Tuesday (a morning in February)

Tuesday Morning.

Tuesday Morning.

Tuesday Morning.

Another week is underway; today began with my usual 9:00 am alarm loudly bringing me from, what I like to think, was a deep, sweet, refreshing sleep. I, also as usual, turned off the alarm in an attempt to quickly go back to the dream that I now, unfortunately, can’t recall. Just as quickly as I drifted back into my oh so longed for slumber, I feel the breath and light kisses of my husband reminding me that it is, indeed, time to start the day. As I “adorably” fight not to get out of bed, Lawrence opens the blinds to a snowy, beautiful Tuesday morning.

And so, our morning routine begins.

After I soak up my husband for only a couple more moments in our room, we go down stairs to quickly and affectionately greet our waiting puppy at the living room stairs. He howls his morning greeting and I go straight to making this morning’s breakfast smoothie.

I like to think of myself as a self-proclaimed, smoothie semi-expert of sorts. I worked at a Planet Smoothie my senior year of high school. While I smelled like expired fruits and got tired of saying “Hey Welcome to the Planet” every couple of minutes as someone entered the building, it remains my favorite job to date. So, as a result of my year at “The Planet” I picked up some skills and the recipes to make great smoothies. It should be added here that my senior year I put on at least 15 pounds probably due to the excess amounts of smoothie consumption.

Worth it? Yes.

Regret eating excess PB&J smoothies after making them for the customer……a little. With this being said, however, I have made some adjustments to my smoothie habits to maintain a personally adequate weight and a delicate smoothie figure.

So today’s smoothie went a little something like this:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Fat free PLAIN yogurt (I actually prefer vanilla)
• Orange juice
• Honey
• Ice

While not measuring my ingredients breaks relatively every rule of “The Planet” I like to think that it helps preserve a level of inconsistency of flavors that makes each of my smoothies a little bit of a surprise. Breakfast is a meal that I just cannot seem to live without, so in my case, change is good…even down to every last drop of my morning smoothie.

As the day progresses I set out for the tasks at hand.

• Shower:(a relatively important/relaxing morning custom)

This is one of my favorite times of the day. After Breakfast and an occasional Regis and Kelly I love to take a steaming hot shower….while sitting down.

I find it to be the most relaxing, sleep inducing, lovely way to start a peaceful and perfect day. Of course I stand to wash, and so on and so forth, but only after I have sat in the Hot water as long as possible and I know the miserable, cold water is inevitably on it’s way to my faucet.

• Dress: Nearly Everyday this means a Tshirt and Jeans

• Go over all of my email, bank account, fb….: about 10 minutes worth

I have the luxury from now (probably about 11am by now) until 5pm to do just about anything that my heart desires. Today happens to be a “go into town” day. We try to run all of our errands, etc. in one big swoop once or twice a week so as not to waste gas or spend tons of money that we do not have. Therefore, today we just stop at the hardware store, a car place, and the always exciting Hobby Lobby.

(If you haven’t guessed by now, I have no place to be, usually, and am in no rush to do any amount of errands or bullet points on a to-do list.)

On the car ride home I am unusually quiet, contemplating the rest of my day.

I have no job.

I am, thankfully, done with school.

I get to spend everyday with my Best Friend.

Life is sweet, relaxing, and fresh.

Then the thought occurs. You know the one. The question you know someone in your family is bound to ask at any unscheduled point of the day. The one that sneaks up on you when you actually think of something you would much rather be doing or undertaking. This is, undoubtedly, a thought that comes to nearly every woman’s mind at mid afternoon, right as she is thinking of the delightful luxury of her home and family, if not before….

What will I make for dinner?

Today I easily decide on a bean and chicken chilli after having soaked and boiled black beans earlier this morning. I go straight to work on my crock pot meal, all the while thinking on how simple crock pot cooking is made out to be, but really it takes the same amount of effort and time consumption, just simply at a different and I suppose more convenient time of day.

As I finish off my chilli prep:

• Black beans
• Corn
• Carrots
• lima beans (I have only recently been introduced to such a vegetable)
• chilli ready tomatoes
• green pepper
• onion
• garlic cloves
• red kidney beans
• chilli powder
• herbs
• elbow noodles
• and a little Cajun seasoning

….I’m already anticipating the taste as I can foresee it’s delightfulness at the aroma now filling my kitchen.

Now I wait.

Wait to taste my delicious, warm, wonderful chilli on what has become a more slushy snow day.

Wait for…my laundry to dry, the dishes to be done, and the opportune time to vacuum the living room.

Wait for 5 o’clock….

For the day to come to a close, for dinner and my Crockpot chilli to come to its flavorsome fruition and for THEM to come home.

I am waiting on, staying with, and cooking for…my in-laws.