to entertain ourselves without guilt that make it all so fantastic.

I just know that it is.

In this economy, most of us are grateful for the jobs we have. However, we find that most are doing more with less and some have new challenges that weren't present just a few short years ago. And while we obviously aren't in Kansas anymore, and the weeks can be long and fraught with stress...we still have our weekends.

For THAT, I am immensely grateful.

Maybe you are grilling out with friends, sleeping in, cleaning out the garage, or at a social function today. Or you may be shopping while everyone else is glued to the games, participating in a walk-run, or doing a service project of some kind. At least you got to choose how you'd spend these hours...and there's a lot to be said for that.

So, cheer, rest, relax and get it done today. Mow it, move it, or grill it. Just be sure that you enjoy it. I know I am.