Is it only Wednesday? I woke up this morning—in the dark, mind you—and wanted to bitch-slap my alarm clock because surely it got it all wrong, going off on a Saturday morning (barely morning! still dark!) but, no, it's Wednesday and how that's possible I'm still not entirely sure. I think my confusion has something to do with a combination of daylight savings, nights filled with unpacking, commuting, moving Mike's heavy fish tank from old house to new house on Sunday night and cramming in as many Law & Order: SVU episodes as our DVR can hold. This week has been heavy on the activities and lite on the cabana boys fanning me and feeding me grapes.
(Also, if we're being honest, One Tree Hill was just plain exhausting last night. I needed to lie down immediately after Haley called up Lucas to tell him not to marry Lindsay. Haley, I'm a big fan, I have been since the beginning—even with that unfortunate shawl you'd always sport in season one—but if you single-handedly send Lucas back into Peyton's arms, I'm going to bitch-slap you too. BROOKE WAS YOUR MAID-OF-HONOR and she let the entire school think she was pregnant because you weren't ready to tell your own husband you were the knocked-up one. And, really, that's quite the friend. Although, I must say, much-improved clothes this season; I loved that mustard cardigan you had on last night.)
So, Mike is going to be out of town this weekend. He takes off on Friday, riding his motorcycle to Big Bend and back. When he first told me about this trip, I may have gotten slightly mopey and not because I don't think Mike deserves a little time away from his ridiculously irritating wife but because Mike and I have a tradition—Saturday morning breakfasts—and they're easily my favorite part of the week. We get up, take quick showers and Google breakfast joints in our area, and then we pick one we haven't been to and one that also sounds delightful. (My favorite so far: The Snooty Pig.) I look forward to our Saturday breakfasts all week, and when we have out-of-town plans or when one of us has something going on, I mope my way through that Saturday morning because it's just not the same; it's just not what I want to be doing the most. But after I moped I thought of the free reign I'd have over the TV AND the computer and I may have offered to help Mike pack. This may sound terribly unromantic and you may whole-heartedly disagree, but I think even the strongest relationships need breaks. I think partners need their alone time, and I'm actually excited for a weekend to myself—unpacking, possibly a manicure, maybe even a massage, definitely some prosecco and cupcakes—and Molly really does step up her Mama-adoring when Mike is out of the picture.
Something else I've worked onto the agenda for this weekend is to pick up a few things for the house, and I'd really love your help with this. Would you mind? Are you terribly busy this Wednesday (gosh, is it still Wednesday)? Maybe you'll have some time to kill before American Idol tonight? Or! I've got it! You could record the show and help me while TiVo is working its magic and then come back to fast-forward to the last two minutes because, really, the elimination shows are the biggest waste of those first 28 minutes, aren't they? (Although I hear Katherine McPhee is going to be on tonight and, yes, she kind of ooges me out with her middle-aged husband, but I still get goosebumps when I think of her barefooted "Over the Rainbow" performance.) Now I'll get to the favor: I need a few household items and I'm having a heck of a time finding what I want. So, break our your Google skillz, you'll need them for this.
First, I'd like two laundry baskets for our laundry room—both with embroidery but one that says "Lights" and one that says "Colors." And—not that I have a problem with this style, of course—I'd sort of prefer nothing with the word shabby followed immediately by the word chic in its description. Or, obviously, nothing with the word shabby followed immediately by a period.
Next, I'd love a chalkboard for the kitchen. I can only seem to find plain chalkboards or chalkboards with roosters or cartoon chefs adorning them. There has to be stylish, cool, awesome chalkboards that are neither dull nor butt ugly, right?
Oh, and I need a laptop. If left up to me, I'd buy the first shiny one I saw, and Mike would just love you forever if you could help out his ridiculously clueless wife. I don't require much, although I'd like it to be not too bulky and it needs to be somewhat reasonably priced—$1000 or under? Is that reasonable for a laptop? I haven't bought one since college and the one I bought then HAD A HEART ATTACK and DIED, so I imagine I didn't set the bar high the first time out of the laptop gate.
Finally, I'm hoping Mike and I can take a tiny trip for our anniversary. On the maybe list: Chicago, British Columbia or Boston. Or, maybe, some place I haven't thought of yet. We probably need to keep the trip smallish, a long weekend of some sort, to an off-the-beaten-path location. Some place like Stars Hollow, perhaps? Except real.