Just the Best Kind of Monday!

 It was!

I used to dread Mondays.  I loved weekends and time at home, especially when the girls were little.  I didn't like Sunday nights and knowing that the next morning was getting up at 5:30 and starting in on a new week. It was even worse when I arrived at school, looking at my plan book for the week and realizing there were FIVE days to get through before the weekend came again.  It wasn't that I didn't like teaching or my students.  It was just that I loved being at home with my girls and their daddy.

Going to the college to work for 10 years gave me another perspective on Mondays because every semester, my schedule was different.  Sometimes on Mondays I wouldn't teach at all, sometimes I would teach two classes plus a night class.  Always variety!

But now?  Each Monday is an adventure.  Since retirement happened, Mondays take on a new meaning.  And since COVID hit nearly 10 months ago, Mondays seem to be the days that grocery shopping and stops at Target and Meijer head our to-do list. Smaller crowds.  No one around.  Less traffic.  Just better environment for shopping.  Which brings me to today...

My mani appt with Tina at VS Nails was at 9.  I arrived a few minutes before and was the only customer for probably 45 minutes.  The other techs were cleaning, refilling containers, and taking down the Christmas decor.  When I was ready to leave there were two other customers in the salon---one getting a pedicure, and one without an appointment who took my place with Tina.

Since I was 'there,' I drove over to the gas pumps at Sam's Club to fill up the tank of the white Escape.  The price per gallon was $2.19 which was less that I had seen it at other stations.  Gas prices are now going up (effect of the election?).  I also opted to buy the stamps I needed at the Lafayette PO since I was close to it as well.  Maybe it wouldn't be crowded on a Monday morni

 It was!

I used to dread Mondays.  I loved weekends and time at home, especially when the girls were little.  I didn't like Sunday nights and knowing that the next morning was getting up at 5:30 and starting in on a new week. It was even worse when I arrived at school, looking at my plan book for the week and realizing there were FIVE days to get through before the weekend came again.  It wasn't that I didn't like teaching or my students.  It was just that I loved being at home with my girls and their daddy.

Going to the college to work for 10 years gave me another perspective on Mondays because every semester, my schedule was different.  Sometimes on Mondays I wouldn't teach at all, sometimes I would teach two classes plus a night class.  Always variety!

But now?  Each Monday is an adventure.  Since retirement happened, Mondays take on a new meaning.  And since COVID hit nearly 10 months ago, Mondays seem to be the days that grocery shopping and stops at Target and Meijer head our to-do list. Smaller crowds.  No one around.  Less traffic.  Just better environment for shopping.  Which brings me to today...

My mani appt with Tina at VS Nails was at 9.  I arrived a few minutes before and was the only customer for probably 45 minutes.  The other techs were cleaning, refilling containers, and taking down the Christmas decor.  When I was ready to leave there were two other customers in the salon---one getting a pedicure, and one without an appointment who took my place with Tina.

Since I was 'there,' I drove over to the gas pumps at Sam's Club to fill up the tank of the white Escape.  The price per gallon was $2.19 which was less that I had seen it at other stations.  Gas prices are now going up (effect of the election?).  I also opted to buy the stamps I needed at the Lafayette PO since I was close to it as well.  Maybe it wouldn't be crowded on a Monday morning?  The customers ahead of me were basically old people who had issues or wanted to argue with the clerks.  I think the clerk who assisted me was happy when I asked for three books of stamps and that was all I needed!  Four bill payments and three personal letters were slipped through the outgoing mail slot!

On the way out of town I stopped at Meijer to switch my presciption provider from SilverScript to Anthem.  Quick in and out stop.

Owen and Blaine stopped by soon after I arrived home.  I think Owen really wanted to stay, but Daddy wanted to go home.  Owen would have gladly come along with us on the rest of our adventures.

Driving to Medaryville was slow and interesting.  We drove through Monticello, then through the country and up Rangeline.  We stopped at the cemetery.  We drove past our fields.  We drove past the home place.  In Medaryville we stopped at the bank to deposit a couple of checks and chat with Karen.  Becca had to leave abruptly because Chris, her husband, had tested positive for COVID.  So she had been stressing out and Karen was stressing out because now she needed some relief help at the bank. 

Lunch at Pizza Hut in Monticello.  We were the only customers and our food was great!  Gary had wings and fries.  I ordered the lunch special of a pan pizza and salad.  I opted for the Italian salad which was delicious and a chicken bacon parmesan pizza which was superb.  Very good choice for the restaurant (no people) and the lunch (great food).  

When we reached the south end of Monticello, we drove back to the condos where Karen and Clay are moving.  Now we know which building and where we will be going when we visit them in a few months.

A stop at DQ for medium chocolate cones was next.  Yum.  Cold but yum.

Back to Meijer again.  Gary took care of his change in pharmacy insurance coverage.  I looked for the second book in the Bridgerton series and couldn't find it.   I couldn't find any of the Virgin River books anywhere.  On to Plan B for the books.

Gordon's was the next stop.  That place is dangerous!  But our bill was under $100 so that was good!

Barnes and Noble - final stop.  No Bridgerton series books. And we were told that the books have been flying off the shelves, the warehouses are out of the books, and new printings have been ordered.  It will be a while before their shelves are re-stocked.  I did find a couple of the Virgin River books and bought those along with a DVD that we think Landon might like. 

Home again at around 4:30 or so.  

As I typed this, it seemed like such an ordinary day.  But two things stand out.  One is that I hadn't been out of the house since Thursday when we went grocery shopping at Payless.  That is an adventure, but doesn't constitute classification as 'the best kind of Thursday'!  Today was 'get out of the house and do some things and have no schedule to follow or time to be back.'  Second is it was just to do something with just us.  Much as I love the kiddos, I was happy that Blaine didn't work and that Owen could spend the day with him.  It is good for both of them also for some time together without Mommy, Landon, and Tessa.  I cherish time with Gary, just the two of us.  It was just fun taking a different route to Medaryville and another route back to Monticello.  It was fun being the only customers at Pizza Hut.  It was fun stopping for ice cream on a cold January afternoon.  It was fun browsing around in Gordon's and then in B & N.  

It was just the best kind of Monday!