Working for the Weekend…The “Magic” of Fridays

It’s a rainy Friday. And somehow the cool, wet weather is not putting a damper on my mood at all.

I love Fridays. If someone were to ask me what my favorite day of the week was, I’d say Friday. It’s a day full of possibilities.

No matter how the 9-5 portion of the day turned out – deadlines met or customers satisfied – when the day is done, and the weekend begins, you can just feel the atmosphere around you morph into hope, excitement and opportunity.

There’s just this vibe that is in the air. People are more friendly, smiles on their faces, a spring in their step. I find people are more eager to get somewhere but despite their rush to “start the party” they will be kinder in traffic, or walking down the street.

Maybe it’s just me, but even as someone who is not frequenting a traditional office, I still spend the majority of my time working hard, sitting in front of a computer, making phone calls, visiting the library or attending seminars, and by the end of the week, I’m ready for the weekend. The idea of the “clean slate” or two days to myself to get all the “other” things I want to do accomplished, is such an intoxicating concept.

I understand that not every weekend is open wide and many things can be scheduled. Whether meeting friends, going away on a trip, having guests stay at your place or just trying a new restaurant, no matter what is going on, weekends tend to be a time to rejuvenate the soul, energize the spirit and remind us all that life is not just about work.

Me, a Grown Up? Hmmm...

The other day I was having lunch with a dear friend. She encouraged me to enter a writing contest being held by one of her favorite magazines. The topic, to be described in 1,500 words is: "When did you first realize that you had become a grown up?"

I'm not sure I feel like I am one. A grown up. Truly. There are so many days when I will refer to people who are around my parents' age as "grown ups" but can't seem to make the correlation, that I, too, am a grown up. What does being "grown up" mean? When we reach a certain height? A certain age? A particular milestone? Is it the day we own something such as a car, a piece of property, or when we combine our lives, monetarily, emotionally, and sometimes by name with someone else?

I guess this is the question being posed. Not only for me to answer if I am going to submit anything to this contest, and I really want to, but maybe it's a question I'm putting out there so if anyone has any thoughts or perhaps their own revelation on when you felt you became a grown up, I'd love to hear 'em!

Everybody Wants to Rule (Their) World

Choices. We make them every day. Some small, like what to have for breakfast or what we wear to work. Some much larger, such as who we marry, what religion we follow, or what career we practice.

Lately I've been pondering the choices I've made in my life. If I hadn't gone to a particular school, taken the jobs I did, volunteered at the events I have, would I be surrounded by a much different group of people? Would I be living elsewhere? Would I be more successful? How would my life be?

And the truth is, I'll never know. Maybe I'd be right where I am now.

I'm certain if someone had asked me a decade or so ago where I'd be at 34-years-old I wouldn't have predicted being unemployed and living in Connecticut. And, as many of you know, who follow my blog (thank you), I have had a lot of time to do a lot of thinking these past few months. And I'm starting to come to this conclusion: every day the decisions I make, the things I do, they ARE my life.

I have to stop "waiting" for it to begin. "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Therefore EVERY day I am getting up and knowing that I'm already living MY life and trying not to wonder so much about the future. The best I can do is work hard, know what makes me happy and in essence, go with my gut. As I just read, "Bring your life to life: stop planning, start doing."

I like that. I mean, taking action produces results. Sometimes we have control over the actions we take but not always what happens after that. Therefore it's hard to plan too much, but if we don't do anything, nothing will come of it. As Thomas Edison so wisely stated: "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."

So, that's my goal: do more. And maybe I'll not only astound myself, but perhaps a few others along the way.

And She'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun Till Her Daddy Takes Her T-Bird Away...

Ah, summertime. My favorite time of the year. A time of heat, of relaxation, long walks, trips to the beach, vacation excursions, short skirts, flip flops, tan lines, iced tea and lots of time outside. It's the time of year where you almost escape from the grind, sometimes even take a trip down memory lane. And for me, that trip includes frequenting classic car shows.

There is something magical about seeing these amazing machines with all their intricate details, curves, bright colors, fierce roaring engines as they come down the street or line the pavement. I feel like I am engrossed in a part of history.
Not only do I enjoy admiring these mechanical works of art, I relish the time I spend capturing their images with my camera while talking to the owners of the vehicles. One gentleman, in his late 70s, told me about his 1940s Buick Truck and how he only takes it out for shows and to take his new lady (his wife had died several years ago) courting in. When I admired one guy's porche, he informed me it was his dad's - he pointed to an older gentleman sitting in a chair curbside - and how it was his job now to drive his dad to shows in it because his dad couldn't drive it any longer. I asked if I could take on that job sometime!

One guy, who owned a blue stingray corvette, saw me taking pictures of the car and wanted me to sit inside so he could take a picture of me. While I declined his offer - the outside of the car was a lot more breathtaking than the inside - he went on to tell me he'd been through three marriages and two houses but somehow this car remained in his life. Hmmmmm...

Lucky for me, I've been spoiled because my uncle has a '64 Chevy Impala SS convertible and a friend of mine owns a '65 Buick Electra 225. This gives me the opportunity, on occasion, to actually get to ride around in a classic beauty. It is such a thrill to hear the rumble of the engine and to have people stare as we drive past them.

I've had several guys ask me, "Which one's yours?" at smaller shows. Gosh, I wish I had one, but I tell them that I'm just scoping out which model I will strive to own one day. As one lady told me - she owns a Mustang and her husband owns a '63 Chevy Impala - I hope that someday (soon) you'll get your dream car - the one that gives you goosebumps and makes you feel like the coolest chick in the world!

So, that's my goal. Perhaps one day I'll be writing about MY car!