no solitude for you!

Two weeks ago, I decided to be mature and responsible and actually plan for a day off in advance, rather than waiting until I was so desperate for some time to myself that I called in sick and then hid under my covers all day shaking in paroxysms of guilt.

So I put in a request for a day of annual leave, for Monday, March 6.

That Monday would be, I decided, Amy's Day of Rest and Solitude. I would talk to nobody, except maybe a manicurist. I would take a bubble bath. I would plant some flowers. I would read a book. I would doze and nap and occasionally just flop about on the bed for no reason at all.

I would have between eight and ten hours all to myself, and I would by God do whatever struck my fancy.

Annual leave was granted. Monday morning broke bright and lovely. Blissful, I packed husband and child off to work and daycare, respectively. The house empty of all other human lifeforms, I returned to the still-warm bed, with the luxurious option of staying in bed until at least - at least! - 9 a.m., at which time I may or may not emerge and I may or may not eat breakfast.  Whatever. It was my day. I could do as I pleased.

8:30 a.m. - the telephone rang. Feeling dozy, I glanced at the caller ID, expecting to see the name of a telemarketer or a bill collector or somebody else that I could freely and guiltlessly ignore.

It was husband's cell phone number. Briefly, I debated not answering. He wouldn't call me on my day off unless it was an emergency. But dammit, it's my day off! He's not allowed to have emergencies on my day off.

Groaning, I answered the phone, hoping against hope that he had merely temporarily misplaced his common sense and was calling only to say he missed me.

"Drew's daycare just called me," he reported briskly.

"To say how much they just love him and how great he's doing, right?" I replied hopefully.

"He has a fever of 102.5 and they're sending him home."

"Home....?

"Wait a minute. Home is where I am! By myself! Alone! If he comes home, I won't be by myself any more."

"That is unfortunately true," husband replied. "However, I'll come home, too, so you won't be alone with him on your day off."

Which was very sweet of him, but it didn't change the fact that my Day of Rest and Solitude just became a Day of Taking Care of Sick Toddler, which definitely does not include such activities as Bubble Baths and Manicures but rather Snot Wiping and Medication Administering.

Turned out he had an ear infection. Hasn't had one for four months and picks my day off to get one. One day, in the not-so-distant future, I will remind him of this, and punish him accordingly.

In other news, I found the perfect living room set. Perfect. It's beautiful. They have to deliver it, though, because even though they told me I could have the floor model, 1) we decided we didn't want a sofa that had held that many random butts and 2) they wouldn't give us a discount on it.

(I would have taken it, random butts notwithstanding, if they'd offered me a discount. I'm not fastidious. A couple tubfuls of Febreeze and it would have been good as new.)

I did ask them for a swatch of the fabric, so I could buy matching curtains, and they let me have one of the sofa pillows.

So basically, I plopped down $1,200 in cash and walked out of the store with a pillow. I am the original bargain shopper, yes indeed.

Comments

[Sam]

Hey girl!
Well that does suck...you have my full sympathy. Isn't that how life goes? It's crazy. But Drew is a lucky child to have both Mom and Dad home with him when he isn't feeling well...it's nice to have moral support while wiping snotty noses...or so I imagine :)