A day off...

So I'm not going to lie, on a normal week....my planner tends to look like THIS:

With grad school until 10PM on Monday nights, Pi Phi emails to answer/people to call sprinkled in, meetings in the evening for other volunteer things, dinner/happy hours with friends, working out, and you know...the whole relaxing and spending time with Jimmy and my pups...the weeks just go by way too fast!  And if you didn't notice from the posts from February, I was out of town all 3 weekends.  Goodbye trying to "catch up" on anything on the weekends - including sleep.

So it happened - mid February I looked ahead a few weeks to the first week in March and there it was.  A free day at work.  No meetings, nothing.  So I jumped on it and told my boss I was going to take the day off - for no darn reason at all except I wanted to.  Now you might that is normal, but after getting the day off and putting "PTO" in my calendar without "flying here", "be here at 8AM", "drive here"...I was so pumped.  I couldn't believe it.  I was actually using one of the adult priveleges in life of paid time off...for no darn reason other than I wanted to.  After being out of college for 4 years, it was a first for me and I was determined to make use of the whole day and not feel bad at all!!

It started at 8:15AM.  I slept in through Jimmy getting up and going to work and then hopped out of bed excited to get my first workout of the week in (pathetic, I know...since it was already Friday, but it was a rough week!!). 

I was off to 24 hour Fitness in Shawnee, so a 15 min or so drive away because at 9AM they had my favorite work out class - Turbo Kick Boxing.  I was the first one there and I was only like 2 min early so it really freaked me out because the evening classes people get there like 10 min early to just get a spot.  Finally - a few more people came in, but WOW wish I could go that class time everyday because it was so nice!  I did feel weird driving around town in the middle of the day on a Friday - like I was "doing something wrong" by not being at work, but I made myself get over that quickly :)

Next up - off to the post office to mail my long overdue passport application with my married name on it for our trip to Mexico in May for Courtney and Brian's wedding!!!  Then of course, using a coupon at True Value to by some spray paint for my day off house project!



Then I was off to Hy-Vee with my lengthy shopping list to pick up the goods for my third time around of the 30 meals in 1 day!  I was planning on cooking that Sunday, but ended up having to put it off until the next weekend, but I got it done again - with all new recipes this time!  YUM!  My favorite thing?  Look at how organized the grocery list they give you is based off your recipes - all organized by category in the grocery store!

Finally, in between coats of spray paint, it was time for some "me" time.  I picked up the red box movie "Yes, man" with Jim Carrey, made a snack (thanks Lauren G for the Jalapeno jelly you left from bunco - I LOVE that stuff!!) that Jimmy would never eat with me and probably think I'm gross for eating only that and popped in a movie for some down time/quality time just sitting with all the dogs (can you find them all in the picture!!?)

It was just what I needed!  Then I got dressed and headed downtown to meet Jimmy and our work friends for happy hour!  I had to document my day with these stupid mirror bathroom pictures if you can't tell!

The group at Harry's Country Club!  It was also a good bye celebration, as Pat was moving on to another job - so it was great to get together!  (Katie - I know you always complain I never put pics on facebook and yes, this one made it to the blog before facebok - but I will get it up soon!)

After happy hour, Jimmy and I headed to Merriam (after a quick stop at McDonalds in which I shoved a double cheeseburger and fries in my purse for Jimmy to eat and he stuck two drinks in his coat - oops!  we didn't have time for dinner!) Cinemark theater to watch Hall Pass.  It was actually pretty funny and I liked it - however, the crowd was probably more amusing.  Between the HUGE line to get your ticket stub torn, to the teenage girls singing a full song at the front of the movie theater before the movie started and the people that talked (in Spanish....really loud) the whole movie sitting next to me...I think we have decided to go to other theaters from now on...especially on a Friday night :)

Overall - it was an AWESOME day off! Even though I was quite busy, it was awesome not to have a set schedule and do what I want, when I want :)  I might just have to take a free day of PTO for "no reason" again soon!  But with some vacations coming up, I probably won't.  However, it does everyone good every once and a while!!!! 

Have you ever taken a day off "just because"?  What did you do?!?!  I think I am going to have to have a few more of these.......