Just one long to-do list after another. Lizzie sighed and considered the multitude of things on her list for tomorrow. It was the weekend, a time she once looked forward to, but now seemed to consist only of the chores she didn’t get done during the week. Adulting was not turning out the way she’d once dreamed. Nothing was really.
- Laundry! The situation is becoming desperate. Clean underwear is not optional.
- Tiny (remember, you’re his whole life. Play ball, take him for a walk, something!)
- Get groceries (all that’s left in the fridge is wilted lettuce. You don’t want wilted lettuce for dinner)
- Put gas in the car (or the groceries won’t make it home)
- Exercise! Those last 2 lbs aren’t going to lose themselves.
- Bake cookies. After all, you just exercised. You’ve earned them. Lemon ones. Pick up lemons when you get groceries.
- Study. Something. Anything. Preferably something related to work you’d like to do. It’s the only way you’ll get out of the work you currently do.
- Vacuum. It’ll be a great way to avoid studying, and Tiny’s hair is all over the place.
- Mow the lawn (maybe can count as exercise?). Unless it’s raining.
- Weed the garden. Seriously. It’s starting to look impressively junglish.
- Nap. But set your alarm – you don’t have time to sleep all day (see above!)
- Buy bday gift for nephew. Something noisy and obnoxious. Revenge is best served cold.
- Mail wedding RSVP – it was due last week! Bad guest.
She shook her head looking it over, knowing she was forgetting something but not sure what. And not sure she could bring herself to care. It had been a very long week. With a smile, she added a few more things hoping to spur her memory:
- Win the lottery (buy a ticket?)
- Find soulmate
- Plan dream vacation
With thoughts of her “one day” Africa trip in mind, and no idea what she’d forgotten from the list, Lizzie closed her app and dismissed all thoughts of tomorrow’s chores from her mind, pouring herself a glass of wine and settling in with a book she’d be moderately embarrassed to be caught reading but fully planned to enjoy every moment of.
The next morning she started with a long bath. Just because she had a ton of things to do, didn’t mean she shouldn’t start the day out right! Then with a sigh she reluctantly opened the list and started ordering things. Laundry first, it could run while she was doing other things. Oh and she should probably do dishes at the same time. Groceries would have to wait – once she went out, she knew her productivity would plummet. Tiny could go for a short walk in the am and be sure it happened or a longer walk after everything else was done – but she might be too tired then. Or both? She looked to her great dane to judge his thoughts on the matter, but he was still sound asleep. Afternoon it is.
Exercise. She should probably do that now. But she just got out of the bath. Not good timing to get sweaty again and then have to shower again. She could exercise later.
Executive decision that lawn and garden were both getting bumped to Sunday. She didn’t have anything on tomorrow anyways and this list was ridiculous.
Can’t bake cookies without getting groceries. Studying is definitely an evening thing.
So. Laundry and dishes. While they’re doing their thing, vacuum. Then go out and buy all the things. Put groceries and dishes away, put laundry in the dryer. Bake the cookies. While the cookies are baking, wrap the birthday present. Rescue cookies from oven and taste test, put laundry away, and then the nap. The wonderful nap. Highlight of the day really.
After the nap, a quick workout, then take Tiny on a walk to the mailbox to send the RSVP, maybe farther if things are good. Study a little before dinner, and then freedom for the evening. Maybe time for that dream trip planning (optional).
Feeling pleased with herself for having sorted a workable plan, Lizzie tackled the list with far more enthusiasm than she’d written it. She even picked up a scratch and win lottery ticket – couldn’t guarantee it’d win, but at least she could say she made a solid effort at that part of the list.
All was going well until while walking the usually impeccably well-trained Tiny through the park, he suddenly tugged on his leash and bounded away. Lizzie was so stunned by the behaviour she dropped the leash; not that she could’ve done much about it – Tiny weighed as much as she did. He stopped only a few feet away, head down on his front paws, peering under a bush.
She didn’t bother to call him, just went over to see what he’d found. Telling him to leave it, she gave the strongest wait command she could and then bent over to see for herself. The bush scratched her face as she lifted the bottom branches to see underneath. And found a tiny black kitten, no bigger than her palm. It stared back at her, didn’t seem scared – after Tiny, she surely seemed the better option.
She reached out and got swatted for her efforts. Rolling her eyes, she tried again, catching the now angry kitten by the scruff of the neck. She backed up out of the bush, bringing the kitten with her, only to find Tiny right beside her, eagerly nosing the kitten. The dog had no maliciousness in him, only curiousity about the tiny fluff his person was holding.
Keeping the kitten close to her chest so it would neither claw her nor run away, she took both critters home, deciding she would keep an eye out for lost kitten signs, but suspecting she’d just inherited a new pet.
Tiny was fascinated. Lizzie watched him carefully as she put the kitten down, he nuzzled her, so gently she didn’t even topple over, then followed protectively as she wobbled around the floor.
Watching the kitten explore her new home with her giant shadow, Lizzie scratched her lottery ticket. $5. Woohoo! Enough for another lottery ticket. She laughed and reached for her textbook.
Looking up after forcing herself through one chapter, Lizzie smiled to see that the kitten had curled up in the middle of Tiny’s massive bed for a nap, and Tiny lay on the floor, with his head on edge of the bed still watching the kitten.
And as Lizzie started to think about what her Africa dreams might look like, she realized even her completely unrealistic list items had been accomplished. She HAD won the lottery – just not the prize she’d imagined. And she HAD found a soul mate, from the looks of things, it just happened to be Tiny’s.
Pulling out her app, she started a new list for tomorrow.
- Write more ambitious list.
 |
| Not my dog, not my kitten Found pic after writing story, but have to admit it suits :) |
