90 Minutes…and Pizza

This week was very intense. Clinically intense. Alot of sick folks, challenging cases and conversations. I stayed at work later than usual a few days this week; I’ve been checking emails and labs on patients after hours. Not letting work go. Not good.

So, last night, Friday night, after I stumbled in the door in the evening, and Hubby and I caught up over our dinner of spaghetti and sauce from a jar that we literally threw in a pot and made in five minutes and ate just as quickly, with one eye on the T.V. since we knew we had to be done before this episode of Curious George ended, because the kids were exhausted and were were late on the bedtime routine and they were going to start whining for stuff or beating each other any second… Anyway in that little space of time, with my mouth full of pasta and sauce on my chin, I told Hubby that I need some real downtime. Some little chunk of me-time. Time to just to go do whatever I feel like. Because if I don’t, I’m going to lose my mind.

He was absolutely supportive, and agreed to take the kids for whatever amount of time this morning, Saturday morning, so I could do whatever.

We brainstormed about what I could do. I was thinking maybe of getting a manicure. But that involves making an appointment. Too stressful. I thought I might like to go shopping. I need work pants. But that involves crowds and spending money.

Then, I thought of exercise.

Last weekend, I never made time to exercise. Somehow between the things we had planned (social events both nights!) and the things that weren’t planned (Hubby spilled seltzer on his laptop and spent Saturday at the Apple Genius Bar praying the rosary!)  I never got a workout.

Exercise is sacred to me. It’s my stress-reliever, where I sweat and meditate and work things out in my head. I’ve never exercised as little as I do recently, and I need those two workouts a week. So, missing a workout is not good.

So I decided to go for a run. No gym, just out in the fresh, cool and windy great outdoors. One of the nicer days we’ve had yet, but still quite cool.

The plan was, I would run for as long as I wanted and then shower, and then we would take the kids to the Children’s Museum. In my head, I alotted myself a 30 minute run.

But. I ran to this pond near our house. Then, I walked some, watching the ducks.  Then, as I had my phone with me, I thought I would multi-task. There are close friends I haven’t talked with in a long time. I dialed one and we chatted as I walked. Then, I dialed another and we got into a deep conversation. I walked and walked and chatted and then got home and sat outside still chatting and chatting… It felt great to catch up, to meander and jabber and not have to peel kids off my legs or break up a fight in the middle of a real conversation.

90 minutes. I’d been out for 90 minutes! I realized that I had gone way over the time I had set in my head. I realized that Hubby was still solo with the kids and probably ready to kill me.  I got off the phone with my friend, feeling guilty for taking all that time.

But Hubby was fine, the kids were fine, and all was well.

We ended up not going to the museum as it was a little too late in the day… We went to get pizza instead. It was Babyboy’s idea. He loves pizza and had just built a Lego pizza parlor. (Seriously, he called it his pizza parlor, the roof is these flat triangle Lego pieces that kind of look like pizza slices.) The kids were really very good in the restaurant.  Babygirl then had a major meltdown in the parking lot, and Hubby and I handled it with aplomb.  When we got home, the day had brightened, and we all stayed outside for awhile, Hubby and I picking up sticks and raking leaves while the kids played.

Tonight I feel a little sore from running, and a little physically worn out, but in a good way. Can’t beat it: 90 minutes of free time with no agenda, several miles covered out in the fresh air, long chatty phone conversations connecting with old friends… AND pizza.