Was that a Cool Chick in a Mini Van? I DON'T THINK SO...

I am one of those people that can't think straight unless I'm somewhat organized in my home. (Forget about the car; that's a pig stye. I'm only talking about houses right now).

So, now that we're out of our record-breaking heat wave in Washington state, now that I'm done with - I hope - the one-eyed dog catastrophe, I was faced with a beautiful Seattle weekend to myself. My third one in, like, 18 years. What was I to do? Imagine the possibilities! They are endless and I have dreamed of free time for a long time!

What did I actually end up doing?

Friday night I had insomnia and was on Facebook most of the night (while listening to some excellent 60s music, I might add). I went to bed at 5 am and got up at 9 am. Yes, I'm hard core.

On Saturday I had to run out to sign some documents; a half hour was spent doing that ridiculous chore; so I rewarded myself by buying a Grande White Chocolate Mocha at Tully's Coffee and ordered a plain bagel with cream cheese TO GO.

I had one sip of the coffee and half a bite of the bagel before I got involved in talking with my neighbors. It got cold (all of it), so I gave up. For productivity purposes and much-needed exercise, I took my dog for a long walk. Here I was - cool chick in a straw hat, dark sunglasses, white tank top, colorful long "flower child" skirt flowing, not a care in the world. (Hat to prevent further sun damage to my face, sunglasses to hide the wrinkles and skirt to hide the fact that all the fat I lost went to my legs and I wouldn't be seen dead in shorts with these spider veins).

But wait! Wasn't that a one-eyed Irish Setter with a big black vinyl Elizabethan collar on his head and huge gangly stitches hanging out of where his eye used to be walking with that over- 40 Holly Golightly wanna be? Why yes it was! I may have felt like Audrey Hepburn in my own mind's eye, but I looked more like a comic book caricature of her in everyone else's' eyes, I'm sure.

So, I went home and tackled paperwork. Off came the clothes of a free-spirited woman. There was paperwork to do, so I had to put on appropriate clothing! Yoga pants and a tank top! Now that's comfy-wear! Since I've lost so much weight (not intentionally, but I still like it), I could actually wear those things I bought 15 years ago (that looked awful on me then) and not look dumpy for the first time in spandex EVER!

Ahh, feeling good, ready to go.

An old friend called - we hadn't talked in like, 25 years. That was cool. Yet, the papers waited.

Paperwork. Mounds and stacks of insurance stuff, kid stuff, tax stuff, filing. Uggggghhhhh! (Oh, I did all this while watching "Revolutionary Road" - a fantastic movie about two people who had passion and dreams and then GOT MARRIED. You guessed it - unhappy ending!)

I made a salad, ate three pieces of lettuce, and went to bed.

I wish I could tell you that I had a fantastic dream about some gorgeous hunk that I swept off his feet and then dumped, but I didn't. (Still waiting for that dream).

I got up, walked that one-eyed Irish Setter two miles, then did paperwork for five hours.

In the middle of the day, I took a break to hit Wal-Mart to purchase the school supplies needed for my son's next school year. (I wanted to beat the "Back to School" rush. Clever, right?)

Then I came home and did paperwork.

I toyed with the idea of driving to the beach - bringing a good book and saying "Forget the papers, they'll still be there when you get back." But I couldn't do it.

I toyed with the idea of driving to a park at the beach with a lighthouse nearby; but I didn't.

I did get organized; it felt good. At 4:30 I ate my dinner - a can of tuna. (I used to "live to eat" and now I "eat to live" - not on purpose, by God, that is just how I get when I'm stressed.)

I walked that one-eyed suffering dog for two more miles. Then I came home, worked some more and went to get my kids from their dad's house.

It was at that moment - that very moment that I got in my car - that finally I let loose. I turned on my radio - dear Lord, a song by "oh so cute" Robin Thicke - Lost Without You (I saw him on TV and drooled, but he's too young and I don't have a prayer - a girl can dream, can't she?), then I jammed my Bob Marley Legend CD in and bopped around, windows open to Reggae. Suddenly I was 25 again, driving down the beach roads in Florida, tan, long hair blowing in the breeze, not a care in the world....I was a Goddess! I was a Cool Chick!!!!

Then, I got to a stop light. It suddenly dawned on me that I AM DRIVING A MINI VAN!!!!!!!!! I am 45! I have short hair because my hair is so thick from being gray for so long that I can't even brush it if I grow it! AND I am going to pick up my kids! My YOUNG kids! And, when faced with a choice of my first free moment in a zillion years, I CHOSE PAPERWORK!!!! What a loser! Now there's a party animal if I ever saw one!

I arrived to pick up my kids only two minutes later. The packed bags were thrown in my VAN, the official "switching of the car seats" happened and although I tried to maintain that "young-girlish" attitude while driving away towards my home with my kids, my favorite "Jammin" blasting on the radio, reality checked in. Again. With these simple words from my three year old:

"Mom, can I hear 'The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round?"

Goodbye, Bob Marley.

Goodbye Beach.

Goodbye peace and quiet.

It's me, Maureen - Mom, mini-van driver and ex-cool chick.

(Could I just have the dream about the cute guy AT LEAST??????)

Cheerth!