On Friday afternoon Michael had a play date after school.  This is a regular occurrence now, one parent grabs the kids, and takes them back to their houses and they play for a few hours.  It is lovely when it is not your turn, and on the days I work I use the extra time to work late, or workout, or run errands.  Sometimes I sit on the couch and catch up on tv.

I don’t work on Fridays, and on this particular Friday my schedule was wide open.  I had nothing on the calendar.  This is rare, as my Fridays have become the day I schedule doctors appointments, lunch with friends, and other random stuff that has to get done, like mani/pedis.  That is something that has to get done.  But this Friday was free.  And I didn’t have to pick Michael up until 5 o’clock.  I had a whole day…to myself.

I went to workout in the morning and ran a few errands, and was home by noon.  The cleaning service had cleaned that morning.  The house was spotless, and quiet.  Doug and I are trying to watch our spending right now.  We are fine, we just took a fancy vacation and some other unexpected expenses popped up so we are being careful.  All the things I would have done with a day to myself were out, no nail appointments, no spa days, no shoe shopping.  I thought maybe I would read a book.

I sat on the couch, in silence, and played Candy Crush, for hours.  When I timed out, I alternated with the new Angry Birds boards and screwed around on social media.  I ate some ice cream.  I never eat ice cream.   I wrote this here blog post.

It was heaven.

Two of my favorite people at the Disney Social Media Moms conference, Monica and Rene.  I didn’t get to go this year, but they were kind enough to send me a picture of their awesome shoes!

I’ve written before about the addiction that is Candy Crush.  Back then I was joyfully on level 35, with no idea what awaited me.  I didn’t know, yet, about the chocolate levels and the order levels and the evil that is level 135.

135, the level that is akin to death.

Here is the thing CANDY CRUSH, I don’t want to switch two wrapped candies.  I just, don’t want to.  WHY ARE YOU SO HARD?

I can quit you anytime Candy Crush.

(I really can’t…please, someone please, tell me how to pass level 135 before I rage delete the app from my phone and throw my ipad against a wall.)

Who invented this stupid game?

I’m going to start a support group, Tuesday nights, in my living room.  You can Skype in.  The support group, will of course, include tips on how to pass the next level.  And wine.

Liza’s shoe’s.  I love these.  I adore polka dot shoes.

I turn 38 today and I’m kind of meh about the whole situation.  38 is a nothing birthday.  You are stuck between 35 and 40…two milestones, and it feels silly even to say it…38?  What happens at 38?  People say life begins at 40 and they didn’t understand anything until 35 but 38?  Nothing interesting happens at 38.

Except.  In the past year I have changed jobs, left a job I had for 12 years, my whole adult life really.  And in that, made a commitment to be happy.  To accept the things one cannot change and move on from what isn’t working.  To be at peace, for the first time in a long time.  I feel good, and I look good, and if life begins at 40 then I say bring it because man, I’m ready.

Like all people, I could use a lot of things.  I could use a little more cash in my wallet and a little less fat around the middle.   The perfect hair defrizzer would also be nice because man, seriously DC humidity and my hair in the past year have really not mixed.  When did my hair get frizzy?  What is that about?  (In other news, is a keratin treatment worth it?  Because I am SERIOUSLY considering it.)  I could also, ALWAYS, use more shoes.

Michael is whole and happy, and while he owns “high energy boy” in all he does, there are WAY WORSE labels he could have.  I have a really, really nice life.  (Minus the frizzy hair thing.  Someone fix that, please.)

38.  Somehow it feels big, even if it really is small.  2 years before “life begins.”  Maybe it can begin now?